Food Is Love!

Recipe 67: Rebel

Road Trip Day 25
Location: unknown

Alex's POV:

"....uuugh....where am I?"

The last thing that I knew is that I was struck by the force of the explosion and lost consciousness. Then the next...I was lying in a bamboo bed...surrounded by walls...also made of bamboo. I looked around and saw...Flonne, her face is slumped and sleeping at my bedside. I pat her head to comfort myself from what happened yesterday...and I make her woke up.

"Huh? How's patting my he-oooh." Flonne then notices me, then smiles. "Hello, Lexi. I hope that you're okay now."

"Yeah, I suppose...ow!" I tried to get up but something in my side hurts.

"He-hey! Be careful!" Flonne worriedly helps me to sat on my bed. "You should resting more often."

"Yeah...but I'm worried about you." I simply replied to her. "Are you alright? Do you still move your legs?"

"Of course, silly! Hehehe!" She slapped my shoulder and giggles. "I just felt the force of the explosion and stumbled down!"

"Hehehe! My bad..."

I glanced my eyes around the bamboo house...we're alone...just the two of us. Where am I? Are we lost?

"Umm...Flonne...do you know where are our friends are?" I worriedly asked my girlfriend.

"Oh, yes. They're already awake ahead of you." Flonne replies with a smile. "If you really want to see them, come. Just take care of yourself, you're still a little hurt."

Flonne helped me to get up of the bed and walk out of the house. She guided me towards a large bonfire...where they're are some people around it...including Danica and Claire...

"ALEX!" They quickly got up, ran towards me, and hugged me very tightly. "THANK GOODNESS, YOU'RE ALIVE!"

As I let my friends hug me...I looked back at the people around the bonfire...and I saw Azmina crying. Before the explosion, she was about to leave our crew to be with her father...but now we're in the middle of nowhere...

"Umm...guys, can you tell me what happened to Azmina? Or her father?"

My question quickly somber Danica, Claire...and even my girlfriend Flonne...perhaps something has gone wrong...terribly wrong...

"Guys, please...I want to know." I insisted to answer my question. "If you're worried about her, so do I."

Finally, Claire takes a deep sigh..

"Azmina's father is kidnapped by terrorists." Claire broke the news. "Right now, the terrorists needed a big ransom to release him...or else, they would cut his head off..."

Without hesitation, I quickly approached the bonfire...and sat beside Azmina. When she noticed me, she cries very hard...and hugged me, too.

"HUHUHUHU!!!! MY DAD! MY DAD! PLEASE...sniff...LET MY DAD GO!!! HUHUHUHU!!!"

I have nothing that I could do for her...but to hug her tightly as a friend...and let her cry out all of her sufferings...as tides of fate are turning against us...

And as I comfort Azmina, a tall and handsome man, wearing a camouflage military uniform and holding a rifle, approaches me...

"Hello...excuse me...but are you Mr, Alexander Ramos?"

"Yes...yes I am."

"Could you please follow me? I would like to talk you for a bit."

"Yes, certainly."

I stood up and comply to what the soldier is telling me. Since I didn't know the identity of this soldier, perhaps he's one of the terrorists that Azmina is talking about...perhaps he's gonna kill me...

So what...you're gonna kill me?" I asked the soldier when we arrive at the middle of the forest. "You will make me kneel...place a knife on my neck and make a video making threats and demanding ransom...is that what you want?"

"Huh?! Wha-what are you talking about?!" The soldier is visibly confused on my statement. "Dude, I'm not gonna kill you. I'm just want to talk to you since my sister is rooting on you."

"Your...sister?"

"Yes. My sister...Alice Flonne. You're her boyfriend, right? Hehehe!" The soldier chuckles when I nodded. "I'm her oldest brother, Jake Alexander Molina."

"Oh, I see." I smiled back as he gain my trust. "Can you then tell me what happened to us?"

"Yes, certainly. I am the commander of the 51st division of New People's Army here in Southern Mindanao. Right now, we're having a truce with the government. What happened to you is that Islamic terrorists bomb Diamla hotel tower yesterday...they took you and all of your friends...as well as Azmina and Muhammad Diamla as hostages. They passed right through my territory and snub our demands to state their reason why they do so...and that's when we engage into battle. We are able to retrieve almost all of you...except Muhammad Diamla. They taking him as a hostage, and if something won't happen to save him, he would be executed."

Jake then tapped my shoulder: "We need your help, buddy. In every best way possible...please, help us. Muhammad is the only person I kmow who trusts our cause...we don't kill people...we just fighting what is right..."

"Yes, Kuya Jake is right." Then, Flonne comes from my behind and joins her older brother. "I know...and I believe that he is just fighting what is right. Back when I was a child, Jake always protected me against my bullies at school...he endured all the punches from those bullies...just for me. He's the anchor of my family...when dad died...yeah, he did mistakes...and he's a rebel right now, but he's fighting for us...just believe him."

Oh, Flonne! You're always protecting your brothers! Perhaps that what happens when family bond remains strong despite the test of time.

"Hehehe! Flonne, I'm not telling that I doubt him, I didn't even said a word!" I smiled at my protective girlfriend. "Alright then, let's help each other, okay?"

"Yes, thank you." Then I sake hands with Jake. "But we can't know how to use guns and stuff, the only thing that we do is to cook some foods for you."

"That's why I told you that you can help in the best way possible, right?" Jake grins at me. "Giving us enough nutrition for the day is already enough for me. We will take care of the rest."

"Sure thing!" Then I turned to Flonne. "Let's go, Flonne!"

"Yes, Lexi!"