In the family, Anne's mother was always the one who disciplined the children. Her mother would command their father at times to do the same. Her father rarely talked and when he did, he stammered, his words were jumbling maybe because he's not used to talking and because he had a different dialect compared to them and their mother.
He rarely got angry at his kids but when it happened, he couldn't control it, his anger would outburst just uncontrollably, with that trembling face.
One evening, their mother got home and she found out that their drinking vessel was empty, it was a big earthen jar with a small cover on top of it. They were just using a small cup to get water from its opening above.
The place where they got drinking water was a little far from them, they needed to walk a few meters away from the house. Then, they will go down to a certain slope with the surrounding tall coconut trees, and tall grasses above it. It looked like a hidden place, no one would expect there could be found a drinking potable groundwater there. The children should slide down first, every time, due to the slippery, very steep way going down.
They're enjoying it at times, during dry season, they'd get some branches of the coconut tree and each would ride unto it from the top of the slope going down. And during the rainy season, they will first remove their slippers before going down, then, carefully barefooted and at times, accidents would happen, their butts would be taken straight downward, giving them such pain due to the big impact wherever they may fall unto. They got lucky, there were trees below them that could catch them, or else, both will be submerged directly to the big pit of the groundwater.
Anne and her elder sister would usually go together either to bath or wash clothes. Their shampoo would be the coconut milk always, since there were many ripe coconut fruits which were falling on the ground always, if there's none (which rarely happens) her elder sister would climb first to the tree just to get some coconut fruit, the old ones typically.
Her elder sister was stronger than her, so she will be the one who breaks it by banging it through the rocks or any hardwoods. Then, after that, each would chew the coconut meat to get its milk extract, directly applying it to their hair as their shampoo, thus, that time, they got a black, shinier, and stronger hair compared to the present where they already used the commercialized synthetic products.
Her elder sister had a strength like a man, she grew up with that boyish look. Others thought she's a lesbian, but she's not. She's so strong that even at her young age of 11, she could carry a large container of water on her shoulder, and at times she will carry it by putting the container on top of her head. Though she looked strong, she's a little bit cowardly, she's very afraid of the dark.
It's already dark when the both of them were commanded by their mother to fetch water. They knew it's too dark there below and there was no available flashlight or anything which they could possibly use going down the road.
They both pointed at each other, and blamed one another for their missed out chore of fetching water. Though they're hesitant to do it due to the dark, they cannot resist any longer, they're both afraid of their mother. They have no choice anymore but to follow the order.
"Go! Hurry! The two of you, fetch water, now!"
Along the way, the two girls were pushing one another on who's to go first or who's to go last. And at last the elder wouldn't allow Anne to go first, Anne should be the one on her back. She's afraid there might be someone on her back, indeed, it's based only on their wild imagination that there might be some ghost, evil spirits, fairies or aswang.
They kept on halting now and then ,every time there's a sudden movement through the leaves of the trees. They couldn't see clearly whatever it was. The elder sister didn't want to be left behind by Anne, so she's walking before her going down below.
They overcame their fear and bravely went down to fetch water. And as they were about to go up with the elder sister carrying a big container on her shoulder and Anne carrying a small container, suddenly, a loud flapping of a very big bird above the trees sounded. They were both afraid. They thought it's an evil creature popularly known to them as "Aswang". Folks there were always spreading rumors that those evil creatures can transform into any kind of animals or birds and would hunt down babies or would attack humans.
The elder sister commanded Anne to walk behind her back but Anne won't do it either due to fear also. They kept on arguing who will go first and who will go last, the same scenario as before they got there. Until her elder sister cried louder and would slap Anne. She insisted she would come first since she got a heavier container of water than her. So Anne cannot win on their arguments. She had to obey her sister though she hated to follow behind her back. She's afraid too, in her wild imagination, maybe something might suddenly touch or else grab her behind. It's really the cause of their dark thoughts and literally because of the darkest night they went through without any small light or torch.
They arrived home safe, at last, nothing happened but both of them were tired and seemed breathless, they're hurrying as if catching their breath for air. They walked so fast and kept on running from time to time as if someone was chasing them, though there's none. It looked comical and hilarious whenever someone was watching them.
They just arrived at home and received as usual a long sermon from their mother upon entering the house, that next time they should fetch water as early as possible before dark came.
