Orange

I couldn’t believe this backwater beachside eatery Anna brought me to. It was so backwatered it didn’t even have a name! It could’ve been a resto-bar, a billiards hall, or a slaughterhouse, and you’d have never known.

I picked her up at six, and she said we could have dinner at this seafood place. I wasn’t so keen on that, so I suggested McDonald’s. She looked at me like I just said a joke. Well yeah, it was a joke. McDonald’s, here in this little nook in the Philippines? No way.

She said we were going to Pagudpud, some nearby town. “Pagudpud’s one of the country’s lesser-known secrets,” she told me. It was some kind of ‘Boracay Beach of the North’ because of its awesome white sand shorelines. Well, if that were the case, I was totally down with scoping the place out.

So we entered the nameless eatery, this open-air, beachside restaurant made of your standard provincial stuff—cement blocks, scrappy wood, corroded tin roof. It had bamboo tables held by rusty nails, and these shaky little benches that’d probably collapse the minute anyone sat on them. On one corner was a bar and this old radio salvaged from World War 2, and some schmaltzy love song was crackling off in pure treble from its small speakers. Behind the bar was a room of blackened walls and charcoal braziers, and working away were these equally blackened-up muscle-bound dudes wearing sweaty tank tops, tattered jeans, and these flowery little aprons around their waists. I figured that room was the kitchen, not the local blacksmith.

Anna ordered something called Dalag, Dinengdeng, and rice. I ordered a beer. Minutes later, the waitress returned and shocked the hell out of me when she held up a living, flapping fish right to my face! She said something to Anna in Ilocano, and Anna nodded.

Were we going to eat that thing?! I completely lost my appetite! Anna said it was the freshest seafood you could ever find. Well, she could have it. No way was I eating that dying animal.

All this aside, however, the view was actually pretty good. You could watch the sunset from where we were. “If you traveled in a straight line from here,” Anna said, “you’d end up in Hong Kong.” Well, that was interesting. I bet if Cher heard that, she’d jump into one of those little canoes by the beach, paddle her way to Hong Kong, and go shopping.

Our orders arrived. Anna started eating. I stared at the fish—and it stared right back at me. Why didn’t these people remove its damned head for crying out loud! Here was this thing that had, just minutes ago, fought for dear life right in front of me. And now, here it was again before me, dead.

And burned.

And then, the Dinengdeng arrived. It looked like Sinigang, this Filipino dish I liked. But this stuff was way alien to me. Anna said it was an Ilocano specialty, so I should try it. I didn’t want her to think I was some weak-gutted wuss, so I forked out this leaf-like thing from the broth and took a taste. Honestly, it wasn’t bad. It was just… different. I took a small serving.

Anna looked real cute while she ate, taking teeny bits of fish and rice every minute or so. She wore a loose ponytail, and a few strands of her hair fell on her cheeks and neck. She noticed me staring. “Have some,” she said and nodded toward the fish. I swear it nodded back.

“I’m not hungry.” Actually, I was. But no way was I eating that incinerated carcass. I lit a cigarette instead.

She had this slight grin on her face. She took a bite of her fish and looked at me while munching on her food. She motioned to the waitress. “Want some water, Cris?”

“No, I’m fine.”

“That’s right. Water here is unfiltered. You probably have a weak stomach.”

I scowled. “I don’t have a weak stomach.”

She chuckled and returned to eating. We said nothing for several moments. Waves lapped upon the nearby shore.

“Aside from your mom,” I then said, “who else are you with here in the province?”

“No one.”

“Where’s your boyfriend?”

She shrugged. “Where’s yours?”

“She’s in Manila.”

Anna glanced at me but said nothing.

“What about your dad?” I asked.

“He’s dead.” She gutted the fish.

“I’m… sorry to hear that.”

She said nothing like she didn’t care, and just ate her meal.

I took a drag of my cigarette and turned to the sunset. The horizon was a vibrant shade of red and yellow, merging and filtering into the darkening sky.

“So,” she said, “you’re on vacation, obviously. Who are you with?”

“Just me, my dad, these security guys. And you know Timo. We’ve also got household helpers who cook and clean.”

She nodded. “What about your mom? Did she stay behind?”

“She’s… not here.”

“Why not?”

I didn’t answer. Anna looked at me. I just sipped my beer. She studied me for a moment and then thought to herself.

I turned to the horizon and noticed how the colors had shifted in so short a time.

I asked what she was doing in the province when she looked like she came from the city. She told me about her elementary years, moving to Manila, her return visits to Ilocos during the holidays and summer. She also told me about her scholastic honors. I was impressed.

