Sea Rides Beside Him

The sea breeze felt so refreshing as I sat in the middle of the shore the crashing waves and the chirping birds filling the air. I didn’t really want to stand up and go home just yet, but it was already late in the afternoon, and they were probably looking for me back home.

I did ask for permission, but my family still isn’t used to me going out to sea alone, especially when it gets this late. If I’m going to be out until evening, they believe they should be with me.

I came here today because I’ve been so stressed from our hell week of midterms and finals. I just wanted to unwind.

As I neared the shore, I slowed down the yacht’s engine and saw three figures waiting for me. The one standing closest, arms crossed and wearing a black bucket hat, was probably my Dad. The second my older brother, stood with his hands on his hips, wearing sunglasses and using his palm to shield his eyes from the setting sun, clearly trying to get a better look at me.

Not too far from them was my other brother, holding a camera and facing my direction. His actual subjects were probably a group of tourists maybe a family asking for a photo. He looked visibly bored, like he had been dragged into the task against his will. Perched on his shoulder was Gorio, our beloved pet monkey, casually clinging to him.

I was getting close when Brother Franco, the eldest, approached me first. He was followed by Dad, and then my other brother, Marco, who had just finished helping some tourists earlier.

“Aye! You didn’t tell me you were heading out to sea. You should’ve taken me with you!” Brother Marco exclaimed, climbing onto the yacht as Gorio immediately jumped into my arms.

“I told everyone. You just weren’t around, Brother Marco, so you didn’t hear. And I didn’t want any company anyway. That’s the whole point—unwind, just me, myself, and no one else. Okay?”

“Did you enjoy the sea, my sea princess?” Dad asked gently, pulling me into a warm hug and planting a soft kiss on my forehead.

Not to be left out, Gorio our playful little monkey stretched toward Dad, his bright eyes silently asking for the same sweet affection. Dad chuckled and gave him the same gentle gesture.

“Where’s Mom?” I asked, my gaze following both of my brothers as they laughed together, playfully tying up the yacht.

Beside me, Dad draped an arm over my shoulders. To my surprise, Gorio mimicked him, curling his tiny arm around me the same way. A soft, chittering giggle escaped him, like he was proud of copying Dad.

“She’s on the phone with someone. Are you hungry? How was your exam?” Dad asked, gently brushing something off my nose probably redness again, as usual. “I know you, my love. If something’s bothering you, this is where we’ll go instead.”

My nose tends to turn red when it's exposed to too much sun, sometimes it itches, other times it just flares up.

“With whom, Dad?” I asked curiously.

“Maybe some business call, you didn’t answer my question, sea princess.”

Dad was still fussing over my nose and only stopped when I frowned at him. “Not satisfied?” he asked.

“I’m not,” I admitted. “I feel like I failed. I studied, I really did. But no matter what I do, my scores are still low.”

Dad smiled softly and ruffled my hair.

Gorio, thinking I might’ve been hurt by it, smacked Dad’s hand in protest. We let out a small laugh and gently held Gorio’s tiny hand, silently assuring him it was alright.

“Whatever the results may be, we’re still rooting for you and proud of you. What matters is that you’re trying just keep going. You won’t always be at the bottom, right? Sometimes, you’re so hard on yourself that you forget to be content. But being content with who you are is already enough for us, my love.”

Maybe it’s true. I’ve been so caught up in putting myself down that I’ve stopped seeing my own worth and desires. Instead of helping myself rise, I kept dragging myself lower and in the end, I’m the one who gets hurt.

“Franco, Marco! Head back once you’re done. Don’t go out to sea again, it’s getting late,” Dad reminded them, and the two of us headed home first.

I love this family so much. Our dad taught us to be content with what we have and to stay humble, because not everyone is as blessed with love as we are as we’ve always been.

We live for spontaneous adventures. The kind where no one’s even showered yet, but we’re already on the road, knowing we’ll end up swimming anyway whether in the sea or the river. Sometimes we’re gone for a week, other times just four days, depending on Dad and Mom’s work schedule.

They manage three resorts here in our hometown in Palawan, so trips like those happen whenever we’re free and the weather cooperates.

A few months later… I was coming down the stairs with Gorio perched on my shoulder we always sleep beside each other. It was almost dinner time, and I must’ve dozed off after the little “adventure” we had earlier this morning. Not that it was a real adventure we just climbed a huge mango tree in the next village to pick some fruit.

We almost got caught too, but luckily, we were quicker than time itself. We scrambled down the tree and sped away on the motorbike before anyone could stop us.

As I reached the living room, I glanced over to the sofa and heard Mom talking to someone.

“Of course we’d love to accommodate you here in Palawan. Sure, sure, no problem. How many? Okay.”

Was that Mom? Who could she be talking to? She looked really busy.

