"I LOVE DAHILAYAN!" Marz waved her hand on the camera while the crew attached the whole body harness to him and double-checked all the straps before sending him off.
He wore a protective helmet, and the crew slowly lifted him into the air. Among us, he is the bravest when it comes to heights so he volunteered to come first.
I swallowed my own saliva while holding his phone in extreme nervousness because of the insane 120 ft height of the drop zone. It's breathtaking. Marz was chilling like it was the best day of his life as he rose higher. He even waved at the wooden platform near the lake where we were standing.
In one blink of an eye, Marz screamed at the top of his lungs the moment he was dropped from a very high place then swung himself like a pendulum a few feet above the beautiful lake. He extended his arm imitating 'Darna' and started to enjoy the moment he was flying.
The twins followed after I and Marc surrendered. When it was my turn, I don't know how many times I actually did the sign of the cross because I felt like I would fall anytime and then drown in the lake.
'Heavens! Please help me. Do I really have to do this? Can I do this?'
"Kuya, wait a sec." I raised my palm on the crew and shook all the tensed muscles in my body before proceeding to a prone position.
I was slowly being lifted into the air and seeing my friends shrinking like ants made me feel like I'm going to pee. I feel like I'm gonna explode anytime. I calmed myself before looking at the stunning view from above.
The moment I feel like losing all my weight when I imagined the amazing view like a bird in the air, I started screaming in my head and at the top of my lungs.
"Mommy, I'm so scared!" I almost cried as I hung in the air and I'm dangling like a feather in the air higher and higher.
I can't feel my feet as my heartbeat filled my body drowning my system so instead of looking below, I closed my eyes when the crew signaled the drop. In just less than a second, I found myself screaming all the fear out when I felt myself falling into the lake. It was like my soul separated from my body when my body descended to the lake, I thought I would fall there but then I ascended like my wings instinctively spread out and flapped on their own to save me from crashing down and drowning in the lake.
"AHHH!" I was screaming like a mad woman while swinging in the air.
After a while, my nervousness also disappeared when I felt the cold wind embracing me. I thought I was going to die from a heart attack but when I saw the entirety of the beautiful place while floating in the air, I forgot my fear. Somehow, after screaming everything I forgot the pain. Consequently, I smiled in glee and overstretched my arms like an angel hovering in the clouds.
The next attraction based on Marz's itinerary is the dual zipline. He crashed out the first challenge and yeah right he's a real bias because we are doing all the heights and flying today and we will open the others on the list so we can relax. The twins are zipline lovers so no doubt, they were the first to take part in the challenge and they really enjoy flying.
'Can I do it?' Again I asked myself.
"Captain, I badly want to be your partner but I'll give way for Jess." Marz plastered a mocking smile at me, and I dramatically glared at her in contempt.
Marc chuckled when he hooked his arms around his elbow and then pushed him lightly to me. Clearly, his mood was gloomy earlier after the call, but he insisted on pushing through the enjoyment.
"All I need is a moment to shout everything and this pain will disappear," he said earlier.
Honestly, he enjoyed screaming and the excitement from the Drop zone as if he didn't hear anything. After wearing the safety harness, we were in that position again, he was on the right side and I was on the other side. After setting up some controls we fly in the air again. The pleasure of feeling free, breathing, and letting go of all the pain of the past.
"I wish we're always like this," I whispered to myself.
Unfortunately, I have to accept the fact that life is incomplete without its complement— the bad days and the good days.
At this very moment, it gave me another perspective on life because of this whole new bird's eye view I have while flying with him. Marc screamed and my eyes darted at him the whole time. He was smiling and happiness was reflected in his eyes when he met mine. We overstretched our arms and we screamed together as we hovered together in the air. We waved our hands as we reached the finish line where the twins were waiting.
"Gosh! I almost fainted earlier because of the handsome foreigner who was with me on the zipline." Marz's told the story at our table of how he was starstruck by the person he met earlier on the zipline. Oh my! He never really lacked the courage to take action. We are here at the wooden table and eating lunch and around us are pine trees that are not equal in height.
