Loving You Is Hurting Me

I

I went out of the busy terminal alive and well, thank God! I dreaded the flight, aside that it's my first trip away from home its also my first time to travel alone. Not to mention the harrowing three hour bus ride. I wish mom or dad's with me. My knees keep shaking and i wanted to go back home. Now that i'm officially 18 years old my parents had this weird rule, that i should be allowed to travel without them. For independence' sake. It might be quite exciting to go visit our ancestral home if my grandmother hadn't died earlier this year. My parents had tasked me to oversee the harvesting of mango trees this summer and to check if anything in the house need repairs as they can't make it with me because they are traveling to Singapore! Can you believe it? I'm stuck here in the province while they are enjoying themselves! Where is Manong Toto anyway? He is our farm overseer and our caretaker, Manang Lydia's husband. Did mom and dad mentioned that he's supposed to fetch me? Did they forget?! What to do? I dialed manang Lydia's number, "Hello Anya?" She answered on the first ring. "Manang, is Manong Toto on his way now?" I asked her. "To where hija?" She asked, a bit confused. "Manang! I'm here now at the bus station! Where is Manong Toto? Did my parents told you i'm coming?" I started to freak out and my voice started to shriek. "Oh hija, we didn't know! Toto is on the next barangay right now." Manang Lydia said. "I'll ask Samuel to fetch you instead." Before I could reply she hurriedly called out to someone called Samuel. When she got back on the phone, "Hija Samuel already left, he'll be there in a few minutes, okay?" Manang Lydia said. "Okay, thanks." Is what i could only reply.

I could hear my stomach grumbling. Where is this Samuel? I haven't met him. Maybe one of the farm hands. Uhg! I'm really hungry and i really wanted something of Manang Lydia's cooking. I look around to check the foodstands. I'm not up to eating barbecue right now. I stood up and started for the convenience store, maybe i'll just buy cookies or something. I grabbed my backpack and one large luggage bag. This thing's kind of heavy. I brought quite a lot of  clothes since mom said i'll be staying for the whole summer. As i neared the curb, mud water came raining down on me? What the....! I could see the a guy riding a motorcycle speeding past me and a large puddle right in front of me. He didn't even stop to apologize! He slowed down and parked it five meters away from me. I Looked inside my bag and found the half empty bottled water and started walking towards the man. When i was a good meter away, i throw the bottle right at him. He was talking on the phone and when the bottle hit him, he turned to me. He was really surprised and his mouth was hanging open.

Sam

"Hey! Are you blind?!" This girl who was quite soaking from her face down to her pants, shouted at me. "Look what you've done!" Ugh, her voice began to shrill. I hate when women do that, it's too painful to hear.  I looked at her from head to foot. "What? I didn't see you until now." I said and dialed my phone again. My back really hurt a bit from where the bottle hit me. I began to rub it. "Don't you know how to apologize? Haven't your school taught you any manners?" She pointed her finger at me like some school child. "Miss, i'm really sorry. Now please leave." I told her sincerely. I can see that she has pretty eyes thats actually throwing daggers at me right now. "Are you serious?!" She said. "What do you want me to do? Get down on my knees and beg?" I told her. The phone began to ring. Just then i noticed her rummaging through her bag and I could see that she was now holding her phone and began to answer it. When she did, i heard her voice on my phone. "Hey, i guess we're stuck together." I said and grinned at her. "Aaaarrrrgh!" Is what she can only say. I just shrugged and began to grab her luggage. 

Anya

 "C'mon, hop on." He said as he straddled on his motorbike. He place the large luggage in front of him. I really want to get home, take a bath and eat. I would just have to control the blood thats boiling inside me right now and focus on getting home. I straddled the seat at his back and moved as far away from his back as the seat would allow. "Will you quit fidgeting?" He said and started on the motorbike. Wait till i get home, i'll see to it that Manong Toto will reprimand you. I could only grit my teeth as i clutched at the steel handle at back instead of hanging on to him. It's a good thing that he tried to slow down and not send the motorbike flying like earlier that had me taking an unlikely bath. 

We arrived at the house. I saw Manang Lydia hurrying from the back of the house where the dirty kitchen is located. "Hija! I really didn't know you were coming! Come, i am now preparing for dinner." She dragged me along with her. I glanced at him who was bringing my luggage inside the house. "Manang can i go bathe first?" I told her. "What happen to you?" She seem surprised at my appearance, which she had just noticed. "Don't ask please. I just need to take a bath first." I told her and gave her a strained smile. "Okay dear, go on ahead." She said.

Thank God the bathrooms here have been changed to modern facilities. There's a shower and a toilet upstairs. When Lola was still alive and her health was failing her, my mom and my uncles decided to put up a bathroom upstairs so Lola wouldn't need to go up and down the staircase. We always come home here during summers and some holidays. I just love the intricate carved designs at the top of the walls that decorate mostly the interior of the house, which helps the ventilation of the entire house since there are no airconditions installed. The house almost reached a century now, which my mom and my uncles helped to preserve. Selling the house is out of the question since everyone agreed that at least we could have a place where everyone can go to every once in awhile. A beach is located just a few meters behind the house. Heavy curtains still decorates all of the doors that lead to rooms. I dragged the luggage that he had place in the middle of the living room. That guy is really getting on my nerves. I really don't have much energy anymore. I'm so hungry already.

I hurriedly took a bath and changed into a white floral dress, i left my hair wrapped in a towel and went downstairs to the kitchen. "Hija come and have your dinner." Manang Lydia said. I settled myself on one of the chairs. "Manang, has manong Toto arrived yet?" I asked her. "He'll be here late this evening." Manang Lydia replied. "Anya, whats with you and Samuel?" Manang Lydia asked curiously. I told her about the incident at the bus terminal. "Maybe manang you should fire him. I can't believe how rude he is!" I told her. "Anya, i can't do that!" Manang Lydia looked a bit surprised. "He is only our neighbor whom I asked a favor from. He comes here often to help me with the vegetable garden. I only asked him to fetch you because Toto wasn't around."She explained. "Uh-okay...where does he live?" I asked mildly curious. "The house on the right." She replied as she started washing the dishes. Probably the son of the caretaker.  I heard the owners there all migrated abroad. "Anyway manang, mom never called you?" I changed the topic. "She called me three weeks ago and told me you were coming but never mentioned when." She said. "Manang, i promise to help you tomorrow. But i really need to rest. Promise i'll help you whatever you asked of me." I told her as i stood up and hugged her. "It's fine hija, go up and rest after you're done with dinner." She said and pinched my cheek lightly as she usually does when i was a kid.