Kwentutan (the Batac Guy - Part 3)

I forgot his name, but in my mind, he will always be the Batac guy.

I am not good in narrating details here. I remembered that I responded to his kiss and to his touch. Just enjoy the moment and relax, my ego calmly said. I remembered that as he slowly took my clothes off, I also let my defenses down.

He licked. I licked.

I bit. He bit.

He blew. I blew.

I sucked. He sucked.

Oh damn.

“Ang hot mo dude,” he whispered.

But with those words, my defensive walls were back. I felt uncomfortable.

Yeah right, I thought, ME HOT? I don’t think so. Tell that to my ex-boyfriend. I am fat and my ex says that I am cute but I am NOT hot.

He noticed my discomfort and he stopped. He looked at me as he played with my hair.

“Chinese ka ba?,” he asked

“No.”

I am asked of this frequently but I am not Chinese at all.

“Japanese?” I just smirked while I looked into his eyes.

“Ganda kasi ng mata mo,” he continued.

"Ikaw rin naman ah, ang ganda ng mata mo… brown,” I said. And then I suddenly realized...

“Wait, taga saan ka ba? May tono ang Tagalog mo ah. You remind me of people from the north like Baguio or Sagada… parang si Marky Cielo ka magsalita. But, ang skin mo naman di moreno."

He laughed and he started kissing me again.

“Nope I’m not from Ifugao but yes I am from the north.”

“Oh. Where? Cagayan?”

“Ilocos Norte. Sa Batac. Alam mo yun?"

I nodded affirmatively. And I remembered that he turned me over to my side, my back against him. He playfully kissed my nape – with a smacking sound! I found it sweet. He was cuddling and hugging me. It felt safe, and surprisingly, it felt... fit. Just like a puzzle, my body just felt it was fit for his body. It did not feel like this with my ex-boyfriend. My ex’s body was hard and not comfortable while this guy’s body was warm and cozy.

I turned my lips to his and we kissed with passion. This time, I turned him over as I performed my “tricks”.

I licked. He licked.

He bit. I bit.

I blew. He blew.

He sucked. I sucked.

“Ang sarap mo dude,” he whispered.

I was not able control myself that I laughed.

“Sira.” I said

We were back into our “talking position” – still lying down, his head propped up with his arm, his other hand playing on my belly, and still looking at me.

“I have read from TIME magazine this article on the biology of attraction,” I started explaining,

“Researches have shown that when you are attracted to someone your body also reacts to it. For example, because of pheromones, you will like the smell that your partner emits. Or when you kiss, the saliva tastes sweeter compared to someone you really find unattractive.”

He just laughed and he kissed me more, as if trying to prove the recent discovery of science.

I learned a new term from him that night: Kwentutan.

Kwento-kantutan-kwento-kantutan.

That was exactly what happened.

Kwento-kantutan, kwento-kantutan.

“What is your story with your girlfriend? What were you fighting about?” I asked.

“You are very observant. You interest me.”

“I study these things....”

“She was angry of something I did,” he paused.

“Sometimes, I just want to run away from her. Nakakasakal siya minsan eh. So, minsan sa ganyan, tahimik na lang ako. Then she says, ‘Ayan ka na naman, going back to your inner world.’ Sometimes I just go home, go to Batac – to runaway, to stay away from her. Have you been there?”

“Nope. But I have heard of the place”

“Yeah, it is the hometown of Ferdinand Marcos,” he paused again.

“I know of this beach near home. It is so quiet, so relaxing. Walang tao. Pwede kahit ano dun.We can just roll over, hug, kiss… even have sex. Ganito, kwentutan buong araw.”

“Interesting. I need to runaway too,” I said.

“What is your story? Do you have a girlfriend?” he asked.

“I don’t do girls.”

He laughed. I laughed.

“Ikaw... wala?!Eh ang guapo mo… so… may boyfriend?,” he asked.

I was quiet for a few seconds.

“We broke up.... three weeks ago.” I answered.

"Oh."

This time he was quiet for a few seconds before asking another question,

“Gaano kayo ka tagal? Anong nangyari?"

I was quiet again.