Their mother was a bit harsh in disciplining the children. She would usually cut a branch of guava tree near their yard, or any kind of sticks or anything she could see around the house, then she would use it to spank the kids. She would spank anyone if her command or the house rules weren't followed.
If one of them failed to remember to finish their delegated tasks or if the kids would keep on talking back or would murmur when she's speaking, don't expect her to be happy about it, she wouldn't spare anyone who keeps on doing that, one couldn't escape from spanking.
And it was Anne, she was about to be spanked by her mother. She saw her coming with that thin long guava stick. She knew that the thinner it was, the more painful its effect, the pain seemed reaching to the bones. So, without any ado, she ran away as fast as she could. But the more she ran, the more her mother kept on chasing her, she saw her mother's face and heard her voice was more annoyed, angrier than before.
They kept on circling and running around their house until Anne went away escaping from her grasp, towards the bamboo tree. She hid under the spiky branches of bamboo trees. Her mother couldn't follow her, only a small child could enter below it, the branches are full of spikes. She's in her angriest mood already, she kept on yelling already but she couldn't hit Anne and couldn't force her to go out.
"You kid! Just go here outside! Come here! And you'll see! You cannot run forever. The more you run, the more I like to hit you harder! You cannot hide there forever, and we'll see when you go out!"
Anne was crying saying, "Mother, please stop. It hurts! I don't want to do it again!" She pleaded and was afraid to go out.
But later on, Anne couldn't help but obey her mother after a few long hours. She just went out of that hiding place and just willingly accepted the punishment from her mother.
It's a normal thing in the family from time to time. It seemed her mother inherited it from her father. Her father was so strict to his children even though they're already adults and have their own family.
The children tried hard to always obey their mother, afraid to be spanked again and again. Their father wanted to stop her every time but in return, she's the one to be yelled at by his wife, so he just fell silent.
However, there were times that even though only one has committed a mistake, everyone will be punished. According to their mother, it's called "equality", everyone will be treated equally and there were no favorites for her. It's also called "one for all" and "all for one", the mistake of one is the mistake of all.
Their mother is like an army commander, she's like the King of the house with complete control and power.
(26th September 2018 12:22pm)
(Year 1996-2000: HIGH SCHOOL DAYS)
Anne graduated with top honor in her elementary grade. Her parents were so proud of her and people kept on praising them because despite of poverty, she had managed to finish the primary grade as top 1 in class. Among her siblings, she's the only one who had earned it.
It's time then to proceed in Secondary School. There was no available High School near them, and the nearer one was a few kilometers away from their house that took more than two hours before reaching it through fast walking. That school was situated within the nearest town. Since their area was situated in semi-elevated land, with the rocky uphill road, public transportation wasn't possible. They needed to walk barefoot especially during the rainy season to avoid delay and to walk across the overflowing river dam. Then the long road going to that school was in the middle of the sugarcane plantation of the famous planter there, and within that area, no one could avoid climbing up through a very dangerous slope upward, it was a slippery road which everyone needed to be careful to avoid slipping back down the road.
Anne together with her elder sister, and her two cousins - King and Den, went together to school every time, every morning at around 5am. It's still dark when they left home. Then, along the road, they would meet some of their school mates. One of the students noticed Anne.
"Anne, you are so thin. Your legs are so thin too. I'm afraid you'll be taken by the wind when it blows." He kept on teasing her.
He laughed, but it's nothing to Anne, she was not offended by anything. She thought it was a joke only and it didn't affect her even a little ever since.
"It's a long road and it's so tiring everyday, but you'll get used to it. Let's see, maybe someday, due to our everyday long walks to and fro going to school, your legs will likely increase in size, and maybe you'll grow taller too."
He then smiled. Anne just quietly nodded and smiled.
She's a quiet child. She preferred listening than talking all the time. She cannot bring any conversation at first, so she just kept silent most of the time especially with the unfamiliar person. But she tends to ask everything if she's familiar to a person already like her parents or relatives.
As they arrived along the river, they'll ensure first that all their things were safe inside their school backpack. The girls would lift their skirts higher, a few inches above their knees and the boys also would do the same with their long pants before crossing the overflowing river. Most of them were carrying backpacks with their ready pack lunch in it, both of their hands were occupied, the other hand was carrying their shoes and the other was holding their skirts/pants. Anne was afraid at first in crossing that river due to its strong current, afraid she might be carried away by the strong current of water so she tried hard to hold tight to the other children, especially those stronger ones, bigger than her.