Dad simply shrugged when I looked his way, as if he already knew what I wanted to ask. He had just come in from outside and entered the living room.

He and I took our seats at the dining table while waiting for my brothers to arrive. Gorio, meanwhile, wandered over to the other table, grabbed a banana, and handed it to me his usual way of asking me to peel it and hold it for him while he munched away.

“No problem, Mr. Bordeos. Sure. See you soon,” Mom said as she ended the call and walked toward us with a smile on her lips clearly about to share something.

“We’ll be having visitors next week, and we’ll help them tour around Palawan,” she announced while typing something on her phone.

“Bordeos?” Dad echoed. “Hmm, sounds familiar. Isn’t that the family with lots of businesses in Manila?”

“Yes, it’s them, my love. Good thing we got a bit of signal, and their call came just in time,” Mom said.

In the middle of their conversation, my two brothers finally arrived both shirtless. Either they had been roughhousing in the sea again or were asked to fix something in the Raptor those were the only two likely scenarios. With how mischievous those two can be, I wouldn’t even be surprised. They headed upstairs first to change, then went straight to the kitchen afterward.

“Let’s eat,” Mom said, and we all started filling our plates after saying grace.

Mom even set a plate for Gorio, who happily joined us at the table for dinner.

After dinner, I headed upstairs to shower and lie down in bed, just as the door swung open and Gorio appeared, hopping onto the bed and sprawling beside me.

Sleepiness and exhaustion finally caught up with me.

I was jolted awake by a loud yell coming from outside. I rubbed my eyes and let out a yawn, just as someone barged into my room.

“What’s your problem? It’s so early, and you’re already causing chaos,” I complained, one eyebrow raised.

“Let’s go on a road trip!” Brother Marco shouted excitedly as he tried to drag me out of the room.

They both looked more than ready Brother Marco was wearing a white tank top and shorts, with a bandana tied around his head like a handkerchief, while Brother Franco wore a black tank top and shorts, a cap on his head that Gorio was playfully messing up.

“Wait! Let me tie my hair first, Brother Marco, come on!” I complained, but he had already scooped me up and carried me outside.

I sat on the couch with a pout while they busied themselves with preparing everything we needed for the trip.

We were using the four black Raptors Ford F-150s, the truck beds were packed with all the gear we needed for our road trip adventures.

On top of both Raptors, there were two white rowboats secured in place. On the roof of our Raptor, we also had a collapsible tent that just needed to be lifted and opened a staple during our road trips whenever it was time to rest from a long drive.

"Is everyone ready?" I heard Dad call out from outside.

"Come on, love," Mom urged as she spotted me still curled up on the couch, hugging a pillow.

"Mom, seriously? It’s only 6 AM. How are you all this energetic for a road trip?"

"Your dad suggested it," Mom said as she gently brushed my hair. "And it’s perfect timing, we need to check the vehicles and the locations where our guests will be staying next week. Besides, once we get there, you’ll get to enjoy the fresh breeze and beautiful scenery."

I smiled at the mention of the breeze and the beautiful surroundings.

I yawned and finally stood up. I let Mom walk ahead while I wrapped my arms around her from behind, resting my head on her shoulder since I was still half-asleep.

"Look at our sea princess," Mom said to the others with a laugh. "Still sleepy."

I noticed Gorio mimicking me too, leaning his tiny head against Kuya Marco’s shoulder as he rode on it.

"That sleepiness will wear off! let’s go!" Brother Franco called out, already in the driver’s seat with one arm hanging out the window. I shot him a glare in response.

Dad was hanging off the side of the car, fixing something on the roof of the Raptor he was going to drive.

“Is it just us? Where are Uncle Apo and Buknoy?” I asked, referring to my cousin and Dad’s brother, who both loved joining us on trips like this.

“We’ll pick them up on the way. They’re all set, I already told them to get ready earlier,” Brother Marco said, leaning against one of the Raptors while fiddling with the drone we’d use later.

“Alright.”

“And since we’ve got four Raptors with us, you’re driving one of them. Aye, your cousin will just switch with you later,” Dad said as he climbed into his Raptor. Mom stroked my hair lovingly before getting into the passenger seat next to him.

“Be careful, my princess, okay?” she reminded me gently. I gave her a small nod.

Seriously?! I just woke up, still in pajamas and now I have to drive?

I groaned, messed up my hair, and let out a big yawn.

"Good morning, my sea princess. Love you," Dad greeted cheerfully. I just gave him a poker face. Of course he was the mastermind behind all this one of the ringleaders of these spontaneous adventures.

I climbed into the big black Raptor, pulled down the sun visor, and checked the mirror to see if there were still any leftover specks in my eyes.

Just then, I spotted Gorio through the other window, casually hopping into the passenger seat. He settled in like a pro and carefully fastened his seatbelt, his tiny hands working the buckle with serious focus.

