Chapter Four: Run And Hide To Figure Out

“What? What happened to the coffee shop?” Grandma worriedly asked, quickly went closer to Grandpa.

I heard noises from the outside like people are arguing, shouting and children are crying and screaming. I went closer to the window behind me and opened the blinds a little to see what is happening  down there and I saw unfamiliar cars that seems owned by rich people wearing sun glasses and wearing tuxedos. A big guy holding a mega phone saying something like a warning that people around the coffee shop are stayin’ back.

I heard Grandpa say, “Sugar, come on! There’s no time!” he hurriedly said from the outside of the room while he’s locking a big suitcase.

I said to myself, “But what about me?” and Grandma came closer to me saying, “If anything happens, go to Coffee. He know what to do.”

“Who’s Coffee?” I asked, blinking my eyes twice as usual because I don’t know any one whose name is Coffee and who the poop would name their child as Coffee?

“Here, take my necklace. Pick up your important things and get out of this place. There’s a door, uh, uhmm. . an exit door behind that closet.” She pointed mom’s closet. I felt in a hurry because of her reactions to what Grandpa told her so I ran to my room and grabbed my things into my bag pack.

“Hurry, Scarlett!” She whispered and I stood up immediately from the floor beside my bed trying to reach something from underneath.  I ran to mom’s closet but before I decided to open the secret door, I felt  that something bad might happen so I hugged her so tight and she hugged me back. Grandpa came back and when he saw us hugging, he joined us and secretly put a bracelet in my hand. A bracelet that feels like it has key as a pendant. When they refrain from embracing, they ran outside the room and went downstairs. I didn’t knew what to do so I obeyed their command to me. I pushed the closet from its left side and found a dusty door and when I stepped my right foot in, it felt like I have stepped on a wide flat button on the ground and there was lights turning on above the walls of the inside, a hallway. I went inside and as soon as my whole body was inside the hall, the door suddenly closed by itself. I wore the necklace Grandma gave me and the bracelet Grandpa made me hold onto. I don’t know what are these but in case something would happen maybe it’ll have use for me. I started tl walk although the place stinks; dusty and the way is too narrow that my size and this bag pack thank goodness it fits enough. Whenever I walk passed below each bulb of the light, it turns off and after six bulbs there was a dead end but there’s a stair. It was so dark down there so I stopped, put down my bag to get my emergency flashlight and saw how far was the ground from where I was standing. I knew I’m in the third floor but it seems like I’m in the tenth floor. I was about to go down there when I heard a slam of a door. It sounds like from the dressing room. I heard footsteps running in a hurry and then the secret door opened. I turned to check who was it because if it’s the bad guys I saw earlier, I would run. But thank goodness it was just Mike, breathing heavily with his hand on his chest. The lights turned on again because he’ve stepped on that big flat button on the ground. But wait… Mike?? Why is Mike in here? How the————

“Mike!??” I gasped and his eyes went wide opened when he saw me.

“Sssssshhhhh” He said, putting his one finger on his lips to tell me to close my mouth and don’t make a sound.

He pushed me gently and we both walked slowly down the stairs. He also has a bag pack in his back, he’s wearing a yellow sweater, a thick white jogger and white robber shoes. He grabbed the flashlight from my hand and held my hand as we went downstairs.

He whispered as we stepped on each stair and he’s almost doing it tiptoed, “Be alert but don’t make a noise. We need to go there quickly but for now we seriously need to walk slowly. They might hear us.”

I stared at his face although I can’t clearly see it and I was wondering how in the world did he got here?

“Mike,” I whispered and he immediately shush me out. I couldn’t wait to ask him why is he here and how did he got here so I walked quickly to get to ground. I heard him sighed but I ignored him and when we finally arrived on the ground,

I sighed angrily, took off my hand from his hold saying, “Mike, listen!” My voice slightly echoed. I took a step away from him and I noticed he bowed down his head but I was a little bit mad and confused of everything that’s happening. “How in the world did you get in here? Why are you here? How did you know about the secret door? Why does it seem that you know where to go and what to do?” My voice broke as I asked him questions. I wanna cry because I didn’t know what to do but I don’t want him to see how weak I am but what Mike did was exactly what would Grandma do. He walked closer to me and locked me with his warm hug. My eyes went wide open and I decided to just close it for a while. My body shook a bit and he wrapped me tightly with his arms. I felt how his heart beats and how he breathes heavily as I noticed he was trying to calm himself to calm me down. I decided to put my arms around his shoulder and neck. I was calmly breathing in his chest when I realized his sweater smells like Grandma’s scent.