She was always glad and felt relieved every time they had crossed already from the river. As if she had just survived from a great calamity. She's a small child with thin features, and she already accepted that fact that she might be carried away anytime either by the wind or by the river flow, as what the other kids would always tease her.
After more than an hour of walking, they already viewed the glimpse of the town entrance. They stopped first near the canal of water, there's clear water in it overflowing from someone's hacienda's irrigation. So, they chose to clean their muddy bare feet there in the little channel of clear water. After that, they'll wipe their feet using anything before wearing their socks and school shoes. Next, the girls would rearrange first their appearance - others were combing their hair and would apply baby powder on their face every time. Anne had a very long black wavy thick hair reaching her waistline, and she just used a little ponytail in the middle above her head, and letting the remainder free, it would just flow down through her back, that was her favorite hairstyle and at times she just used a headband for it.
That was their everyday routine going to school. Luckily, they rarely got late. They're always carrying their own pack lunch and rarely got money as their school allowance. If there's a need to pay for school projects and other school contributions, Anne at times would bring any kind of leafy vegetables in the morning, then she would sell it to anyone along the way in the town within the vicinity of the school.
They usually went home every 4 o'clock in the afternoon after class, enough for them to see a little light before the dark evening came. If they walk fast in the morning, they'll double it in the evening, as if they're running all the time, especially when the class ends a little later than usual.
It seemed they were in a marathon going back home. But they just laughed and laughed all the way, anything they wanted to talk about, they always found a funny side of the story. However, during rainy seasons or typhoon days, they were all wet even though they got a large plastic bag as their made-up raincoat, with their umbrella, but still it wasn't enough due to a very strong wind.
During typhoon days, their usual road wasn't passable, especially the overflowing river. It's very dangerous to cross there, and every canal was overflowing too, the road was flooding everywhere. So, they would find an alternative route, a more manageable one though it's a longer route which always took them longer hours walking.
Sometimes, it's already dark along the road, their class has ended too late. So, as soon as the class bell rang, Anne and her cousins immediately fled from the class as fast as the wind. As if they're in a marathon, they ran and ran from school until they reached their homes. They hardly stopped running along the road, they're very afraid they might be taken by any strangers through the thick tall sugarcane plantation that was on both sides of the road overshadowing their way.
They've heard many worst stories already that were happening on that gloomy road. They were aware already that some were raped and others were robbed otherwise killed through the thick tall sugarcane where many bad guys were hiding waiting for anyone, for victims.
Thus, they were always on the run especially during late hours already. They have not carried any light with them nor any weapons, but only prayers. They just tried hard to sharpen all their senses to evade any possible disasters.
And there was a time, some strange things happened along the way upon going home. The sun was still up in the sky and was about to set. They were walking already in the middle of that high slope road when all of the sudden, their hair stood up strangely. At first, the other kid saw Anne's hair standing up, then she laughed and laughed. But as Anne saw her also, she pointed out that she had the same hair too, so both of them then burst out in laughter. Until all of them noticed the same things too that all of their hair stood up. The laughter echoed all around them. But one of them suddenly stopped them.
"Hush!!! Be quiet! What is happening to our hair? Maybe there's someone bewitching us here. There's an aswang???!"
(Aswang - referring to a shapeshifting evil spirit in Filipino folklore, vampire, a ghoul, a warlock/witch, or different species of werebeast. It is the subject of a wide variety of myths and stories.)
They shouted and cried loudly and ran so fast which no one could ever catch them. Upon hearing the word 'Aswang', all of them fled away so fast without glancing back.
One day, Anne got sick. She couldn't move her legs. She didn't want to miss school. Though she had to walk kilometers everyday, she had maintained a high grade in every subject and she's also the President in class as well in the whole campus in her last year - the fourth year.
She cried and wanted to go to school. Her parents couldn't provide over-the-counter medicines or for doctor consultation. They just applied some made-up ointments to her, it was a kerosene oil taken from their kerosene lamp. It must be a used kerosene oil containing garlic and salt, for it to become an effective one. Anne applied it everyday so that she could walk again.