“Magna Cum Laude?” I said. “You sure don’t look like one of those hardcore academic types.”

“You shouldn’t judge a book by its cover, Cris.”

“I know. You really shouldn’t.”

She looked at me funny after I said that.

She was done with her meal and started fixing up. “Tell me about your girlfriend.”

Well, I didn’t feel like talking about Cher any more than my family. “She’s pretty, she’s nice, she’s harmless. She’s into shopping here, swank bar there, partying around, and having fun. But I want someone with more to give, more personality, more… you know…”

“Depth?” Anna suggested.

“There you go. Depth. Someone like that.” Someone like you, I wanted to tell her. But I wasn’t up for that kind of talk anymore.

“So you want someone who’s got the brains and the looks to match.” Her eyes never left mine. “You think you have what it takes to get her?”

I shrugged. “Sure. I guess.”

“Really.” A smile played on her lips. “What do you have to offer.”

“Well, I… all that politician’s kid whatever aside, I’m not one of those kinds of bad kids, you know? I’m just… I don’t know…”

“So you’re a good kid. This good-looking guy of mixed foreign ancestry, who’s also charming, intelligent, and from a rich and powerful family.” She smiled slyly. “You seem to have it all, don’t you.”

I knitted my brows.

“So it’s the perfect guy looking for the perfect girl.” She turned away. “Good luck.”

“Oh yeah? And who said I had to go find her when she’s right here. A very pretty face, a sharp mind, one hell of a body. The perfect woman, wouldn’t you agree? Or is something actually very WRONG with that picture…” I looked into her eyes. “What do you think—Anna.”

Our eyes locked for several seconds. Her face was completely devoid of emotion. She then smirked. “Like I said—good luck.” She looked away. “You’ll need it.”

Whatever. I took another sip of my beer.

She was looking at the sunset.

“Nice, huh?” I asked her.

She didn’t reply. So, calling her ‘Little Miss Perfect’ pissed her off after all.

I shook my head. I guess I shouldn’t have insulted her like that. She started it—but I didn’t have to continue it, trolling her with abusive trash talk like a goddamned jerk. I figured a change of topic would help, so I thought about her collegiate awards thing, her university, and all the stuff they taught there.

“Hey, what was your course in Ateneo?”

“BS BA,” she replied, her eyes never leaving the horizon.

A business course… Well, we had her program in La Salle, too. And that was exactly the course I wanted, were it not for Dad.

“A Magna graduate in Business Administration?” I nodded. “That’s awesome. That’ll get you far.”

She scoffed that off. “Labels. Your car says SENATE, doesn’t it. That’ll get you far.”

I looked at her. She was smiling to herself, with another one of those self-satisfied smirks on her face again.

Jesus, what was her problem! Did she want me to beg for forgiveness, because I called her this ‘something’s wrong with you’ broken-down girl?! I seriously hoped she’d stop stewing in her vindictive crap and drop the insults!

“You’re from La Salle, right?” she said. “Maybe that’s why I don’t like you at all. La Salle is my university’s rival school.”

“Is it. Rival whatever, any school’s just a frickin’ damned school.”

“True. But I know others from La Salle. They’re good students, so it’s obvious they’re from a school with an excellent standard of education, right?”

“I guess. Why?”

“Just wondering—” she looked away. “What ever happened to you.”

I have had it with her insults! Here I was trying to genuinely compliment her for her academic stuff, but she just wouldn’t stop!

“Fine! So I’m the worthless no-one who couldn’t even graduate!”

My outburst surprised her a little. “Hey, it was a joke.”

It was a stupid fucking joke!

She started studying me again. Well, let Miss High-Flyer with her scholastic brilliance think about everything I failed in college! I did not give a rat’s ass about her opinions! I downed what was left of my beer and ordered another.

That’s when I noticed three guys seated across the room. They were looking at me, and I didn’t like the way they stared. On impulse, I stared back.

Anna was looking at those guys as well. She nodded at them and raised a hand in greeting.

“Friends of yours?” I asked her.

“Yes.” She looked at me. “The one with the red bandana is Michael. He’s very protective of his friends. People don’t mess with him. Or his friends.”

The waitress brought me my beer. I took a sip and thought about all the shit Anna threw at me. So I was such a failure? Some useless little rich kid who couldn’t even march for graduation? Well, here’s to being the asshole she thought I was!

I took another look at those guys. The one named Michael was the sorriest-looking poser I ever saw. That ridiculous bandana he wore made him look like some over-the-top action hero straight out of the silver screen. His two goons looked like farmhand retards who couldn’t even spell their own names. The guy and his goons continued staring. I scoffed at them and turned away.