“Did Grandma gave you a hug earlier?” I asked while I slowly opened my eyes.

“Yeah and she told me to take you to the house there in the hills.” He said. And I felt him slowly refraining from embracing me. I was surprised when he was about to let go so I tighten my hug because I miss Grandma’s scent already. “Why? What happened there? I don’t understand what’s going on.” I sadly said and I continued, saying the words I was avoiding to come out from my mouth, “Mike, ————I’m———scared. . .” And I felt his arms wrapping my body tight enough that I could feel the vibration of his heart whenever it beats. It’s beating twice as usual the way I remember how it used to be. 

When we were kids, he used to be my knight and I was his royal Princess, whenever we play kingdom-kingdom with some other kids around the playground. And since then, he acts like that. 

The next moment, I found myself sitting but did not placed my butt on the ground and I realized we were in a squared room. Weight of twenty feet each sides and with a height of maybe seven feet because Mike is six-five I guess. I watched him took something from his bag, it's like a small ball and he clicked its button then, it lighten up. It wasn't bright enough to light up every corner of the room but it's fine. I was leaning on the wall near the stairs when he jumped a little and grabbed something from above and there goes a big blinds like in the windows in the dressing room up there.

"Grandma told me to get out of this place. So, aren't we going somewhere now?"

"No, not yet. Maybe tomorrow morning if those bad guys would leave this city." Mike said. He brought out his picnic blanket from his bag pack and a big pouch that looks like food. He had small airbed——I mean, pillows. He handed me the other one. "I know you also have blankets and pillows in your bag, but you might wanna save it for later——our future adventure. Just sayin'." He broke the silence and sighed. "Good thing Grandpa Martes built an underground." he added.

"I know, I know. Of course I'm gonna join you there because I would rather sleep with you than sleep on dusty ground. Dusts have strength to protect me but you do. So. . . . yeah." I said and clicks my tongue. I stood up from where I was sitting on and lied on his picnic blanket. I heard him laughs softly and took something from his bag, something tiny but has a bag attached with it like a balloon and said, "Never underestimate the power of dusts." He raised that thing. It's like a tiny vacuum cleaner.

"Aand,, what are you planning to do with that?" I raised one eyebrow and placed my hands in my waist.

"Cover your nose please." He said and he wore a thick mask. I heard a click, I think he turned on that thing and then he placed it on the ground.

 When it started to make a little sound, that’s when I realize he was keeping the dusts into the empty balloon like thing. I closed my eyes and breathed calmly onto my cloth. When I heard its sound finally stopped, I begun to open my eyes and saw him mouthed, “Phew!”, standing on the other corner adjacent to the stairs.

“So. . . What are you gonna do with those?” I tried to sound confused although I didn’t actually care. Then I heard him humming a song so familiar to me. The same song my grandparents were humming earlier but I didn’t have the courage to ask about because I wanted to figure it out or remember it by myself. I groaned and rose up from his clothed floor to take a seat, “Alright this is enough! Could you just tell me what in the world is that song you guys kept humming?”

He looked at me with wide eyes while he sat on the ground beside his bag saying, “What song?” and I threw him a meh face. I noticed the next second that he finally realize it. “Oohhhh. . .” he said, nodding his head. “I guess I have the same favorite song with your grandparents.’ He continued.

“I heard them humming that song. It’s so familiar to me, I just don’t know what it is exactly———or maybe I just couldn’t remember to whom and where have I heard it before.” I clicked my tongue and shook my head a bit.

“Well, for you to remember———it’s one of the songs your mom wrote. Your grandparents and me are obsessed with its tune.” He said and then laughs softly saying, “even the suki of the Strawberry’s Coffee Shop.”

I froze for a moment because I heard him pronounced a word I don’t understand but it sound japanese to me. I bowed down my head to stare at my pajama and realized that my knees are sweating. I stood up and took off my pajama.

“Woah woah woah woah———what do you think you’re doing?”

“What? It’s too hot in here. My knees are sweating. You know, you can’t clearly see it anyway so it’s fine. And also, that’s just you there Mike.”

And he immediately turned his back and I murmured, “It’s not like you haven’t seen my butt before.” I heard he slapped his forehead when he said, “Strawberry, we are now grown ups. The time has changed. It’s different nowadays. We’re not little kids anymore.”

I opened my bag after taking off my pajama and I searched for my shorts. A short but just above the knee, not shorts that your butt could almost say hello to the world. That would be disgusting.

