Chapter 4

August 2012

Mama was combing my hair after she clothed me with my prettiest dress. She said that we had special guests coming tonight but she didn't tell me who they were. She also reminded me to behave and act nice.

I didn't know exactly why Mama had to remind me to act nice. I was already nice but not to people I didn't like.

When we heard a distant sound of knocking, Mama excitedly grabbed my hand and led me outside my room to welcome our special guests. Ate Stella already opened the door for them and in our living room, I saw three men waiting for us. They were all wearing black clothes and they looked similar with each other except for the man in the middle who has a hair like that of girls. It was long.

Mama sauntered towards the man who has a hair like that of girls and hugged him. The man hugged him back and they stayed like that for a few seconds. The man in the left cleared his throat reminding Mama and the man who has a hair like that of girls that they had company.

Mama then turned to me and smiled at me genuinely. I smiled back. She looked really happy. I never saw her genuine smile again after three years. It looked nice on her.

"Tati, this is your Tito Vans and along with him are his cousins, your Tito Peter and Tito West", Mama introduced the three men. They seemed to know me so I smiled shyly at them.

"Hello, Tati. You look as beautiful as what your mother described you to be. You look just like her!" the man who has a hair like that of girls complimented me and smiled. I didn't smile back at him. I couldn't. He said I looked like Mama when I knew I resembled most of Papa's features.

I forced a smile, anyway. Now finally understanding why Mama had to remind me to act nice.

~

The travel to Bay Resort was ten-minute long. Isabella Sy, our half-Chinese classmate, was already waiting for us in front of the resort when we arrived. Her family was friends with the owners of Bay Resort that was why we have gained access to the resort's old-fashioned architecture without spending a quarter.

We got off the tricycles and paid twenty pesos each. The bargaining didn't end quite well. The tricycle drivers were persistent and we were running late.

"Tati, there are no guests again today", Isa informed me when I approached her. "Really?"

Last week when we were here, there were also no guests. We had the whole resort at our disposal.

"Yeah", she answered.

"Great!" I chirped then shouted at everyone, "Let's go inside now!"

I filled in a form at the reception area just like the last time before we were allowed to actually enter.

Bay Resort was a huge resort located at the eastern part of the town. It housed a total of five swimming pools, ten guesthouses, a restaurant, and a number of mid-19th-century-inspired establishments which made it perfect for our filming site for Noli Me Tangere.

Our group went straight to the center of the resort where the receiving house was situated. No one was around except for Mang Berto, the warden of the resort. We had been acquainted with him during our shoots here every weekend.

"G'morning, Mang Berto!"

"Morning, Manong!"

We greeted him as we filled the place and made ourselves comfortable.

"Take your trash with you when you leave, you young kids", he uttered. "See this whole place? It's clean. And if I see a trace of your trash here, I will charge each of you. Okay?", he added, feigning a serious mien but was failing miserably. He was actually a very jolly and sweet person but he refused to show us that because he thought that he, an 'honorable man', shouldn't be acquainted with us, 'scandalous kids'. Precisely his words, not mine.

I often wondered if that was the philosophy of every man in his forties.

Although it was obvious that he was fond of us, he was too proud to admit it.

We all knew this so we tried not to laugh or joke with him every time to pay some respect to the 'honorable man' and just so we wouldn't be kicked out. We responded, "Yes, Mang Berto!"

"Good", he chirped loudly with a wide grin, "I'll now let you do your thing but make sure to take a break every now and then, okay?" he reminded rather sweetly to us before leaving.

I giggled and looked around. The resort was magnificent really. The entrance gate which was in-between two enormous walls that were shrouded with vines gave off a mystique, almost eerie, semblance. Yet once inside, the radiance emitted by both natural and artificial lights would render one dumbstruck.

Each interior were lit by a grand chandelier that highlighted the establishment's remarkable architecture. The establishments were mostly made of woods and stones which made it look old but very much grand. The location of the resort made it possible for the sun to astoundingly shine its light upon it and the nature surrounding it. It was naturally beautiful and utterly grand.

It was actually a shame tourists didn't visit our town as much as they visited the other towns in our province. It was probably because there weren't really a lot to see here in San Roque, but Bay Resort was truly a must-see.

"All right, guys. Get changed!" I instructed before anyone got too comfortable. I then looked for Carol Gerance who was in charge with the camera along with Louise and said, "Carol, Louise, let's set up!" I saw Mark Allanic and Jeric Relleno purposely hiding from me and shouted at them, "Oh, come here now, you two! Help us set up or I'll kick your tardy asses!"

Everyone started moving to prepare for the next scene we were about to film. I took out my laptop from my backpack, opened it, and searched for our script.