He was teasing my ear though, blowing it, and then licking it. I just laughed. He touched my body with gentle teasing. I felt weird. I was not used to this sensual attention. He was looking at my body - more than looking, more of examining it. I was uncomfortable at first but I turned off the “you-are-not-hot” voice in my head. And for the first time, in months or maybe in years, I felt I was hot. I felt I was sexy.

“Three years. We had issues… sex issues.”

“What do you mean by sex issues?”

He was not teasing me anymore. He was back to our “talking position”. He was looking at me intensely and it seemed that he wanted me to elaborate.

“My ex is 12 years older than I am. Siyempre, siguro mas mababa na ang libido.”

“Eh baka naman kasi, nagyayaya ka na pagod siya…"

He tried to play devil’s advocate. But I was quiet.

“He also rejects me, you know. I feel he sometimes withholds sex. Have you ever felt bitin? Yung sasakit yung bayag mo? Ang sakit sakit kaya mabitin."

He moved his head and I knew he never felt bitin in his life. Lucky you, I thought. He was still quiet but I sensed he wanted me to continue…

“I also know he does not find me hot. He finds me cute but hindi yung… nakakalibog…”

“How do you know that?”

“He told me and I remember his words, ‘I have issues of you gaining weight because I don’t find it attractive.’ Ang sakit kaya nun. Now, I have body issues. I feel unattractive, I feel ugly.”

We were quiet. He was just looking at me while he caressed my arm.

“I find you hot…,” he reassured me

And he started kissing me. And we did it again. That night was a night of hot passion and conversation. With him, I felt I was hot. With him, I felt I was wanted. With him, I felt I was beautiful.

We had other stories too but there were times that we were quiet and we just cuddled. Even if I only met this guy for less than 24 hours, I felt I was more truthful to him than my ex-boyfriend. I would like to believe that he feels his true self with me too.

“Diba nagtataka ang girlfriend mo? Pinakilala mo ba ang mga ka-sex mo sa kanya?” I asked.

He just laughed but answered,

“May na meet din siya, sabi ko lang na kaibigan ko sa work.”

Then I heard the rain.

Damn. How will I go home?, I thought.

But as if reading what I have thought, he said,

“You can just stay here for the night. I like hugging you like this.”

“I like you hugging me this way too. Alam mo ba, I feel that our body fit together. I don’t feel like this with my ex...”

I must have slept after that because I did not notice when the rain stopped. I moved his hands over my body and went to check on my phone.

No new messages. My ex did not text me for the day. 316 AM. Sigh. Then I suddenly I realized that my Batac guy never checked his phone when we arrived here. Did he ever send a text message to his girlfriend when we were together?

“Hey, I need to go…”

I gently woke him up and started putting on my clothes.

He also moved, stood up, and checked his phone. I think he answered a few messages. He also started putting on his clothes. After he changed, he took my hand, pulled me towards him, and kissed my lips.

“How are you going home?” He asked.

“I will get a cab.”

“But malayo yan, siguro mga 250?”

“Sige lang, I don’t mind.”

We left his room, locked his door, went down the stairs. It was really quiet now. No more people downstairs or tricycles. We had to walk two blocks to get to the main street.

“I am planning to go home next week. Would you like to go to Batac with me?” he asked.

I need to runaway, Batac would be nice, I thought.

“Would a weekend be enough? I have classes on Monday.” I asked.

“We will leave on Friday afternoon and we will be back in Manila by Sunday evening. We will go to that beach.”

Tempting, I thought, quiet and relaxing... "Walang tao. Pwede kahit ano dun.We can just roll over, hug, kiss… even have sex. Ganito, kwentutan buong araw," I remembered his words.

I saw a cab and hailed it.

A Shakespeare moment, parting like this is such a sweet sorrow. He was looking at me, waiting for my reply. I opened the door of the cab.

“Kuya, Philcoa?” I asked the driver.

The driver nodded positively. And before I got in, I offered my hand for a shake. He pulled me gently and he said,

“Text me, let’s runaway.”

It will be fun, my id said. Surprisingly, my superego was quiet.

"Sure."

He released my hand and smiled. I got inside the cab, closed the door, and smiled until I reached home.