But Anne couldn't take any longer the absences she had in school, she barely couldn't leave school even a day, though she's not well yet, she still pursued to go to school even though her legs ached so much. She just used a wooden stick as aid for her legs and she kept on limping all the way going to school, as if no one could stop her even sickness. She had survived from limping all throughout, ignoring all the pain she went through for days, just to attend school.
Miraculously, the garlic and salt which was soaked in used kerosene lamp oil did an astounding result. Eventually, her legs got cured by it, after such many days.
She was so serious in school. She rarely laughed out loud. And her burdens piled up as she became the President in the school campus. In her young age, she felt stressed by the teachers on how to improve the school and what will be the projects to be done before leaving the high school days.
She never approached anyone to meet new friends there. She just sat on the corner alone, reading her notes and just watching the others playing were already enough for her. But if others would approach her, she's also willing to entertain them but uttering only a few words like one question, one answer only.
But a girl named Trecy approached her, she's so persistent. Though Anne was so silent everytime, Trecy did her best to stay beside her. Trecy was the one who initiated everything. Wherever Anne was, there she would go also, she would sit beside her and talk to her about anything. She, at times, would praise Anne's thick eyebrows and thick long eyelashes uttering that it was like the Doll's. And though Anne was trudging under the scorching heat everyday, she got a fair smooth skin that they always wonder. According to them, Anne was a farm girl and they thought every farmgirl was brown-skinned.
So they became best of friends thereafter, Trecy would always wait for Anne in school.
During those high school days, Anne only admired one boy in her fourth year. They were seniors already in school. It was a quiet boy, named Allan. Anne was one year ahead of him. He's the son of a Japanese man, where his father would always come to school waiting for him until the afternoon when class ended, it's almost everyday where his japanese father would wait for him on the shed in front of our school.
He's considered one of the famous students in school, he joined in every extracurricular activities like dancing and singing, and was a member of their school band, as well. For Anne, he was the cutest guy in school and a very well behaved one. He's a notable one, since aside from being active in school and being a well behaved guy, he's the only student who had a bodyguard always, his father who was always waiting outside of the school every morning and afternoon as in everyday.
He was her crush, admiring him in her last year, the same year where her monthly period just came. It's already late according to other girls to have that onset of puberty.
Anne just watched her crush guy in the distance. Whenever he passed by beside her, she couldn't speak at all, and she would try hard to hide from him whenever the guy would pass by near her, or else she'd run away to escape from there. She's so speechless when it comes to her feelings. She never did tell everyone except her best friend Trecy who had noticed her reaction every time that guy was so near.
Trecy kept on teasing her and she tried to stop her every time to avoid being noticed by everyone.
But she's always waiting for him everyday, always watching him dance or sing with his band on stage. It's a teenage feeling and she's already sixteen as she felt that but she has no courage to admit it at all to anyone even to his crush though they were together in the same group, the school band where he was using a drum and Anne was one of the majorettes. She was avoiding him every time he's near so the guy thought she's unfriendly and snobbish. She didn't want to be obvious to him that she liked him that's why she tried her best to avoid him.
In class, she has many competitors in the top one. The other one was a boy named Danny and the other one was Karel. Danny was so competitive, he always answered every question of their teachers with that long long sentences as if he's so expert in English with that very long answers. Anne rarely listened to his answers because the more she listened to it the more she got headaches. Anne couldn't understand him at all, she didn't understand his long long answers as if it was rotating only to one idea that he kept on expounding to spend a lot of time, that for her, all were meaningless.
Anne accepted the fact that she wasn't well versed in speaking especially in English language. She had known only the basic terms in English and she only wanted to answer the question directly in one point, one sentence as short as possible and she would never mind the opinion of others whatever her answers maybe, be it in short or simple.
Unknown to her, Danny had a certain grudge against her and to their teachers. According to him, he couldn't accept that he's only second place to Anne. She had known it only the latter years (after college) as he invited her and the rest of their classmates in a get-together presenting his achievements after school to her. But she didn't react to it, she just accepted the fact that whatever she had achieved, failure or success, was out of her control. She lifted up everything to God, letting fate decide or control her destiny that everything that's happening had a very purpose, all she just did was she's just doing her best every time, in every area. And one of her mottos was, "Do your best and God will take the rest." And her other motto was, "Behind the dark clouds, the sun is still shining."
She used to collect poems, quotes and any sayings, especially those she found as good and meaningful ones for her. And would write everything in her notebooks, anywhere, and to gather it all to one small notebook afterwards. She was more fond of writing and writing than talking.