“So. . .what was that word you mentioned earlier? It sound like a Japanese word. I mean——nihongo.”

“Oh———suki?”

“Yeah that word. It’s Japanese right? I heard it one time in anime. It was a name. So, tell me, what does it mean?” I said while I’m still searching for my shorts.

He laughed loudly that his voice echoed and when he realized he’d gone too far laughing, he stopped and continues to chuckle softly. “It’s not nihongo, it’s a filipino word. Your grandparents taught me about it. Suki in filipino language means- someone who kept coming back to you to buy something that you’re selling.”

“Oh. And why do you know about things like that and I don’t?”

“I don’t know, maybe you never ask your grandparents about it————oh my fruitness! You’re not wearing pajamas!” He immediately said when he was about to turn around.

“I can’t find my clothes! I forgot where I hid it. Oh come on Mike! Stop acting like that. You’re like a brother to me so it’s fine if you see me in underwear.” I sat and lean on the wall with a pout face because I couldn’t find anything to wear. I noticed he murmured something but I couldn’t clearly hear it. He carried his bag near me and seemed to be searching for something important. “Good thing I brought this!” he said and raised the shorts in the air. “Here, you may wear this.” He said and sat near me with his bag in between us holding his pouch and started opening it as he lean on the wall. I accepted the shorts he handed to me and I felt how comfy its cloth is. “Thank you Mike,” and I stood up to wear it. “This is so comfy,” I said and chuckles softly. I swayed and turned around two times. When I stopped, my eyes found Mike eating something and I felt hunger so I sat close to him. “Can I have this short? Like for real?” I asked, wearing a big smile and closed eyes. He groaned softly and said, “Oh how could I say no to you Strawberry.” Then he sighed and continues to eat. I took three of what he’s eating because its smell is making me hungry. I chewed one and whispered, “Yes, yes, yes, yes!” The tiny balls tastes like milk and something so I ate the two in my hand. “Thank you Mike, and what kind of food is this?” I took another three because it’s so yummy. Oh I could eat something like this all day!

“These are milk balls. Your Grandma taught me how to make it.” He said and Oh Grandma, I hope she’s safe with Grandpa out there. . wherever they are this time.

“You seem so hungry, how many years haven’t you eaten?” Laughing softly I said and covers my mouth with my left hand as I speak because the milk balls I’m chewing might fall out from my mouth.

“Just earlier this morning———I didn’t had the time to eat my breakfast because I rushed to come here when your Grandpa texted me.” He said and continues to eat. I stopped joining him eat his food when I noticed how hungry he seriously is. I grabbed my bag closer to me and searched for my phone. When I finally found it, the screen says that it’s almost lunch time. I stared at him and remembered how delicious the food he brought like its taste is still in my tongue. Every time he chews, I feel like I could almost taste every milk ball he’s eating. But he’s more hungry than me so to erase the taste from my mouth, I took my big water tumbler from my adventure bag and drank to flush the milk taste stuck in my tongue.

“Did you hear something?” Mike says and grabbed my tumbler, took a quick drink and we froze for a while. We listened carefully to whatever or whoever is up there. When we heard people talking nearby, we shook our heads and stared at each other with shocked faces. I mouthed, “Who are those?” and he replied mouthing, “I don’t know.” Then I felt something in my nerves. It’s like a hot and cold breeze. And then I felt Mike slowly moving while me I couldn’t bring myself to even move a muscle. He packed our things and when he’s almost done, he took off something from his jacket, a braided cloth bracelet and tied my hair into a bun. A moment after, he whispered to my ear saying, “We gotta get out of here. Be close to me so I could protect you. I can’t afford to make your grandparents be mad at me if you get hurt.”

