CHAPTER II
FIRST WAVE
While boarding a ferry or large travel boat, Ronn still faces his hometown. He barely blinked as he glanced at the location where he was born and raised and would be leaving for the time being. His thoughts are still racing, recalling the last time he said farewell to his friends, siblings, relatives, parents, and especially to Menin, his girlfriend.
"I guess you so," Rocc said, passing a glum melody to his older brother. "That's why you've been quiet for a few weeks and brother Hubb and you haven't been bullied for being dumb," Rocc continued.
"Mano, be careful there," Hubb advised his brother. "Don't worry, we'll take care here first; even with Menin, we'll keep an eye on her for you," he added.
"Be cautious there, Brother, we will miss you here," the younger siblings sobbed softly.
"It's as if I'm not going home any longer," Ronn said gently to his siblings. "Time is flying by; when I get home, you should all be well and always go to school," he continued.
"Always be careful, son, don't go hungry, don't sweat, and always pray," his mother admonished.
"Yes, Mom," he said as he hugged his mother.
He talked to Menin yesterday on the beach, which is where they always go when the sun goes down. They trace their dreams in the sand, creating the events of their future. Sad scenario, but they both understood it was just for a short time and made a vow to each other, a promise of dreams and love for their future.
Menin sadly promised, "You will always write." "Don't ever look at another woman because I'll kick and tweak you," she teased the young man. Because she knew Ronn would never do such a thing to her. He was her childhood sweetheart, so she had no doubts, and she promised herself that he was the only man she would cherish and want to be with forever.
"You know I don't deal in promises; I do and keep what is right," Ronn said to his girlfriend as she rested her head on his shoulder.
Menin exclaimed to her boyfriend, "Just!" "I adore you, Ronn," the girl exclaimed. "I've loved you since we were best friends, even if you're so stupid, I'm still waiting for you and I didn't look at others," the girl added.
"I've loved you since we were in high school," the young man said.
"Ha?" Menin asked, astonished yet smiling. But she was aware that the young man was also staring at her, and she could understand how it would protect her and keep her safe. Ronn pinched the girl's nose.
"Pretending you don't know, ha!" said the young man to the girl.
"Oouchh!" Menin screamed in pain, but his chin was weak, and she was so delighted that she forgot the grief she had felt earlier. They were overjoyed to be able to hug while they watched the sunset.
"Let's go home," he told his girlfriend.
"Later," Menin said, glaring at her partner. "You don't want to see me anymore," she pretended to tell her partner. "So, you're in a hurry to get home," the girl pointed out.
"It's becoming dark, uncle will might become upset," Ronn said.
"Leave them alone; they know we're together," Menin said. "Besides, they trust you, don't they?" added the girl.
"Of course, they believe me," the young man answered, smiling. "They are terrified of you, perhaps because they are afraid of what you can do to me, because I am still innocent," the young man smiled.
"Mr. Ronn Torpe, you've got a big face! ", the girl said, smiling. "And what am I going to do with you?" the girl inquired, smiling.
"I know what you're thinking," the young man answered, smiling.
"Why, I'm still the one who has dirty thoughts, even if I sleep next to you, nothing will happen to us," the haughty girl's heroine replied, but she was scared and excited to hear what her boyfriend would say.
Ronn fell silent and then wondered, 'What if we leave so we won't be separated, what will our life be like in the future, poor Menin if she goes through what we went through?' He disregarded the foolish thought in his head.
"Heeyy!" exclaimed the girl. The thought took Ronn by surprise. "You, you're plotting something!" exclaimed the girl. "What are you going to do to me?" she asked, smiling.
"No, I just assumed my clothes weren't adjusted yet," he said as he kissed the girl's forehead.
"What's that? Why did you kiss me on the forehead? What am I, your grandmother?" Menin appeared to be furious as she kissed the young man on the lips, stunned by what she had witnessed.
"That's how you kiss your girlfriend, not on the forehead," she teasingly said. Ronn reddened in embarrassment, convinced he was stupid. But it's fine; it's crucial that she's, his girlfriend; that young guy is significant, and he's not scared or doubtful that he'll trade her for someone else.
