My forehead creased. "This might be a misunderstanding. It's impossible for the kitten to die. We ate in the same lunchbox, yet I am still alive." I shook my head. "This is crazy."
I tried to turn around to leave, but the man grabbed my wrist. "Wait," he calmly said.I looked at him. He stared deeply at me. "What?" I weakly asked."The kitten was poisoned."I nodded. "I guess it is food poisoning.""And I'm afraid that it is after you."My forehead creased even more at what he just said. "After me?"He nodded. "Be careful.""That's impossible." I desperately laughed, but I guess it sounded like a nervous laugh. "And who would be after my life?"I shook my head at the thought of someone who wanted me dead. I could not think of a reason why someone's after my life. Not only that, but I think that idea was impossible."You're talking nonsense." I coldly said and shoved away his hand that was holding my wrist. "I don't even know you, so stop making a ridiculous idea, will you?"He weakly smiled. "I'm Anthony Bermeda, the new teacher. Please be careful, Miss."He walked pass by me. I followed him with my gaze as he walked away. Teacher? He is a new teacher?I blinked and scratched my nape. I hope he won't be my subject teacher or else...My mother was not the best mom in the world. I thought she was the worst. She was selfish and could not do her job as a mother. The only thing that set her aside from other moms was that she had the skill of a best cook."Did you eat your lunch?" she asked as I get inside the house.I looked at her and nodded. "Yeah."She stared intently at me, from head to toe, and then smiled. "Soup is ready."I faintly smiled. The picture of the dead kitten was still clear in my mind. I do not want to raise a suspicion to my mother, but what she asked first when I got inside was something... odd.Why would she ask about me eating my lunch?I followed her to the kitchen while unzipping my backpack to get the lunchbox. Surely, I did not want to bring it up, but I might not rest well due to suspicion."Mom?" I put the lunchbox at the kitchen sink. "Is it you who fried the fish?""Fried the fish?" She put a bowl of soup at the center of the table and faced me. "What do you mean?""Uh." I washed my hands and dried them up. I looked at my mom. "When I feed the kitten at the school, that same kitten died out of a poison. Uh... I do not mean to ---""Suspect me?" She raised her brow. "Are you suspecting me?""N-No. I mean, no. I just want to ask you if you had put something on the fish?"She crossed her arm. "Did you eat your lunch?" she asked.I gulped hard. The same question again. I nodded. "Yea, I had some.""And you're well?"I nodded again. "I g-guess?""So why would you suspect your own mother?" Her forehead creased and walked closer to me. She picked up the empty glass at the kitchen counter and stepped closer to the dining table. "If I had put something on your food, you must be dead by now.""Mom...""I'm serious," she huffed. "You suspect me of something heinous, and you did not even think that maybe the kitten ate a poison before you feed him? You have your mind to think, Sydnee!"I looked down the floor. "I-I'm sorry, Mom.""Even though I know that you don't do well in class, but I expect you to at least have some common sense.""S-Sorry, Mom."She put water in the glass and drank it. She breathed deep and looked scornfully at me. "Throw your lunchbox away. If that kitten died out of poison, then your lunchbox is not safe.""Okay, Mom.""And don't just feed some stray animals, Sydnee. Those are dirty, and you should not get close to them!"I heaved a sigh. "Okay," I said and picked up the lunchbox.The truth was that I have been feeding stray animals for years now. I had kept it a secret to my parents because I knew that my mother would get mad if she'll know about it.I have been sharing my lunch to stray animals, and it was the first time that an animal died after I feed it. In the past, there was no incident like this. But maybe my mother's words were true.Maybe the kitten had eaten something poisonous before I feed it. And maybe it was just a coincidence that the kitten had died. But I just could not believe with a mere coincidence, though.Nonetheless, I did what my mother instructed me to do. I threw away the lunchbox at the landfill nearby.I could smell the stink of garbage that had been piled up over the years. My stomach churned. Even though I had lived for years near this place, I could not get use to it.I hurriedly walked past the landfill and back to the humble nipa hut, just kilometers away from the mountain of garbage."If only he did not steal something," I whispered.I could see the dim light from the inside of the nipa hut. I knew that my mother was waiting inside, but I stopped just a meter away from it.The scene of a humble nipa hut was not what my grade school self hoped for. My grade school self was dreaming of a big and fancy house where someday she and her parents will live in. But all of those dreams were burned along with our former house when my dad stole some of his boss' money.Our house was burned into ashes and later that day, my dad was accused of fraud. He was put to jail, but my mother bargained to the boss to free my dad in exchange for the same amount of money that dad had stolen.And that was hard for my mom. Because dad did not have enough savings. My mother did not have a work, so where could she get money to free my father?I remembered how she cried all night while we stayed in the lonely street of Consolacion. I still remember how I got so fascinated by the city lights in front of my eyes, while my mother was silently crying at my back.My innocent and young mind did not know the reason why we stayed on the streets, or why dad was not with us. I just thought of the fascinating city lights. I even tried to chase after the cars if not of my mother who scolded me like that was her last night.Not only that, but I could see how angry she was at me. She blamed me for why we are staying on the street, and why dad was put to jail, and why our house was burned. She scolded me like there was no tomorrow. Furthermore, she spanked me hard, even slapped me in my both cheeks.I cried because of so much fear and pain.And in that one night, I saw how cruel the world was. And still up to the present, I could still experience the cruelty in both my school and in my own home.Home. Is it really... where the heart is?I took a step forward. I walked closer to the nipa hut and entered in. A few more steps and I could enter the small kitchen.And I saw mother. She was silently taking a sip on her small bowl of soup. "Take some soup," she
