Sawa had her mind full that late afternoon. She missed the colorful sunset behind her. The mesmerizing splash of colors in the sky of dark orange, yellow, pink and few streaks of light purple in the clouds. She was walking against the flow of the crowd at the sidewalk. The road was even empty from cars allowing the crowd to over flow on to it. Most of the people wore thin cotton polo shirts and sleeveless tops, had sunglasses on their heads, and was pointing on towards the view above. It was the peak of the summer vacation for these tourists, for Sawa it was an everyday occurrence in her whole 13 years of life at that island. Her shadow elongated as she went down the hill into a more quieter neighborhood. The further you go into the maze, the more narrow the road got. Whatever space there was, was filled with weeds and wild flowers at the corners of the road. Some residents put up lots of potted plants, making the pathways look as green as the forests in the hills. Balconies throbbed with bougainvilleas and orchids shielding away the laundry that was hanged earlier in the afternoon. Sawa passed by an old and small pet shop where some kids flock on to one of the fish tanks filled with the most vibrant colored gold fishes. She didn't even notice her younger brother among them.245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMDN2qOOIep
At her last right turn Sawa finally snapped out of her thoughts and stared at her moss covered house. One of the windows in the second floor was wide open.245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡI2hF89vS5P
"Sawa?" A voice came echoing to the living room from the kitchen. She made a sound in response.245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwH7FtThuLQ
"Hey," She looked up from her feet when she finished taking off her rubber shoes and faced her older brother.245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUnkwguyVNT
Again, she only answered with a sound.245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoGcwwylEjW
"How was your exam?" he casually asked as he leaned against the door frame. The light from the open door behind her reached his face. Emphasizing the deep dimples on his cheek.245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzWPuXNzVb6
"So so."245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNpwRGFBzPk
"What do you mean so so? Don't joke around there kiddo." Her brother started to tail her as she went up to her room. "Have you thought about it? Hey, Sawa. Come on." He put down the ladle he was holding earlier back in the kitchen then half ran back to tail her. "Sawaaaa~" He annoyingly dragged on the word.245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡF2OigmUaeX
"What!?" She suddenly barked right at him. He gulped. Now that he looked closer, her eyes had dark bags under them, although not that noticeable, there was a deep frown line just beside the hanging tip of her lips. But most of all her eyes looked fatigued.245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuiEpNdgDKW
"The... festival?"245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2WrNahZJkL
She sighed.245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXTOLY17Ajm
"I'll baby sit Rico."245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡn1hdqY8JH6
The look on her brothers face was brightening it made her squint her eyes, figuratively.245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡedk2bRCwp0
"I'm sorry for this sis, thank you sis." He said, he wrapped his long heavy around her in a tight hug before adding, "I'll make sure to cook your favorite in the dinner's menu."245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIVzwhMB6nX
Sawa grumbled something in her breath.245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwhrEpfOtdq
"You better be."245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtPsX1luU0y
That night when everyone had gone to sleep, Sawa was lying awake on her bed staring into space. The moon was bare at that moment. It's light darting straight into her bedroom from the thin space in between her windows. Like a white smoke in the air, but in a straight line.
After their exams, Sawa was feeling cold all over her body down to her fingers as she grabbed her pencils and eraser from her table. This is the first time she's going to do something so bold like this. For months she had fantasized about going to the festival with her long term crush, Pete. She had berated herself, did reality checks and firmly concluded that whatever one's envision about something would be would result in something different, if done in a way that is driven purely out of strong emotions such as infatuation. She has been smart since kindergarten. She worked smart. Set her priorities straight in a way like arranging cards in a table. But for once, just this once, Sawa would risk her pride in total embarrassment for this once in a life time offer. She was determined to try even that feeling of rejection. She looked at herself in the mirror several times during those times she imagined herself being with him. She didn't look so bad. She's not ugly. She may have under developed breasts, for now. Her hair had gotten longer from being a boy cut hairdo to a short bob. But she find her look too plain. Then when the month came for the festival to be celebrated, the whole town preparing for the swell of tourists in their area, including their school for some small event, it was the perfect situation to experience those confessing your love to someone you like kind of scenarios she had only read and watched before in her life. Her brother had gotten himself busy with his city girlfriend who Sawa found a little bit of a snob. In their classroom, everyone was excited to hang out since the exams were finally over for that quarter. And then there were those like Sawa, among few, who had nothing to do at home but baby sit her little brother Rico for the upcoming days.