I cleared my throat, I’m still shaking a bit but I forced myself to get up so he could keep the picnic blanket and he rolled. I grabbed my bag pack slowly and carried it on my back then I faced Mike and mouthed, “What now?” And to my fear I could see my chest moving, my heart beats loudly. “Follow me Strawberry.” He whispered as he walks slowly to get to the wall adjacent to the stairs. He pushed the wall with all his might and my jaw dropped when I saw what he did. The wall moved a bit and there was a click sound. Then he stopped and held its edge to push it like a door from right to left and the wall opened like a Japanese door. “Let’s go.” He mouthed. I ran silently to get in and he came back there to get his flashlight ball. When he finally was with me, he closed the wall door so we would be impossible to be followed. He both sighed in relief and says, “phew” but when we turn to see where we are, the place looks like we were inside a big straw. I took small steps forward and took a closer look of the painting all over the walls and above us. “Your Grandma painted these.” Mike says. I froze for a moment, staring at the wall. I thought Grandma is just a great writer, she never told me she also paints. Maybe this is the reason why she didn’t want me to throw any of my arts. I’m a little jealous of Mike that he knows almost everything but it’s a great thing that we’re not rivals, he’s a sibling to me. The one I couldn’t afford to have a fight with. I turned to face him and says, “Mike, why do you know about the things which I should be the one who knows about? ———You know, because I’m their grand daughter.” He bowed down his head and started to walk passed me. “I don’t know.” He said. “What do you mean you don’t know? ———wait, don’t you dare tell me you don’t know how we’re gonna get out of here?” I placed my hands on my waist following him walk.  “Of course I know that. But it’s just. . . .maybe your grandparents chose to tell me about these things because you weren’t there when needed a grandchild to talk about their Granny-stuffs.” He walked even faster and the light was with him so even I felt a little sad, I followed him. I didn’t want to talk about Mike’s grandparents, I didn’t want to make him remember that he lost them either. I tried to sound like I wasn’t about it that there’s nothing to be sad about. “Mike, what are you talking about? We’re brothers remember? So my grandparents are also your grandparents.” He was about to say something when we heard a rumbling. Mike immediately held my hand and we ran as silent as we could no matter how heavy our bags are, he didn’t forgot about me. I guess Grandma made him swore about this.  I badly wanted to talk to him while we move but I felt his aura has changed. It was awkward but I tighten up my hold to his hand and my other hand on my shoulder to hold my heavy bag. I turned my head back there to see if they have broke the wall and we heard another rumbling but louder than earlier, it’s like a wild giant knock. Mike stopped for a moment and we were breathing heavily. “I think——we—ran e———enough. But——hooo!! We need to go further.” Then he sighed but he didn’t move a step so, “We should get going.” I said and tried to ran first but he’s strong enough to stop me. “Give me your bag.” His breathing is starting to calm down when he spoke. “What? Why? We can’t leave my bag here. I have survival stuff in here.” My eyebrows strengthen its muscles as I spoke. “You run by yourself, I’ll carry your bag and I’ll be right behind you.” He continued. “What? Why?” I asked again but this time my voice faded like a mama loosing her voice because of her short temper. “It’s not good for a female to carry heavy things. It’s not healthy for your———just give me your bag. Your Grandma told me about women stuff so come on Strawberry.” He said and I recognized his voice sounded like he’s a bit pissed because we were in a hurry. So I gave him my bag and he carried it in front of his body with his arms. Then we continued to run. I ran by myself and Mike seemed tired but still we ran. After fifteen or thirty minutes of running and walking so fast, we finally arrived into the dead end and found a stair. “Your grandparents are so genius to build an underground tunnel! Hooo!!!! Finally, we could see trees and we could finally breathe fresh air.” We found a circle thing above our heads when we got to step the last stair and he pushed the circle upward and then the light from the sun went inside to welcome us. When we got out from down there, we found ourselves in a forest nearby a seashore. I looked around us, we were surrounded by different trees where birds are singing while their other kind are flying in the calm wind. I sat on the grass to relax myself for a moment while untying the bun Mike tied my hair into. Mike put down our bags and roam around. He came back carrying a big rock and placed it on the top of the circle to lock it. He cleaned his hands and joined me on the grass, took off his jacket before lying down. I never knew he was wearing a white t-shirt inside his jacket. T-shirts. He reminds me of Kaoshi, who looked hot wearing just a simple t-shirt but Kaoshi became the boy who made my heart beats too calm that I could almost feel nothing because of how intense was the pain our breakup has caused. But hhmmm. . . No! Mike is like a big brother to me and I’m his Princess sister  so———yeah. We shouldn’t think about something because Mike is my childhood bestfriend——just that——nothing ayiee about it.

I wanna start a conversation so, “Mike. .” I said but I suddenly heard my stomach went groaning. He looked at me and I decided to just tell him, “I—I’m———hungry.” Instead of asking him about why and how these things are happening to us. He blinked twice when he came back to his position of making his hands as a pillow to his head looking at the beautiful cloudy sky and silently got up saying, “Your grandma said that there is a tree house. Let’s go find it. It must be around here somewhere. So, come on.” Carrying our bags he said this and his voice sounded so calm and I don’t know but I feel like I’m talking to a different Mike. It’s like I’m with the white Mike and not the black Mike I used to know. I wish grandma was here so I would understand why is he like this.

