Five

Their afternoon tour resumed after their lunch. They visited more cultural places, which highlight the richness of Mexico’s culture.

“Excuse me. I gotta go to the restroom.”

“What is it this time?” His mother is getting annoyed.

“Please wait for me. I’ll be back shortly. I promise, Mom,” Drino excused himself.

They waited for 15 minutes when he arrived.

“Stomachache, my bad…”

Handro laughed at his son. “You weren’t food poisoned, did you?”

“You overate.” Ashmille reminded him with a stern look. “What did I tell you?”

“Yeah, my bad.”

“We are in a foreign country eating foreign food. It may be a good thing to try all of those, but we are not yet accustomed to it. There’s this thing called travel stomach sensitivity,” she continued. “It can be triggered because of the time zone difference, sleep schedule adjustment, unfamiliarity with ingredients, and change of environment, which can make digestion more sensitive.”

“I know,” he murmured.

“Dri-”

“Where do we go after this?” He ignored her and asked the tour guide instead.

The new couple didn’t talk to each other for the whole hour of the tour. Drino continued vlogging with his GoPro and takes pictures using his DSLR camera.

Upon approaching a big crowd of tourists in a popular place to visit, Ashmille approached her parents.

“I-I don’t know. But I swear, it was inside my bag.” She rummaged through her sling bag.

Drino came to them. “Is there a problem?”

Her parents are worried.

“Um… I think I lost my phone,” Ashmille replied.

“What? When did you realize it was missing? Where did you last leave it?”

“I just realized it now. I was using it 30 minutes ago when I took pictures. I’m sure that it was just here in my bag, but now, it’s gone.”

His parents and the tour guide got worried, too.

“Pickpockets. Sorry to inform you late, but please pay attention to your belongings. Since this place is a tourist spot, many locals take advantage of that.” The tour guide informed them.

“We could go to a nearby police station to report this.” The tour guide suggested.

They all agreed to report it except Ashmille.

“No, this requires immediate attention. We cannot tolerate something like this.” Handro claimed.

“Ashmille, dear, we need to inform the police. Also, to raise awareness among the other tourists and even locals.” Aleya added.

Her parents nodded in agreement. Her mother held her left arm to comfort her.

At first, Ashmille refused because it would be time-consuming and ruin today’s itinerary. But Drino’s and her parents insisted.

They walked to ride on public transportation on the way to the police station. A group of five Mexican men walked beside the two of them.

A tall, dark man whistled. “Hola, crying beautiful lady! Where are you from?”

Another less tall, fair-skinned man with tattoos shouted. “Ay, mamacita!” He winked at her.

The three men laughed and stared at Ashmille.

Drino glared at them. “Hey! Get lost.”

She pinched Drino’s right arm slightly, telling him to tone his voice down because he might provoke a fight, which they should avoid, especially since they’re in a foreign place.

“Come on,” He stayed close to her, grabbed her left hand, and they walked faster to catch up with their parents.

“Let’s see. I’ll check on this phone app to track your phone.” Drino initiated, tapping his phone while locating Ashmille’s stolen phone.

“How was it?” Ashmille asked.

“For now, I couldn’t track it.”

“They powered off my phone. They might remove my SIM card, or my phone is in an area without coverage.”

Drino continued trying to locate her smartphone. While walking, Ashmille cried.

Drino heard her snorting. “Hey, you’re crying.” He gently wraps her shoulders with his right hand while they’re walking.

“Nothing… I feel b-bad,” she stuttered.

“I know. It’s okay to cry. We lost those guys, and we’ll get your phone back.”

She shook her head. “It’s mostly impossible to get it back. We’re in an unfamiliar place, and pickpockets are pros at this. Even if the culprit was captured, there’s a high chance that there are accomplices who run off and sell it somewhere. Aside from that, it can be dangerous if I retrieve it,” she sobbed. “I even bothered your parents on this. This was supposed to be a trip full of good memories. But look what happened.”

He caressed her head, empathizing with her situation.

“Shh… My parents are totally fine with it. We’re all in this together.”

When she heard his last phrase, she cried even more.

Frustration overwhelms her after being catcalled by a group of strangers, and the theft of her phone leaves her feeling helpless. Still, the unwavering love and support from both families make her feel valued and cared for.

They reported the robbery case to the authorities. They didn’t guarantee the return of her phone, but they affirmed to do what they could. Drino insisted on reporting the catcalling case too to alert the authorities for safety and to help Ashmille document the incident if she wants to report it later.

Throughout the tour, their guide shared lively stories about the city, let them sample local treats, and gave them insider tips on the best places to eat, shop, and explore for the rest of their stay.

During the evening, they witnessed the views from the Torre Latinoamericana. They were supposed to see a performance at the Palacio de Bellas Artes but they had a sudden change of schedule because of the robbery.

They had their dinner in Miralto Restaurante, situated on the 41st floor. It provides sweeping panoramic views of Mexico City along with its exquisite cuisine. This elegant dining experience also features a multi-course menu and drinks.

Their dinner finished and they all went back to their hotels to rest for next day’s adventure.

“Drino...” Ashmille whispered.

The two of them went to their hotel’s rooftop for a night view before sleeping.

“Hm?”

“Thank you…” she paused for a bit. “I am truly grateful for this experience you brought to my family and me.”

“How I wish I could eliminate the unpleasant stuff that happened to you today.”

“You did more than enough. It was my fault it got stolen, anyway. I don’t want to drag you and your family into this mess I made.”

“I’m sorry for handling the conflict and your criticism earlier like a child. I should’ve listened to you and done something about it.” He paused for a moment.

He had realizations after they had a lover’s quarrel in the eatery where he had a stomachache, and Ashmille ate a jalapeño. And the way he ignored her for reprimanding him.

“Some things are beyond our control, but never forget—I’m by your side, and my family is here to support you as well,” he assures her. Don’t hesitate to tell me what’s bothering you. I’m here to listen.”

The night was filled with exhaustion from the tour and mixed emotions from the unwanted events that had happened.

“Good night,” Ashmille said.

“Have a great night's sleep and sweet dreams.” Drino smiled.

They both went back to their respective hotel rooms. Their parents are all asleep.

Before plunging onto his bed, he scanned his camera to see the beautiful pictures he had taken.

He started giggling while viewing Ashmille’s smiling and stolen photos. His heart skips a beat when he sees her in the camera.

“Argh, so cute,” he muttered.

After that, he reviewed the videos he recorded in his GoPro to see if he had covered everything he wanted for his vlog about his day one Mexico tour.

He stopped watching his recorded videos when he discerned that his camera captured Ashmille’s smiling and happy face while his GoPro recorded her crying and sad face.

A tear formed in both of his eyes, shimmering as it lingered before falling.

Both of his devices might have witnessed Ashmille’s joyous or sorrowful expressions, but only his eyes saw both of her expressions and could discern their meaning.

He teared up because he’s glad that he could grasp what she was going through. He could read the emotions behind each face and understand the full depth of what she was feeling.