The Good Side

05 | Walk Home

"Are you going to keep on cleaning alone all throughout the whole academic year? What a pain." I scolded him as I sweep their classroom floor for the 5th day in a row.

"Helping while complaining, I see." He mocked me and laughed.

For the past days, I have been helping him clean their room after classes since his irresponsible classmates always leave him. What a bunch of idiots.

Oops, language, Henry. Angelo won't like that.

I also walk with him to the tricycle station where he ride to get home ever since. It just became a habit, I guess?

"There, it's all clean." He put the mop back on its place.

He put on his backpack and turned towards me. "I won't be riding tricycle today."

I looked at him and furrowed my eyebrows. "Why?"

He walked outside and signalled me to follow him.

"I only ride tricycle when I feel exhausted, but now, I think I don't feel like that at all." He said while locking the classroom door.

"Don't tell me you're going to walk all the way home?" I asked him, hoping he'll say no.
He smiled brightly, snapped his fingers, and pointed at me. "Bingo!"

I shook my head. "You can't possibly do that, you took 10 minutes to catch your breath when we ran away from those men before."
"That's true," He said and held his bag's straps. "But I didn't say I'll run, I said I'll walk home."

This guy...

"You sure you can do that?"
"Yeah, like I said, I walk often before. It's just that these past few days, I feel tired and weak." He responded.
"What if you feel tired while walking?"
"Then I'll take a short rest."
"Nah, I'm coming with you." I said and started to walk.

He ran to catch up to me. "You are?"
"Hmm-mm." I nodded.
"I mean, you don't live near our house, do you? How are you going to go home?" He asked.
"I'll walk you home, and then I'll grab a ride home."
"That's a pain in the a-"
"O-Oy, I thought we are not supposed to say bad words?!"
"What's bad in the word ass?"
"I-I don't know either!"
"Ass, ass, ass-"
"Stop it!"

He laughed and pointed at my face. "You should have seen your face," He said while laughing.
"Whatever," I smiled.

We walked silently as we reach the school gate. The guard looked at him, and then me, and smiled.

"Please get home safely." The guard said.
"We will, thank you Guard Bino!" Angelo responded with a smile.

He's the same guard that I tried to bribe before but failed to, how am I going to answer him?

The guard turned to me and smiled. "Please get home safely too, young man."
I awkwardly smiled "Y-Yes, I will."

He waved us goodbye as we leave the school premises.

"How was your day today?" He asked as we were walking beside each other.
"It was fine, I guess. We had a quiz today in Science and I barely passed, but I think that's better than not taking it at all."
"It is. Congrats for passing!"
"Hmm," I smiled and glanced at him. "How about you? How's your day?"
"It's nice, I did good on my morning classes but I got a little dizzy and distracted in the afternoon. I still did well, though."

I looked at him and clicked my tongue three times. "You felt like that earlier and decide to walk? What are you even thinking?"
He smiled while looking far ahead. "No, I'm okay now. It's like after feeling dizzy earlier, I felt refreshed."

Glad I went with you today. What are you even thinking? Walking home after feeling a bit ill? Are you nuts?

"Oh anyways, we're going there," He pointed at what seemed like a small road in between rice fields. "That's where I live."
"Okay." I responded.

When we stepped on that road, I felt the cold breeze on my body as if it was welcoming me in this place.

"My favorite part of walking home is this," He uttered. "I love walking here. It feels good."
"I can't argue about that." I said while looking around.

We passed by a family eating ice cream beside the road while looking at the rice fields. I looked at them and saw how much the kid was enjoying the presence of his family.

"He's lucky." He said.
"Yes, he is." I agreed to him.

He is lucky to have a family like that.

Minutes have passed and I remained quiet since I don't want to tell him gloomy stories and ruin his mood.

"Go on," He turned to me. "You can tell me."

I was in awe hearing those words. Is he a mind-reader?!

I sighed. "I used to be close with my mom and dad. We used to go out together at least twice a week when I was a kid. They will always find a way to spend time with me even when they were busy with their jobs."

"Until they decided to work abroad. I didn't approve of the idea of them being away from me, but they didn't listen to what I feel. They still went and chose money over me."

I looked at him and saw him just looking at me too.

"T-That's it, I just hate them for choosing their work over me when I clearly needed them the most." I looked down.

Now that I think about it, it's like I am really ungrateful.

"I understand." He simply responded.

"Would you like to hear my thoughts?" He asked.

I nodded.

"What you feel is valid, but have you ever tried hearing them out too?"

I gulped. "No, never."

"I know you have been very hurt when they chose to leave, but there must be a side of a story that you still don't know about. You know, when we're mad, we tend to just fuel ourself with more anger to the point where it blinds us."

"Not that I tolerate them leaving you at a young age, though. I just think it'll be easier for you to move forward if you know everything. Based on what you said, you had a very great relationship with them before they left, so I don't think they went abroad just to neglect you. W-Well, that's just w-what I think, okay?"

"Yeah, no worries." I reassured him.

"Try talking to them, I guess? If it helps, then it's good. If it doesn't, at least you tried."

Can I really talk to them?

"You can."
"Huh?"
"You look like you're asking yourself if you can do it."

I squinted my eyes and scanned him.

"What are you, a psychic?!"
He laughed. "A psychic?! You're just easy to read!"
"Are you sure you're not into witchcraft?!"
"No, I'm not! What made you think that?" He continued to laugh.
"Well you know what I think about most of the time, it's freaking me out!"

Walking like this is tiring, but it's definitely tolerable and even enjoyable when it's with you. Even when I share gloomy stories, you always manage to lift up the mood and make me laugh at the end of the day. How can you do that, Angelo?

"Oh, it seems like we're here," He said and stopped in front of a two-floored blue house.