Chapter 4

“Papà, please convince Mamà to bring me to Philippines, please,” I begged in front of my father while kneeling in both of my knees. I made my face sympathetic than it can be so I would convince him. “I don’t want to be alone here,” I added.  

“Princess, you won’t be alone,” he replied, not taking any of my shits. “You Tia and your cousin will be here with you.”

I shook my head and pressed my eyes closed. When I opened it, big and round tear from each of my eye has fallen. When Papà saw it, I heard him sighed. From my blurry vision I saw him smiled bitterly as he covered his mouth with his fist.

“Go to your room, I will try to talk with your Mamà about it,” he said and that made me jump on the inside.

I just nodded and followed what he ordered. I went directly into my room but before I could even reach the door, Val called me. When I turned around, the first thing I saw was her sad face.

“You will go with them?” I heard the sadness in her voice.

Her words made me feel like I’ve been poked by a sharp thorn. Since I was born, Val and I have never been separated and to think that we will be far from each other if ever Mamà would let me go with them, it hurts me.

We still have months to bond with each other so we use every bit of it to enjoy and have fun because I was sure and positive that they will bring me with them. And just like what I expected, they did bring me into the Philippines and made me live in the mansion where they will be working as a driver and house maid.

What I did not expect was Val and Tia Loreine will come with us to the Philippines. And it made my happy heart be happier! Though Val and I won’t be living under the same roof, at least we’re not far from each other. We don’t have to ride a plane for hours to visit each other.

Also, Val and I entered the same school in high school. At first, it was hard for us because everyone is speaking the language we can’t totally talk! Well, we understand it, but we can’t talk in that language. Good thing that our classmates are considerate enough and they all understand us very well. Even our Filipino teacher who was supposed to talk with everyone in the language they should use, she talks with us in English instead.

“Is that your crush?” Val pointed someone from the corner of the canteen. I immediately grabbed her hands and brought it down because I am afraid that the man would see it. Val giggled when she saw me blushing. “Why don’t you go near him?”

“I would die first!” I exaggeratedly answered in outmost speed.

“Then you won’t have a chance with him,” she said as if it is such a big lose.

“I don’t care. I am contented with just stealing glances at him,” I lied. The truth here is, I am afraid to be rejected by him. Many boys had confessed to me over the past two years I’ve been here, and I might somehow loss some confidence if I hear him rejecting me.

“Oh, yeah,” Val teased. “Who wouldn’t be contented with it when from morning until your bed time, you can see him. Who wouldn’t be contented with it when you and your crush are living under the same roof?” She laughed.

Me.

I am completely convinced that I am only until stealing glances and crushing on him, until the day I was asked by the teacher to go the senior high school department and call him. Call him!

His adviser has one subject on us and that was the reason why Sir Magno asked me to call him. That is also the time when I learned that he is the class president. Since that day, I like being Sir Magno’s pet! Because of him, Chly and I somehow started to talk.

I sighed and look at the ceiling. I then pressed my eyes closed to get some rest because I am too tired of answering this assignment that Sir Magno has given to us. I may like being a pet of him, but I don’t like it that he gives us hard home works! When I opened my eyes, the first thing I saw was the furrowed brows of Chly and him, standing in front of me.

“What’s the problem?” he asked with his deep voice.

I nearly screamed my heart out when I heard the concern in his voice. What the heck! Now, I like Sir Magno again. Thanks to his hard home woks that helped me to be noticed by Chly again!

I really like to be noticed by him, but I don’t want to do silly and stupid things. I want to do it in a low-key and unobvious way, just like this.

When I lied down on my bed, all I feel was happiness and satisfaction. I am sure that I will get a high score in my homework, or I might even get perfect score. I am really confident about it because Chly helped me to answer it. Who wouldn’t be confident when a best in math student helped you with your Math assignment, anyway?

And just like what I thought, I got a perfect score! I happily announced it to Chly when I saw him in the cafeteria sitting alone on the table on the corner. Just like me, he is also happy with it. He even offered me to sit with him! And of course, I agreed. This feels like once in a lifetime experience.

“Where will you study for college?” I asked while eating my lunch. From the corner of my eye, I can see Val and our two other friends giggling their ass off as they watch me eat lunch with Chly.

“Hmm,” he hummed, and oh shit! That sounds so good! “I don’t know yet. Maybe here or in the school few kilometers away from here.”

I nodded.

“How about you, where will you study for your senior high school?”

“Still here,” I answered.

“Are you taking taxi when you go home?” he asked.

“Yes.”

“Why don’t you just come home with me? You will have fewer expenses because the taxi’s fare is somehow heavy?”

My eyes grew bigger. Did he just offer me a ride home? Oh my god, yes!

“Are you… for real?!”

He chuckled with my reaction. “Yes,” he answered with no second thought.

“Okay then, thank you!”

“Always welcome, Kalia,” he said and I almost dramatically close my eyes with satisfaction. He just called me by my name! “Give me your number so I can contact you. And oh,” he looked on his watch, “it’s almost time. Come on; let me take you to your next class.”

“Don’t you have class too? You might be late,” I said but honestly, really want it. I just want to be a little… shy?