The waves of the sea are starting to make a sound that I couldn’t help to take a look of its irresistible beauty. Something about the ocean is pulling me till I didn’t knew I was walking closer to it. “Strawberry!” Mike called. “Strawberry, Strawberry!” he continued to call me while walked to catch up with me. He put down our bags and I heard the sound of his footsteps coming closer. And when he held my shoulder to shook me, he suddenly brought me back to reality and I found myself staring at something far away. It’s like a boat but when Mike saw where I was looking at, his eyes went wide open and “Grandpa! Gggrrraaaannddddpppaaaaa!!! Wwe arre hhheerree!!” while waving his hands in the air and jumping on the sand he shouted. But what? Grandma and Grandpa are here? How? Oh no! How many decades have I been gone that I didn’t know they own a ship?

Mike couldn’t wait to welcome them so he kept jumping, waving his hands in the air and shouting, especially when Grandpa waved back using a green flag. Grandpa was with Mike and they seemed not happy——I’m not sure. They both stood in the seashore facing each other. Grandpa seemed to be scolding him about something and Mike bowed down his head and then tried not to cry because there are people around. He looks like he have found a beautiful shell and took it when Grandpa wasn’t looking because his eyes were searching for me. I waved to Grandpa when he saw me and he joined us. Mike too was about to follow Grandpa but a guy asked for his help unpack their bags and sacks.

When my grandparents refrained from embracing, they introduced me to the people in the——Rue City. Everyone stopped of whatever they’re doing, even the children listened to Grandpa. “Fruits of the Rue City! This day may not be a happy day to all of us because our garden home has been burned by some jealous and greedy bastards of the south, but I and my wife and our two grandchildren are here to welcome you to our secret island. We have wide open arms to welcome you here. For years, we were building treehouses here, so, everyone! Suit yourselves!” and all the people clapped their hands. I noticed Mike smiled in relief when Grandpa said, “two grandchildren are here” it’s like he was very proud to be called ‘grandchild’ of Grandpa Martes. But I wonder what they were talking about earlier.

Everyone ran into the woods and chose which treehouse they want to hide in. Mike and I didn’t realize that the treehouses can only be found if you stand beside the tree.

Everyone is hungry and wants to go to the sea but my grandparents announced that we aren’t going to stay there for a long time because we’ll never know until when we could hide from those strangers.

Grandpa gathered all the men and boys to help him build chairs and tables. Grandma too gathered the women and girls to help her cook food and find berries to get. While me am alone up here in the treehouse watching over the tiny babies sleeping inside a mosquito net. Good thing Grandpa and Grandma placed essentials here but I wonder why this place seems like a vacation home. And so, what I was wondering about found an answer. I heard two of the mothers of these babies here talked about this place, “These treehouses in this island never changed. You know, three years before I got pregnant, my husband brought me here. This is where he proposed. Oh how time flies so fast.” The woman said and the other mother replied saying, “Really? That’s so sweet. But you know, I wonder how millions or billions did the De Luna family have spent to build this place.” And they both wondered, “Yeah, hhmmm. . .” When they entered, I was standing near the opened window watching them and they asked, “So, you’re Mike’s girlfriend right? Thanks for watching over my little angel.” The woman tapped my shoulder gently and bowed her head in front of me life a Japanese person thanking someone. I immediately groaned saying, “You’re welcome but Rrgghhh He’s not my boyfriend!” then I turned around to face the window and stare at whatever everyone’s doing down there putting a hand on the side of my jaw. I heard Mike’s voice coming closer saying, “What’s happening here? What are you doing with the Ba twins Mrs. Page!?” his voice sounded like he’s shocked and almost like a scream. I turned to see what was happening and I saw the two woman squeezing the chubby cheeks of the twin babies. My eyebrows strengthen its muscles but I didn’t say a word, I was planning to tell the parents of those babies that these two mother was squeezing the faces of their babies. I don’t want to talk to anyone who would say Mike is my boyfriend because he is not and he will never be.

The two mothers apologized when Mike scolded them, “You have your own babies, squeeze them all you want! Just not these twins ‘coz they ain’t yours!” and the two mothers brought their babies outside with them. Good thing the twins didn’t woke up and so Mike made sure no insects could enter through the mosquito net. Then he joined me watch everyone preparing for the table so we could all eat down there. He sighed deeply and finally broke the silence. “I don’t know how painful it is to give birth but if my future wife does not want to bare a child because it’s painful, I would respect her because even me couldn’t imagine how painful it would be. I’d rather be just a husband without a son or daughter than to be a Father who’d lost his wife because of giving birth to their child.” Then he waved back to the children down there waving to him shouting, “Mike! Mike! Mike! Hello! Is my little sister still asleep?” and he nodded before the kid came back to his groupmates.