Later on, after three years of long walks going to school, her parents decided to buy an old, dilapidated house near their school. The house was situated near the bridge and needed a little repair which anytime could be blown away by the wind in its present dilapidated form .That small house was an old one, wooden, and slightly slanting already to the ground. Since it's cheaper and near the school, their parents bought it for Anne and her sister so that they wouldn't find it hard to go to school anymore.
Their first day in that house was so unforgettable. Their first night was so terrible, for Anne and her elder sister. Both slept there, with no electricity and no mosquito net. They hardly slept at all that first night, they hardly knew that was the breeding ground of all mosquitoes. The blanket was a little help at all, as if all mosquitoes went to attack both of them at that very dark night, biting their every skin and faces. Then, the next morning was comical to both of them, their faces were covered by dark spots all over, as well as their hands and feet. Their classmates saw it all, and wondered what had happened to them and others cannot help but laugh over it.
Thankfully, those bitten marks just disappeared gradually until they faded completely.
They just got used to it afterwards and overcame those sleepless nights. They just cleaned the house, and got used to the sudden loud horn and trembling of the road due to the passing buses and vehicles near the highway, unlike the first time where they could hardly sleep. It was different from the farm where it was quiet and could rarely hear a loud noise especially during the night. Since they had no running water in the house, they just both went to a nearby river everyday, to take a bath, just a few walk beside them under the bridge. And later on, her parents and siblings lived with them there, as well and just went up in the farm every weekend or every morning, and would return home during the night. And at times their father would just stay in the farm together with the other kids.
Days went by, Anne grew a little, still with her long black thick hair. A market guy, in his twenties, a few years older than her, always teased her as "cute" due to her petite feature. He always pinched her bulging face every time he saw Anne in the market since he had a stall there.
She entertained him because she thought that the guy's crush was her other classmate, Eden, a pretty girl in their class. So she always told him about the girl whenever she and he met in the market near the school. However, she didn't expect that guy would come to their newly bought unrepaired, old house one weekend (an old dilapidated house near a bridge and highway near school). She's still sleeping when her mother called her that she had a visitor. She wondered who it was, so she hurriedly went outside. She was shocked that the market guy came in with that nice outfit compared to the other days and asked her if it's okay to court her there. Anne never experienced how to entertain or answer guys like that.
She immediately answered, " No! I don't want to be courted. I'm still young and I am not ready for it. I thought you liked my classmate. And I didn't expect this!"
The guy still tried hard to convince her but to no avail. Yet he still insisted to give him a chance and he promised to be back the next weekend.
Anne was so irritated until the guy decided to leave later on.
And there he came again the next week, as her mother called her, she answered back that she was still asleep and just told the guy to go away. But her mother came to her and told her to just face the guy formally.
Anne kept on stomping her feet as she went out and faced the guy without minding anything, whether her hair flew left and right or whatever her face was.
She never changed his worn-out clothes. She bravely faced the guy and told him,
"Leave me alone! How many times did I tell you that I don't like you. I don't want to be courted and I am still young. I am still studying!"
The guy with the saddest face bid mercy to her, to give him a little chance to prove that his intention was serious to her. But Anne, still as firm as before, cannot be swayed by anything. She tried everything, pushing him more to leave. And at last, after a long time, though hesitant, the guy left with such a sorrowful face.
He seemed a good guy, with that rounded handsome face, having that slight cute dimple when he smiled, a fair skinned one and got some height too but Anne was so childish that time. He was already studying in college that time, while Anne was still in High school. She couldn't see nor appreciate anything, she cannot force what she felt, and she felt nothing to him but plain friendship only, forcing her would make her mad more. She cannot understand yet, what was that about, especially the girlfriend-boyfriend thing and she cannot try it to him, she cannot play anyone's feelings or just use him as a play thing knowing she felt nothing towards him.
She thought he won't persist anymore, that it was the last time he would go to her but actually, she's wrong.
The guy still persisted to try again and this time, he brought his companion already, a man older than him and much older than Anne.
The guy wore such good attire, a formal one, he looked so handsome but it didn't work for Anne.
The same scenario happened, the guy could never move Anne even a little bit. Anne was so rude this time and super annoyed, a typical childish one.
