I choose to spend the long week with my relatives in Bicol and also used it as an opportunity to introduce my boyfriend to my family. I guess spending days like this with important people in my life really matters. At first I was shy and hesitant about it. It's my first serious relationship and I guess I'm still on the phase where I had to keep some things private without sacrificing about letting everyone aware about our relationship. Some of my ordinary afternoon in the province would be staying in my Lolo Nestor's balcony and lying on the hammock just to stare at the trees, smell the breeze, feel the summer wind of the province and listen to the crowing of the chickens outside. These things put me to sleep and making me miss the simple yet peaceful afternoons in the province. Before, I would bring books with me and spend mundane afternoon reading. This vacation was different.
My boyfriend would join me to go walk outside, climb to the seawall and wait for the sunset while we talk about random silly stuff. In the morning, he'll be waking up at 6am and go to my Lolo's house (where I sleep because we sleep separately) just to wake me up gently and ask me to join him to have breakfast or go for a walk. Some afternoons are for playing billiards with my cousins, some silly mind games and random chitchats. Some days he would help me do my homework (I brought my school stuff with me like my anatomy drawings) and we'll draw together while listening to some music such as The weeknd's - Save your tears (remix) on repeat. He said that was his mom's favorite music. Once, we went for a walk on the rough and rocky shore at low-tide and in the middle of the shallow waters, I asked him to remove his slippers so that he could feel everything. Unfortunately, when we left, he noticed that he had wounds underneath his foot because of sharp stones and shells in it. I felt guilty and yet, I wanted to laugh of how annoyingly weird it is. I know this sounds cliche, but I'm starting to appreciate certain things about him, the way he remembers the details and the things I told him about. When he remembers the things I'd say months or weeks ago. When he listens to my silly stories, rants or what-ifs and joins me when I'm sad, angry or happy. When he laugh and annoys me even more when I'm annoyed. When he doesn't give me reasons to be jealous and assures me that things will be fine. When he tells me about how he let others know he's happy and in love.
Those were just things I find sweet and charming. At Sunday, we went on church and we head to the beach with my family. I told him how I'd like to collect seashells and took pictures with it. He said he'd like to have us swim later in the afternoon when the heat of the sun finally becomes bearable enough. He took my white bucket hat and it doesn't look good in him, but I liked it anyway. We swim holding hands into the salty water when he noticed how my hair retains the white dried salts of the sea as soon as we left. He joked about teaching me how to swim as I showed him how to swim like a mermaid. He took some pictures of me between the big rocks despite of the rain shower. At night, we packed up our things and head back to manila. I am certain that this vacation is one that I will surely never forget.