"No diet please." Marc slid a plate full of pineapples to me which caused a moment of silence at the table. All eyes were on us and Jia faked a cough to break the awkward silence.
"Where's mine Captain?" Marz flirted again and Marc also gave him a pineapple.
After eating, we jumped again in the sky tower base jump which is 80 ft high. It's an 8-storey platform and you will jump from above. As I've said, we will face pure heights on the first day as per Marz's instruction. The gay was very happy and again followed after Marc. I followed him but this time my soul didn't leave my body. I thought my body was really split in two because of gravity. I thought my fall was straightforward, there was still a pause and a slow down making me feel sick.
The next stop of our adventure was the phyton roller zipride. It's like riding a roller coaster, but with a twist. Instead of going straight, the ride is sideways, suddenly up then down again. It was really worth our trip here. My fear of heights was totally gone after the zipride, but it came back when the next challenge is the long-hanging bridge. When I looked down, I feel nauseated and I think I'm gonna throw up any minute I will cross it.
"I ca-n't do it," I stammered and held onto the rail of the bridge.
"Jess, you can do it!" Marz shouted who was already halfway across the hanging bridge.
"FIGHTING JESS!" The twins cheered for me, but I was reluctant to even take one step forward.
My palm turned pale and my cold hand trembled when I looked down at the bridge. The height almost took my breath away.
"I really can't do it." My voice broke.
I backed away and was about to leave when someone grabbed my hand and stopped me from turning around. Well, I conquered my fear of heights during the first three activities but walking on the hanging bridge is another story. Marc rubbed the back of my hand and wore the calmest smile that somehow helped my nerves subside the fear gushing all over my body.
"Gwaenchanh-a. Neon hal su-is-eo.Naneun dangsin-eul wihae yeogie issseubnida," he assured me, then hooked my arms around his elbow, supporting me to step on the bridge.
(Translation: It's okay. You can do it. I'm here for you.)
I inhaled a large amount of air then exhaled forcefully, hoping it will take all the fear running in my veins. I stepped forward slowly and avoided looking below the elevation where we were standing. My knees are weakening and I badly tried to hide just to keep going. I looked back to estimate my pace and thankfully, I made it halfway. Suddenly, the hanging bridge shook, causing me to let go of Marc and sit on the bridge holding the rope to the side. I panicked more when they ran closer to me. My nervousness got worse because of the shaking.
I can't breathe.
My heart beat louder than the noise from my environment.
They helped me to get on my feet worriedly and I was surprised when Marc carried me on his back.
"Ku- Marc we might fall. I'm he-avy," I stammered but he didn't listen. Maybe my voice was too weak, he didn't hear me.
"I'm always ready to fall as long as I'm with you," he whispered into the air and continued crossing until we reached the finish line.
I gulped as our cheeks pressed together when he turned to me. We stared at each other with great depth, then immediately avoided each other when my friends arrived.
***
BECAUSE we were so tired, we ate outside again. We witnessed the continuous influx of tourists to Dahilayan as we made our way to the vast forest park. We took a thousand pictures on the first day and Marc turned to a photographer real quick. Of course, my solo pics didn't beat and my model pose grabbed attention in all the spots we captured. A beautiful foreign lady in her early 20's even asked to have a picture with me. She looked like a German to me. She said she saw me in a magazine with Amy. That was last year I think when her clothing line was featured on international TV.
Eventually, we returned to the pine grove mountain lodge to rest. The twins are relaxing with me here in the jacuzzi. We were extremely silent but I pierced the silence when I can't take their meaningful stares anymore.
"Wha's with all the stares?" I attacked them but they just smiled while approaching me.
"You like him, do you?" Jia giggled and even pulled Hazel to agree.
I didn't answer. I was torn between fear of falling in love again and confusion about all his actions that he was showing - his pure intentions to me. But either way, the verdict lies on mine, and mine alone.