She waited until the people from her class started to go home one by one. When it was only she, the 2 cleaners of the day and Pete's other 3 (also cleaners) childish friends were left inside she could start feeling something inside her stomach like a rope tying into a knot. It wasn't a pleasant feeling. She was nervous as heck. No one wondered why she was around, she was part of the sanitation committee after all. She pretended to fiddle with her things inside her bag.
So this is what it felt like to have time slow down. She thought to herself. As she gathered her scattered nerves and took one step at a time towards the group. Pete's and his friends were no longer laughing boisterously and were in a chat about the festival. Pete was the first to notice her approaching, one of his thick eyebrows raised in question at her. She gulped, a lump forming in her throat.
She was now just a feet away from him. His friends were now silent looking at her.
Her first words came in a gasp. She licked her lips.
"Can...uhm...Can I...talk to you... for a second?" She said breathlessly. She found that Pete was staring at her within those moments she was looking at anywhere but him. She felt it, he was smiling inside.
"Sure." He confidently said. Sawa nodded and went out of the classroom first. His friends went on to chat in hushed voices when she was no longer an earshot from them. Sawa lead him to the empty classroom from the one next to theirs. It was a vacant one and was filled with high stacks of chairs around all corners.
"What is it?" She heard him say behind her. She turned around slowly and looked at him with a tucked chin. Biting her lip she raised her face to look at him and finally said it.245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0I9fRv02hv
"I like you, Pete."
Silence.
"I-I thought about telling you, that's all there is to it really." She added. "I'm not asking you to be my bf or something. I just wanted to tell you."
Pete was staring at her with no expression whatsoever. The knot in her stomach throbbed like one big wave inside her. Sending chills on every inch of her body. Her ears were growing hot in embarrassment.
Then he smirked.
"Thanks for telling me." He said. All those wave came to a stop inside her replaced with relief. She smiled. "I find you quite pretty and smart as well, Sawa. I think you should smile more. It's just you're very boring and plain. I really wouldn't have mind if you wanted to be my girlfriend."
She takes it back. The knot grew into thorns that pricked the most in her chest. The smile on her lips seemed to be heavier to do. She can hear the grate of rubber shoes outside the room and soft voices of boys. She looked at the door behind him. Good thing he closed it when he came in.
She didn't let it show on her face. How hurt she was. The lump in her throat earlier came back, but much more bigger, threatening tears to flow. She swallowed it whole, along with the prickling pain down to her stomach. She nodded.
"Yeah, sorry. For being boring and plain."
Pete seemed to realize what he had said.245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmvW3t3jcAj
"I didn't mean it like that. I'm sorry!"
Sawa shook her head. He saw her eyes. He regretted his choice of words.245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmbekDk7rqr
"I can't help it." Sawa said before walking pass by him. He grabbed her arm to stop her. "Sawa..." She didn't look at him. The place where his hand touched her skin felt like it was sizzling. She managed to put on one melancholy smile as she took his hands away from her. Without looking back, she half ran outside the room. His friends were outside, as she expected, and were eavesdropping. The sudden blast of the door opening made them jolt in surprise. One falling on his ass.
"Sawa!" Pete called after her. She ran back into their classroom to get her bag. The two remaining students were about to ask her where the other three were. Their words became stuck on their tongue when they saw large droplets of tears coming out of her eyes.
When she woke up in a daze, she could feel the excitement oozing from the place just from the way the sun shone so brightly in her room. Her hair was in a mess and her swollen eyes were opened wide when Brian came into her room. The little guy knocked on her door first before pushing the door open.
"Hmm?"
"Leb is calling you."
She opened her arms wide at her baby brother.
"Give me a hug please?"
All morning till early afternoon, Sawa stayed at home with her brother. Only letting him go out of the house to play with his friends just a block away for an hour and a half before calling him back. Both of them sat in the living room eating some ice cream. The television was on and showing the festival behind it's screen. Rico wasn't a restless child. He merely enjoyed his ice cream with his sister beside him. It was enough to make him preoccupied. The phone rang and Sawa answered it. It was their mother.
"Sawa?"
"Mom."
"Are you all ok in there? No fights or lost weirdo's in there?"
"No, we're good. Levin is out though."
