Budding friendship
Three days have passed. Jen and Gary are finishing off documents in their companies so they could go on vacation and volunteer. A little after lunchtime, Jen called Ayu for a meet-up with the two guys they met on the weekend.
“Ayu, I invited them over to your place,” Jen told her straight away.
“What?!” Ayu exclaimed. “Wha…Why?” She did not hide her dissatisfaction with the sudden get together at her den. “We can get a snack outside, you know.”
“Ayu….” Jen has always been decisive, but she forgets that they are not kids anymore.
“Will Gary come?” Ayu asked as if giving in to her friend’s crazy plan.
“He will be late tonight. He has to work overtime so he could finish off reports before we leave.” Jen explained.
“You crazy girl!” Ayu raised her voice. “First, you invited two strangers. Second, you knew Gary will come late.” Ayu’s heart raced. “Wait until I see you!”
“Alright! Alright! Sorry babe.” Jen answered her but paused for a little. “I had to…” She now realized how bad the decision she just made. Jen slapped her mouth.
Jen heard a big sigh from Ayu’s end of the line.
“Okay. I could not do anything about it now. Just make sure Gary comes.” Ayu tried to calm herself.
Jen feels sad about her action, but she could not hide her excitement when Ayu agreed. “Great! I will send Ned another message.”
On the other side, Ayu just hit her forehead as if she regrets her decision. Reckless, she thought. She has traveled to places and met a lot of people. Trusting someone as soon as you know them may not always bring a good result. But it has been decided. She can only take precautions.
“Eat dinner here. I will cook something for you.” Ayu pushed her mind to be understanding.
“Cool! Thank you, my love.” Jen said excitedly for the event. Ayu would have mistaken her excitement to see her if it were not for Ned. She shook her head while smiling at the thought.
8 pm
Someone knocked at the door while Ayu was still in her bedroom. She heard Jen’s voice urging someone.
“Come in! Ayu will come out in a bit.” Jen’s voice too friendly. “House slippers in that white cabinet.”
“Hi!” Ayu greeted, coming out of the bedroom.
“Hello there,” Ned said with a bright face. Hanz nods at her with a straight face.
Ayu tensed up.
“Coffee?” Jen stopped her heart’s racing beat. “Black with no sugar for Ayu. What about you two?”
Ayu was sure she already has a list to ask Ned.
“Black and sweetened for us two. Thank you,” Ned answered Jen and turned to Hanz. His friend nodded.
“Oh! Men who like sweets,” Jen commented.
She has this playful period. She looked at Ayu and winked. Whatever she means about that has nothing to do with her vacation plan, she thought.
“You got a big place here,” Ned said, observing the flat.
“Oh, this is not mine. It’s Ayus’. I’m just a friend taking advantage of her good fortune.” Jen was blabbering again while making coffee.
Ayu just shook her head. “It’s my parents.” She said in defense. “By the way, Gary will be here in a bit.” She mentioned Gary so the guests would know a guy will come over for both the girls. Half a guy, she meant, but they did not know that. Yet.
“Yeah. Let us wait for him,” Ned smilingly answered.
Hanz stood up and looked outside the glass door to the balcony. Ayu saw him. She walked up to him and led open the door. “I like sitting outside on the balcony.”
Hanz followed her. Hands in his pants pocket. He is tall and attractive. Quiet tanned for this season. He was wearing a white shirt again today, she noticed. His chest and arm muscles noticeable. His tousled short curly hair made him look as if he just got out of bed.
The balcony is unusually wide with fake two-toned grass on the floor. A white rattan coffee table and two matching chairs sit on the side. Potted bright pink and white begonias adorned the wall that separates the unit from others. And the ceiling’s yellow light made the area more comforting.
“Do you like it here in the city?” The first question he asked her.
Ayu looked at him. His gaze strangely far. Suddenly, he turned his head and met Ayu’s gaze. He did not look away. A few moments passed by between them.
“I…I like being with friends.” Ayu stammered. She was taken aback. Strangers usually smile a lot to make the other side feel at ease. This guy defies that. She could not read him. “If they are in the city, then, let us just say I like the city.” She added and looked ahead searching for something amusing. Nothing. The front side of the building is not developed yet. Instead, cranes are sitting in the open area.
He smirked.
Ayu heard him. She looked at Hanz again. A smirk? Was he not satisfied by my answer? A lot of things crossed her mind. She wanted to ask him if she said something odd but decided to ignore it.
He shook his head. He was about to sit on the chair just when his phone rang.
“Do you mind?” He excused asking Ayu to give him space. “No.” She replied.
Who could that be? Ayu was deep in thought and was weirded out by his action. She walked back inside. That moment with him felt too long. Jen was pouring coffee to Ayu’s favorite white mug set.