“These kids know you?” I calmly asked.

“Yeah. They were the ones who became my friends in the Rue City. They brought their parents to the coffee shop and became our suki. I mean. . all of the people in the city are our suki but the parents of those kids are the best suki. I wish we could give them an award.”

“How long have you been in the city? Didn’t I just met you in the convenient store the other day when I was about to get here?———wait a minute….. Did you——follow me!?”

“What? No, I did not. Grandpa Martes sent me a message that he needed help in the coffee shop and it will be a long work to do so I left my job there and rushed to get here.”

“Why did he called you and not me his granddaughter? Did he forgot he had one?”

“No, he didn’t. He just chose to call me because he wanted me to be his partner renovating the coffee shop this coming summer just like old times. Don’t be jealous but I think your Grandpa wants a grandson.” He proudly said with a shy smile on his face.

“Like old times huh. So, how many times have you been visiting them when I wasn’t around?”

“Let’s see if I still remember the date. Hhhmmm…. Oh! Days uhmm a week after my grandparents’ funeral. Your Grandma told me that the doors of their home is widely open for me so after days when my aunties took me to their houses, I became a runaway child. It took me days to get to Rue City and your grandparents hired to be their regular employee so I would have money to live by myself.”

“Annnnd so you had two jobs all this time.”

“No, your Grandpa told me that I still need to go to school and because I need to learn some things if I want to be your———uhm your knight.” Then he chuckles and continued saying, “You know, I couldn’t believe your Grandpa knows I was acting to be your knight when you were the princess in our game when we were little kids.” I couldn’t help to laugh so we both laughed because we just realized how funny and embarrassing our moments before. But then Grandpa called us from down there saying it’s lunch time. We went down stairs and bumped into the mothers of the babies I was watching over. The babies were still asleep when their mothers took them from the small beds inside a net.

Children are running all over the place. Some are playing hide and seek. On the left near the bushes elders are playing music as they sang catchy songs while some couples danced with the rhythm of their love. They sang, “What makes you realize you do love someone?” And from the tables in the center, Grandma walks towards us chuckles softly and says, “Oh these young couples around. How about you two?” I was a little shocked when grandma asked. Oh grandma, you may think of any thing else but just don’t think of me and Mike. “What? No, Grandma I’m not——he’s not——we’re not uhmm. . .” I said, shaking a bit. And she immediately replied saying, “Oh not both of you. Just Mike. Mike is in love with some girl around here. Ayiee——” Grandma teases and tickles Mike’s belly and they walked away from me. “I do?” Mike says with a voice that sounds he’s confused. It’s like Grandma is whispering something to his ears that Mike chuckles loudly then says, “Oh, good one Grandma.”

I continued to walk to save a seat for them and after doing it, I sat and waited for everyone to take their seat too. I cleared my throat when I noticed a black skinned old lady wearing a white exquisite pearled malong looking at me as she walks barefoot closer to the long table. I tried to make myself look busy, I untied the bun Mike had made my hair into and hand combed it so I could turn it into a centipede hairstyle but the old lady came saying, “So who’s the lucky guy?” she said with an evil smile on her face. I felt awkward to feel her presence and looked at her nervously. I couldn’t continue to braid my hair with these shaking hands so I stopped at groaned, “Okay, what do you want!?” and she laughs softly and came closer to me on my back, I thought she was gonna do something evil because that’s what her aura says but she braided my hair into a crown-centipede. I felt like a princess after she fixed my hair. “Don’t move, I’ll be back.” and she went to the bushes. When she came back, she put something on my hair then I touched it to know what was it and realized that it was just flowers. “If you don’t know, I’m a fortune teller. Hhhmmm————more like a witch.” She proudly said and I immediately stood up and took steps away from her when I heard her saying she’s a witch. “Oh, relax Scarlett. . I’m friends with your Grandma, I’m not gonna hurt you. Besides, I don’t hurt people———unless they deserve it.” Her hands tried to reach me to come back take a seat and before I did, “How long are you friends with Grandma?” I said. She sighed and said, “Long before she met your Grandpa.” And we all heard a bell ring. Grandpa standing across the table holding a bell and a metal stick and everyone came over to take a seat. “Talk to you later, Scarlett.” The old lady whispered. Grandma and Mike take their seats beside me, Mike on the left and Grandma on my right. “Awe. . . You grew up so fast Strawberry. Who braided your hair?” Grandma said softly touching my hair and arranging the flowers. I noticed Mike is facing me but I’m not sure if he’s looking at my hair or at me so I didn’t turn my head to face him, I just told Grandma an old witch lady braided my hair seconds earlier. Grandpa lead the prayer and after, we all started eating like there’s a feast because of the long table. Skull of coconuts as bowls and bamboo woods as cups, the chopsticks and spoons also are curved from bamboo wood. The children beside their parents and guardians are getting excited to eat and drink coconut water. They feel like a traveler to use wooden dishes. Our chairs are also made of bamboo like you couldn’t say you don’t know what it’s made of because from its shape, texture, color, smell and its wood kind. It’s pretty obvious. The smell of the foods are so classic, it’s like we’re in a different country. And then we all enjoyed eating the coconut meat, boiled sweet potato, boiled chicken eggs, boiled potato, banana and drank the coconut water and malunggay tea for the old ones.

