In the middle of a dark forest, a woman is running frantically. She has just left her lover in the hands of a grisly monster. The monster she is running from is enormous, has strong jaws, hundreds of tiny upside cone teeth, and is incredibly fast on its feet. After running as hard as she could while crying from all the deaths that come before her, she was shone with a bright light. A rescuer helped her immediately, while a group of uniformed men came forward to use their equipment to blast the head of the monster.
"Well, I've never seen a movie like this. It's hard to predict what is about to happen", I lied. I've seen a bunch of commercially made movies like this. A bunch of kids hanging out and about to have the best time of their lives. In the end, only one or two will survive which could have been avoided if they listened to a local to stay away from that side of the town.
The movie rolled its credits, I stood up from the sofa where I was sitting, the crumbs from the crackers I ate earlier began to fall. There I would see my grandparents uncomfortably had fallen asleep, my guess their eyes had been close not even within the middle of the film.
"La, it's getting late now. The movie just ended. Come on, let's all go to bed please" I said. I also tapped my Lolo which he immediately responded to and stood up straight away. For the summer of my last year being a high school student, I asked my parents if I could take a month's vacation at my grandparent's house. In my whole life, we've been just here for a week on holidays and summer breaks then spending the whole breaking our small town.
Tomorrow, my Mama and Papa will come and bring me home. I wasn't excited to go home yet but a week was left till the school year starts. I had to catch up with my friends, Sonja and Blessi. I can't wait for them to see my hair, I dyed it 'blonde' as it was seen on the box of the hair dye. What it turns out was progressively lighter orange, I was just elated with my new look.
I dusted off my bed and tucked myself in with my blanket that was soaked with a floral-scented fabric conditioner. My Lola came into my bedroom, kissed my forehead, and said, "Goodnight and sweet dreams, apo!" I smiled before she went and closed my bedroom door.
"Goodnight, Lola, and Lolo. I love you!" I shouted.
After that, I can't remember anything. I must've fallen asleep instantly as I closed my eyes. All I see now is sunlight shining through my windows, birds tapping to a wooden foundation of the house and my name being called downstairs.
"Nana!! Nana!!", my grandfather exclaimed. He's a bit cheerful today, perhaps it has something to do with me going home. Ha! Ever since I came here I've been watching over what they eat, forcing them to exercise, and controlling the TV remote which he doesn't appreciate much. Nonetheless, I guess I am still their favorite granddaughter since all of my cousins are boys and I am the only child.
"I hear you! Just a minute, Lo," I replied.
I got up, stretched my arms, and was welcomed by beaming sunlight straight right into my vision. I shielded my face with my blanket and stepped right out of my bed. For the first time being in her,e I had an urge to make my bed, it's my last day anyway. I grabbed the hem of my blanket and folded it into two and with my pillows where I put it into my cabinet. I did go to the bathroom to wash.
When I thought that we were going to eat breakfast, I was surprised to see my parents downstairs.
"W-wait, I thought you're going to pick me up in the afternoon!" I was shocked when I saw them. It can't be that I want to have at least one more peaceful breakfast with my grandparents, just me, Lola, and Lolo. As for my descriptions, no Mama and Papa in the picture. My mood is ruined.
"Nana, It is much better this way I swear and we've just gotten into your father's work so we just pick you right up!" my mom said. Where my father was already in the dining room eating up all the sinangag. Noooo!
"FYI, it's already 9 in the morning. How come you just went down?"
"I had a very nice dream where I was solving a case side by side with Sherlock Holmes about a rich couple who was burglarized by a group of masked men and their house was left with a—"
"Do you still want this sinangag or should I eat them?", my father interrupted.
"Noo! I want them of course!" I stopped talking and immediately grabbed a plate and secured my sinangag. Since everyone looked bored it's better not to continue my story, fine then. It's not real anyway, I didn't dream last night.
My grandfather looks ecstatic loading up the trunk of our car with my luggage. I sneaked up behind and hugged him tightly.
"I'm gonna miss you, Lo. I can't wait for the next holiday." I muttered.
"I'm gonna miss you, Nana! I and Lola are sad you're going home", he replied with an unconvincing look. I raised my eyebrows and let go.
"You need to study harder this time, apo. Your mother isn't exactly delighted when she told us that you're 'barely surviving' at school," he air quoted.
"I was much better than you when I was your age and I'm not even trying", he boasted. Then, he ruffled my hair and whistled with his hands in his pockets as he went back into the house. My grandfather isn't exactly the sharpest tool in the shed in this family either.
I bid goodbyes to my grandparents for the last time. I waved my hands as I was in the window of our car.
"Bye, La. Bye, Lo! See you soon. I love you!" I shouted.
As I went back in, I turned my head back and saw my Lolo having her hands with my Lola's shoulder skipping and all smiles entering their house. I grimaced. All I'm looking forward to now is coming back home. To Awanen.
