One Hundred Fifty

14 - Feelings

Do not cut down the tree that gives you shade.

- Abraham Lincoln

"Uwaa..." A cry of a little girl echoed in the park of a certain village. She saw her hands full of mud, pressed down on the ground and how her knees are aching. She cried more upon realizing.

She just stared at the trees and the bench, empty, her mom is nowhere to be found. She doesn't have the courage to get up when there's no one to help her around.

From the trees, a young boy block his view. His eyes are big, and with curiousity that it got bigger.

"Why are you here?" He crook his legs and looked at her with a tilted head. "You're gonna sleep here? No. Don't. It's dirty here... Look look. Your clothes are so dirty na..."

The boy hold her hands and lead it up, assisting her knees. He made her sit in the bench and blew his wound. "Dapa pala ikaw? Ba't ka kasi nag-ra-run? Mommy said to me don't run when there's hard ground. There's hard ground everywhere! So I don't run."

The young girl looked at the boy. She's much more taller than him, his cheeks are chubby, his eyes are singkit and... He has a warm smile.

She's still crying, the little boy frown and sat beside her. "Don't cry. Your wounds are just small. Nothing to be afraid of."

She sniff. "Leally?"

The boy laughed in glee. "Yes!"

Little girl wiped her face gently with the clothe she's wearing.

"Di ka nag dadalang handkerchief?"

The girl shook her head. He then proceed to his pockets and lend her a cute blue little handkerchief.

"There, bring it back to me when you're not crying na."

"Thank you." She used it to blew her nose and wipe her tears and sweat.

"I'm Niro, what's your name?"

"Clover."

"Can we be friends?"

"Yes..."

"Can I see you here again?"

She nodded.

Never thought she'll see him, everyday.

"Niro! Niro!" Ngawa ni Clover habang hawak hawak ang phone, she covered herself with her pink warm blankets, her lampshade is lighted though the lights are still open, the wind coming from the open window make Clover scooted more in the blankets.

"What is it? It's 10 am in the evening, Love." The eleven years old Niro said, yawning. Love, it's his new nickname for Clover, he just removed the C and R, plus, he heard her dad called her mom that. Strangely, he's loving to call her Love.

"Wala pa si Mama and Papa... Tapos may narinig akong kalampag sa kusina, Niro!" Nakagawian na nitong ngawa sa pangalan n'ya.

Napangiwi si Niro. "Diba, sabi nina Tita mag sleep ka na daw at 'wag mo na sila intayin?"

"But the sound downstairs..."

"It's just a ghost, Love."

"Niro!!"

She heard him burst out laughing. "Okay, eto nalang. Go down, check it out, I won't hang up."

"Sigurado ka? You won't? Why is it that I don't trust you?"

"Sige na nga kasi. Do it or I'll hang up!"

"Bakit tiwala kang hindi yun burglar or something bad?" Clover asked while getting herself out of the blankets and slowly standing up.