Chapter 3 - Little Taste of Heaven
After several hours in the plane, here it is. I’m now standing on Philippine grounds. I walked and walked until I found the exit of this falling airport, which is called by a woman on my front, “neh-eh-yaa.” I didn’t exactly catch it, but when I stepped outside, I now learned that it is pronounced correctly something like “na-ee-ya” when I read its full name. There are taxi cabs na dumadaan, then some people rides on them. Wonder if someone will fetch me here and ride me to our house?
But, did Dad say na pinauwi nila ung mga maids, guards or whoever works there? So walang magsusundo sa akin! Luckily, I know the address so I can take a cab from here to there, until –
“Ser Steepen!” a high, manly voice has just called my name. I turned around and saw kuya Gary, our middle-aged driver. I nodded as he grabbed my luggage and led me to our red, shiny car. My car, actually.
I gave a sigh of relief as I sat on the back of my car, then nag-start nang mag-drive si kuya Gary papunta sa bahay. Because I didn’t understand, I asked him,
“Kuya, ‘di ba po pinagbakasyon po kayo nila Dad? Why you’re here?”
“Ah, ser, ako po yung pinagbilinan na sumundo sa inyo,” he said with a very firm Tagalog accent.
“So you’ll be staying with me there? Hindi po kayo uuwi until the mess is cleared?” I asked again with hope na matutulungan niya ako on my punishment.
“Hindi po, ser! Paumanhin po, pero pinagbilinan din po akong umalis na kaagad pagkatapos po nito. Wala pong sinabihan na maiwan o tumulong po sa inyo.”
“Sh*t!” I sweared quietly as I kicked the back of the seat next to the driver. Akala ko kanina he’s the one who can help me, tapos biglang hindi pala. Aarrgghh!!!
Then after several minutes, we just arrived on the house. Grabe, the first thing I saw about its new and stormed state is yung garden ni Mom; it’s horrible. Pero hindi ko pa masyadong matingnan ng maayos because it’s 2am in the morning, so it’s dark. Automatic na nagbubukas yung gate namin when it detects our cars. So pagkapasok ng kotse, ini-stop muna ni kuya Gary ung car sa driveway na nakatapat sa door then I got out of it. He parked it then on the garage while I go inside. I was greeted with a very kind face.
“Welcome back, Sir Stephen!” It was one of our maids, ate Teresa. She’s kind of close to me because of her kindness plus hardworking though she’s pretty old.
“Hi ate! I need something to eat.”
“Yes po, sir. I will bring some snacks to your bedroom right away, sir.”
“Thanks.” Then I went to my room swiftly so I would not see how filthy and messy the first floor is and how hard it will be to finish. Prone to flash-flood itong neighbourhood namin, pero buti na lang, first floor lang ang binaha, pero it’s still so many to clean and fix! As I entered my room, I called my friend Albert, na 3 houses from here lang naman.
“Albert!”
“Stephen! Why did you call this late?” he said drowsily, probably he was awakened by my call.
“I just arrived here in our house that’s 3 houses away from you.”
“Oh, that’s great! Dito ka magbabakasyon?”
“Not really. Punishment. Tell you tomorrow morning. I mean, later.”
“Siguro may kalokohan ka na naman noh? But I have classes!”
“What the f***! Umabsent ka muna, please?”
“Hindi pwede. We will have a quiz tomorrow with Professor Terror! Will you be game tomorrow night?”
“It’s okay for me. Good night. See ya.”
“Okay. Bye.” He’s determined to finish college kaya hindi yun aabsent. If I were him, I don’t care! Then after eating a sandwich, I went to sleep.
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Then noong gabi na ulit, in a bar Albert brought me, I told him about the reason why I’m here.
“I think that’s the most incredible prank I have ever heard!” he said with two amazed eyes.
“You think it is?” very few people will think of that!
“Yeah, pero I can’t understand why you will be,” he gulps on his wine, “punished with this stuff eh you have reached 18 naman.” Yeah! He’s correct!
“Maybe, they’ve had enough. Siguro palagi ko na lang sila nadi-disturb every time I’m in guidance counsellor. Several times of work interruptions every year? That will blow up your mind!” I said like a convicted person in a case hearing.
“But still, you’re free to do what you want kase 18 ka na” I’m grateful I have a friend here who can understand me.
“They don’t listen to me ‘pag kinakatwiran ko yan.”
After several drinks, Albert went home because maaga pa daw siya bukas. Then I got a nice girl here and took her to my bedroom and uhm...
An understanding friend and a nice girl on my bed? Wow, what a day! But kuya Gary and ate Teresa already left, and I’m planning to clean tomorrow. How?
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A/N: Sa mga hindi po nakakaintindi, yung summer po sa America is July to August, so sa Pilipinas po ay may pasok na, kaya kung magbabakasyong may parusa si Stephen sa PH, nag-aaral naman po si Albert. Next chapter na yung start ng romance, ayaw ko po kasi yung “agad-agad.” Thanks po. :)
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At My Front Door
Romance>>STATUS: Abandoned / In Queue For Revising | LANGUAGE: Filipino & English<< The modern love today is too treacherous yet worthy. Fountain of tears and euphoria are both became widespread nowadays. Stephen, who knows only touch and go after his fr...
