77 days of Winter

Chapter 1

It was the last week of May 2009. After attending the Flores de Mayo, (a celebration of Roman Catholics for Mama Mary usually to offer her flowers and prayers during the month of May) I immediately moved out from the chapel.

As I was on my way to our house which is 50 m from the chapel, I saw lovers kissing I guess, if I'm not mistaken, their bodies are leaning to each other while standing and their heads are turning side by side opposite to each other, and they're behind the mango tree I was looking at. Out of curiosity, I moved closer to them and listened, but I hid behind the trunk and hid myself with the bushes. I heard them moan. Are they really just kissing?

OMG! I can't believe I have seen a live Kissing scene, for the very first time of my entire life. Yes it was the first time because even in cartoons, anime, pictures, weddings and even on tv, I haven't gathered the courage to look at it. Maybe because our parents trained us too look away when two people are face to face and when the lips are only an inch away from each other, immediately twist your neck and don't you ever look until the kiss was done. It was just fine because my sisters and I have been doing it since birth.

Until I saw this lovers. Eeewwww, so disgusting, so I turned away and headed towards our house. I panicked until I reached our front door. I was hesitating to get in because what if Ma & Pa will find out what I saw a while ago, maybe they will punish me for grabbing the opportunity. Tsktsktsk. My knees are shaking I don't know if it was because of the tension or the weather, but since it was cold outside, I decided to get in.

As I was about to go to my bedroom, I heard my parents talking, arguing may be the right word to describe. I don't know, so i just ignored it. Seconds later they called my name. I went out my room and saw my parents and my sisters with serious matter written all over their faces.

My heart beats fast, I felt that my blood drops to my feet. No way! There's no way that they will know what has happened a while ago. Did my sisters saw me and told our parents?? Noooooo!! Omg! What will I do???

"Hey! Are you okay?" My thoughts stopped when my mom shouted at me. "I've been talking to you all along and you're not listening even a single word?"

"Oh! I'm sorry ma, what is it again?" Mom resembled an irritated face.

"We've been arguing with your mom if where will you study highschool, but until now we haven't come up with an answer, so I guess, the decision is yours now." Dad explained to me the reason of their argument a while ago. Whoo! Thank God it's not about the kiss thingy. I panicked huh! whew!!

Yeah right! It's only one week before june but I am not yet enrolled in Highschool! Why it has been so hard for them to decide? From the moment I graduated in elementary until today, they haven't made up their mind??

Well let me explain to you this. My mom wants me to study in a public school because she said, REALITY lies within. You will experience real life when you're in public. Not just that, she said that all the teachers in public schools have passed the Board Exams for Teachers not like in private schools, which is only few of their teachers have passed.

While dad's point is that, if I will be in a public school, maybe I will find it hard to be there because I have not been in a public school ever since. And he worries that if I will get it to the top rank of the honor roll, maybe the people will think that I just made it because of my mom's bias. Yeah, to tell you, my mom is the Guidance Counselor of one of the competitive public schools in our City.

It has not been so hard for me to decide. I just think that if I will study in a public school, everything will be free. Including the notebooks, ballpens, etc. All we have to worry are the transportation expenses and my allowance. Maybe dad will not worry much of going abroad because only my two sisters are studying in a private school, while I am enjoying the privileges our government could give, most especially the Scholarship.