The nutty aroma of the coffee arabica filled the room.
“Here’s your coffee.” Jen gave Ned and Ayu each a mug. “Where’s Hanz?”
“On the phone,” Ayu said in between sniff. “When did you guys arrived in the Philippines?” She asked Ned.
“A few days ago. We have been volunteering for over six months now in different countries. Before coming here, we were in Vietnam, Thailand, and Malaysia. We teach kids, work in a rural medical clinic, or assist in a public health nutrition program. Then, we travel around when possible.” He joyfully answered.
“Interesting,” Jen said with the best possible smile she could give. Ayu smiled at her girlfriend. She has not seen her excited like this.
Ayu’s curiosity rose immediately because of the stories Ned was telling them. “I have been reading a lot about people volunteering but doing it for over six months is something else. Are you both always together, volunteering?”
“Yeah. We are childhood friends.” Ned answered enthusiastically.
“You must love each other so much,” Jen said while looking at him.
“No one has successfully come between us.” He jokingly said. He has a big smile and eyes worth staring at. Ayu can see why Jen is fond of him.
Jen and Ayu laughed just in time when Hanz came in from the balcony.
“Bro, get your coffee before it turns cold.” Hanz agreed and gave Ned a look as if something is up. They only need eyes as their communication tool. What could it be?
“Call from home?” Ayu was intrigued. She hoped it is not something that would hinder their plan to volunteer as a group. She needed to get out of the city.
Hanz nodded.
“Everything okay?” Jen asked, concerned.
“Yeah. Just some work we left behind.” He answered her immediately as if any more question is not welcome.
“Oh, so you work together?” Ayu could not hide the surprise in her voice. This news caught her interest. Friends who volunteer and do business together.
Both guys nodded.
“What do you guys do?” Jen insisted.
“Mostly in Management.” Ned willingly answered and an awkward laugh.
Ayu felt something odd.
“You, Jen?” Jen was in a daze. Ayu could not blame her.
Ned has these eyes that would make girls feel fancy.
Ayu looked at Hanz gracefully sipping coffee like an elegant man without a suit and tie. His hair three to four inches longer than Ned’s. Tousled but looks carefully messed. He must have spent more time in the mirror than Ayu. He put down his coffee. Ayu was watching him closely when his eyes fell on her again.
Ayu felt awkward. It happened again. It would not matter if he would smile a little but he always has this straight face. Stranger! She did not hear Jen answered Ned’s question, so she gave her a nudge.
“We both are in… different industry. I am involved in energy and do Marketing.” She was still holding a gorgeous smile.
My friend, my friend. Ayu thought.
“And you?” Hanz asked turning to Ayu. Her heart throbbed. Why this feeling. She seems confused.
It gave her a hopeful feeling that he might be interested in her. She pushed back the idea. Stop daydreaming, she said to herself and wished desperately that Gary would come soon. She laid down her coffee mug and took a magazine under the side table. She gave it to him.
“Sri-Lanka Tourism?”, he charged again with two words. His face gave off more questions than that of two uttered words.
She half grinned. “Tourism. I’m a consultant in marine biodiversity. I was in Sri Lanka a few weeks ago.” She left the fact that she went back to France before coming to the Philippines. It was a long painful story.
Ayu’s work is her pride. She never bothered about anything when she took off the country after her college graduation. She has not even spent her earnings on anything. She now realized how dull her life is. It’s a good thing she has Pam to go back to when outside the Philippines.
“You move a lot,” Hanz said as a statement.
“Yes.” Ayu noticed that. And looked at him. Sizing him up. She doesn’t want to be bothered by a stranger, but this guy is getting on her nerve.
“Tell us more.” Jen and Ned said in a duo.
“Oh.” Ayu was stunned for a little. She didn’t know that they would be interested.
“Many times, in a month I would receive questions or requests from different private companies or government groups. I would research it by traveling to a specific country. Once I get answers, I would report back to whoever made the request. Mostly about development programs along the coast.” She thought that is the best short answer she gave in the past six years. To think about it, no one ever asked her in detail what she does for a living.
“Sounds big.” Her best friend was about to boast but not about herself. “We were in the same high school but took a different path in college. She somehow managed to do a lot of things in one go. Back then, she would go to school, join different clubs, and school contests but never forgets to stay in touch. That is not all, she never missed swimming.” She giggled like a true sibling proud of her achievements.
“Hey!” Ayu urged her to stop. She does not want to reveal any personal information to the new guys. Still cautious of the fact that they are still strangers.
“Why? It is true. And I’m proud of you.” Jen lovingly said to her teary-eyed.
Ayu can only smile at her. Both guys listening intently.
Then, the doorbell rang.