Anna was not happy about what I was doing. “Hey—I wasn’t kidding about what I said.”

I ignored her and faced the boys once more. I sipped my beer and gave them another fuck you kind of look before turning away.

“Are you trying to pick a fight?” she said.

I didn’t reply.

“Cris, this isn’t impressing me at all.”

And who ever said anything about impressing her? I swear this girl; she was so assuming! I had nothing to prove to anyone—especially to some full-of-herself campus heartthrob!

She was at a loss for words. So, her little plan backfired on her, didn’t it? ‘What happened to you in La Salle’ my ass!

She shifted her eyes to look behind me. It was Mr. Action Hero and his thugs.

“Michael,” she said, faking a smile. She stood and kissed his cheek. They started talking in Ilocano.

Michael then faced me. “Asinno daytoy? Ti baro nga Americano a nobiom?“

She glanced at me. “Maysa nga Americano, nalawag.“

He looked at me from head to toe. “Nalawag…” he slowly replied.

She motioned to me. “Cris, this is Michael.”

I rose from my seat. He was slightly shorter than me. His gaze was deep and intense, just like Anna’s. Stubble outlined his jawline, making him look all rough and tough. But I’d break this unshaven meathead if he had a tongue as sharp as that friend of his.

“Hey,” I muttered, my eyes never leaving his.

“Ey,” he said in return. “Agsasaoka kadi iti Ilocano?“

Anna cut in. “Michael, Onaks yan. Ingles laeng. Ngem maawatanna ti Filipino.“

“Is that so,” Michael said, shifting his language to Filipino, something I could finally understand. He then gestured toward my cigarettes on the table. “Mind if I have one?”

“Knock yourself out,” I replied.

Michael frowned at my accent. He then took a stick from the pack and studied it. “Imported USA?” He sneered. “I don’t smoke your foreign garbage, Amboy.” He dropped the cigarette and stepped on it.

I looked at the stick, and then back at him. “Then roll up some nipa grass and smoke it.” I looked away. “Fucking farm boy.”

Anna turned to me in shock.

“Aba!” Michael said to me. “Narugit ti ngiwatmo!“

“Michael,” Anna said and touched his shoulder. “Saanmo nga aramiden.“

He eyed me for several moments and then glanced at Anna. He backed off and said nothing.

Anna sighed with relief. She then scowled at me. “I want to go home now.” She started walking away.

I looked at Michael. “Later, promdi.”

Anna stopped in her tracks and turned to me, her eyes flashing with anger. I was about to ask her, “What?” but she continued to the counter in angry strides.

We were about to pay the bill. She pulled out a money clip from her pocket. “That was stupid, Cris. What were you doing back there!”

“Your little goon-friend started it!”

“No, you provoked him!”

“What the hell did I do to him?” I pointed in Michael’s direction. “All I said was, ‘Hi’, and he calls me a fucking…”

“Cris, stop it!” She pushed my arm down. “Don’t make this situation any worse!”

“Worse?! Jesus, I didn’t even start this!” I turned back to Michael and his group. They were snickering at us.

“Oy, Anna,” Michael called out.

She turned to him.

“Ay ayaten ka…” He said that sweetly yet sort of mockingly at the same time.

Anna stared at him wordlessly for several seconds. She then looked away, all traces of anger gone in an instant. I looked at Michael. He nodded at me and smiled.

I ignored him and said to Anna, “You don’t understand. You’re not a guy.”

She snapped out of her thoughts and riled herself up again. “You’re right. I don’t understand why you stupid boys fight over stupid things! You’ll risk a bloody nose or worse just because he looked at you the wrong way?!”

I shook my head. “Let’s drop it, okay? I’m sorry.”

She was fumbling with her clip, trying to pull out some money.

“Don’t worry,” I said. “I’ll pay the bill.”

“No. You had two beers. I had a meal. I’ll pay for it.”

“Really, it’s nothing.” I reached for my wallet.

She glared at me. “I said, I’ll pay for it!”

From behind us, Michael called out, “Oy, Cris! Agawidka idiay America, ha?“

I pointed at him. “Why don’t you shut the fuck…”

“Stop it!” Anna shouted and slapped my arm away!

Michael and his gang guffawed! Other locals burst out in laughter as well.

Anna slammed the money on the counter and stormed out of the eatery.

I turned to Michael and his group. They were looking at me, chuckling and shaking their heads. Everyone was staring at me, laughing at me. “Look at him,” their eyes seemed to say. “That guileless, lost and stupid foreigner, all shamedfaced and cut down to size by one of ours.” I just stood there for a moment, all alone in the middle of this nameless, goddamned eatery.

I sighed, turned away, and left the beachside restaurant.