Ronn stood up and helped the girl to her feet as they huddled together in front of the water.
"Let's go," said the young man to the girl. The girl nodded and followed the young man back to their houses. Ronn drove the girl to their residence and kissed them goodbye.
"Be careful on your journey and everywhere you go, Ronn," Menin's mother said. "May God bless and guide you in your dream," she added.
"Thank you," the young man said politely to his girlfriend's mother.
"I'll continue, I'll arrange the stuff to bring," Ronn replied as he walked away. Menin took him to the gate and hugged him from behind.
"Hey! "I'm wondering if we've already chatted, don't make me sad, I can just kiss," the young man joked. Menin kissed him again.
"Always be cautious," she advised her boyfriend, stopping crying since she didn't want Ronn to see her cry when he left.
"OK, take care of yourself as well, and don't worry about me, I love you so much," the young man told his girlfriend.
Ronn has already arrived at their home; he will even arrange for the items to be carry to his aunt in the city. When Ronn got home, he was astonished to see that the items he was intending to bring were already in the box. His aunt, his father's brother, had ordered two boxes full of assorted wailing fish. She stuffed her clothing into the suitcase her uncle, who was from another country, had given her. He was shocked because their car was docked at the harbor, and he had also finished reviewing what had happened the day before.
When they arrived at the dock, they ate at the cafeteria before boarding a vehicle to the city where they were going. He was taken aback by the splendor of the area they were travelling through, with its enormous buildings, bridges, and flashy vehicles. In his mind, he assured himself that this is how the town is. He liked gazing at what they were going through, and he remembered where they were heading. He fell asleep drowsily two hours later; he didn't want to sleep, but his eyes couldn't.
On the very long bus ride they were taking, he had an excellent night's sleep. It is known that they pause at the terminals they pass through, and that they sometimes eat or reduce. When she arrived at the city's terminal, her father awoke her. He flagged down a cab and spoke with the driver after accepting to ride to his aunt's house. In addition, the vehicle drove for more than an hour before arriving at their destination. They went approximately 200 meters before arriving at his aunt's house. Her father rang the doorbell at her aunt's residence.
Tok! Tok! Tok! His father rang the doorbell.
"Wait a minute," said the woman inside. He double-checked that it was his aunt. She was pleased to see them and immediately opened the door, embracing them and ushering them inside.
"Kuya Ising, Ronn!" exclaimed the two. "Welcome Kuya and Ronn," his aunt added. "Wow! Ronn, you are a young man with a handsome face! ", his aunt said in awe. "Perhaps a lot of women like you, do you already have a girlfriend?" his aunts asked one after the other. Ronn simply grinned at what his aunt said. After putting down their luggage, Aunt led them to Ronn's room, where they were offered breakfast.
"Come on, let's have breakfast," she offered.
Ronn was merely quietly listening to the two while they ate, but his pupil was far away, flying back to their origin. His expression was sad, unexplainable anguish welled up, and his tears dripped as his father noticed.
"Ronn, after you done eating, take a rest first, and then we'll go for a ride," his father told him. He responded softly and sparingly. He helped put away everything they had eaten after dining, but his aunt chastised him and told him to rest in his bedroom.
He simply followed his aunt's instructions and went upstairs to his bedroom. He had no idea why he was so drowsy and exhausted, despite the fact that he had slept more throughout the journey, and he was also used to being off guard. After dressing, he sat on the comfortable bed, altered because it is different from their province which they used mat was on the pallet their bed. Unlike here, the bed is incredibly comfortable and aromatic. He dozed off while comparing their accommodation in the province to the room at his aunt's house.
Huge waves greeted Ronn's ship as they patrolled the northern region of the country. A massive wave hit them and capsized their ship, and they immediately rushed into the sea to prevent sinking. He discovered a piece of the container and created buoyancy, but he was sunk by one of his colleagues. He pursued the swim while also pulling the container, and they both pulled the pull. "Aahhh!" yelled a shark after biting his leg. He sprang awake as his father began to shake him. When he was still in the province, this was also his dream. Why do I always fantasize about it? In his mind, he inquired.
