We left Caloocan at around 5:20 in the morning. The coldness of the month adds up to the coldness of the morning itself so I know it will be a chilly ride.
This isn't my first time in motorcycle riding because these friends of mine always have their destinations. Just like the wanderlust in me, they like going to far places driving just the motorcycles. It's a fun kind of travel since it's like a hands-on experience with the places. Bad for me coz I can't drive yet. I am always the back ride. The driver's burden.
The traffic jam is early in North Fairview. As usual, it's the rush hour. Some offices and schools open at 6 AM. We went across the wide road of Commonwealth Avenue and intersected at Old Balara going to Marikina to Antipolo.
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Antipolo is a big city. The roads and the avenues are awfully familiar. It was very nostalgic and it gave me that little pinch of gloom. I had a lot of memories there. I loved that city and the atmosphere the place gives me even before. Way back when I was young and eager to discover things and meet new people and endure heartaches. The unbeatable drama queen I am, early in the morning.
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We reached a coffee shop called Mang Frank's. It's more like a stopover when riders are feeling tired driving and they need some coffee or food to stamp out the coldness and the exhaustion.
I asked her name and learned that she is just 3 years old and her mother is in Japan, working. The boys serving us are his brothers. Her smile took off the numbness off my feet. Even my smallest exhaustion seemed to be taken away. She talked to me like an old friend and laughed and told stories and accompanied me to the restroom because I don't know where it was. She waited outside and held my hand when I went out.
I had a good laugh when she said "Your E-wings are beautiful." I asked her what she meant with "your-E-Wings". I thought she was talking about sanitary napkins or something. You know. I just went out from the restroom and she told me that so I was a bit surprised and curious at the same time. She also pronounce the /s/ sound as /th/ so it sounded like "E-weength" and I don't know what in the world that means! It took me like half a minute to catch up what she meant. What she was trying to say was my "earrings are beautiful." Haha!
She's shy when it comes to camera but it didn't take me a long while to convince her to smile for the camera with me. We took a lot of pictures together.
So we had coffee and bread and stayed for several minutes, probably 30. While some of us are having our coffee, AB and Aljon played basketball in the half court beside the stopover.
It's very obvious that a lot of rider groups had been here, they even left souvenirs, posted on the walls and even on the ceiling of the place.
It's time to leave. I bid my good bye to my little friend, Michelyn. I gave her my earrings as a surprise and a remembrance. I told her my name and she kept on saying it even if she doesn't have anything to say. She told me not to forget her name. I told her I won't. She tried to give me back my earrings. I know she was shy but I told her that it's now hers and that I will sulk if she won't use it. She smiled.
Before leaving, I took some photos of the gang who were with me in this trip.
The engine started. I forgot to ask her who Mang Frank is. I also forgot to introduce her to Caleb and Sofia. She waved her good bye and shouted for the last time, "Ba-bye Ate Joaaaaaan. Wag mo ko kakalimutan ah (Don't ever forget me, okay?)." I won't. I smiled at her and waved my hand. And just like that, she was suddenly busy playing with her stick. She didn't even look at me while I was leaving.
I was sad. I continued to look back at her and watch her image fade away in the distance.
Michelyn. I hope she will remember me when she grows up. I hope she will smile whenever she will remember Ate Joan. I hope she is going to keep that earring. I hope to see her become a lady. I hope to go back. To Michelyn. My little friend.
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Barangay Laurel seemed to be a quiet place. I have never seen any houses as we ride along for five minutes. The view was spectacular. The grass seems to be very healthy with their yellow green color. For a moment I thought I wasn't in the Philippines.
It started to drizzle. I saw clouds which seemed to be lowering on the mountains tinted with gray.
The drizzle felt like rain. We were then "inside" the clouds. Drops of water coming from the direction of the wind. I can imagine little creatures throwing water pebbles at me.
It was a long foggy and occasionally muddy road. It was icy cold and it seemed to me like it lasted a lifetime.
The road started to narrow and at last, I felt the rays of the sun. I saw the sun peeping through the curtain of the clouds but it can't go out. It was still drizzling.
* * * *
I wonder how long will it rain. I was as cold as the freezer. We are high above the mountains and the clouds were embracing us.If I would have children of my own and they'd asked me how's it like to touch the clouds, I will tell them it's not good. I'll tell them it's like walking in the rain. I'll tell them the clouds look like smoke coming from the ground. I will not feed them stories like what old people told me when I was little. I will not tell them stories like what I read in fairy tales or what I watched in Doraemon, that the clouds are like cotton and you can ride on them and they will fly you to places. No. Those stories are nonsense. If I feed them lies, they would feel the same disappointment I felt right then when I was "inside" the clouds.
We still stopped to enjoy being "in" the clouds though.
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It was a tough ride at the Sierra Madre mountains.
Several minutes after, I felt the warmth of the air. The wind was blowing wildly but at least it's warm.
The wind was whistling and whispering things I don't understand. It was a combination of children and women's voices altogether in a soft cry, or wail, or rustle.
A street sign says we are already in Bayang Mapayapa. I do hope it's really a peaceful city. Hehe. There were lots of houses and people smiled at us as we passed.
* * * *
We reached Infanta.
We stopped when we saw a Kingdom Hall to take some pictures.
After a fifteen-minute-ride, we reached the boarders of Real. It is obviously an active city with its numerous resorts and colorful advertisements of recreational places.
We stopped at a beach resort. We decided to take our lunch there and stay till afternoon. Good thing I will be able to rest the from the numbness of my feet. They excitedly went to swim. The sea was very inviting.
But it was very hot so I just stayed in a cottage beside the beach and chatted with Dave.
We had lunch in a nearby cottage. The resort owner provided us plates and other things.
After eating lunch, I took a nap and woke up with their laughs. They were talking about how enjoyable the ride was. I wonder what it's like to be the one driving. I promised myself that next time, I won't just be backriding. I will go back to these places myself.
We left the resort at 3:00 PM. It was a tough ride back home. I appreciated the view more and thought about paradise. In paradise, the beauty of these things will be possessed by people forever. I didn't want to close my eyes for fear that when I open it, they will be gone.
It was a wonderful trip. And wonderful is an understatement.
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