Chapter 2: YEAR 2016

August 21, 2016.

I heard a loud knock on my door. I slowly open my eyes and look for my phone first before jumping off my bed. Damn it's already 9:00 in the morning. As always, I woke up late, ate my breakfast late and start my day late. I don't care, I have nothing to worry, I have tones of clothes, received lots of money from Mom and Dad monthly and I have maids who cleaned the house, cooked foods, and do all the works inside this boring house.

"Khloe! I'll break this door in a second if you won't leave your bed!" Dad exclaimed in anger. "What? Khloe? Are you really trying me, huh!" He warned.

I jumped out of bed swiftly and walk towards the door like a penguin covered with my huge and thick blanket.

"Yes, Dad?" I sigh after opening the door staring at him in a boring way possible.

"Come down we have a special things to patch." He said in a very commanding voice then turned his torso away from me.

His face is completely red. I could really see the anger inside him but he never ever hurt me physically despite me being hard headed. I deeply exhaled and blow the hair blocking my left eyes.

"I'll just brush my teeth!" I shouted to informed him.

"Don't make me wait longer! I warned you." Said he then I walked back inside, goes to the rest room, and quickly cleaned my face.

"Why are you being so gorgeous? Huh? You can't be too perfect, Khloe. You must have at least a little bit of weaknesses or something else." I talked to my reflection in the mirror pinching moderately my face.

"OMG! Dad will kill me, I've been wasting too much time." I whispered when I realized that I'd been more than 10 minutes inside the rest room.

"Hey! Dad how's your food?" I asked, walking down the stairs while he is already taking his breakfast. He doesn't even gave me a quick sight like whatever.

"What's with the sudden mood?" He asked. Of course because it's not really my attitude to greet anyone unless I did something bad.

"Nothing, I'm just excited." Liar girl. I mumbled kissing his forehead. " So, what's the thing, dad?"

He looked at me gesturing his hand for me to sit down first. I sat down and started to eat.

"Your Mom and I will fly to the UAE tomorrow and we actually planned to stay there for more than a month." He began. I wasn't surprise at all since they are mostly out of the country as far as I can remember, so our maids are most likely be my parents than them. What a world, right?

"And then?" I cuts wanting to ask more while slicing my hotdogs.

"Can you just let me finish first without interrupting, young lady?" He snapped in his serious deep tone. I nod as a sign that I agree.

"With that, we decided to sent you to the Philippines and stay with your Grandma and Aunt. They will be the one to look after you." His words actually woke the sleeping b*tch inside me and calls my attention. "Did I make it clear?" He ended up asking for my decision which I think is only the 'yes' answer are left for me to choose, cause he never accepts a no or even maybes.

"I disagree with the opinion, I'll better stay here with our maids." I snapped. I saw him looked at me with disappointment wiggling his head.

"That's not gonna happen, Maureen!" He exclaimed in his deep tone. He always calls me Maureen every time I did something he dislike.

"But Dad, can't you understand my point? It would be hard for me to move to another country. The place is new, the people, the school and everything in the Philippines." I explained. “Why can't you just let me stay here? Australia is my home and I'd been here ever since the day I was born." I added.

"Philippines is also your home, it is the place where your Mom came and grew. And besides, Philippines is no big difference to Australia." He stated supporting his words. "And also you're still underage, it would be a shamed to both of us if we leave our 15 years old daughter alone for more than a month, cause we cannot guarantee to be back within a month if our business continues to get flooded with economic crisis. So, I suggest that you should go to the Philippines or come with us to the UAE." Ugh! UAE? No way! Arabs aren't my people.

I stop eating and drank my juice then walk straightly outside the house without uttering a single word. This is damn unacceptable. I said in my head.

"Maureen!" I heard Dad exclaimed from the inside but I didn't even bother turned a head at him.

I walked for about 20 minutes roaming around the neighborhood to mused myself and breath some fresh air.

"Hey there! How's your day?" Yvan exclaimed from the top of their house when I reached their yard. His house is just 5 house next to us and we also goes to the same school in elementary. So, that's what ties us close to each other and eventually became friend.

"Not good!" I replied then walked across the neighborhood. I can still actually hear him asked some questions but I'm at my beast mode so I'm not into chitchat this time. Sorry, Yvan.

How I wish I can drive a car, I will definitely drive to a far place then drink lots of beers and stays there all night. But I'm still 15 and I have to patiently wait for 3 years more before I can execute sh*ts.

I continue walking around the neighborhood then stop when I saw an ice cream store.

"Oh!" I halt when I remember that I haven't brought any cents with me. So, nstead I walk inside the park and sat down under the massive roots of trees.

I was planning not to go home 'til tomorrow, but I have nothing with me. I don't wanna die here.

So after almost an hour roaming around I headed home and saw my Dad calling someone over the phone in the living room. I was about to open the gate when our guards saw me.

"Ms. Khloe is here." He informed my Dad.

Dad walked out and hugged me tightly immediately cupping both the side of my face and stare at me so seriously.

"I am so worried you know that?" He murmured as he hugged me. "We're really sorry for doing this, bab. But we have no other options to choose. This is for your own good, please try to understand us this time?"

I nodded without uttering a single word. Maybe they're right that their decision is way better than mine, cause obviously they are experienced people.

"Come on! Change your clothes and pack your things. There's only an hour left before our flight." He uttered walking me inside the room which I lazily followed cause anyway, I got nothing to do to stop them from taking me to the Philippines.

***

I am completely conscious but I can't feel like I am. I silently walked inside my room and open my huge hazel cabinet. This is gonna be my last night in this room that I've been with since I was a baby. I know that Mom and Dad don't have any choices either. It is because of their business and the company that they owned in the UAE that pushes them to decide to do this.

