Kabanata 3

Small Talks

We stayed there in the valley, enough to catch the sunset before we went home.

It's already seven in the evening and everyone is having dinner except for me. I'm not hungry yet so I stayed in my room and continued reading the book I left a while ago until I heard a knock.

"Hera." My grandma called. I opened the door and let her in. She's holding a brown envelope.

"Grandma."

She held my hand and we sat on my bed.

"These documents are yours. Next year, you're finally going to be of legal age so I think it's right to hand this to you now." She's pertaining to the documents.

"What are these, grandma?"

"Before we went here, I settled all the properties your parents left for you. Nakapangalan sayo ang lupa at bahay but you can only acquire it at the age of eighteen. You don't have to worry about it since it will automatically transfer to your name once you turn legal age."

"The house is still there?" Nasisiyahan kong tanong sa kanya.

"Of course, apo. It's well maintained."

"We'll visit there, Grandma."

"Hmm, as much as I want to, my body can't make it. Hindi ko na kaya ang mahahabang biyahe. I guess because of my age." Mahina niyang tawa.

As I look at her, I realize that she already has a wrinkled face. Time passed by and I didn't even realize that my Lola also aged.

"Hera, I hope you remain strong no matter what. As much as I want to stay with you until you have your own family, this weak body of mine won't let me."

"Lola, you are still strong. You need to stay with me." I said as I hugged her. She hugged me back tightly and caressed my hair.

"Alright. Until you graduated senior high, then?"

"Until I graduated college. No, until forever, grandma. I want you here beside me, until forever." Mahina kong sabi. She only chuckles at my response.

"Hmm, I'll try Hera. I'll try.."

After an hour, she went to her bed para makapag-pahinga na.

And as for me, I stopped reading and decided to just lay on my bed, staring blankly at the ceiling.

I wish nothing but a long life for my grandma. She's the only family I have now, I can't lose her too. Zander and his family are kind and generous and treated us as their part of the family but it still feels different to have someone by your side no matter what you do or what you decide, you'll know that there's someone who'll stay beside you.

As I closed my eyes, I uttered a prayer until deep slumber took me.

I woke up hearing a knock on my door. I looked at the wall clock and saw it was still five thirty in the morning. For goodness sakes I don't have any class at all since it's summer. Why would grandma knock on my door at this hour?

Wearing my white nightgown, I open the door still rubbing my eyes.

"I don't have a class-"

"Good morning!" Bati ni Zander na amoy bagong shower. Instead of greeting him back, sumimangot ako.

"What's so good in the morning when you woke me from my sleep?" I mumbled.

“Let's go for a jog, little frog.” Sagot niya.

“Ano?” Tanong ko na may inis sa boses.

"Nothing." Sabi niya sabay tawa. Hinampas ko na dahil umagang umaga nangiinis na naman. He then push me to my room and said,

"Get ready, after twenty minutes, aalis na tayo." Sabi niya sabay sarado ng aking pintuan. I only groaned and proceeded to the bathroom to take a bath.

I wore a racer back top and jogger pants then running shoes.

Paglabas ko sa aking pintuan nandun pa rin si Zander naghihintay. When he saw me, he looked at his wrists watch and grinned.

"Still on time, huh." He said.

I only snorted at him as a response. He chuckled and walked beside me towards the front door of the mansion.

Ranch workers greeted us, especially him as we passed at them.

"Good morning everyone!" Bati niya pabalik sa mga ito.

Nagsimula na kaming tumakbo. Lilibutin namin ang taniman ng pinya. This is our usual route since the day we started having this morning jog. Ang sarap ng simoy ng hangin lalo na sa umaga.

Their ranch is approximately five hundred hectares but only forty percent of it was fully utilized for farming and cattle raising.

"Magandang umaga, Helena!" Bati sa akin ni Rico ng makita ako. He's a son of one of the ranch workers here. And her mom is working at the mansion as one of the house help.

"Good morning too, Rico." Bati ko sa kanya pabalik.

"Who's that?" Tanong ni Zander ng madaanan namin ito. "Masayang Masaya ng makita ka ah. Parang inaabangan ka talaga, yung ngiti abot hanggang tainga."

I laughed at his reaction. Minsan talaga, overreacting siya.

"Anak yun ni ate Mela."

"Mela? The one in our house?" Tanong niya.

"Yup." Sagot ko. Napahinto ako ng bigla siyang huminto sa pagtakbo. Medyo malayo na kami sa mansion.

"You're friends with him?" He asked.

"We're classmates." Sagot ko. "Why did you stop?" Tanong ko. He didn't answer but he started running again at his normal pace. I rolled my eyes at his back and started running.

"Does he have a crush on you?" Tanong niya. "Probably. The way he looked at you a while ago." He added.

"Hindi naman siguro. He's just being nice." Sagot ko.

"Tss." The only reply he said. Sungit.

Nagpatuloy kami sa pagtakbo hanggang sa umabot kami sa may kubo. We stopped there and took a rest.

"Kaya pa?" He asked as we sat down on a bamboo made bench.

"Yeah. I jogged yesterday so it's not that really hard today." Imporma ko.

"Really? And who's with you? That guy?" seryoso niyang tanong.

"Huh? Why would I run with him? I jog alone, Zander."

"At umabot ka dito?" Tanong niya. Tumango ako. "Nang Ikaw lang?" He probed. I nodded as a response."Don't do that again if I'm not here. You can jog just around the mansion, other than that, it's a no, Kiera." He said.

"Alright."

"Better safe than sorry." He added. I nodded at him to make sure I won't do it again. “What course are you going to take after finishing senior high?” He randomly asked.

“Hmm, accountancy, I guess.” sagot ko habang inaayos ang pagkakatali ng aking buhok.

“That's a good one. Do you want to study in Manila?” Tanong niya. I stopped momentarily and looked at him. “Do you want to?” he added,

“As much as I want to, I can't leave grandma here.” Sagot ko sa kanya.

“What about you can bring her?” Suhestiyon niya.

“Nuh, she doesn't want to take a long trip anymore. Meron namang BS Accountancy sa bayan. And the university is quite good so I guess I settled for it.” Sagot ko.

“Well, yeah. I'll just come see you every summer then.”

“Hmm.”

“Boyfriends aren't allowed.

“It never crossed my mind, Alexander.” Sabi ko.

Nanliit ang kanyang matang tumingin sa akin.

“You better focus on your studies and don't entertain boys. If I hear that some dogs go after you, I won't waste time to come here and get you.”

“Chill Alexander, I didn't even have a crush on our school. They look the same to me.” Sabi ko sabay ngisi sa kanya. He raised his eyebrow at me.

“What do they look like?”

“I can't remember.” I answered. His upper lips raised for a smirk and then, he eventually laughed. “I got you.” I added and chucked.

We stayed there for a minute before we jog back to the mansion.

Bago kami makalapit ng tuluyan sa mansion ay huminto siya kaya napahinto rin ako.

“I have something to give to you. Give me your wrist first.” he said as he took something in his pocket. I gave him my wrist and he put an interlocking bracelet. “I'll just give you a bracelet for now. You better not lose this.”

“I won't. Thank you.” Sabi ko sabay tingin ng mabuti sa bracelet sa aking braso.

“Do you like it?” Tanong niya.

“Yes. I like it, Alexander.” I answered and gave him a smile. He stares intently at me that makes my heart flutter. He really is gorgeous. He had beautiful golden eyes and long eyelashes.

“You better not give your smile to anyone else, Hera. Or else, they might have died of a heart attack.” He said and turned his back at me to resume his jog. I glared at him before following him.