"Yeah, he told me earlier. Dear, you really sure about not going out today? There is going to be an hour long fire work show this evening. At around 7:30 I think. Why don't you and Rico come check it out later."
"Really? That's rare of you. There's lots of people out in the beach. You know how much I'm not comfortable taking Rico with those kind of places."
"It's alright, it's alright. That's why I called, since I'm the only one who got to stick with her shift, your father is going to wait for you at the shrine at 6. He'll treat, how does that sound?"
The shrine was a 20 minute walk from where they were, and only the locals ever go there for a good view.
"Alright."
"That's better. Make sure to get yourself a reward for the exams earlier. Bye~"
The call was then cut off. Sawa stared at the telephone.
"Wha-"
Later at 5 Sawa dressed her brother in his most comfortable cotton shirt. Packed their essentials in one small sling bag, locked the windows and doors before heading out. Earlier, Sawa herself hesitated about wearing the perfect dress for the occasion.
There's no one to dress up for anyway.245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqCKBHrzkjt
She changed her mind. Pete's words ringing on her head. So she went out wearing a navy blue summer empire dress. Sleeveless and ran up to below her knees. She brought along and wore the traditional head dress for the festival with it's indian-like style with peacock colored feathers instead, there were also small hanging jewelry around her forehead. Her brother brought along a yellow green light stick with him waving it around the dark, mesmerized. There were a number of people out of their homes and was hanging around the road. Fans in their hands, grills smoking from a small barbeque, wild cats rubbing themselves on some legs to beg for some of that food ,and relatives side by side each other, chatting. All of them greeted Sawa and especially her brother as they passed by.245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAtjDIrB6WU
The stairs to the shrine was steep. Sawa had to carry her brother a few minutes walking up to it. The steps were made out of old evened rocks. Ancient would better fit the term. The walls beside the stairs were coated with flowering weeds and local wild herbs. There were more people coming up when she reached the last three sets of stairs to the shrine. She put down her brother down then in a huff. When both of them reached the top, there were already few drawn blankets in the earth with people chatting in hushed tones. In there, the sky seemed to spread endless. The wind wasn't as strong that day, mostly because it was coming from the hills, instead of the ocean in front of them. Rico suddenly half ran away from her, startling her from taking in the view.245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZ4hTlXxSU0
"Rico!"245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡe0WfClVTyI
She calmed down when he was held up by the strong pair of arms of their father.245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwPb7XpM9dL
"Heyoo." He squeezed his youngest son as Rico buried his face on his neck. Her father laughed. "Stop it Rico, that tickles." He smiled at her and took the head dress from her head. Placing it on his. He then added to ruffle her hair in a mess. She groaned. "How's that?"245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡujOHkWtMKp
"What?"245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQn8DMSZ3ly
"Exam. Did you eat well at home?"245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqO4RfIPWBH
"Yeah, thanks to Levin I ate dinner early."245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ86ZEZXeQgf
"Bugger, well you need to have more space for food later. And your mother, well, some private event had been booked in the Aquarium for today. The transfer of the sardines took longer than expected, that's why Mr. Collins just asked for more help with the event."245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ65U94CJgSD
"Hmm. Defending your wife I see."245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3cnt2a7WmA
Her father laughed.245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBaXz1LKt7C
"Isn't it too early to be here? I mean, you didn't even brought food."245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2ia2SYLLCu
"Hehe, about that. I totally forgot my wallet in the car before I reached here."245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡS4K5hDqmHe
He lead them to the blanket he put up earlier. They all sat down in silence and breathed in the fresh air around them.245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQLii4bF0MT
Rico got bored later on and went to play with another set of kids nearby.245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9GQoNiawlk
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"Hmm." Sawa said with an unbelieving look on her face at something her Dad said. Her face immediately went expressionless when she saw a familiar figure nearby the shrine. "Dad, what time is it?"245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtoGDkcDRSD
"6:10 why?"245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxByx3jfMeV
"And when would the fireworks show start?"245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjWj569slvJ
"7:30"245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVL9JKLsihq
"Great. I should get your wallet in the car and buy some snacks as well." She stood up before her father could say anything. "Look out for Rico, alright. And oh, what would you like to have some?"245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGChEXnIAqG
"Anything that is allowed up here."245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1QbVFNEJEN
She gave a knowing smirk before walking away.245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKDTnos8bEB
"I'll call you okay?"245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVYEUXeedvn
"Yeah, if the line gets too long to wait."