“We will just have our PE class in the gym.”

Since that day, we became closer than what I expected. I did not even expect that we would be friends or even talk, but I guess, life is full of surprises.

He, fetching me from school whenever he has time became our routine. Before we go home, we would also eat in some restaurant and sometimes, on the street foods. Our parents are also okay with it.

We became so close that I can feel he has a crush on me, or maybe I am just assuming? But I don’t care about it anymore. All I care about now is we’re already close! We are comfortable with each other and we already bonded a lot of times!

Even if we go to different schools, we never failed to see each other and have our usual bonding. We would sometimes go to hills, watch movie at the mall, eat somewhere, and anything we could think of that we can do.

“Gia, I think I have to go home,” I tried to convince Gia because there is something that’s stopping me from hanging out today.

“Why? We don’t hang out that much anymore, Kali,” she said as her lips pouted.

I remained looking at her for few seconds as I am having a second thought about it. She’s right, we rarely hang out together since we’re not in the same strand and our schedules don’t always get along. I can’t also think of any reason why I feel the urge to go home immediately right now, but I just feel it.

“Come on, Kali, I already texted Tia to ask her permission,” Val said, trying to help Gia to convince me to go with them.

“There are lots of pretty girls in the mall, Kali,” Brei said and move her brows in an up and down motion.

I just shook my head and smiled forcedly. I’m not into girls, anymore.

“I’ll send you home after,” Gia said. “Chly wouldn’t be able to pick you up, right?”

“Maybe?” I replied, unsure of my answer.

“Then come with us!”

As Gia and Brei try to convince and force me to go with them, Val is just on the corner while doing things on her phone. Later on, I saw her bringing her phone near to her ears.

All I heard was, “Yes, tia,” and “okay, okay.”

“Tia called,” Val said as she faces me. “She told me to bring you with us. You have their consent.”

“That’s it?”

“Yes. They seem to be busy because there are scattering noises on the background.”

Her words alarmed me. It somehow awakened the scare in me that I felt goose bumps all over my body. They also noticed how I became pale as well as my lips that are usually pinkish.

“Maybe they are cooking for dinner or what else,” Gia said. “Let’s go. The sun is slowly setting.”

I have nothing to do but to go with them. We did a lot of enjoyable things, but despite of it, I did not enjoy. I am always feeling anxious and scared. I can’t even focus on the movie we were watching even though that was the movie I was dying to watch.

“I’m tired,” Brei said and I almost hugged her for saying it.

We decided to leave the mall and went to the parking area. Just like what Gia said, she will send us home. However, before we could even go near her car, Chly showed up on my side and I almost jump out of fear.

“What are you doing here?”

“Fetching you?” he scoffed. “I was looking for you since five.”

Because Chly is already here, Gia, Val, and Brei decided to leave. Chly and I also went home. As we are in the car, I couldn’t stop noticing how heavy our atmosphere is. As far as I can remember, we’re okay. Or maybe there’s no any problem, it’s just me who’s thinking that way.

I held my breath tightly when we were almost hit by a car. It crossed in our lane, good thing that Chly was alert enough to avoid it immediately. If not, we must have been bloody by now.

“I’m sorry. Are you scared?” he asked, full of concern in his voice. He even stopped on the side of the road to check on me.

I shook my head as I swallow my saliva. “No, I’m okay,” I lied. “Let’s just go home.”

He nodded and started to drive the car again. The vehicle that almost hit us earlier seems to be in a rush and panicking. And it added to the fear and anxiousness I am feeling since earlier.

My brows furrowed when I notice the strangeness of Chly’s house. I then looked at him and saw him furrowing his brows. Curious, we immediately went inside the house and what we saw made me weak.

“Chly,” I breathe. I couldn’t talk. It seems like I couldn’t find a word, or even strength to talk.

Mixed emotion overwhelmed me that I don’t even know what to do or what to react. I felt Chly held my back and rubbed it. Just like me, I know he’s also shocked with what we are seeing but he chose to not show it.

As seconds pass by, I slowly process everything. I found my strength to move and go near my parents’ body, bathing on their own blood and having these slices all over their body. I became fearless of huge wounds and bloods that I even touched it. And the moment I felt it, I was fully covered with anger I couldn’t consume.

“Kali,” Chly tried to calm me down as I shout my lungs out. “Kali, please, let’s go. Let’s leave!”

“Chly, no!” I shouted and tried to let go of his hold. “Chly, let me go!” I look like an animal getting killed.

“Kali, we are in danger! You already lose them and I already lose my parents. I can’t afford to lose you too. Let’s go!”

This time, his voice isn’t soft anymore. It became thunderous as if he is holding a lot of pressure in him.

“Chly, my Papà and Mamà! Pa, please get up and tell me this is just a dream. Ma! Please get up!”

I cried while trying to get rid of Chly’s hold.

“Mamà, Papà!” I call and call them as I hug their body. I am now covered with their blood, but I didn’t care. As I am doing anything to make them alive, men in black suit entered the house. Chly held me up, and I did not fight it. I am too weak.

“Chly,” I cried on his chest as men started to take Chly’s parents, Mamà, and Papà’s dead body.