After eating and having fun telling stories about how they all got here embarrassingly and with funny moments, Grandpa commanded everyone to pick up every fruit which can be found around us because we are not going to stay there for a long time. I’m a little confused about how sudden we’re gonna leave so when everyone is roaming around to find food in the bushes, trees and root vegetables in the ground, I came closer to Grandpa and asked, “We just got here, Grandpa. Do we really need to move out?” and Grandpa stopped from joining the elders clean the table and faced me. “We don’t have the perfect thing to face whatever fight they wanted?” he sighed deeply and moved his eyes to see all the people and children around, thinking about their safety. “Why, can’t we just fight them if they come here?” I carelessly said.

“This is because. . . Sometimes we need to run and hide for a while to figure out how to fight them in the perfect moment.” He replied with his sleepy voice which I think this is one of the things Grandma fell in love about him.

I just nodded and there was an old man stood beside him to ask something he’s confused about. He shyly scratched his bald which made Grandpa turned to him and helped him about it, he tapped my shoulder and blinked twice and I said, “It’s okay Grandpa. Catch up with you later——” and I turned around to see all the busy people around so I could choose which group I’m gonna join gathering food. Mike out of nowhere came that scared me to death. I screamed for a second and he shush me. He showed me a beautiful sea shell with his sandy hand saying, “Relax, it’s just me. Look at this, isn’t it beautiful? And you know, Grandma told me that there in the Philippines, before you transfer a home you need to keep stones or sand or small land from that place so that when you arrive to your new place, you would sleep peacefully.” He said while walking away slowly which made me follow because I wanna listen about whatever Grandma had told him. I realized we were going to the seashore, oh brings back childhood memories about sand party.

“I’m gonna gather pointy stones and shell, you gather sand. Now, give me some of that cloth.” I said with a voice that sounds pissed.

“Are you——mad at someone?”

“I’m gonna stone those bad guys when I see them!” I angrily said while picking up stones.

“Oh! Oh! I’m gonna make a tirador  for that. Pick some tiny smalls too please.” Excitedly, he said.

I don’t know what tirador  is but if it’s like a gun, I’m go for it.

It took us four hours to gather food to eat, woods for fire to cook the root vegetables, land, stones and sand for peaceful sleep and travel, banana leaves and coconut leaves for blanket and for food storing. It was nearly five pm when Grandpa announced we need to pack our things up and gather ourselves so we could leave the island, we  gotta eat our dinner in the ship. The children got sad that some of the little ones even cried so Grandpa said, “Don’t you wanna. . . . Go fishing?” and the children excitedly jumps while saying, “Yehey! Fishing!” and their parents helped them cheer up shouting like doing a rally, “Fi-shing! Fishing! Fi-shing! Fishing!”

We went to our perspective treehouses for the last moment to grab whatever stuff we think could be useful for our journey——although we all don’t have any idea where we’re going. Being prepared is the least we could do.