In a beat, Sawa took two steps down at a time. Away from the place. She ran and ran focusing the numbing protest of her limbs instead of that throbbing feeling inside her. When she came to a stop, she found herself in the isolated part of the neighborhood where the empty or abandoned houses were at. The houses were all new. There were even small pamphlets about the sale and contact details of the real estate. A loud hissing and sounds of clanging cans sliced the quietness around her. A very distressed cat dashed just across her feet before disappearing in the bushes at her left. It ran so fast all she saw was it's color. A boy, around her age came running before it, halting in surprise when he saw her. He had leaves on his hair and shirt. There were also dirty paw marks on his pants. He seemed to have tried to get along with the animal.
He guiltily brushed off himself. An arm red with claw marks.
"You shouldn't mess around with the wild cats, you know." She said. He didn't seem to be around here. She never saw him before.
"I..uh... I had been feeding it for a week. So, I thought... well." He looked down at his pants and patted it frantically in embarrassment.
"I have a band aid if you want." Sawa said. Holding the sling of her bag. The boy noticed the red marks on his arm and smiled awkwardly at her.
"It's okay. That's my house." He said pointing to the one with a porch surrounded with weeds. "Though... I don't know where the first aid kit is at since we've just moved in."
Sawa rummaged her bag, took the set she have and walked towards the boy.
"Here."
"Thanks."
"I'm Sawa by the way."
"Solomon."
When he finished sticking the band aid to his arm he asked "Why do you have?"
"My little brother is quite clumsy when he walks around. So I always bring those to make him feel better."
"Are you from here? Or are you just a tourist?"
"I live here. Why are you here? Shouldn't you be checking out the festival?"
"Uh..." Solomon looked uncomfortable with the question. "Actually, my sister is out with her boyfriend. I was planning to go but then I might just get lost roaming around." Lame, I know he thought to himself.
"That's alright. I was about to buy some snacks as we wait for the fireworks display."
"Fireworks!?"
"Didn't you know?" Sawa turned around behind her, examining the angle if he can see it from where they were at. "Hmm, you wouldn't be able to see it in here that much. But the shrine is a great space to check it out."
"Shrine?"
"Yeah, only the locals know about it though, the way up there is a maze if you're not from here. Plus, the priest is strict."
Sawa could see the conflict in Solomon's eyes as he took in everything she said. She smiled.
"Would you like to see the festival with me?"
Solomon felt his ears getting warm when she said those words. He had never been invited to anything before.
"I am watching it with my father and little brother though. But they wouldn't mind, especially with a new neighbor."
Ah... right. Solomon slapped himself internally. But he couldn't help feeling excited about the fireworks and the shrine and all that. Having a tour around the unfamiliar place isn't too bad with Sawa. She doesn't even seem to be close to the ones he's familiar with back home. He is decided that she would be his first friend.
"If that's okay with you."
"Sure."
The two chatted along the way from buying the snacks Sawa promised her dad earlier. She bought Rico's favorite and her Dad's mild liquor in plastic bags Solomon helped her carry. The two seemed to click right away, Solomon didn't find himself being awkward around her. He find something so calm and serene inside her that made him feel at ease. Even down to the way she does her expressions was kinda cute. When the two arrived at the top of the hill where the shrine was, Solomon took a few moments to get a hold of the overwhelming feeling as he soaked in the view.
"Solomon?"
"Ah, right. Coming!"
He felt that tension again when he had to introduce himself to Sawa's father.
"Picked up a stray cat, Sawa?" Was all he said before handing him a donut.
"I, uh. Thanks, sir."
He thought it must be his way of accepting him somewhat.
Solomon thought for a while how welcoming people were here than in the cities. He kind of wished he had gotten to know it more before all those things happened.
"Feeling comfortable?" Sawa said beside him. She was laying down and looking at the sky.
"First time in weeks."
She suddenly sat up right and with wide eyes said to him, "Say, are you afraid of heights?"
Alright folks, imma stop right there since I'm no longer following the time limit for this issue of mine. Giving my thanks for the souls who bothered to read and check out this contest. I'm terrible at ending this at a cliff hanger-ish scenario? and I struggled with screening my words. Sorry if it seems a little of a clean cut in some areas. Anyways, their story are just part of a whole one I'm currently working on. So there's that. 245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ80oeNTnKzo
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Ciao!245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxB8ZlnHWwi
