They Know The End

Russell

1:04 pm

Matt ended up driving the bike back to the stall. He was too tall and blocked my view. If it were any other time, I would've laughed, but now, I was just deep in thought.

He didn't bother asking me, though, so there's that. I liked the peace and quiet between us.  The noise in the mall was perfect white noise to the thoughts in my head.

First of all, Dad couldn't just shut up, can't he?

It infuriated me that Matt knew about our deepest family secret. He could've just died, not knowing anything about his Last Friend. All I needed was company and what I had in mind didn't entail sharing my secrets with the both of us.

It wasn't so hard. All he had to do was take turns doing things they hadn't done in their lives until the last day, and then persih knowing that you had made one last friend. I had heard it on the radio several times and he must've known how it works, because he had more previlege than me.

My thoughts were interrupted when Matt abruptly stopped the bike. I was about to ask why when I saw that we were beside the e-bike stall. I got off and watched him sling his backpack on his back and folded the bike for the clerk.

He walked to me after her goodbye. "We should've paid for the one hour instead. It wasn't that long."

"I guess," I agreed blankly.

He began walking ahead. "The entrance to the terminal is at the mountain wing."

I caught up to him. "Do you still have money for the tickets?"

"I hope so," he replied. "I don't want to beg again. But I think we have priority because we're Deckers."

We took an escalator down to the ground floor. Compared to the rest of the floors, this section of the mall was more densely populated. If the people were cars, then it was like bumper to bumper traffic.

We waded through the sea of people. Some of them gave me the stink eye, but I got stared daggers at them. It was enough for them to feel unsettled. It made me chuckle, seeing their uncomfortable faces.

We exited the mall and into the terminal. It felt like entering a different world. Gone was the cold air around us and came the humid and dry air. The smell of gas from the buses reminded me of where I came from and my thoughts from earlier.

We looked to our right and began looking at the destinations of the buses. I let Matt lead this one; he knew places more than I do.

He stopped at one bus with a line. He gestured for me to join him in the line. "Let's go as north as the can. This is the furthest this route can go. SM City."

"What's on the north?"

"More cities. SM City is another mall related to SM Seaside."

"I noticed," I replied nonchalantly. "Since they start with the same initials and all."

But my sarcasm didn't dampen his mood. "And we have money. If we don't get in for free, the tickets only cost thirty pesos each."

"That's good," I said.

"I know right?!"

We ended up waiting twenty-five minutes until we could go in.

-

It was probably because Matt tried to argue with the ticketmaster.

"Deckers mi duha 'ya," Matt told him. We're both Deckers.

"Bahala ka. Di ka kasulod kung di ka mobayad," he sneered. Whatever. You can't go in unless you pay up.

"But by right, as mandated by--"

He made a talking mouth gesture with his left hand. "Sus! Sige'g right, left, right, left--ganahan ka mosulod or di?" Always right, left, right left. Do you want to get on or not?

Matt was mumbling to himself when he handed the guy his money.

"Good. At least kahibaw ka." I heard the ticketmaster as we went in. At least you know. "Mga bata karon oi. . .sige'g pangita ug away." Kids these days, always looking for a fight.

The bus was as cold as the mall. We stayed about a few rows close to the back of the bus. Matt took the seat close to the window. As I sat down, I heard him sigh.

"That guy was definitely just trying to make some quick money," he mumbled.

"Or he doesn't care about the whole Decker thing."

"Well he should care! It's a law around the world at this point."

"It's the Philippines--there are people who don't give a f--damn."

He huffed. "Fair enough. But. . ." He struggled to articulate his thoughts.

I patted his thigh. "Just. . .let it go. We're here to have a great time before we die." I internalized my own advice too, even if it didn't work most of the time.

Suddenly, the bus' front door closed with a hiss and it took off. I watched in awe as we left the terminal and sped to the bridge. Matt picked the seats where we would feel every little bump and it was a funny feeling.

I looked at Matt's window and saw seas that extended to the horizon. There was a hint of other islands. But closer to me was a huge bridge that overshadowed the one we were on. I saw machinery idly dominating the skies.

"Matthew, what's--" I began to ask.

Then, I saw that he was leaning against the window, snoring.

Wow, I thought. The argument must've really took a toll on him.

The way the sunlight shone on his face, his slightly open mouth, and his cute snores, , ,he looked like an angel when he slept.

I couldn't help but smile.

Then, a shadow passed over the entire bus temporarily as we went under a section of the huge bridge. I turned to my left and saw a place just like ours, but much bigger. It had the same stacked concrete houses, kids playing on the waters, and trash on the surface of the water close to the neighborhood.

This world was much, much bigger.

It's a shame that I couldn't see all of it.