Chapter 5: Taking another Part time Job

“ Danielle, why are you here? Do you have any problem?

“ Nanang Elsa asked after seeing her beloved granddaughter.

“ I'm here to visit my beautiful grandmother, of

course. I don't have any problem at all. I have something for you, Nanang!”

Danielle presented to her grandmother what she bought from the market.

“ Wow! Smells good! It's my favourite! Thank you,

dear.” Nanang Elsa said with a grateful smile. Although she was still looking a

bit weak, she still managed to show her appreciation.

Danielle took the plastic bowl and plastic spoon out

from the plastic bag they were carrying. She poured the ginataan into the bowl

and fed her grandmother with so much affection.

“ How's school doing? Are you enjoy being in college?”

Nanang Elsa asked her as she stroke her weak hands on Danielle's face. “ You

look thinner, dear. Are you eating well before going to school? “

Touched by the tenderness of her grandmother's concern

on her, Danielle gave her a sweet smile.

“ Nanang, school is okay. I’m enjoying being in

college. And also don't have because I eat properly before going to school.”

Danielle answered as she fed a spoonful of ginataan to her grandmother.

Nanang Elsa opened 

her mouth and ate the ginataan that Danielle was giving her. Little by

little, she almost ate all the bowl of ginataan.

“ That was delicious! I'm already full. Thank you,

dear.” Nanang Elsa held Danielle’s hands.

“You're always welcome, Nanang.” Danielle glanced at

Jenny who was sitting on her opposite side. “ Jenny, look after Nanang for a

while. I'll go to the nurse's station to settle Nanang's hospital bill and pack

her things too.”

“ Yes, Danielle. “ Jenny was in her first year in high

school. She is four years younger than Danielle. She also had a twin sister but

they don't look a like at all.

“ Wait! Do you have money to use? I have some money

here with me.” Nanang felt worried. She knew that Danielle never asked her for

financial support ever since she was a child. She had always been independent.

She also found out that Danielle never used her allowance that she gave

whenever she goes to school when she was a child. She was wise in spending

money and very thrifty.

“ Don't worry about the expenses, Nanang. I can

manage. Keep your money with you. You'll need it more than I do.” Danielle said

as she walked out of the ward.

She opened the door and went outside going to the

nurse’s station. While walking, she accidentally bumped herself with a nurse which

is a boy. The nurse boy was in a rush that he wasn't able to avoid Danielle’s

body. "S-Sorry, Miss!”

Luckily, Danielle remained calm and has composed

herself after the incident. “ It's okay.”

Then, the nurse boy smiled and went back to his work.

He was really in a hurry because there was an emergency call in one of the private

wards. Danielle just let go of confronting the nurse and continued walking

towards the nurse's station.

Until she finally reached the nurse station, she faced

one the in charge nurse there.

“ Excuse me, Ma'am, can I have the discharge slip for

Elsa Ursulom?” Danielle politely requested.

The nurse turned her back on Danielle and scanned the

papers in front of her. She took a piece of paper and faced Danielle on the counter.

“ Here, Miss! Please go to the billing section to settle your hospital bill and

get the medicines there too, Miss.” The nurse said without smiling and handed

her the discharge slip.

“ Thank you, Ma'am!” Danielle said as she took from

the nurse the piece of paper. She turned 

her back and walked towards the billing section. When she was on the

counter, she asked politely. “ Pardon me, Ma'am. I'm here to pay the hospital

bill of Elsa Ursulom. May I ask, how much should I pay for her medication?”

The lady in the billing section smiled and faced the

computer in front of her. She scanned Elsa's name on it and print the billing

statement and gave it to Danielle. “ It's 30,000 pesos. Please go to the

pharmacy section later to get the medicine. Just present them the payment slip

I gave you.”

Danielle received the payment slip as she handed the amount

of money to the lady on the counter. She looked at her wallet and there was

only 10,000 pesos left on it. Although she has money on her atm card, Danielle

felt a little sad. She closed her wallet and put it back on her purse bag.

Afterwards, she headed towards the pharmacy section.

She went to the counter and presented the payment slip. The pharmacist gave

immediately the medicines named to her grandmother. Danielle took the medicines

and went back towards the elderly ward where her grandmother was staying.

As she opened the door of the ward, Danielle saw that

her grandmother was already prepared to go out and her personal belongings were

already packed.

“ Are you ready to go home, Nanang? “ Danielle said as

she approached them.

Nanang Elsa looked at her with a smile of relief. “

Yes, dear.”

Jenny went outside to get a wheelchair for their

grandmother. They placed Nanang Elsa on it and carefully pushed her in her wheelchair

outside the ward.

They waited for a tricycle at the entrance of the hospital.

Danielle was carrying her grandmother's belongings. A tricycle stopped in front

of them and asked them if they have a ride coming. Danielle said “no".

“Are you available to accommodate us, Sir?” Danielle

asked the tricycle driver.

“ Yes! Come on in!” The tricycle driver stepped out of

his tricycle and helped her put Nanang Elsa’s belongings in his tricycle while

Danielle helped Jenny in assisting their grandmother in riding on the tricycle.

When everything were all set, Jenny hurriedly placed the wheelchair they used

to transport their grandmother into the guard inside the entrance door. Then

she rushed back towards the tricycle and rode too.

“ Where to?” the tricycle driver asked.

“ To San Clemente please at the south near the

basketball court. Do you know the place?” Danielle answered back.

“ Yes. Just tell me where exactly should I stop.” The

tricycle driver instructed them.

Danielle nodded. Jenny was at the backseat of the

tricycle driver. She guided the tricycle driver where to stop and when they

reached their house, the tricycle driver stopped the engine.

The tricycle driver helped in unloading their things.

The three occupants in his tricycle stepped out in it. Danielle handed the

tricycle driver 100 pesos without asking for the change. The tricycle driver

rode his tricycle and left after receiving his payment.

Meanwhile, Jenny took their grandmother's  belongings and went inside their house while

Danielle was beside their grandmother carefully taking care of her.

“Nanang, we're home! Are you okay? “ Danielle said

with a concerned tone of voice.

Nanang Elsa glanced at her and smiled. She patted

Danielle’s hand to give her reassurance. “ I'm fine, dear. There's nothing to

worry. “

Upon hearing her response, Danielle smiled but in her

mind, she was thinking of something else. When Jenny came to help her in

assisting their grandmother, they slowly went inside the house together.

As they opened the door and reached the living room,

memories of her childhood came into Danielle’s mind. She had playmates before

and she was a happy little child but her cousin Elva always bullied her every

day of his life. The bullying was stopped when Elva lived with her mother but

in school, Danielle was always being teased.

Danielle never reclaimed as long as she was not being

hurt physically. Then, Jenny and Danielle put their grandmother in her bed

inside her room.

“ Take a rest, Nanang. I'll stay here for tonight.”

Danielle said while caressing the back of her grandmother.

“ Are you sure?” Nanang asked with a doubt on her

face.

Danielle smile and responded : “ Yes, Nanang!”

Nanang Elsa laid down on her bed while

Danielle called out Jenny to buy some cooked dishes

in their neighbor . Then, she went to the kitchen and she was preparing to cook

rice using the rice cooker. While washing the rice, her mind was wandering.

Nanang is already old. She must stopped selling fish

sauce and salt in the market. But who would shoulder her daily living? My salary

as a service crew is just enough for my personal needs too. Danielle thought

and rubbed her forehead. The only resolution she could think of was to have

another part time job.