The Damsel's Agony

Chapter one

"Mommy, are you free for lunch?" I put my phone on the speaker mode while organizing some papers in my room.

"I still don't know, Maui." she sighed.

I can feel that she's tired. In her profession, you must really have a strong stamina to handle the workloads. "There's a lot of patients today, but I will text you once may vacant ako mamaya." I nodded even though she can't see me.

Patuloy lang ako sa pag aayos ng mga gamit ko sa room. My room is a mess. Hindi ko na alam kung kailan ang huling linis ko rito dahil sa sobrang busy sa pag aaral.

"Where's your sister?" she asked

"Nasa baba yata," sagot ko. I decided to put the pile of papers sa isang organizer box na binili ko pa online.

"Okay, do your thing there. Don't forget to eat on time." I heard someone sa kabilang linya na parang tinatawag na siya.

"Take care of your sister, ha." and then she hung up.

After the call, tinapos ko na ang pag-aayos at naglinis na rin ako ng buong room. Maya-maya ay kinatok na rin ako ni Manang. It's been three hours, lunch na pala. I look at my phone and there's no text from mom.

"Manang, where's Lia?" I asked nang makababa ako at madatnan si Manang sa living room. Where's that kid? Akala ko 'ba she's doing something here?

"Ah, na kina Lea. Tawagin ko 'ba?"

"Kumain na po 'ba siya?" I proceeded to go to the dining area. The food was prepared, may sinigang na baboy, adobo, at tinola ng manok. That's why I love to eat here tuwing weekends, kahit wala sina mommy at daddy mga lutong bahay ang inihahain nina Manang.

If weekdays naman, sa school na ako madalas mag lunch and puro mga fast foods ang mga kinakain ko. It's unhealthy but I have no choice. Hindi naman ako pwedeng umuwi tuwing lunch dahil malayo ang bahay namin sa school, and minsan sumasabay pa ang traffic.

I can't ask Manang naman to prepare some lunchbox dahil alam ko na super pagod na rin sila, maaga pa naman ang pasok ko, ayoko naman na gisingin sila ng sobrang aga.

"Oo, Maui. Nagpaalam sa akin na may gagawin daw sila ng mga kaibigan niya kina Lea. Kaya't ikaw kumain kana," Manang said while she's arranging the shelves. I asked her to eat with me kaso nakakain na raw siya. So, I eat my lunch quietly.

While eating, inisip ko na ang mga gagawin ko ngayong araw. It's saturday. Walang pasok hanggang next week dahil kakatapos lang namin ng midterms. I'm on my second year in college studying Secondary Education and I major in English.

I mentally concocted a plan for next week. Should I go to the beach for that week? Nagtingin - tingin na rin naman ako ng mga beaches na hindi masyadong crowded at alam ko na deserve ko naman dahil super stress ako kaka-review for my exams!

"Manang, where's Ate?" rinig kong tanong ng kapatid ko. I was done eating, pumunta ako sa may sink para hugasan ang mga plato na ginamit ko.

"Ate, let's go to the mall," she said ng makita niya ako. "I'll buy some things for my project. Mommy said I should go with you." patuloy niya habang kumukuha ng isang chuckie sa ref.

"Today?" I asked.

She nodded, "Yes po, do you have something to do?"

I looked at her, and her pleading eyes wanted me to say no. I laughed and said yes. She made face. Hala ang pangit ng kapatid ko, pero I won't say that infront of her. Magsusumbong siya. Gusto ko pa siyang bwisitin pero baka umiyak na.

I decided to use my car na regalo pa ni daddy nung nag debut ako. Ayoko nga tanggapin nung una pero na realize ko na nakakahiya naman kung papahatid pa ako kay Manong Bernard tuwing papasok sa school. Sobrang hassle na dahil nasa magkabilang banda ang school naming magkapatid.

Though pwede naman akong sumabay kina mommy dahil yung hospital kung saan sila nagt-trabaho is hospital din ng school nina Tita Maggie which is my current school din. Hindi naman magka match ang sched namin kaya wala rin.

Pagdating sa mall, she immediately go to the department store. Hindi ko na tinanong kung ano yung bibilhin niya, pero more on mga art materials ang nilalagay niya sa cart. Nakasunod lang ako sa kanya, and after spending an hour of buying her needed materials, we decided to go to the book store.

"Go, look for some books. Ako na bibili. Tatlo lang, ha." I smiled when she hurriedly run to the rack of books. She really loves books. Well, I love them too.

I went on the fiction section. Nagtingin tingin ng mga bagong labas na mga libro. I got five books in total; two standalone novels and a series which consists of three books.

I looked at my sister whose now sitting on the floor while reading. This girl. Pinuntahan ko siya at nakitang wala siyang paki sa mga tumitingin sa kanya.

"Hey..." I squat.

"Hmm?" she hummed, totally focused on what she's reading. Tinignan ko ang binabasa niya, isang book about sa mga prince and princesses.

"Get up, marumi d'yan." pero hindi niya ako pinansin. "Sige, I'll go home na. Ikaw nalang magbayad sa mga kukunin mo."

Tumayo ako at nagsimulang mag lakad. Mabilis ko siyang naramdaman na tumayo at sumunod sakin sa counter, tignan mo 'to ang kuripot talaga.

"Ate, do you have plans next week? You're done with your midterms, right?" she asked. We stopped for a drive thru sa McDonalds.

I told our orders sa crew at tumuloy na para mag bayad at maghintay, "Yup, but still don't know what to do next week, why?" I managed to say ng ibigay na ang mga order namin. Though, I'm still deciding kung gagawin ko yung one week vacation sa Launion.

We decided to stopped over muna sa park malapit sa village namin para kumain ng mga inorder. Besides wala pa naman sina mommy niyan.

"It's Halmeonim's birthday next week," she said sabay subo ng fries niya.

Napatingin naman ako rito, "Jeongmal?"

Tumango ito at uminom naman ng kanyang drinks. "Wednesday." sabi nito sabay tingin sa'kin.

I immediately grabbed my phone and went to the calendar to see the date, sa Wednesday nga. Napasandal ako sa car seat at kinain yung burger na kanina ko pa hawak.

"I saw you po kasi the other night looking for Airbnb, that's why I concluded you're going for a one week vacay, but for sure eomma won't let you." she said while looking at me.

I sighed. Bakit pa kasi natapat yung one week vacant ko sa birthday niya?

Kapag may mga occassions tulad ng birthdays, anniversaries, graduations or kahit ano pa, my grandparents are always present. They'll come home from Korea just to celebrate it here in the Philippines.

"You should ask appa, maybe he'll consider and will help you talk with eomma?" sabi ulit nito at binigay sa akin yung mcfloat.

My relationship with my grandparents are not like rainbows and unicorns, especially with my Halmeonim. She has that aura na you'll feel chills all over your body once she looked at you. They are so intimidating. I'm always scared when they're around. I feel like my moves are being monitored. Kahit na konting galaw lang they will be mad at me... and disappointed.

Siguro ganon dahil hindi ako malapit talaga sa kanila. Not unlike my sister, because when she was a toddler she stayed in Korea with them, and maybe because she's the youngest grandchild.

After a few seconds of silence, we ate the remaining food, and decided to go home.

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Sadpen_writes