Belinda spent the rest of that afternoon and evening with her host family. Turns out her host mom, Ms. Chaves (Rain) was married and had 3 children ages 3,6 and 8. The younger ones were little.girls and her eldest was a boy. The 3 year old adored Belinda immediately. The other two were wary,especially the 8 year old boy. Caleb was his name. He was smart and athletic for his age. he was a bit taller.than other kids his age. And he was wary of Belinda. Crystal, the 6 year old, wanted to like Belinda but she held.back and was more like an observer. She watched everything Belinda did with interest, rarely engaging her. She just watched. But Tabbie, well,she loved Belinda at first sight. She ran to her, jumped up on her as if she had known Belinda her whole life...all 3 years of it.
"Belinda, are you hungry?" Rain asked. "Not that you mention it, Iam." Belinda walked into the small kitchen like area (known as a dirty kitchen because it is partly.outdoors and uses an open fire to cook) with Tabbie on her hip."May I help?" "No. I have it. You can set the table though." "Ok"
Belinda grabbed the placemats, forks and spoons and plates. Tabbie helped.
"So,Belinda," Rain called out from the kitchen. "Why are you here?"
Belinda stopped what she was doing, placed Tabbie on the floor and walked back to Rain. She was thinking about what she should say. Should she go with the story she told her Mom, sister,Jim and Mr.Smith? No. She felt.spmehow she could.trust Rain. She really liked her.
"Well... I am here to help.train teachers...but I am.alao here for answers." Belinda.paised thinking about what to say next when Rain spoke. "Oh. Really? Mysterious young lady aren't you?" and chuckled just a bit. Belinda chuckled too, "Not really. My grandfather was in WW II and served here. He fought and he was also part of the returning troops that liberated the Philippines from Japanese rule , specifically Leyte, Cebu and Mindanao. My father came to Mindanao to.do some sort of research when I was a baby and died here, or so Mother said."
"Oh. So you are doing your own research as well as teaching teachers?"
"Yea,that sounds about right," Belinda smiled.
Just then Rain heard her little one cry. Tabbie had tripped over something and had a scrape on her knee. Rain scooped her up and excused herseld.to go wash and care for Tabbie."She'll be fine." she said and disappeared.
Belinda was left alone at the table now. She would wait for the family to eat.
Belinda waited patiently for about 45 minutes. While she sat there she recalled her mother's story about her Father.
FLASHBACK
"Belinda, he's dead! Why must you keep bringing him up!?"
"He is my Father!" Belinda screamed at her mother.
"So what? He left. He died. Get over it!"
"How did he die?"
"Oh my goodness, Belinda. I told you! How many times now!"
"Tell me again!"
"He went to research some weird crap and was killed putting his nose where he should not have. End of story."
"What 'weird crap?' Where?"
Her mother had sighed heavily.
"Belinda, don't go digging into the bizarre stuff your father was so called 'researching'. He was insane."
"What was it he was researching?"
"Stop already. He went to find where your grandfather had served and why he was so obsessed with the island of Mindanao. He went too deep off the beaten track and aales.questions he should not have asked. And that got him killed."
"Does anyone have his research notebooks?"
"Belinda, why the hell.does any of this matter!? He is deas...D. E.A. D. Let it go already."
Her mother walked away angry. einda.stood there frustrated and near tears.
END OF FLASHBACK
Someone has to have his research notebooks somewhere, right? Belinda was thinking...
SLAM! The screen door slammed shut and in ran a young man probably near eimdaxs age. He looked around frantically until his eyes landed on Belinda. Then he smiled.
WAIT! WHAT?
Belinda's mind was racing. "Y..YOU!?" she stutter yelled. He stood there with his hands ja.med into his pockets trying to control himself. Belinda rose. She walked towards the young man and slapped his face. Turned on her heel and fled! She ran out the back door,across the yard and into the thick jungle like back woods. "It was that mysterious manfrom Manila!! How did he find me?" Her mind was racing faster than her legs, and she was a very fast runner. She always had been. She loved to run. "Woo...I need to stop. Breathe, Belinda."
Belinda came to halt. Breathing heavily and now sweaty from running in this heat, she bent over and took three deliberate, deep breaths. Her heart was still racing but she knew that was more from fear than the run. Her thoughts were also still racing. "How did he find me?Who is he? Why did he run into my host famous house? Now what do I do? ...and where am i?" She finally realized she had run blindly into the jungle like woods behind the house. She had no idea where she was or how to retrace her steps as she just ran. Belinda had a very strong "FLEE" reaction. She was not a fighter even though she had a blackbelt in Taekwondo. She refused to hurt anyone. She took it for self.defense and for the discipline it gave fighter. Belinda was no fighter; she preferred to run away...which she just did and now was terribly lost. It was getting on towards evening so light was fading. She hated being out at night even when she knew where she was. This fact, that night was coming, terrified her right now.