The sudden electrical surge from the massive storm had knocked the girls unconscious. They awoke to the bright early morning sun shining through the cavern entrance and fallen trees which was scorched and blackened by the intense heat and uprooted from the soil by the heavy winds. They were lucky to have been sheltered in place in their enclosed environment which saved their lives.
The girls ventured out; still spent and tired from the night and started exploring the parameters of the lagoon. Coconuts were strewn all across the ground so Angelica rummaged around her backpack for a knife to slice open the shell. She had learned from her days at summer camp survivalist training techniques; what to eat in the wild, how to find clean, potable water, and how to start a fire with nothing more than two sticks. She had a tomboyish demeanor to her feminine physique and this played well into her ability to manipulate others around her to get what she wanted.
The freshly cut coconuts provided a refreshing juice to quench their sore throats. She was just glad she didn’t have to climb any tall coconut trees today to retrieve the goods even though she loved the view from up on top. As a young girl she used to hide from everyone else and just survey the world around her as she contemplated her day. There was a catamaran which washed up on shore from the evening swell. It was apparent a person or two were on the boat since there were a couple sarongs and a pair of undergarments left behind on the side, soaking wet but clearly tattered and worn. A couple half eaten mangos were left behind as well as a map with codes and coordinates. She recognized the type of map she had used while trekking the North Luzon region of the Philippines and the spiny mountains travelers referred to as the Cordillera. She would venture up to Angeles, visiting her girlfriends she had known since primary school who chose the easy but not so glamorous money the foreigners offered on their trips to the former Clark Air Base. “Sin City, the Entertainment Capital of Central Luzon” was the place to be seen and the closest place to heaven on earth for American servicemen and professionals alike.
Angelica’s first romantic tryst was with an American teacher who was giving English instruction at the school she attended. He first offered one on one personal tutoring to her in October 2005. She was isolated and away from her family and the holiday was fast approaching so he offered her to stay with him in Manila for the Christmas break. She was immediately taken by him; his tall 6’6” muscular frame, his strong yet gently hands, his white skin, light brown hair, and blue eyes. She would giggle uncontrollably at the sight of him attempting to get comfortable in the seat of the tricycle to no avail but he did his best to accommodate with Angelica on his lap embraced by a pair of two strong long arms feeling secured in his presence. He would joke she could fit in his pocket with her 5 foot petite hourglass figure straddling him for the short journey from the Starbucks in Metro Manila to the Island Cove Resort in Cavite.
© M J Jerome 2016
Dream, Inspire, Visualize, Expect (DIVE) Publishing 