Love Bus Book 5: Chapter 5 — Journey to Cebu
The next clue did not lead us somewhere nearby. It pointed farther, across the water, toward Cebu.
Papa Franz arranged everything quietly. By the time the sun was high, we were already standing on the deck of the ferry, the sea stretching endlessly in front of us.
Kuya… malayo talaga, ano? Bernadeth said, holding the rail as the wind pulled at her hair.
I only nodded. The package of flags stayed safely with us, wrapped and protected. The trail that started with two old books had now brought us onto open water.
We stood side by side on the deck for a long time. The waves moved steadily beneath us. Neither of us spoke much. There was something about the sea that made talking feel unnecessary.
I watched the horizon, thinking about the relatives of Enrico we were supposed to find. Bernadeth kept glancing at the water, then back at the cloth package we carried, as if making sure it was still real.
Pagdating natin… ano kaya ang mahahanap natin? she asked quietly.
I didn’t have a clear answer. I only knew that every step so far had led us to something that mattered. This journey across the sea felt like the same kind of step — heavier, wider, but still part of the same trail.
When the outline of land finally appeared in the distance, Bernadeth straightened a little. I felt it too. The ferry was bringing us closer to the next piece of what Enrico had left behind.
We stayed on the deck until the boat began to slow. The wind was cooler now. Behind us was the water we had crossed. In front of us was Cebu — and whatever waited there. → story continues in Chapter 6
Some trails do not stay on land. Some ask you to cross the water first, just to prove you are willing to keep going
— Josh
Updated September 13, 2026 from original written date September 13, 2021.
