CHAPTER TWO

5:00 am in the morning. I went to the bakery shop and help Mr. Baker to open his shop and display his bread.

"You know what, Mr. Baker? You need another apprentice that can work at you in full time," I suggested to him. He shook his head first before he speaks to me.

"No, I don't need anyone. I'm contented with you. And, if I hire someone you don't have a job anymore," he replied and then smiled at me.

"It is okay, I can find another job. I just want you to have an apprentice when I am not here. By the way, Mr. Baker thank you for the 2,500 pesos of my salary yesterday. I was about to give back the 2,200 pesos since my salary is just only 300 pesos," I said while looking at him. He looked back at me and gave me a bigger smile on his face.

"Hahaha! Funny kiddo. Haven't you read the note I left inside the envelope? No need to bring it back to me. I already gave it to you," he said and he went to the counter.

"And, I don't need someone who will accompany me when you're not around," he added and turned his back on me.

When I finished displaying the bread I went to the counter and get my things.

"Mr. Baker, it's already 7:00 am, and I have to go to school," I paused for a while and then continued. "See you later," I said and turned my back at him. I was about to reach the door, but he stopped me by grabbing my right arm.

"Wait, I have something for you," he said and went back to the counter while he was looking for something. "Oh, it's here," he said then he gave me the lunch box.

"What was this for?" I asked when I accepted the lunch box.

"It's your lunch. Go to your school now, and enjoy that cheap food," he said while smiling and pushing me away.

I smiled at Mr. Baker when he turned his back to me and I started to walk while holding the lunch box that he gave to me.

He is a very thoughtful person. And I will be forever grateful for all the things that he has done for me.

*

Hours passed by, it's already lunch. I went to the rooftop and opened the lunch box that Mr. Baker gave to me this morning. It is still hot because the lunch box is not thin.

When I opened it, my eyes widened in surprise. How could he cook for me fancy foods like this? He cooked for me a beefsteak and vegetable salad with 2 cups of rice. I smiled again and looked at the sky.

Thank you so much, Lord, for giving me a man like him.

I started to eat my lunch and savor every single of it. It's very tasty. Mr. Baker's hands are not just good at making bread. His hands are also good at cooking dishes.

I will suggest to him that he also needs to build a restaurant.

I finished eating and gave most of my time in reading.

When I finished reading. I have more than one hour of vacant time because our next subject professor was not around. I lay my head on my bag and used it as my pillow. I looked at the blue sky and gently closed my eyes.

Hours later, I didn't know that I fall asleep until someone wakes me by shaking my shoulders.

"Hey, sleepyhead! Wake up," an angelic voice said. I can't decide if I am going to open my eyes or going back to sleep again because of that voice. But I don't have a choice since she's restless about waking me up.

I slowly open my eyes and see the beautiful face of a girl in front of me.

"Hey, it's already dismissal but you are still sleeping here?" she asked while staring at me.

My eyes widened in surprise when I heard what she said. I sat down to level with her before I speak.

"What? Did I sleep for hours? Argh, I skipped classes," I said to myself in a disappointed tone. I put my palms on my face and I forgot that she was still sitting beside me. I looked at her when she patted her left hand to my right shoulder.

"It is okay, You don't need to stress yourself," she said and smiled at me.

"Ah, yeah! By the way, what are you doing here during this time?" I asked, but she looked away and change the topic.

"We need to get out of here. The guards will close this school soon, come on!" she said and grabbed me by the hand.

I felt her soft hand touched my skin, which makes my heartbeat stop.

"What are you thinking? We have to go," she hurriedly said and before I could speak she pulled me and we run together.

"Hey--"

"Don't speak, we only have five minutes left to get out of here," she said worriedly.

I just shut my mouth off and run with her while she was holding my hand. When we reached the gate we suddenly feel worried because its already close and the gate was too high to climb.

"Oh, no, what now?" she asked and then faced me.

I look at her awkwardly because it is my fault.

"I'm so sorry this is my fault," I sincerely said to her.

"No, you don't need to say sorry," she replied and we both looked at each other's hands that still holding. We release each other's hands, and at that moment, we both looked to our different sides to avoid each other eyes.

"Let us see if the back gate is still open," she suggested and I can feel that she can not speak directly.

"But the gates in this school are automatically closed at 6:00 pm," I said and I saw her blushed. I don't know what does it mean.

"Do you have a cellphone?" she asked me.

