The sound of my alarm shattered the silence of the room, pulling me from the depths of sleep.
With a groan, I rubbed my eyes, stretched out my arms, and reluctantly reached for my phone.
7:30 AM
The room felt unusually still, peaceful even, as if the world outside had forgotten to wake up.
They must have gone home, taking full advantage of their day off from work.
I slowly stood up, tidying my bed as my thoughts drifted to breakfast.
With a hint of hope, I wandered over to our little table where we kept our dishes.
Was there any rice left?
The thought of preparing food from scratch seemed far too ambitious for this lazy morning.
I peeked inside the rice cooker and smiled to myself—yes, there was some left from last night.
Just to be safe, I gave it a quick sniff.
Miraculously, it was still fresh enough to eat.
Grinning at my luck, I plugged the rice cooker in and set the rice to cook up.
While the rice heated, I rummaged through the tupperware holding last night’s leftover viand .
Could I get lucky twice? I opened the lid and inspected it closely.
No strange smells, no suspicious textures—it was still perfectly edible.
Feeling accomplished, I sat at the edge of my bed and allowed my mind to wander as I waited for my breakfast to be ready.
After about five minutes, the rice cooker clicked to 'warm'.
I didn’t waste a second.
I grabbed a plate and spoon, filled my plate with a portion of rice, and sat down at the small table.
With a quiet moment to myself, I closed my eyes and whispered a prayer of thanks before taking my first bite.
The simplicity of the meal was comforting, and the silence in the room made the experience feel almost meditative.
As I ate, my thoughts ran wild.
What should I do today?
It was one of those rare days where I had absolutely nothing planned.
My laundry was done, my schoolwork was complete—freedom, and yet, here I was, feeling the weight of boredom creeping in.
After my meal, I cleaned up the crumbs that had fallen, washed my dishes, and put everything back in its place.
Returning to my bed, I tried to find something, anything to occupy my time.
I grabbed my phone and opened Messenger, secretly hoping for a message, some interaction to break the monotony.
But, as expected, the inbox was empty.
Disheartened, I tossed my phone aside and scanned the room.
Maybe I could clean?
I scanned the space, but there wasn’t a speck of dust in sight.
“Hayss,” I sighed to myself. “What now?”
Going outside wasn’t an option.
Crossing streets still terrified me, and without any spare cash to spend, what was the point in venturing out?
The safest bet was to stay here and keep myself occupied indoors.
With no better ideas in mind, I flopped back down on the bed and drifted off into an aimless nap, hoping to pass the time.
I woke up hours later to find the sun had set.
The digital clock on my phone read '7 PM', and my stomach reminded me that it was time for dinner.
Groggily, I made my way back to the kitchen and cooked a fresh batch of rice.
This time, I fried some eggplant and a couple of dried fish.
The simplicity of the meal mirrored my day, but it was satisfying nonetheless.
The crispy talong and salty tuyo made me feel full and content.
After cleaning up from dinner, I decided to take a quick bath.
The sticky feeling from the heat of the day was unbearable, and the cool water was an instant relief.
Refreshed, I changed into my comfiest clothes and brushed my hair, deciding on a whim to call Mama.
It was a brief conversation—just about ten minutes—but her voice, filled with love and warmth, made my day a little brighter.
After we said our goodbyes, I sat back on my bed, leaning against the wall, enjoying the quiet again.
Then, my phone buzzed with a familiar notification of my messenger.
I grabbed it, curious, and saw it was a message from Ate A, my churchmate and friend who lived just a short distance from our house.
We started chatting, and before I knew it, I found myself sharing more than I usually would—especially about the story I recently published on Wattpad.
At first, I hesitated, unsure if I wanted her to read it.
But I shrugged off the doubt.
“Ngano man d i?” I thought.
To my amusement, Ate A began teasing me about my ex the moment she finished reading.
The shyness I had felt earlier melted away as we laughed together.
I’m usually not the type to share much about myself, but there’s something about Ate A that made it easy.
She’s kind, easy to talk to, and somehow, I find myself opening up around her, even though I still get a bit shy at times.
Our conversation quickly turned into a video call, and before I knew it, three hours had passed.
We spent most of that time laughing about my ex and exchanging silly stories.
I couldn’t remember the last time I’d laughed so much.
It was a relief to let go and just enjoy the moment, even if it was over something as annoying as past relationships.
And that, I guess, was my weekend.
Not extraordinary by any means, but filled with those small moments that matter—peaceful meals, comforting calls with Mama, and laughing late into the night with a friend who made me feel understood.
Sometimes, that’s all you really need.
YOU ARE READING
POV
Non-FictionLife often presents itself as a series of hurdles, each one taller than the last. These hurdles, though daunting, are not meant to break us but to shape us into who we are meant to be. It is through our darkest nights that we gain the strength to fa...
