PARTING SUNSET by Thea Monica S. Lacambra
E
verything is set in motion. There seems to be no other way around the circumstances that have brought me to the airport. I am talking about numbers: nine days of radio silence between a man and a woman, five hours of travel from North to South, and forty minutes of farewell. I may have endured the back-stretching ride paired with cold airconditioning, but the moment I hop out of the bus, I stand warm under the afternoon heat of the sun. Nothing Metro Manila weather cannot fix. I run toward the covered pathway that leads to the terminal. It takes me another sweat-inducing walk to reach the café. The aroma of freshly brewed coffee wafts through the entrance. I watch the barista calling orders upon orders and customers rushing to the counter. One step. Two steps. Three steps. Then a halt. I survey the area and spot Rohan in a cozy nook. He notices me immediately but doesn’t wave nor smile. I do not give him the signature pat-and-squeeze on the arm. He does not give me a gentle pinch on the cheek.
HINTAYAN
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