"Don't close your heart from loving again, not everyone is like your past relationship." Hazel tapped my shoulder before closing her eyes and soaking herself. She may be cold, oftentimes but when she talked, everything makes sense.
"You have chemistry you know." Jia is a feisty one, and she loves to take risks because she has this principle, I better get hurt in the process than regret anything without even giving it a shot. Hazel made it clear during our chat at the jacuzzi that she had closure with Rey and they gave each other a proper farewell at the reunion and now she's happy with her present boyfriend.
The next day, we tried the rest of the challenge that was left in Marz's itinerary. We tried Luge racing on the manual cart that has a control like a bicycle, the exhilarating razorback mountain coaster, the flying canopy glider, the fun obstacle course, and lastly, the mind-blowing zorbit that I almost vomit inside the big inflatable ball.
Who wouldn't vomit after being rolled inside? Our bodies were secured with whole-body straps and our head turns anywhere as we bounce inside. Promise! I was dizzy when I came out from that inflatable ball then I vomited on the sidewalk. Fortunately, Marc was there and helped me clean myself.
***
Undeniably, the Del Monte plantation was wider than I imagined. After passing by the cute houses for the workers, the next stop is the Alalum falls. It's a good thing I had black shoes with me because our shoes really got muddy down the falls. Sadly, since we just had a quick visit, we just took pictures and got a closer look at the falls. In other words, we're here to appreciate the pristine falls and hopefully, we will go back here for more adventure someday.
Marc offered his hand to me to go down because it was a little slippery. I accepted it and unfortunately, I actually stumbled so I scraped my knee.
"MARC, WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO?! LOOK AT MY BESTIE'S KNEE!" Marz exclaimed and Jia followed our direction to hand the small medicine kit to Marc.
"It's a good thing that we have a girl scout here to the rescue." Marz let out a relieved sigh while recording on his vlog, additional content to our road trip to Bukidnon.
"I'll do it," I insisted, but Marc was fuming mad when he saw my bleeding knee. First, he removed my shoes when he saw blood dripping on my legs, and he was apparently startled when he saw the blisters on my toes and ankles because of the shoes.
"I told you to be careful, didn't I?" Everyone gasped when his voice echoed around the area and I was taken aback when his jaw moved aggressively.
"Ya! Naega da chyeossneunde wae hwanass-eo?" I fired back pointing at my small wound because he was overreacting. It's far from the intestine! It's not a 50-50 situation.
(Translation: Hey! Why are you so mad when I got hurt?)
He rolled up my jeans to wipe the blood escaping from my skin. It's not that deep and will not scar either. I winced when he pressed a small gauze pad on my wound and fixed it in place using a plaster.
"Josimhalago gyesog sang-gisikibnida. Wae geuleohge hal su eobs-seubnikka?" He shot back and my eyes widened in disbelief. Did he just yell at me?
(Translation: I keep on reminding you to be careful. Why can't you do that for me?)
"Geujeo jag-eun sangcheoinde wae hwaleul naebnikka?" I was disgusted with what he was doing. He's exaggerating as if my wound is as bad as a trauma patient.
(Translation: Why are you mad over a small wound?)
"Guys? Are you arguing? Hello! NOSEBLEED!" Marz inserted and we both threw a penetrating glare at him to shut up. Beside Marz was Hazel smiling meaningfully while Jia was suppressing a laugh and didn't move an inch to intervene when she was just a meter away from us still holding the kit.
"Can't you just-" He didn't complete his question when he helped me stand up. He exhaled, defeated, then continued, "I don't want to see you in pain again. I don't want to see you hurt yourself ever again. I WO-N'T ALLOW IT! I WILL RATHER TAKE ALL THE PAIN FOR YOU."
My forehead furrowed trying to process every single word he just profess. My tongue tied in knots as he held both my arms and sighed again when our eyes met. Then I heard from him the most unexpected.
"You are important to me, always remember that."