Within our drive on our way to Awanen, the internet connection became stagnant, so I decided to just listen to what my parents were listening to. My mother was talking about their work and how things are different now since millennials are beginning to swarm their office.
Suddenly, the conversation turned to me and my friends. I immediately closed my eyes and pretended the second time I heard my name being called.
"Ramona!" That's my mother's first warning.
"Po?" I muttered
"Have you decided what course you're taking in college?" Papa asked.
"Yes. I am um- w-weighing my options" I smiled at them. I saw my parents briefly looking at each other.
"Which are?" my Mama said.
"Uy, Nak as long as you're going to college, it's fine. We're here to support you, okay!", my Papa assured me.
My mother shakes her head. I know what is going through her mind right now. I know she wanted me to take Medical and Healthcare related courses, were not exactly a family of Doctors or Nurses but she wanted me to take that route. Like she didn't see my grades, yet. As to what my grandfather has said 'barely surviving' that pretty sums up what kind of student I am.
My father began to turn the conversation to my friends.
"How about Sonja and Blessi? What courses are they leaning on?" he asked.
"Uhm…Sonja, she wants to be a teacher and to go to the nearest college in town." I replied.
"Well, that sounds like a well-planned future. Specifics! I like that! my mother interrupted.
My left eye began to twitch. I just decided to ignore that remark. I leaned into the front seat and continued talking about my friends. I am more comfortable bragging about my friends' dreams than mine.
"And Blessi, she's our future Engineer. She's been talking about going to a prestigious university in Manila." I proudly told them.
I hear my mom mutter, "Well that's what Mrs. Bartolome wants."
That's so…where did she get that?
"Mama," I replied.
I leaned back as I felt my eyelids getting heavy. With the radio jocks telling jokes I keep myself by smiling as I drift away to sleep. With my parents checking up on me in the rearview mirror. And, Mama is fixing my blanket to cover my entire body. Since she was struggling and kept tugging till it reached my feet, I had to fold my body to be concealed. I am a bit chunky so yeah I had to fit myself with this tiny blanket.
The town welcomed me with a drizzly rainfall that togged the great landscapes of Awanen. The car continued to pass by pine trees, which I missed seeing the most. The weather up here is quite different from my grandparents. The summer here is not so unbearably hot unlike other parts of the Philippines. Due to high altitude, the climate on mountains gets progressively colder. Though you may think we are closer to the sun, we should feel the heat directly right? Well, on a hot summer day, anticipate it to be cooler at the top of a mountain. However, it is not always bone-chillingly cold. Even in the rainy season, the sun can keep us warm.
Awanen is located in Northern Luzon's Mountain Province, Philippines. It is a small town so if there's gossip, you can easily be the talk of the town. Expect that your fame will fade eventually since dead people are not the only ones that they buried here. The only school around here is Awanen National High School, which means my friends go to. I immediately felt a pit in my stomach when we passed my school's gate.
It was already late in the afternoon when we arrived in front of our house. I went out and finally had a chance to stretch my long limbs. Just about to close the driveway, running at a distance I heard panting noises and clamor from Ramona's best friends. One of the two was wearing round glasses which kept sliding down her nose, had long limbs and a thin figure, and looked more athletic than the other.
Following behind has sleek long black hair swaying from left to right. Has tanned skin and is short and round. She was yelling something incomprehensible. Ramona waved and smiled at them with her perfectly white teeth, she, on the other hand, has a plump figure, wavy hair, and a distinctive voice, she often heard from Sonja that she sounded like a teenage boy going through puberty.
The athletic-looking one arrived in front of her first but due to excessive shouting while running she looked like about to pass out before a word came out to her mouth. Well, Blessi isn't exactly what she looks like, she's the weakest of the three. Slowly surely, Sonja arrived, at last, at least one word came out from her mouth.
"Heyy! -"
I was excited to tell them everything from a month I left and decided to do the talking first.
"Heyy, what's up! I miss you girls." I smiled where I felt my cheeks beginning to rip apart. "Can you see my hair?" I asked and turned around for them to have a 360 look.
"Yeah, what is-" Blessi coughed. Sonja began to pat her back.
"Look, I don't specifically want to bleach my hair. So, I just dyed it where I was promised to have blonde hair right after. Instead, it gave me light orange hair, which makes my skin color pop, right?" I continued. I nodded to both of them and was waiting for their answer when I decided I'm just gonna do the talking for now. They are still catching their breath.
"Mona-" Sonja pants.
"Yes, I look great, right. Also, I felt lighter than before. I think I lost some weight, I can try out volleyball this year. I feel athletic suddenly." I added.
"Mona, that's a lie," Sonja said.
I was speechless. Well, I guess they knew I was bluffing on the last part.
"Well, you know I finished all the episodes of Para Sa'yo. I watched the finale of it I was crying so hard-"
"Elisa is missing!!" Blessi shouted.