"Take a bath, and we'll go for a ride," his father said. It was noon when he peeked out the window. He had a decent sleep; if his father hadn't woken him up, his dream may have gone somewhere. He also wanted to know what happened to his dream and why it was always his dream. He made the bed, then walked into the bathroom with the towel his aunt had given him earlier.
He applied his deodorant after taking a bath. His Aunt was shaken as he emerged.
"Wait Ronn," his aunt replied as he approached his room. Leave with clothing, shorts, and pants. "Oh yeah, it's all yours." "Don't wear your provincial clothes anymore, people might mock you here," his aunt advised.
"Thank you," Ronn said hesitantly. "I'll simply change my clothing," he explained. When he entered the room, he was taken aback by the elegance of the garments Aunt had given him. He put on jeans that matched the polo shirt Menin had given him, then looked in the mirror and smiled at his shape. "Handsome," he thought to himself. He exited the room after arranging the garments. Her Aunt was impressed with his figure.
"Wow! My nephew is quite handsome! "I'm sure there are a lot of guests here who are young women our age," his aunt exclaimed in awe. "He even excelled the artists with his grace and posture, Ronn's body and excellent looks," he remarked in appreciation of Ronn.
"Let's go," his father said as the two followed. Her aunt locked the house lock when they departed. They drove a tricycle, and her aunt informed the driver of their destination. He couldn't recall the diversion the trike took, and their ride lasted only a few minutes after it halted at the huge mansion. They disembarked, and her aunt paid the driver. Her father walked up to the doorbell and pressed it.
"Ding, dong! ding, dong!" Inside the house, someone answered the intercom.
"Wait, who are they?" the insider inquired.
"Chief Francois!" his father exclaimed.
"Wait a minute, Sir," Ronn exclaimed as the gate opened, stunned by what he saw. He assured himself, 'It's definitely different here in the city.' They entered the house, which was very huge, with a vast yard and many cars. A male steward, possibly in his forties but powerful in size and dressed like a military, greeted them. He saluted his father, who returned the gesture.
"Please come in, Sir," the steward said. "I'll just call Commodore; he's sleeping upstairs." He told the guests, "He said when you come, you will be welcomed inside," and apologized to them. They were given juice and biscuits by the two helpers. The technology inside was stunning, and the television was so large that he had only recently seen it. Menin's television is large, but not in the way he sees it now. In Ronn's mind, there were more dazzling lights hanging overhead, surrounded by shimmering bottles. He was unaware that the Commodore had already descended while his eye explored. It was also elegant, possibly his father's age. The two exchanged respectful salutes before hugging.
"Panyero!" exclaimed the Commodore. "Your grace hasn't faded, and I adore you," he continued.
"You're Panyero, too, and I suppose you're getting younger and stronger!" said his father. His father introduced him as "Ronn, my firstborn."
"How are you?" he inquired of the Commodore.
"Is this your son?" quipped the Commodore. "Artist, you should put him in a movie since you're obviously get a lot of money," the Commodore remarked. The Commodore was overjoyed when they presented him with dried fish from the provinces, saying he would not trade them for any other dried fish he had eaten because they were soft, delicious, and not salty, unlike what could be purchased in the market.
"He's the one I'm telling you to join the Navy," his father said.
"It's a pleasure to be an artist," he smiled.
"By the way, Fely is my youngest sister," his father told his aunt.
"Good day," his aunt said shyly. As he gazed at his aunt's loveliness, the Commodore was still somewhat stunned.
"You're still lovely in the sunshine," Commodore said, still holding his aunt's hand and smiling.
"Panyero, you didn't tell me you had a sister here in the city and it's still quite beautiful, I wish we could have been swaying," the Commodore remarked.
"I will look after your young man; people like them need to be trained in defending our country, not to be persuaded and attracted by the beautiful words of terrorist scourge, and to waste the future with erroneous ideology," Commodore stated.
"You have a lot of rangers, Panyero?" ", he inquired.
"There are five of them Panyero, Hubb is the second, who will also graduate from high school next year, Rocc is in his third year of high school, one is in primary school, and the youngest is only two years old," his father explained.