"Let’s hit the road!" Brother Marco shouted.

Tatay echoed the cheer, and a moment later, I heard Mom laughing through the radio.

The first to drive off was Brother Franco, the eldest, leading the convoy. Right behind me was Brother Marco, my second older brother. They sandwiched me in the middle, and behind Brother Marco were Mom and Dad.

Mine was the only vehicle without a boat on top and barely any cargo just the essentials like a gas tank, some bags, a portable stove, and other gear we’d need along the way.

I turned on some music.

Then I rolled the window down and let the morning breeze brush against my face.

The air felt amazing.

I rested my elbow slightly on the windowsill and leaned into the wind, enjoying its cool rush against my skin. Gorio, of course, copied me his little arm out the window too even he can't reach it, looking like he was ready to put on sunglasses. He was outdoing me, honestly.

In the middle of driving, I heard a sound.

That’s not my phone. I must’ve left it in my room and besides, I don’t really use it much. I only ever talk to my family on it, and even if I did bring it, it’s rarely out.

This must be from my mom.

Why is it here? Maybe this was originally the car they planned to drive, but they switched it out last minute because this one’s easier to handle so they gave it to me. Honestly, it's a little too much protection for me, but I’ve always liked these kinds of adventures and I’m used to them. I’m just feeling extra lazy today.

I pressed the button to answer the call.

"Good morning, Mrs. Andales. We want to clarify that we moved the schedule. It will be in 3 days. Be there with my family," said an elderly voice on the other end.

I was just about to speak and introduce myself, but I froze when I heard more voices from the other line.

“Dad...I mean, it was just an idea I threw out, I didn’t think you’d all take it seriously—”

“Stop! We’re going anyway. Don’t argue with me, my son… not now, not when I’m tired!”

“Okay then… when you’re not tired”

“Emi…o!!!—”

The heck?

The line suddenly went choppy… and then dead. Signal gone.

But just before it cut off completely, I caught the stormy tone in the man’s voice. From what I gathered, he was yelling at his son.

They're probably the ones coming next week, I thought. It didn’t exactly sound like their kids were excited about the trip especially that one I overheard earlier.

My male cousin finally arrived. But I didn’t switch seats with him. I was already enjoying the drive. The breeze felt amazing. Maybe once I get tired, I’ll let him take over.

As we got farther from town, we reached the narrow, bumpy roads...exactly the kind of thrill my family loves the most.

“Buknoy, switch with me, bro. I’ll guide the path up front,” Brother Franco said through the radio.

“Copy, dude.”

My cousin got out of the car, with Gorio climbing down behind him.

Uncle Apo, didn’t join the trip said he had a date with his wife.

I saw the lead Raptor start to move again, guided by Brother Franco at the front. The one my cousin was driving swayed left and right because of the huge potholes on the road.

"Damn, bro! You still know this road like the back of your hand!” I heard Brother Marco shout from behind, his upper body practically hanging out the window just to watch our cousin drive.

“Aye, you’re up!” Brother Marco called out once Buknoy successfully got the Raptor through.

“Watch me.” I stuck my tongue out at him before maneuvering the vehicle.

“My sea princess, be careful,” I heard Mom remind me. She and Dad were both outside now, watching us closely.

“She can handle that! Come on,” Dad said, laughing probably because Mom had just shot him a glare.

“Driver,” I heard Brother Franco call out from outside, using hand gestures.

“Now, passenger,” he added as I turned the steering wheel with one hand—my other hand outside, checking the edge to make sure I wasn’t hitting anything, adjusting if needed.

Kuya gave a straight-driving hand gesture, which I quickly noticed—especially since Gorio was now with him, mimicking his every move.

I followed my brother's hand signals, keeping my focus on the road and the light bumps ahead. Good thing I wasn’t sleepy anymore; otherwise, my brain wouldn’t be able to function properly for driving especially on this bumpy trail that probably leads to a river.

“Good job, our sea princess!” Brother Marco shouted from behind, and Mom and the others clapped in response.

I gave a thumbs-up in the side mirror and threw them a wink with a grin. It felt good. Turns out, driving on a trip like this was really fun especially when you're surrounded by a family that fully supports you. Well, indeed.

Then I remembered the call earlier. Bordeos Corp. I’ll just tell Mom about it later, but… something about it felt off. From what I heard, someone didn’t seem too excited about this trip.

They didn't even know behind this was something deeper, a way back to themselves.

Here, you could unwind. Release everything you'd been holding in. Say the words you were too busy or too scared to speak.Or maybe you didn't need to say anything at all, because nature already knows.

Nature didn't just heal you..... It reminded you who you were, before the noise drowned you out. It is the best power bank for your soul, mind, and spirit. It recharges the parts of you that no one could ever see.

Just a nature. Not just....It's Nature.

...reinstring