"Cellphone?" I asked her.

"Yes, do you?"

"Ahm--"

"My cellphone is out of battery," she said before I could finish my sentence.

"I don't have one," I honestly answered.

"What to do now?" she asked me without paying attention to what I have said.

I sighed and think of a plan. This school is very huge and...

"Scary," she said, and then she embraces my left arm.

"Don't scare yourself," I said while watching her.

"I'm scared at dark," she said, and then she released her hands to me.

"I have a flashlight here," I said then I open my bag and get the small flashlight that I have.

"Boy scout, huh?" she said while smiling at me

"Maybe yes," I answered and smiled back at her. We started to walk and we don't know where our feet will bring us.

"By the way, I'm Harris, and what's yours?" I asked to break the silence between us.

"I'm Winslet, but they call me Slet as my nickname," she replied in detail.

I smiled secretly she is very talkative and funny, but my smile fades away when I thought about the bakery shop and Mr. Baker. He doesn't have an apprentice tonight. I'm such an id*ot!

"Are you okay? Why did you stop walking? You're scaring me," Winslet said and I felt that she was scared, because her body is a little bit shaking.

"I just thought about my job," I honestly said.

"You are thinking about your job in the middle of this? You are probably rich so don't think about your business stuff. I want to go home. I can't stay any longer," she said irritably and scared.

I don't know what to say, but I don't want to make her feel uneasy in this place like this.

I held her cold right hand tightly. "Just hold my hand when you cannot stay any longer," I paused for a while, and then I continued. "And stay longer while holding my hand," I sincerely said directly to her eyes.

I looked away because I don't know what comes inside my head when I said those words to her. Nah, I just said those words to make her calm.

I feel her soft hand become warm. It is not cold as ice just like a while ago.

We stopped walking when we saw the two guards and one woman searching every part of the school.

Winslet released her hand to my hand and run towards the fat woman.

"Oh, Winslet, where have you been? Your parents will scold me if I lost you." The fat woman said.

"Nanny Petty," Winslet said and embraced the woman.

The two guards guided us to the gate and they let us went to our home since it's already evening. Winslet gets inside to their car and left me with these two guards.

"Next time, no more couple inside the school during this time, or else we will going to report both of you to the office," the guard said to me.

I said my apologies to them and started to walk away. It's already 8:00 pm. My shift is almost done. I skipped my two subjects and didn't attend my night shift.

I went home and laid on my bed while thinking of what happened to this day.

I looked at my hand. I feel like I'm still touching her soft hand. I wish I could have a chance to touch it again. I feel like I am guarding an angel a while ago.

*

It's already 4:00 am and I already went to the bakery shop. Mr. Baker is currently opening the bakery so I went towards him and help him to open his shop. He was startled when he saw me.

"Hey, kid. Why didn't you attend your shift last night?" He asked me worriedly.

"I was stuck inside the school. I fall asleep during lunch and I woke up late," I said while smiling awkwardly.

"You, poor kid. You must be tired, and that's the reason why you fall asleep," he said and we went inside the shop and started to display all the bread.

"I'm sorry, Mr. Baker. Now you know that you need a new apprentice," I said.

"Hahaha! Okay, I will accept your suggestion, but you must be the one who will hire someone," he said.

"You know what, Mr. Baker I don't know someone--"

"It's your job to find one," he emphatically said.

"Okay, by the way, your hands are also good at cooking dishes. Maybe I fall asleep because your food was very delicious," I said while smiling. When I finished displaying his bread. I took the mop and the small tub to clean the floor.

"Hahaha! You are so funny, aren't you?" He said and went to the counter. He took the tag price with the name of every bread and handed this to me.

"Why don't you build a restaurant?" I suggested this to him when I accepted the tag price. I will display this later after I finished cleaning the floor.

"What for?"

"So you could have another business," I answered.

"I don't need it, I'm about to die. I don't need millions of money," He jokingly said, which made me stopped.

"Hey, don't cry kid. I'm still alive today, haha!" he said, but I remained silent.

He left me and went to the kitchen and gave me a small bag.

"This could help you," he said while patting at my shoulder. He smiled at me, but I gave him a forced smile.

I accepted the bag and don't ask questions anymore, because I already know what's inside the bag.

"I appreciate it. Thank you, Mr. Baker. I hope you could live longer so I have a chef who will cook for me," I said to him and we both laughed at each other.