I sat on our sofa in the living room staring blankly on the televesion that I can't relate. I am done packing all my things and the maid is moving it down. I roamed my eyes around the house, the place that became a more than just a home for me all these years.

"I'm going to miss you all, especially you, sofa." I whispered on the air. The sofa is where I mostly fall asleep then find out in the morning that I'm already on my bed: Dad carries me almost every single night. I sigh then move outside.

"Come here my princess." Mom hugged me so tightly when she saw me.

"This is only temporary sweety, we'll go back here once we settled everything okay?" She kissed my forehead and ran a palm on my soft long hair.

"Be a good girl always huh? Aunt and grandma are there to guide and help you." She added.

"Yes, Mom, just visit me if you have a time." I weakly mumbled trying to hold my self from breaking and saw her nodded. I look at Dad, he's in complete silence, I know that it is more harder for him to be away from me since we're the one's very close to each other. Yes, I'm Daddy's girl and Dad's only princess.

"Come on." Said Mom then we headed to the car. My heart ache as the car slowly move forward. I didn't even able to say goodbye to my friend, Ivan. I guess this is the last. I said inside my head then close my eyes and hugged Mom.

***

"Hey! Sweety, we're here." Waked by Mom. I slowly move and clears my eyes with my hands.

We jumped out of the car and enters the huge hall as huge as our campus' playground. It is loaded with thousands of people busy walking in all direction. So this is how the airport looks. I said to myself since this is the first time I saw an airport.

As the plane takes off from the land of Australia I close my eyes trying to erase everything that's going on my head. I wanted to start a new life in the new place, new environment and everything.

"Sleep tight sweety." Said my Mom surrounding me with her hugs.

After almost 8 hours of flight, I finally saw the city of the Philippines from the small window of this airplane. Dad’s right about the Philippines. It looks just the same with Australia, but only things they differ is that Philippines has less skyscrapers compared to Australia.

As we headed out from the NAIA, that mood started to change. Most of the people here talks different that I can't able to understand. Although Philippines is also a good English speaking country better than any other Asian country, I guess. But they mostly didn’t talk in that language.

“Mom, why do they talk that way?” I asked Mom and she smiled.

“They are talking in Tagalog or mostly known as Filipino." She replied holding my hands as we continue to walk forward.

“Do you know how to speak Filipino, Mom?”

“Yes of course, I grew up in this country.” She immediately responded and winked.

“Ate! (sister!)” Exclaimed by the woman standing near the exit door with an old granny which I assumed are my Aunt and Granny.

I don’t know who they are, but she looks a little bit similar to Mom. We walk fast towards their directions and as we get close Mom hugged the Granny and the Aunt tightly like they missed each other too much. Dad also bow down a little and put Granny’s hands on his forehead. As I see it I knew that she’s Mom’s sister and the Granny is maybe, her Mom?

“Ito na ba si Khloe (is this Khloe?)?” Asked Granny running a palm on my head.

“Yes, Ma,” Mom replied in a gentle tone.

“Sweety this is Mom, you can call her Granny Gloria or Lola Gloria.” She introduced. “And this is Aunt Nicole, my older sister." Mom added. They are warm hearted and very happy people.

“Hi, Aunt, Hi Granny, it’s nice to see both of you.” I said bowing a little bit down.

“You’re so thoughtful Khloe,” Aunt Nicole praised. “By the way let’s head out, Alberto is waiting at the car." She said.

After being stuck in the middle of deadly traffic we finally reached home. The gate is as huge as our gate in Australia but it isn’t as beautiful as ours. When we enter inside the yard I saw tones of plants and a colorful flowers everywhere. This place is beautiful, I supposed. I think I might enjoy my stay here. I said in my head.

“This is Granny’s house, and we grew up in this exact house with your Aunt Nicole.” Mom explained pointing at the 3 storey house.

The house is quite exquisite despite its fading color. I look around as we entered. The interior design of this house is a combination of Ancient design and a modern furniture.

“Take a seat first and have some juice." Granny ordered offering us the hazel colored sofa of them.

After I finished a glass of pineapple juice I excuse myself and rest inside my new room that Aunt Nicole showed me earlier. I am so tired, I can feel my backbone aching.

“So this is my room,” I mumbled. The room is a little bit smaller than my room in Australia, but I think it is good enough for me as I didn’t brought much of things here.

I lay down on the bed ‘til I unconsciously fall sleep.

“Hey sweety.” Wake by Dad staring at me with Mom with a smile on their faces. I slowly open my eyes and sit down leaning against the soft pillow. “Yes dad?” I lean against the head of my bed.

“We’re leaving sweety. Just be a good girl always huh?” Mom said hugging me tightly. Dad join the hugs and I don’t want this moment to end. It feels heaven having a two loving and caring parents.

“Do you want to see us off?” Dad murmured walking towards the open door of my room.

“No, I’m too sleepy Dad. I will just sent you outside the gate.” I lied cause I just don't want to see them walk away from me. It'll hurt my feelings everytime I saw someone I loved taking a step away from me.

“Okay, come on.” I smile and hold Mom and Dad’s hands together.

As the car started to move forward all I can see are Mom and Dad’s wave from the window. Tears slowly falls down my cheeks screaming for them to just not go but I can't and even if I said that, I know that they can't stay. I wiped the tears and turned my back from the car that's starting to get blur. I headed inside and close the gate.

Granny is standing just a meter from me standing next to her garden. She slowly marched towards me and offer me a warm hug.

“Don’t worry Granny’s gonna take good care of you." she whispered trying to calm me.