"You're so fortunate, Panyero," the Commodore lamented. "I was not fortunate enough for my wife to have a kid, and then she vanished without ever experiencing my accomplishment," he regretted.
"You're still lucky, Panyero," his father said. "Take a look at your current situation. "You are the commander of the navy," his father continued.
"If you also follow Agoncillo and me, I am confident you are also in control of the Army," the Commodore continued, "you should not have persisted as merely the Chief of Police in your people."
"You know Ronn, your father and I will be in the army together, and if he doesn't want to establish a family, make sure he is the Army leader," he stated. "Agoncillo and I will battle together and be companions to combat the outsiders and rebels; now you will carry on your father's dream, so don't disappoint him." Don't worry, I'll look after you. "I will not abandon you since you are the son of my buddy and brother in the Society," he promised them.
"Have dinner here, and I've prepared something special, especially for my guests," he remarked with a smile, looking at his aunt. "Don't worry and I'll take you to Ms. …'s house", she assured looking at her aunt.
"Fely, please," his aunt said, smiling.
"I'll leave you here first, Panyero; I just need to answer office calls; don't worry, Ben it's up to you to handle it," the Commodore stated.
"No problem, Panyero," his father said.
"I'm sorry, there's only a minor issue at the Base," he explained. His workplace was on the third floor of the house after he ascended to the top. They were left in the large living room as the steward turned on the television and watched an action movie.
"Have fun before dinner," he invited them.
"Thank you very much," his father said.
They watched "Ramboo: First Blood," which is really stunning and a favorite of the military. They ate their snacks while silently watching. Every scene in the film is felt by his father, as he still gestures whenever a scene expresses his feelings. When viewing an action movie, troops are like that, especially when they are fighting adversaries.
They enjoyed watching the movie as though they were sitting in a movie theater on a large television. The steward offered them the dinner table. They followed the steward into the dining room, which had very good and costly equipment. That was Ronn's thought when he sat in the empty chair at the dinner table. In Ronn's thoughts, the Commodore was already sitting at the far end of the table, as if a huge family was going to consume the variety of ready meals on the table, like a feast. Only now would he be able to experience delectable dishes for the rest of his life.
"Come join me for dinner," Commodore invited them. "Don't be shy; act as though you're just at home," he urged. "Like my quintet with you earlier Ronn and Ms. Fely, it's as if Panyero and I are brothers," Commodore smiled. "First, Ms. Fely, let us give gratitude for the grace given by the Lord; can you guide us in prayer?" the Commodore added with a smile, referring to Ronn's Aunt.
"No problem, it's an honor," his aunt said cheerfully. Following the prayer, the Commodore thanked everyone and gestured for them to eat.
Almost everything presented was delicious in Ronn's opinion. He bit into the steak and found it to be tender and scrumptious. He tasted the various menu on the table with little or no push-pull. He'd just had all of it, and he was stuffed. The two soldiers resumed their story while they ate. Ronn ate more till he couldn't stand up any longer; he still wanted to eat but was quite full. The dessert salad and cake were then presented. He just took and ate a little because he was full but wanted to try everything on the table.
They returned to the living room after dinner, where the two soldiers continued their conversation. Ronn and his aunt are simply listening to the narrative of two of their experiences in combating the terrorist plagues that are destroying the county's security. Each of their stories has a painful experience, such as the death of their fellow troops in the horrific death of the rebels, whose bodies are disfigured and dumped in the wilderness once they are beheaded by rebels. The Commodore's voice was filled with resentment and disdain as he recounted, especially the narrative of his brother, a heroic soldier who crushed the body by the rebels and bulleted. As he related the narrative, Commodore's tears streamed down his cheeks, and his voice was harsh and enraged.
He'd like to hear more stories about the bravery of soldiers like his father and the Commodore, but his father had already notified the Commodore that they were going home to his aunt's house. The Commodore took them in a van, as promised to his aunt. When they got at his aunt's house, the Commodore was invited to sip coffee inside, but he declined because it was already midnight.
"I would want to accommodate your invitation, beautiful lady, but it's late at night, and we need to have rest," he smiled.
"Thank you Panyero for taking us and everything," his father added.
