Warmth of Summer

Prologue

When we are confident in ourselves, we can put our faith in our own capabilities, qualities, and judgment. Once you have a great deal of confidence and believe that no one can defeat you, it's game over for everyone else.

Call me a narcissist, an arrogant, self-centered bitch, or whatever you want. It will not destroy me. Why? Because I know myself better than they do. Nobody can take my self esteem away from me. That's how powerful self-confidence can be.

"Miss Sammy—"

"Don't call me that, Esang. We're not close so stick with Miss Summer," I aggressively uttered while my palm was facing her telling her to stop. But I eventually take my hand back.

She lowered her head for a second before she face me. "Sorry po, Miss Summer. Pero saan po ang punta niyo? Bilin po sa'kin ni Donya Blanche na huwag daw po kayong paalisin dahil may pupuntahan daw po kayo mamaya," mahabang sabi niya.

She's Esang, one of our housemaid. Mom even appointed her as my personal maid but I refused because I don't need one. She'll just annoy me and I might make her cry like what I did to my previous maid when I was in the City.

"I'll just take a walk to kill my boredom. And tell them not to isolate me like what they did to Autumn. Kaya lumalaking ganyan 'yan because they are sheltering her too much."

She kept her mouth shut that made me smirk. I cheekily flipped my long straight shinny jet black hair and began to walk towards the front door. But I halted when I remember something.

Hinarap ko si Esang na bahagyang napatalon dahil sa gulat. Inirapan ko lang siya dahil mukha siyang tanga.

"I forgot to bring my camera. Get it and make sure not to drop it because it's very, very, very expensive. Mas expensive pa sa life mo. Now get it!"

She run as fast as she can and she almost tripped because the floor are kinda slippery. I wickedly laugh like an evil witch while walking towards the door.

Hindi rin nagtagal ay binigay niya na sakin ang camera ko kaya nagsimula na akong maglakad sa malawak naming hacienda.

There is a big difference between a city and a province. The air in the city was polluted, whereas the air here was refreshingly clean. I suppose staying here wasn't all that bad. However, I miss my city life in Manila. We were in the expensive bar every night with my friends, despite the fact that we are minors, because we had a connection.

I wonder if there's a bar here in province? Maybe there is but not as fun in the city. I heard that the people here are very conservative. Very opposite in Manila who wears thin clothes, and that includes me.

Hindi ko namalayan na malayo na pala ako sa mansion namin because I was too mesmerized taking photos. It's just my hobby but my ambition is to create fabulous apparels.

Someday, I will become a successful fashion designer and I'm claming it!

I was busy taking shots of the captivating sunsets when my camera suddenly landed on the man who was sitting under the mango tree while holding a book. He seems engrossed reading his book while leaning his back on the trunk.

And I was also engrossed staring at him without knowing that I'm already taking pictures of him using my camera. I was about to take down my camera when his eyes landed on mine.

His thick eyebrows arched while staring at me using his deep set of eyes like he was judging my whole life. My eyes followed his movements when he put down his book on the ground.

"Republic Act No. 9995, an act of defining and penalizing the crime of photo and video voyeurism, prescribing penalties therefor, and for other purposes. The penalty of imprisonment is not less than three years but not more than seven years and a fine of not less than one hundred thousand pesos. In short, you can be sued by taking a photo of a person without its permission," he said, desensitized.