And before the guy decided to leave, he asked Anne for a picture of her, even a little picture of her as his remembrance but Anne couldn't give it, yet he begged for it again and again, until he pleaded for mercy with that teary eyes.
Irritated Anne gave her a small ID picture but it's a very blurry one that can be vaguely seen. And he just gladly received it without any complaints. It was so unjustifiable, but Anne was still inexperienced to respond to that kind of courting situation. That kind of thing was out of her mind, and she never expected that guy would court her, she wanted him to become friends only but the guy expected too much. Anne was so kind in treating others, even the boys but she never expected some of them would find an opportunity like that. She treated the boys and girls the same, kindly, as plain friends except for those courtship matters. If she didn't want something, she really didn't want it, she doesn't want to play on anyone's emotions. But she never knew she had hurt that guy deeply but she had no choice but to become straightforward (as always) and directly told him she didn't like him as a boyfriend.
Then, she saw that the guy went to the bridge near the house, He stayed there for a long time, looking below down the flowing river and he was accompanied by his male friend earlier. He was staring through space and would stare down the river from time to time, with that pitiful emotion. His friend was holding his shoulder and Anne couldn't hear anymore what they're talking about and she didn't care a bit. The other older guy seemed consoling him about it, and they couldn't be heard anymore from where Anne was standing.
After that, she hadn't heard anything from that guy anymore since that day and the guy couldn't be seen anymore even in their stall in the market. Even his shadow was totally gone from their place and she has no intention to know his whereabouts whatever it was. He just disappeared out of nowhere and she had no idea where he went since then.
In school, one day a newly transferred boy came, Anne and Trecy were one year ahead of him. That boy was Trecy's neighbor, she introduced him to Anne, his name was Jeffry. He's quite good looking too, fair-skinned, and has an average tall body. But for Anne, no one could compare to Allan, his crush, though Allan was shorter than Jeffry. Anne was ahead of them one year, while Jeffry and Allan were classmates in the same year and section.
Jeffry and Allan were very opposite. Jeffry liked to talk, and didn't join in different extracurricular activities like dancing or singing. But he's an altar boy, a semi-religious one. Trecy and Jeffry were so close, they always met along the way and talked even in a short time since they lived near each other. Since Trecy and Anne were best friends, Anne was there too everytime. She just smiled beside Trecy and Jeffry always has ways to join Anne in their conversation.
That was their usual way in school, until one time, Jeffry courted Anne. Anne had no idea what was the feeling of being in a relationship and what to do during courtship, it's her first time ifever to entertain this guy, her schoolmate. She had no idea it would come to a point like this. She had once crushes but those never courted her because she's the one who always avoids them all. Jeffry wasn't her crush, she just entertained him because he's Trecy's friend. Jeffry did everything to get her, he wrote a love letter to her and was always there waiting for Anne at the end of class.
Anne never told anyone about it even to her best friend Trecy that Jeffry kept on sending love letters to her.
After months of courtship, Anne got a little sympathy for Jeffry, she felt some special feelings for him. He knew how to entertain really and to talk things. Anne came to realize she never experienced what's like to have a boyfriend like the other girls in her school who were always dating, she's almost graduating that year in high school. A bit of excitement came to her mind and she decided to just accept Jeffry as a boyfriend for the first time, why not try it (as spoken by her mind).
Anne and Jeffry were sitting on a bench one time and just sat there in a moment of silence. Then Jeffry asked her again, after many times, if she's willing to give him a chance. It's like a repetitive word she had heard from him every time they would meet, starting the day he asked for her acceptance. So she just answered, "Okay, yes, I will give you a chance."
Then she just left in a spur of a moment, she couldn't express anything or she didn't know how to tackle it or face it the first time. She was so shy to express what she felt, actually she didn't know what she's doing, she just went with the flow and then boom, there she accepted him!
It's just like that, and they were on. Then after that, Jeffry would always wait near the gate of their school every afternoon. Since he's an altar boy, he just stayed there in the convent of the school priest administrator of the school, near the gate of the school. Their usual routine was that Jeffry would go with her until she arrived home.
Trecy didn't know it until one day Anne had told her everything. She couldn't see Trecy's reaction, they were standing side by side in the corridor at the 2nd level of the school. She just quietly nodded and just smiled a little. Then, after that, Anne just focused on her study and ignored her longtime crush, completely. She had accepted Jeffry already and didn't want to betray anyone, any longer.
