Destiny's Game

2

2 years later...

"Hi!"

"Uh...hi..." Rj replies. He's now 14 years old.

"I'm Clarice. What's your name?" Clarice is 11-years old and a schoolmate of Nic. They all live in the same village.

"Rj"

"Here o, yours nalang." Clarice gives Rj a bag of cookies.

Rj neither acknowledges nor looks at the bag. His attention is at the goings-on in the soccer field. Clarice just shrugs her shoulders and put the bag of cookies in between her and Rj as she sits down close to him on the bleachers.

"What's happening?" Clarice asks.

"Game" Rj nods his head toward the other kids playing soccer.

"Hmm. I really don't like football. I think it's too rough. My Mom says it's a rough sport and I might get sugat if I join..." Clarice says as she clips her hair behind her ear. On half the field, a game is on-going while the other half has some smaller groups practicing. "So, you like football? I'm more of a swimmer. We can go swimming at my house." Clarice continued.

Rj is still unmoved. He exhales heavily and slightly changes position by moving a little forward so that his elbows rest on his knees. He doesn't really care if Clarice is there beside him because he sees HER in the far end of the field. She was always smiling and laughing. Today, she looked like she was enjoying the game as she cheered and clapped at the right moments.

---

"Uy! Cookies! San galing to?" Carlo said as he sat next to Rj. He got the bag of cookies, got one and began eating it. "Hmm...dala mo?"

"...Clarice..."

"Clarice?"

"Iniwan dyan..." Rj replied as he glanced at Carlo who was eating a second cookie.

"Hmm...may gusto ata sa yo..."

"Huh?"

"Crush ka yata..."

"Anong pinagsasasabi mo?"

Carlo didn't reply. He finished the cookie he was eating. He stood up and said he was going to the convenience store to get a drink. "Anong gusto mo?"

"Libre mo?"

"Binigyan ako ng ni Mita ng P50..." Carlo said. "Mita" was Mamita, his mom.