Chapter 6

Exactly 3pm in the afternoon when I moved to prepare. I took another shower, but it was brief since I had already broken a sweat. After showering, I changed my clothes. I wore a simple black shirt, gray jogging pants, and white rubber shoes. I left my hair down to let it dry. I also applied some powder to my face and a touch of lipstick.

I slid my phone and my nearly empty wallet into the pockets of my jogging pants. I put on a black cap and brought a facemask along.

My attire is just simple as that so, it didn't take me much time. After getting myself ready, it was exactly 3:30pm when I stepped out of the house and peeked into Dominic's place. It didn't take long before I saw him come out.

He's sporting a gray shirt with black pants and white shoes. He wore a silver chain with a padlock pendant around his neck. His head was covered with a black cap. I chuckled at the coincidence.

I saw him speaking to someone inside while holding the doorknob. He was probably saying goodbye to his grandmother. I walked down to their house to bid farewell as well. Dominic turned to me and looked slightly surprised when he saw me.

"I'll just say goodbye to Lola Aida," I said. He smiled then, nodded. He motioned me to come closer so, I did. I peeked through the crack of the door while he stood behind me, still holding the doorknob.

"Lola, we're leaving," I said to lola, who looked over at me.

"You two take care, alright? Hijo, you take care of Raegan," Lola Aida said, and though I couldn't see it, I could feel Dominic nodding behind me.

"I got her," he said, and it was only then that I realized just how close he was standing to me. I smiled at lola before waving and stepping back. A moment later, Dominic closed the door to their house and invited me to go.

Before we officially leave, I saw Dominic walk down to Lester's house, seemingly asking him to keep an eye on his grandmother. While waiting, I headed over to the store to buy some candy.

Once I made my purchase, I looked around the neighborhood. The place is not that huge. The houses are packed tightly together, the pathways are narrow, many children are running around, and the area is loud. I looked down and noticed that the ground I'm standing on isn't a concrete road. It's an old railway. I noticed the lines of steel tracks and realized that this place was indeed a railroad.

Houses on old railways. This was my first time seeing anything like this. How come they built houses on railways? Don't they get hit if a train passes through here? Is there even a train still running through here? But since they didn't seem to have any problems living here, perhaps the government allowed them. Maybe their residence was registered, so there was no issue.

"Raegan?" My thoughts were interrupted when Dominic called my name. I looked up and met his gaze. He smiled as our eyes connected.

"Shall we go?" I nodded and let him walk first, but he looked back at me.

"Why are you walking behind me? You might get lost. Come here," he said, taking my hand and gently pulling me to the front. I was frozen the whole time his hands held mine. I noticed the stares from the neighbors, but my focus was entirely on Dominic's grip.

"Stay right here in front of me so I can keep an eye on you," he said.

We walked down a rather long path just to get out of the railway section. A large main road welcomed us upon exiting, and I looked toward the other side of the street. My lips parted slightly when I noticed that the opposite side was a railway too.

Wow, so this place is huge, then.

We started walking while my mind absorbed the new sights around me. A few tricycle drivers called out to us for a ride, but Dominic would simply shake his head and tell them we weren't riding.

I noticed that those drivers know him as they call his name. Even some of the people we passed would greet Dominic, or he would be the one to greet them.

"Dominic..." I called out as we walked along the side of the road. He was the one closer to the street, while I walked on the inner side.

"Hm?"

"We're in Pacita, right? What... what province is this?" I asked. He turned to look at me, but I suddenly pulled him close when I saw a motorcycle that almost hit him.

My heart thumped loud in nervousness because he nearly got hit. Dominic glared at the reckless driver before looking back at me. His eyes softened at the sight of my nervous face.

"I'm fine, Rae. Thank you for pulling me," he said before smiling at me. He didn't let go of my hand, and I didn't object to it.

"To answer your question earlier, we are in the province of Laguna," he said, pausing to let a vehicle pass. We crossed the street, and there I spotted a tarpaulin from a local councilor. My eyes didn't focus on the councilor's name.

Welcome to San Pedro from the city government of San Pedro, Laguna.

"San Pedro..." I muttered.

"Yes, Raegan," he said, so I nodded and didn't ask further. After a few minutes of walking, I saw a wide-open space and pointed it out to Dominic.

"Can we hang out over there?" I asked.

"Yup, that area is called the parking place. Some vehicles park there, but it's mostly filled with people hanging out or jogging," he said. "Do you want to go there? I planned for us to hang out there later because we're heading over there first," he added, pointing toward the end of a rather long road.

I pouted. "We're walking again?"

He chuckled and nodded at me. "Exercise, Rae," he said before taking my hand again, and we began walking. A few minutes passed, and we reached the end of the road. The first thing I noticed was an uphill pathway.

"Another railway? Are there people living along this railroad too?" I asked.

"I'm not quite sure. Lola Aida and I only pass by here when we go to the market, so I don't know if anyone lives right on it or deeper inside," he said. Once we crossed the tracks, I saw rows of shops on the right and a tricycle terminal on the left.

Dominic toured me around, showing me places and pointing at the shops. I was amazed by how busy the place is. He also showed me the inside of Trade Center where many shops are placed. There were many stores selling clothes, DVDs, and cellphones. It was crowded inside, so I immediately broke into a sweat, and moments later, I felt Dominic's hand on my shoulder, pulling me closer to him.

"Is there anything else you want to look at? Let's get out of here, you're sweating," he told me. Feeling the sweat and the heat, I nodded in agreement.

Once we stepped outside, I breathed a sigh of relief and rested my hands on my waist. I wiped away my sweat and took off my cap for a moment. I brushed my hair back, tucked it away, and put the cap back on.

"Raegan, stay here for a moment. Just a second, I need to buy something," he said. I nodded and let him leave for a while. I looked around at my surroundings. I was seeing a completely different view now.

A jeepney loading area was just a few steps away in front of me. On the other side of the street, I read the name of the building.

Shopwise.

So, this is where Dominic and Lester went earlier? I remember him saying this place earlier.

On the right were various fast-food chains, and on the left was an overpass to cross to the other side. My eyes shined at the new place I'm in. I am in Laguna, far away from Manila. Far away from the place I am running from.

"Raegan, have a drink first." I turned around upon hearing Dominic's voice. He was carrying a cup of coconut juice, and in his other hand was a plastic bag containing turon and a cup filled with isaw.

"Thank you," I said, taking the cup of coconut juice. He also handed me a piece of turon. He nodded at me before speaking.

"Let's sit over there," he said, heading toward the spot he came from. "Ate, may we sit here?" he asked the vendor who was grilling nearby.

"Oh, go right ahead, hijo. You and your girlfriend can sit down," the vendor said, causing me to freeze. When I peeked at Dominic's reaction, I saw that he didn't give one. He simply pulled out a chair and had me sit down. He didn't agree, nor did he deny it; he truly had no reaction. It was as if he hadn't heard a thing.

Why is this a big deal to you, Raegan?

I sighed and began eating, getting rid of the uneasiness I suddenly feel. I don't understand why I suddenly felt uneasy with his silence. Why am I making such a big deal out of his quietness? Besides, why did I even expect him to look happy about it?

You're losing your mind, Raegan.