"Nothing, Panyero, expect what I said and promised about taking care of and guiding your young guy," he said, smiling and looked at his aunt. They also bid their goodbyes to Sgt. Ben, his driver. They opted to sleep once the Commodore had left. While his father slept in bed, he slept on the floor on a mattress.
The next day, the Commodore picked them up and took them to the Navy Base at Fort Diwa, where they will submit his papers, including his diploma, birth certificate, cedula, and barangay clearance. They were riding in Commodore's Chevrolet Cavalier, and the Base was near-by, so they arrived quickly. Because the Commodore's car was already recognized, the guards did not stop them; they proceeded directly to the Naval Central Office. When they entered, the soldiers and employees inside are all paid respect to the two high ranking officers. The Commodore summoned the Clerk inside and asked the Form for enlistment personnel and other paperwork, then presented the necessary documents to his father. They were inside the Commodore's office, where he filling up the enlistment application documents.
With the number of documents, he had to fill out, it took him more than half an hour. Sgt. Ben then assisted him in attaching his personal documents to the form, which was then placed in the envelope and the Sergeant went to the Support Command Office or the Record Division to encode his name on the lists of individuals who will participate in the training as naval personnel. As he prepares his application, his father and the Commodore resume their talk.
After ensuring that everything they required was complete, they left the Base to eat lunch at a restaurant near the camp. They returned to camp and left the Commodore in charge of Sgt. Ben, who took them to his aunt's house. When they arrived at the house without her aunt, she was handed a duplicate key and they walked inside. They thanked Sgt. Ben and gave him dried fish from the province for gratitude. Sgt. Ben was overjoyed and grateful, and he quickly said farewell and left back to the camp.
They spoke with his father, who offered him the right advice, pointers, professional behaviour, and how to interact with soldiers in the camp. Although he wanted to object, he knew his father's attitude toward decision-making, especially in matters of responsibility to the people, so he bid farewell and left for the province the next day. He was saddened to think that his father would leave him here in the city, that he would live alone and incur chances. But he encourages himself that in order to aid his parents and the lady he loved, he would fulfill his father's dream and become a soldier, this is his motivation.
Many of his aunt's neighborhood ladies came to see him in the evening. This has been the situation since he arrived, those who wanted to pay attention, his aunt is a well-known seamstress, so they had them meet her, but he doesn't pay attention to them, and when his aunt has visitors, he doesn't leave the bedroom. He is frequently home alone because his aunt enters the sewing shop and is taken advantage of by ladies pretending to be seeking for his aunt, but he never opens them and remains silent inside despite the knocking on the door.
Her Aunt's income has more than doubled as a result of the females who have become her customers since Ronn's arrival. His Navy training had now begun, so he could only visit his aunt's place once a week. His Aunt frequently came to the living room with a large number of customers, whom he disliked because of their attire. They don't care about his aunt's salary, which is far from the outfit of his beloved Menin.
"Hello, Ronn," Estela said. "When are you going to notice me?" Why are you so erratic and stuck?", she queried softly.
"Let them ignore, Ronn," Nadia advised the young man.
"Heh! Linda responded, "You're simply asking attention to Ronn."
"Shut up," his aunt reprimanded the girls. "No matter what you do, my nephew will not pay attention to you; he doesn't like the way you appear like your soul is out," stated her aunt, who was staring at and massaging their almost-out-of-their-bra breasts. After hearing what his aunt had said, he went to his room, as he did every time he returned home after training. Every month, he writes a letter to his girlfriend Menin, who is also a college student in the city neighboring their birthplace. In training, he detailed every experience in his life. And Menin, who also answered to him with a love letter, explained all that happened to her during her studies.
In the evening, he informed his aunt that he would be returning home at the end of the month because he was about to complete his training, which had taken about a year. Following their theoretical instruction, students will proceed on practical training, boarding a ship and conducting physical training while patrolling the country's oceans. Following 18 months of pre-deployment preparation and extensive specialized training, the initial training includes Basic Underwater Demolition/NAVY BUD/S School, Parachute Jump School, and NAVY Qualification Training (NQT). Because of the extensive training, he didn't have to go home to his aunt's house every time.