Two Worlds Collide

"This is... This is my account. Add me."

Her Skype icon blinked incessantly, alerting her to a new message. She only ever used Skype on Tuesday nights for her language lesson, so she wondered what on Earth this could be. Her heart pounded when she read the message.

Quickly adding him, she gave a simple "hi." He asked "Kamusta ka?" She racked her brain, struggling to remember how to respond. "Mabuti," she typed. 'I miss you,' she thought.

She tried to call him. He answered. "I told our friend that I wanted to teach you my language," he said.

"Oh, I was only joking when I said that. You really don't have to." She was trying to hide her excitement, although his smile said she wasn't succeeding. If he became her tutor, they would have a reason to talk each week; a reason to get to know each other.

"I know. But I want to," he replied. Her heart skipped a beat. Those words rang through her head the rest of the night. He wants to, he wants to, he wants t. She smiled, and try as she might, there was no wiping that smile away. As she lay in bed, she thought back to the last couple of days they spent together in his country...

Her alarm sounded in the early, and more importantly, dark hours of the morning. Ugh, why? she thought. She glanced at the time through bleary eyes, 5:30, and rolled back over.

Almost instantly though, she jumped up. She and all the teachers were road-tripping today, and she remembered how excited she had been the night before. Throwing on some clothes, putting on some make-up, and pulling her hair off her face (she never could understand how all the women seemed to have long flowing hair past their shoulders in the heat), she skipped out the door where she ran into someone.

"Sorry, they sent me upstairs to get you," he said. She smiled, before running off. She could hear him following, but he said nothing.

Climbing on to the jeepney a few minutes later, she wondered where she would sit. Who would be most likely to talk in English? Before she had the chance to answer herself, a hand reached out and grabbed her, pulling her to the bench. "Ouch! There's a body attached to that arm." She looked at the smile she was quickly growing to like, and he laughed.

"Sorry about that, just wanted you to sit here." Her heart fluttered a little.

Later that day

"Photoshoot time! She needs a photo with everyone!" one of the teachers yelled.

"Here, I'll take them," he offered. He took photos of her with all their friends, and then tried to hand the phone back.

"Wait, your turn," she said. He stood next to her, and rested his arm on her shoulder. She wanted to hug him, or at least have their arms around each other, but didn't want him to think her weird.

She involuntarily glanced at her phone, where the picture had been the background since she left. She wondered whether he looked at it just as often.

On the jeepney again, she didn't even question where to sit. He had already saved a space for her. Within minutes, they were both asleep, leaning on their bags, and at times into each other. She knew this because she stirred with every large bump, and felt herself falling into him. She was too tired to care about straigtening up, and quickly fell back to sleep each time. Finally, she awoke to find his arm around her, and her head on his bag, in his lap. She quickly sat up, startled... and confused. He was still talking to their friend. What did this mean? Was he trying to protect her from falling on her face in the aisle of the jeepney? Or was he holding her for another reason? She still doesn't know.

Later that night...

"Welcome to Perya!"" They had just waited in line, while one of the teachers pushed his way through to pay their entrance fee. She looked around at the area that used to be a vacant lot, but was now a carnival, or perya, in their language. Huge rides loomed over her, and she was excited to get started.

As they made their way through Perya, she walked with him. "Sorry if I kept leaning on you on the jeepney. I don't know why I was so tired," she said, grateful that it was dark so he couldn't see her blush. Oh to have his dark skin, and not turn bright red during embarrassing conversations, she thought.

"That's okay. I... um..." he spoke nervously for some reason. "I kinda liked it. I hope it wasn't too weird having my arm around you." Before she could respond, he jogged to catch up with everyone, leaving her confused for the second time that day.

They went on a couple of easy rides, before making their way to the ghost train. She swore she didn't get scared, although once inside, screamed her lungs out. For the first time that day, she didn't think of him, she was too scared, caught up in the moment.

The ride could not end soon enough. They all exited the train, and he made his way to her. "Where you scared?" he asked.

"Pfft, no."

"Liar."

"What? Doesn't this face look trustworthy?"

"It does, but I heard you screaming."

"Oh... well..."

"You should've sat with me, I would've protected you."

One more right for that night, the pirate ship... and with no seatbelts. That ride is scary enough in my country, she thought, how was she ever going to do this? "Come on," he said, "this is something you only get to do once." He's right, she thought, and quickly took her seat at the very back; the most daring place on the ride.

Shakily, she tripped off the ride, the adrenaline pulsing through her body. He caught her arm, and a nervous laughter escaped her mouth. "Was I right? Did you enjoy it?" he questioned.

"Yeah," she screamed excitedly over the noise.

He continued to hold her arm to keep her steady as they walked with their group to the tricycle stand. "Goodnight," he said as he helped her into the tricycle.

"Um... yeah... goodnight." No one had said goodnight to her in a long time.