Anne and Jeffry's relationship seemed a plain friendship only, it didn't reach to such an intimate level. Jeffry was a very nice guy, he seemed so respectful towards Anne, respecting her too much that even holding her hands he could barely, rarely do. They were so formal with each other whenever they're alone. Anne could hardly find a topic for their conversation, so they just fell silent every time until they separate ways. Jeffry wanted to go to Anne's house but she never allowed it. She felt so awkward about it and didn't want to display it to everyone except in school where it cannot be avoided from anyone's gaze since everyone's all there.
The last quarter of the school year came, Anne had a boy seatmate named Harry. Since they were so close in the seating arrangement, Anne tends to talk to Harry casually about anything even her feelings about a certain subject or people until Harry fell for her but she didn't know it at firsthand. Harry was the student assistant of all the teachers in school. He was so diligent, behaved, quiet, smart as well and fond of talking in English. When Anne got sick, Harry immediately gave her medicines from their school clinic, he was so caring and thoughtful about her. He always brought her free food and would always ask her everything but Anne had no idea about his feelings for her.
Until one time, it's their computer class, Harry was the assistant of their Computer teacher. He was adept in everything even in computer programs, he's the one in-charge to arrange the computer class before all the students came in. He was trusted by most of the teachers in everything. As Anne was about to open her computer in front of her, the screen suddenly popped out with glittering running words and the running words shocked her,
"I LOVE YOU!!! I LOVE YOU!!! I LOVE YOU!!! I LOVE YOU!!!! I LOVE YOU!!!!"
Everyone laughed out loud even their teacher, except Anne, she was in her disappointing face as usual when it came to guys who wanted her. It seemed they never asked for her permission to like her especially when they treated them as plain friends only.
And then their teacher flew some meaningful words that seemed indirectly pertaining to her.
"The other girl there, just accept him already and it will be alright!"
Then, they just laughed, everyone's laughter was echoing in the big classroom at that computer class time.
She then ignored it and didn't want to entertain it anymore. She still had no idea who it was.
They then returned to their classroom after the computer class. It's Anne's group to do the cleaning in the classroom. As cleaners day, they needed to polish the floor and wipe the dust in the window's jalousie. They had finished cleaning already and polishing the floor, and it's time to go home, one by one, each went away. However, Anne was still preparing her things and she hadn't noticed that everyone had left already.
When she had finished packing her things, she went straight to the door and found it closed already.
She tried hard to push it out, to open the door but it never moved at all. She was terrified, she was locked inside. She shouted for help and she saw Harry outside through the window, smiling. And later on, she realized that he's the one who locked the door.
She asked for his help but he just smiled and didn't even reply to her. It seemed he had planned it all along to lock her. He seemed to have planned to do something which Anne had no idea about. There, she felt so angry already that Harry denied he had any key for the door lock. Their computer teacher, a male in his twenties came, but he just laughed at them and gave her a meaningful look as if teasing both of them. The teacher just told Anne this, " Just accept Harry..." And he just went on, as if a passerby with that lingering laughter.
Their teacher just went away, Anne just watched him passed by through the window. Anne finally realized that Harry got some special feelings towards her, and finally realized that he's the one who made that " I LOVE YOU" glittering running words on her computer screen.
Anne begged Harry to let her out for such a long time. Harry was so hesitant, but as he saw that Anne was in tears already, he decided, then, to open the door.
Anne felt so relieved as he opened the door at last. But she immediately fled away without saying anything towards him nor bidding any goodbye or saying thanks to him. She's so angry at him by locking the door.
The next day, she really ignored Harry all the time. Every time she saw that Harry intended to go towards her, she abruptly changed direction and always avoided crossing their paths.
One time, someone gave a letter to her, it was from Harry. It was a long letter, and fluently written in English. Anne read everything till the end, and in the letter, Harry confessed her feelings to her but he didn't want to become a third party to anyone, to be a cause of Anne and Jeffry's break up. He admitted he fell in love with her and didn't want to continue pursuing her anymore knowing she had a boyfriend already. Harry wrote well with such flowery words and she appreciated his writings but she had no feelings for him even a bit but only a plain friendship as her classmate only.
And one day, another girl came rushing towards the door of the classroom. She was the best friend of Jeffry named Gina. She had that unique beauty, slender body, dark-skinned, long black thick shiny hair, with dimples on her face and a very nice voice, one of the singers in school. She was making a scene outside of the classroom and shouted Anne's name.
