Early mornings and their sunrise are quite special. Ken never learned to appreciate them in the city. He forgot what it's like to wake up early and just sit back and enjoy the fresh start of the day. Being in the forest where life hums all around, hearing the birds sing happily and sweetly reminded him of what a peaceful life he lived.
Ken get from bed, boiled a cup of water to for coffee and cooked some egg for breakfast.
After preparing his breakfast, Ken brought out the table and chair in the courtyard, set it up on the the canopy of the mango tree and just sat down to eat his breakfast in satisfaction.
After finishing his breakfast and washing the dishes. Ken change out of his pajama to his work clothes consisting of a loose long sleeved shirt and track-pants and prepare to head out to retrieve his truck.
Ken went to the old couple's house first to ask for help since the he had yet to acquint himself with the other neighbors and the only people he knew in the entire village were the kind old couple. Speaking of the couple, they originally lived in the city like himself but after their retirement and receiving their pension they choose to move in the village.
When he arrived at the home of the old couple he immediately saw the old lady sweeping their courtyard.
Hearing the footstep the old woman look up and smiled after seeing who was walking to her. The old lady is wearing a floral dress that went up to her knees. Her head was encased by silver strand of hair flowing like water, her face, although filled with wrinkles, but the lines on her face made her look sweet.
"Albert, Ken is here!" the old lady shouted at the house.
"Good morning grandma Catherine." Ken greeted the old lady.
"Have you eaten breakfast?" Grandma Catherine asked Ken.
"Yeah, Coffee and Egg, is Grandpa Albert in there?"
"He should be in there, come on in and I'll call him." Grandma Catherine said and beckoned Ken to follow her inside. "sit there and wait for me." Grandma Catherine pointed to a nearby chair for Ken to sit on.
After Ken sat down, he looked around and find the house tranquility refreshing. People couldn't feel this kind of tranquility in the city where people are always rushing about in place to place, always worrying on how to make ends meet. Sometimes it's just cool to sit down, breath in the fresh air and do nothing in the countryside.
While looking around, Ken's gaze pause on a single portrait, it was a photo of a family with the old couple standing at side of a young woman. He approach the portrait to get a better look and he found the young woman to be very beautiful, Her head is full of straight silky black hair tied into a simple ponytail. Her face possess the most mesmerizing smile and Ken could swear he has never seen a person with such a beautiful smile. Her eyes was so bright and beautiful it feels like it contain the night sky.
While staring in the portrait in a daze or more precisely on the young woman, Ken heard a voice saying "Isn't she the most beautiful thing in the world?"
Ken unconsiously answered "Yeah."
A gruff chuckle sounded and Ken suddenly realize that Albert has been standing by his side.
"How long have you been here Gandpa Albert?" Ken said in embarassment.
Albert laugh again and said "No worries kid, a lot of men could relate to you, after all not a lot of people could resist my daughters beauty." Old Albert laugh proudly while puffing his chest. Ken looked at Albert weirdly.
Albert looked at Ken with a fierce gaze and shouted "What! is it strange to be proud of a beautiful daughter!"
Ken was frightened, why wouldn't he, Albert dwarf Ken standing tall at the height of 6'1 coupled with Albert's buff body really scared Ken when Albert acted fierce.
Albert laugh loudly seeing ken frightend, he patted ken on the shoulder "I'm just joking with you kid don't be scared." saying that he laugh again.
"If you're probably thinking along the line of 'she's too young to be our daughter', 'she's probably their grand daughter', but I tell you this now that April is our daughter. It's just that catherine conceive her in the later years of our lives." Albert told ken with a silly smile on his lips.
Ken understood the situation now. "Oh, where is she though, does she work in the city?" Ken wondered why April isn't taking care of the old couple considering the couples age.
"I wish she was in the city, having a job, shopping on malls, and even dating. I wish April got to experience this kind of things." The old man lammented with a sorrowful eyes.
"I'm sorry." Ken apologize for digging up the old man's wound. Ken was suddenly enlightend on why April isn't taking care of the couple, it turns out April already passed away. 'It might also be the reason why they move in the country side' he thought.
"It's alright, it's in the past. Besides it's not like April left us completely." The old man said with a mysterious grin on his lips.
Grandma Catherine walked in from the kitchen carrying a plate full of Suman and cups of coffee. (Suman is a rice cake originating in the Philippines. It is made from glutinous rice cooked in coconut milk, often wrapped in banana leaves or buli or buri palm leaves for steaming. It is usually eaten sprinkled with sugar or laden with latik.)
"Have some suman first Ken. It's good if you paired it with coffee." Grandma Catherine said while setting down the plate on the table.
"Thank you Grandma Catherine."
"So, I take it you've come to our house to ask for help about your pickup truck?" Albert said while peeling the banana leaves off the suman.
Ken was surprise that Albert knew about his truck breaking down. "How did you know about that Grandpa Albert?"
"Just call me Albert lose the Grandpa I'm only 65 for your information. This old man is still as strong as a bull. Anyways, news travel fast in the village, after all there are very few living here in the village and almost every one knew each other so when someone saw something knew or something to gossip about you could expect that it would become an open secret. and it didn't help that your pickup truck is parked at the entranceof the village."
"Is it blocking the way of the vehicle?" Ken asked, thinking his truck is bothering the people.
"Nah, the road is wide enough for people to pass through." Albert dismissed Ken's worries.
Ken sighed in relief that knowing that he didn't uncessarily bother the villagers. "Yeah, I'd like to ask if there is a mechanic in the village and maybe you can help me to contact them to fix my truck."
"Unfortunately for you kid, there is no mechanic in the village. You would need to head to town and hire one there."
Upon hearing the saddening news, Ken sigh and was about to thank the old couple when Albert suddenly burst out a loud and boisterous laughter. Ken looked strangely at Albert and wondered. "Why are you laughing Albert?"
"You're too serious kid, I'm just messing with you. I'm the village mechanic,I used to work in a Car Workshop in Muntinlupa City, after my retirement I became the mechanic here in the village after I moved in." Albert explained.
"No way, you're also from Muntinlupa? I'm also from there!" Ken said in excitement, after all meeting someone from the same city is something to celebrate from.
"Really? huh, what a coincidence, anyways let's go grab my tools and check out your truck." Albert smiled and said.