Yes, we didn't have a hard copy of our script because we were essentially a group of broke students. I just sent the soft copy to the actors so they could memorize it. They could actually print it themselves but they didn't because, as I said, we were broke. This film, among our other tasks, cost us a lot.

I scrolled through our script looking for scene number 14, Ang Liwanag at Anino. I reviewed it and checked the names of the characters involved in it and also in the following scenes.

"Ibarra! Maria Clara! Padre Salvi! Pedro! And the extras! Hurry!" I shouted just as James appeared beside me.

"Already here, Direk", he said and smiled widely. I ignored him knowing full well I would only ogle at his form that was flawlessly clothed in a white long-sleeve and slacks. Crisostomo Ibarra's attire was actually very simple but he made it look high-end. I sighed and mentally shook my head.

"Tati, your Filipiniana is really too small for me", Rizza Guevarra, one of the extras, complained again when she approached us. She has done so several times ever since I lent her my Filipiniana dress, a traditional clothing for women, to serve as her costume.

James chuckled and whispered at me, "I'm afraid the zipper of your dress will be ripped open anytime soon, Tati."

I snickered and smacked his arm before turning to Rizza, "Just endure it for a while. We have no other option unless you wanna go buy your own Filipiniana?" I asked wryly. Her pretty face turned sour showing defeat since she, we couldn't afford to buy or at least rent any more costumes. We needed to be resourceful as much as possible because, as I said, we were all broke.

"Where are the others?" I asked impatiently. I looked both at Rizza and James and said, "Wait for them and come to the corridor outside at once. I'm just gonna help Louise and Carol set up."

I headed outside still with my laptop in hand and my backpack fixed on my back. When I got out, I noticed that they had finished setting up. I smiled inwardly, contented with their efficiency.

"We're all set?" I asked the obvious.

"Yes. Where's the actors?" Carol asked in return.

"We're here", James answered behind me. His warm breath was a gentle caress against my ear. It sent an electrifying shiver on my being that resonated throughout my body.

I made a mistake of looking at my left where my eyes met his gleaming gaze. The time didn't froze like how it was supposed to be in the movies, but I honestly wished it did.

At that moment, as his dark brown globes stared at me, I felt like I was being held. Not like a prisoner but like how a man would hold his woman, like how I secretly dreamed someone to hold my fragile being and shoo my inhibitions away. I felt vulnerable under his gaze. And oh, how I hated being vulnerable but at that moment, I felt like surrendering to him. I felt like letting him see right through me. Right through me. He was seeing right through—

I blinked. No. No, Tati. No. I blinked again and this time, I looked away tearing my eyes off of him. Shit.

Seeming to have realized what just happened, James cleared his throat and hastily walked towards Mark and Jeric who were both looking amused. I glanced towards Louise' direction where everybody else was. Some looked also amused but most seemed to be shocked. Did they noticed that?

"Of course, they did. It may not have lasted for a minute but it lasted for a few seconds and they were looking at you two the entire time", my subconscious answered wryly. Shit.

I cleared my throat again. Why was I feeling hot? Did the temperature rose? I looked indirectly at the sun. Beads of perspiration were suddenly trickling down my temple. Shit.

Louise broke the awkward silence. "Tati, are you sick? You seem to have a sore throat and you look red. Do you have a cold?", she taunted, obviously teasing me but I couldn't find my voice to retaliate so I just cleared my throat again. Maybe I was really sick and maybe I should just go home and pretend not to exist. Shit.

I shook my head. No, I couldn't do that. We still have a movie to film so I roared, "Why are you all still standing there? Shouldn't you guys be moving?" and ordered, "Actors, go to your positions now. Carol and Louise, where are your cameras? And Mark and Jeric, get out of there!"

I ignored their snarls and chuckles with my sudden outburst and inhaled a lungful of air. 'You are perfectly fine and definitely unaffected', I tried to convince myself while glaring at my shoes and blaming them for...for not doing anything.

I shook my head again. Just one look and you were going crazy? What a shame, Tati.

Willing myself to get over it, I looked up and saw James peering at me. We both looked away immediately, feigning ignorance.

"Maria Clara, hook your arms on Ibarra's. And please, at least make an effort to look like you two are in love", I directed. Maria Clara de los Santos was portrayed by Janine Nicole Santos, our classmate, obviously. Wearing a simple Filipiniana, she looked exactly like a dalagang Filipina, a woman from the Philippines described as prim and proper.

When everybody seemed to be composed enough, I took my time to get my adjustable stick and adjusted it to its full length. Satisfied, I finally shouted, "Action!" as I waved my stick signalling them to start. I smiled inwardly while holding my adjustable stick.

As I said, it was for directing purposes.