"Where's Anne?! I need to talk to her!" With the irritating loud voice, she yelled.
Anne had no idea about it and there she knew that Gina had feelings for Jeffry. And according to her, Jeffry never told her about Anne and she had no idea that Anne and Jeffry were on already. Anne didn't entertain her and just left her there shouting outside. She just stayed on her seat as if nothing had happened. She didn't need to explain it to anyone and she didn't owe her explanation nor there's a need to ask permission from her when she already had a boyfriend.
According to Gina, Anne snatched Jeffry from her, but in truth, they were only best friends. Gina couldn't accept the fact that Jeffry had courted Anne behind her back and she wasn't informed by Jeffry about it knowing that they were meeting and talking from time to time. Jeffry had treated her as a friend but Gina expected beyond friendship. Then everything had just passed, gradually. Gina eventually fell silent though with hatred deep in her heart against Anne.
Then their graduation came. Anne first left the school while Jeffry was still one year below her. Anne bade farewell to Jeffry since her parents sent her away to college in the city, which was almost three hours away from there through a fast running bus.
Anne stayed in the city with her relative, which was a priest. Since she graduated as Class Valedictorian, she was automatically accepted as Scholar in one of the top religious universities in the city. As days went by, she barely received any letter from Jeffry. And she hadn't received any news from him.
So as she returned home one time, she visited Jeffry in school and they talked seriously in the church. She decided to end their relationship and told Jeffry that they should focus first on their studies and have to finish school first. Jeffry was so hesitant at first but he couldn't do anything but to accept Anne's decision.
Anne left him inside the church without looking back.
As she arrived home, she felt a little piercing pain in her heart by ending their relationship though it's not some kind of serious boyfriend-girlfriend relationship really but more of having a boy best friend only. But she left with no choice but to end it, since they're far from each other, and had no communication at all.
About Gina, Jeffry's best friend, Anne confronted her after a few years (to make the story short). She had done some terrible things to Anne, it was a mysterious thing that ever happened to Anne that cannot be explained by Science.
In a rented house, Anne couldn't sleep even a minute at night and there she had heard so many things during the night. And one of her friends helped her to find a healer for her. The healer told her that she had been bewitched by a girl and all she needed was to pray only since she had made no wrongs to her. It came to her mind that the exact description of the girl was Gina. And decided to confront her when she got time, and she'll find time really for her to resolve her current misery.
The faith healer advised Anne to pray every night before sleeping and kept ensuring she had a companion beside her, but her companion should lie down in opposite direction from her while sleeping to prevent the attack of the evil ones. She obeyed that and asked the help of one of her roommates, named Shella. Luckily, Shella was an understanding type of girl, and she's the one who helped her as well in that rented house whenever she had no food or school allowances. Shella helped her all the way, every night until she recovered. She always kept on helping her all throughout especially in terms of food, and giving her true friendship in that rented small wooden house until she finished college (they were both working students that time in the same university).
Then, it's off days, Anne went home to see Gina in their hometown. She looked for their home by asking anyone there, and upon meeting each other, she just greeted her as a normal friend. She never mentioned anything, and Gina abruptly asked about Jeffry as soon as they talked. And Anne directly told her that she and Jeffry already broke up. They talked to each other well, and she saw that Gina was already smiling upon hearing that. Then, they talked as if they were already on good terms after that. Anne never mentioned anything about her problem that she couldn't sleep and the cause was her according to the Faith healer. She just went home after that without confronting her anything, she couldn't bring it on the table, and for her, it's not seem worth mentioning anymore. As they kept on saying, "Let bygones be bygones!", since they seemed alright already.
Thereafter, Anne could sleep well finally after those many weeks of lack of sleep and disturbing nights. She hadn't heard any unusual things anymore during the night, then she realized that the healer was indeed telling the truth. There's nothing to lose really, to just believe in some unexplainable strange things and to resolve conflicts or little misunderstandings immediately, to just settle everything by confronting directly that person, in such ordinary peaceful ways.
After all that, she received no news at all from all of them, even from Harry. And one of her friends, told her that Harry left their hometown and went somewhere to a far place just to forget everything, especially Anne. He went to a different land, which was so far away, a distance separated by wide oceans and vast lands.
(10th February 2019 1958H Sunday)