By Jov Almero

Sam's standing by the edge of a cliff overlooking miles of forest. Next to him, in earnest imitation of his dad's earnestness, is 13-year-old Sammy. Jason's out of sight, collecting kindling. Nick's in a beach chair reading. Jacob's high-pitched curses break the campsite's peace, making birds leave their perch for another.

Nick closes his book, stands, and checks what's up with Jacob. He's supposed to be making kapeng barako. But there's none of it left. Jacob explains when he lifted the pot from the fire, the handle was too hot he had to let go. Now Mother Earth's been awakened by strong dark coffee. Jacob's 11. He's Jason's only child. Spoiled enough to be allowed to curse whenever the situation calls for it.

It wasn't Nick's idea. This hiking and camping combo. It was Sam's. He's a fan of the outdoors. He's persuasive enough to have convinced Jason to join his mountaineering group twice. He'd never had the same luck with Nick. Not because Nick's mountain-averse. He was busy working. Then the pandemic happened.

At first, Nick was hesitant. But Sam and Jason together were more convincing than they were separately. COVID's not going away anytime soon. He can't stay indoors for the rest of his life. It'll be a weekend and Shirley's off work. Eventually, he'd run out of excuses. The group chat ended with Nick conceding to Mount Daguldol.

With an elevation of less than 700 metres, the difficulty level is four out of nine. The access point is in Batangas; there's the fine La Iya Beach and the serene Tayabas Bay to send off the group and welcome them back. They can go for a swim before driving back to Manila. It will be good for their muscles and bones. Lungs.

There was heaviness in Nick's heart when he left. He could get bitten by a snake and die before rescuers could inject anti-venom into his veins. He could miscalculate a step and find himself at the mercy of gravity and canopy. Or his heart could just stop in the middle of the trail for no reason. Even something minor would be unwelcome – like a pot of boiling coffee on his careless hands.

It was Nick's idea. Jacob making coffee. But only because his dad wouldn't stop talking about how useful the kid was in the kitchen. Jacob's a budding chef. One time, he made fettuccine alfredo all by himself. With only TikTok to guide his way. And it tasted legit. That's why Nick volunteered Jacob to make coffee. To be fair, he was successful in the task. It's after the making of the coffee, in the handling of the made coffee, that he stumbled.

"I'm proud of you, kid," Jason reassures Jacob. Jacob does not look convinced. He wasn't even eager to make coffee in the first place. Only his dad enthusiastically seconded Nick's suggestion, leaving him without a choice on the matter.

Nick suspects Jason's enthusiasm had something to do with the conversation before the group decided that kapeng barako was in order. Sam talked about how well Sammy was doing in school. He's in seventh grade. An honours student. Just last month, he won a declamation contest. The month before that, a quiz bee. The year before, he finished sixth-grade second in his entire batch. This year, he plans to overtake whoever's ahead of him. Claim that top spot.

Nick was impressed. And amused. Sam talked about his son's academic accomplishments as if they were his. As if he wrote the speech Sammy recited. As if he trained Sammy on all the big words he'd spelled correctly. As if he would not hesitate to Tonya Harding that top student so Sammy could take their place. Sammy looked dumbfounded the entire time his dad talked about how smart he was. His face spelled: Dad, shut up already.

Not to be outdone, Jason had to make his son's culinary gift known, too. Of course, Nick had to put that to the test. Now Jacob's hand is covered in bandage. 

It started way before the campsite. At the parking lot where they met in Alabang. Nick was the first to get there. Five minutes later, Sam and Sammy arrived in a sedan. Father and son duo came out of the car, with the son struggling to mirror his old man's swagger. A little later, Jason and Jacob's SUV parked next to Sam and Sammy's sedan. Jason was visibly irritated at how slow Jacob was in pulling his backpack from the car. When Jason saw Nick, Sam, and Sammy looking at them, he flashed a big smile and tapped his kid on the shoulder as if to say you're doing fine, kid.

The last time Nick had seen Jacob and Sammy was a year ago. At Siena's christening. Since then, they had both grown taller. But still not as tall as their dads.

Nick's van was the vehicle big enough for the bulky bags the group had. All five of them. And their even bulkier egos. All four of them because Sammy and Jacob's halves make one. On the ride to La Iya, the contest officially started.

Jason fired the first shot. His Jacob's a lady's man. One time, he scrolled through the kid's phone. He read messages from girls. They were flirting with his unico hijo. Nick couldn't not believe Jason. Jacob takes after his dad in the looks department. He's got his mother's sad eyes to boot. They make him look sensitive. Like he'd shed a tear if he ever plucked the wings off a dragonfly.

At La Iya, they parked in a resort for a fee. The group gathered in a circle on the beach, bags dropped. Sam was adamant they do some stretching first. He was just as adamant about Sammy taking the lead. It was obvious Sammy would rather get on with the climbing and ditch the stretching, but he's not one to go against his dad. So, there they were, following Sammy's lead. Nick's joints and muscles adamant about giving him a hard time. If it weren't for the two cups of coffee he'd consumed at that point, courtesy of an already empty hydro flask, he would have called it quits.  

Sam boils another pot of kapeng barako after reassuring Jacob it wasn't his fault. When the coffee's ready, they sit in beach chairs, each holding a cup. The conversation still revolves around Jacob and Sammy, as if the boys weren't there.

When the dads run out of ammo, Jason compliments Sam's kapeng barako. Sam compliments Jason's kindling. The kids look ready for bedtime. Nick decides to take the contest up a notch. "Who'll be in charge of the campfire?"

One of the dads volunteers a son. Sammy looks at his dad, and Nick sees a seed of resentment there. Begrudgingly, he finds his way through Jason's kindling and builds a fire in the middle of three tents. Jacob helps out.  

Jason notices the setting sun. He stands and walks over near the cliff to admire the spectacle a little closer. Sam and Nick follow. Nick stands next to Jason. Sam stands next to Nick. The world looks like it's burning from the edges.

"I like being a stay-at-home dad," Nick declares, not meaning to be vulnerable, just factual. "I might start renting out the van."

Jason and Sam lay a hand on either of his shoulders.

Then there's the smell of actual burning.

They look away from the setting sun, to the campfire. The flames have grown to almost the kids' height, threatening to lick beach chairs and tents. Nearby, an empty gas canister. 

"What on Earth?" Sam to Sammy.

"What the fuck?" Jason to Jacob.

"I have an idea," Jacob to Sammy.

Jacob's face, lit by flames, looks devilish. He unzips and pees on the fire. Sammy follows suit. Sam and Jason gasp. They look at each other. And back at their sons. Like they won't mind breaking the kids' necks, cutting their turtle dicks off. Sammy and Jacob look hell-bent on putting the fire out with pee, aiming their streams strategically.

Sam and Jason start laughing. Nick starts laughing, too. 

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