 Everyone was about to gather themselves in the shore when we heard something underneath the ground———it wasn’t an earthquake nor a big sea creature under the island. It was the bad rich guys trying to trace us. Everyone panicked immediately as soon as me and Mike looked at each other saying, “It’s them! They found which tunnel we passed to get here!?” we both whispered but everyone seemed to hear what we said. Then Grandma whistled which made everyone froze to pay attention. “We have a small ship enough to carry us, so why are you panicking!? It’s not the end of the world!” she said, her voice was so loud that it almost echoed. Everyone bowed their heads and slowly made a line so they could be counted one by one by the pirate-like crew of my grandparents who took care of the ship. Except us, there were five small families and three big families and the seven pirate-like crew. When everyone was on the ship except me, the four of the crew, Mike and my grandparents, the big rock Mike had locked onto the ground door suddenly rolled over and five men wearing dirty tuxedo  came out holding guns and big hammer. “They’re here.” Grandpa said and stood in front of me facing those men.

“Who are they?”

“They burned our coffee shop in Rue City and destroyed the neighboring houses by bombing every building.” He said fiercely looking at them.

Mike whispered something into Grandma’s ear and she grabbed my hand to come with her get inside the ship. I heard a click of a gun and Mike said proudly, “Do you know what I’m holding?”

A man in the front of them scoffs saying, “That’s just a toy kid. You couldn’t hurt any of my———” and then a man in his back screamed in pain, “Ahhhhhhh!!!! My eyes! My eyes!” he was down on his knees because of how painful the tiny stone and the tirador  had caused to his eyes.

Mike and Grandpa quickly climb up in the ship, the three men wanted to run after them but their leader stopped them. But as soon as the ship started to went far enough, we saw dark smokes and angry fire. “They’re gonna regret that someday.” Grandma calmly said. “What are we gonna do Grandma? They burned the trees in the island.” I worriedly said. She then clothed herself with a colorful malong  and with a fierce voice she replied, “They don’t know who’s home they are destroying!”

When Grandpa came to comfort her, I gave them some space and I roam around the ship to find Mike. I found him near the stairs, sitting on the wood floor of the ship, fixing his tirador. “So that’s the use of your tirador. I thought it would be like guns.” I sat beside him sitting like a monk meditating. “Yeah, and I learned this from your Grandma. So. . . . What did she say there?” he pointed my grandparents using his lips. “First. Uhmm what are you doing?” I awkwardly asked looking at his funny lips. “Oh, this is how you point on something or someone there in the Philippines.” He chuckles softly like he’s laughing at himself of how awkward or embarrassing he’s doing. Oohh I Mike wants to be a Filipino, he’s like applying all their stuff to his life now. “So. . . Mike, I was just wondering. Did Grandma and Grandpa mentioned the name of that island?”

“Mystique Island.” He clears his throat before he continued and spoke using a British accent,  “A mysterious island discovered by Grandma Fuchsia after married to Grandpa Martes. They said the island was made by enchanted people called ‘engkanto’ whom Grandma Fuchsia are friends with. She said it’s a portal-island to the ocean enchanted world or ‘encantadia ng karagatan’. The island can only be seen during Ber Months until the end of the summer.”

“Uhmm. . . . What’s wrong with your voice?”What’s wrong wrong with your voice?”

“Nothing. I just want to sound like a narrator in a movie.” He chuckles while sewing a pocket for his tirador  in his belt.

“And these engkanto people, they have powers right?”

“Yeah because it was said that they were fallen angels.”

“So, if that island is the portal of their world. . . What will happen to them now that all the trees are turned into ashes?”

“I’m not sure. But all I know is that your grandparents was given a permission to build something like a shelter there in the island that’s why they built treehouses and bahay kubo there. It’s like the enchanted people chose them to be the guardian of the island.”

“I think. . . .these enchanted people of the ocean are———mermaids.” I whispered.

“Hmm. . . It could be.”

“So, now that the trees in the island are burnt, the ashes could flew away everywhere up and down to the sea and the ocean might be poisoned because you know. . earlier the air smells like gas and something smelly I don’t know.”

“Exactly! That’s why your grandparents chose to leave so the enchanted people would see who destroyed their portal.”

Then when the moon shows up in the sky, Grandpa lead the prayer so we could all eat our dinner. Afterwards, the children, lactating mothers and elders were sent inside the ship there in the box rooms separated by curtains. And the teenagers and the pirate-like crew slept here in the floor of the ship near the sail and the stwooden ship steering wheel. We slept on the banana leaves placed on the floor since me and Mike gave our blankets to the elders. The pirate-like crews of Grandpa Martes was commanded not to sleep to keep an eye of the surroundings and our path and to keep themselves awake, they went fishing while singing lullaby so the whales would watch over our ship from the sharks and piranhas. One crew even played his wooden flute.

And now that I know about who owns the island, I might have an idea about how to bring back my grandparents’ coffee shop.