"I only know a few of them," I said and secretly sighed. The feeling of intense stares from my classmates burned a hole on the back of my head. My lips pursed into a thin line and my stomach was churning. I was not used to this feeling of being the center of attention, and I just wanted to go and sit on my chair at the back area, away from their scrutinizing eyes. The problem was the teacher's attention on me and I did not want to appear disrespectful in front of him. "That's okay." He played with his pen on his fingers and smiled amiably. "Then, you'll perform the activity first." "W-What?" When I realized what I uttered, I cleared my throat. "I mean... uh." "You mean what?" he asked, clearly teasing me.I gave up and shook my head. Just what did he want in me? I sighed again. "Then... what should I do, Sir?" "Kindly introduce yourself in the form of singing. Make the lyrics your name, age, and what you love the most." My cheeks burned red in embarrassment. He wanted me to sing
I looked away. I was afraid that he might see the uneasiness in my eyes. He would surely think of me as someone he could play with, and I did not want that."Okay," was all I could utter at that time. I did not know what to say or what to do. I just looked down on the grass and played with the hem of my uniform. My heart could not stop beating so fast.He cleared his throat. "That incident was not an accident, Sydnee. Someone wanted you dead, and that person might not stop until you're dead.""Are you scaring me, Sir?"And I heard his laugh. The deep laugh from my Math teacher was not really amusing. In fact, it was alarming that I made him laugh like that. It was as if I made a very stupid move, and he might give me a lower grade."You can say that," he said after some time. His smile never faded on his lips. "But do your parents know about that? Have you told them?"I shook my head. "What's the point? I don't like talking about school to them." I secretly sighed. "And as if they care
She shrugged her shoulders and grinned again at me. What's with that grin? And why was she staring at me like I've grown another head?She then shook her head. "No. What I mean is the math teacher."Just when I thought that, I've successfully shooed that teacher away in my mind. I rarely smiled at her. "What's with him??"I see that you are close to him."Me? Close to that teacher?I chuckled at what she had said. "We're not close. You saw it wrongly.""No. I saw you two talking under the tree in the middle of the field. You are close to him."My heart skipped a beat at her words. "What do you mean by that?""Are you his girlfriend?"My cheeks burned red in embarrassment. "What? Of course not!" I yelled.She laughed like crazy. She even had the guts to harshly tapped my shoulder. I shoo her hands away and held my shoulder. "Why are you laughing?""You blushed!" she exclaimed.I held my cheeks. "What are you saying?"But she looked around the room and yelled. "Classmates, look at the co
"I-I did..." I breathe deep. "I didn't mean to offend you."Rogie wanted me to follow him. I did not want to, but he insisted. He even tried to take a hold of me, and I was thankful that a teacher approached us and asked what's happening. I got a chance to escape from his grip on me.The varsity team flew even before the teacher came close to us. Of course, they would not want to involve in any acts that will violate the school rules because doing so will blacklist them in school's varsity."That boy," I hissed and checked my wrist.It was reddish because of Rogie's tight grip. I sighed and walked hurriedly. I did not want to be caught again by Rogie, knowing that he was looking for me."Sydnee!"My breath hitched, but I immediately recognized the familiar voice. It was the Math Teacher, Anthony. I turned around to face him."Sir," I greeted.It was weird that I felt relieved upon seeing him. Just this morning, I did not want to see him again, but I was happy that it was he who found m
"No, I'm not." He looked around.I looked around, too. It was sunset again, and I was standing in front of my own teacher and talking to him as if I was not a student. It was really in trouble if anyone would hear how I respond to my teacher."But, Sir, I think that's not possible. I am still your student, and anyone would suspect that you're giving me a favor if you'll be my tutor.""That's why I ask you to be my assistant.""Even though, Sir." I looked at him again. "Being an assistant or being a tutor, that means a big trouble.""I will pay you."Pay me? Is he serious, when I should be the one paying him if he'll be my tutor? I just smiled and shook my head. "Please let me be, Sir. This quarter is almost done. I will study hard to prove that I could pass Math without a tutor.""I don't mean you'll be dependent on my service, I mean I'll help you in topics that you find difficult to understand. That's the teacher's job.""Then..." I blinked twice. "Why would you want me to be your as
I could not understand Rogie sometimes. "Go in the middle!" he shouted. The volume of the music grew louder so he had to shout. "I don't want to," I refused. He smirked. "You don't want to?" My eyes widened as Rogie pulled me into the middle. The memory of last year's Christmas party flashed through my mind so I struggled from his hold. "I don't want to, Rogie. I don't want!" I refused again. He tightened his grip and pulled me further into the center of the classroom. I harshly pulled my wrist back that my juice in pack fell on the floor. "Rogie!" I rebuked him and pulled myself together. "You should be there in the middle, joining the crowd! I want you to dance in the middle!" he shouted. I thought my classmates nearby heard what Rogie had shouted so they looked at us while the others were busy dancing. They started clapping as they watched me still struggling under Rogie's tight grip. A cold feeling ran down my spine when I heard their applause. That’s also what I heard last
For years of living with her in that small nipa hut, I was used to being told what to do and being scolded for things I did wrong every day. Sometimes it's tiring so I prefer to go to school than stay at home. Now that Mama has a job all day, my day will be quiet as well. A few days passed and still, nothing changed in my life. After waking up in the morning... I will eat, wash clothes I and Mama had worn yesterday, will eat again, go to the neighbors to do laundry, go home, and wait for Mama when the afternoon comes. I have already collected enough amount of money but I still prefer to collect more because I know I will not be able to go to the neighbors when school day comes. When Christmas eve came, we only had soup and rice ready. We also did not bother to give each other presents, so after a few minutes after the clock struck midnight, Mama and I were asleep. It was the same set-up when the new year came. But before New Year's celebration, someone from our neighbor gave us five