QUITS

Chapter 3

"Mom! Can we go to the park?" A young Lalisa Manoban rushed to her mom's side, tugging the hem of her shirt in attempts of grabbing her attention from someone she had been talking for minutes on the phone.

"Excuse me, give me a minute." Her mom mumbles before she mutes the call, she then pats Lisa's top head. "I am sorry sweetie. Mommy has a lot of things to do, so Mommy can buy you lots of toys."

Lisa shakes her head. "But I don't want toys! I want Mommy and Dada to play with me."

Her mom sent her an apologetic smile before turning her face at Faith who immediately goes to Lisa's side to pick her up. "No! Faith, put me down. Please mommy!"

Lisa's mom leans in to land a kiss on her cheek before patting her head again. "You can go with Faith."

Faith nods, carries the struggling and whining Lisa out of the room. "Now now Tiger. Let's go to that park you were saying. We'll bring Johnny and Ben with us."

Lisa stops struggling and whining not because of what she just heard but there's absolutely no chance she's going to get what she wants again. She may be just 8 years old but she's smart enough to understand things that kids her age may not understand.

Her parents have no time for her. Obviously. She thought she's going to spend lots of great moments with her mom and dad when they flew out to this country that she forgot the name — she was damn excited about this trip but no, her mom has been on her phone all day and her dad is nowhere to be seen.

She sighs, crossing her arms against her chest as she sulks. The driver, Ben and her personal guard, Johnny could only stare at her through the rear mirror. Lisa practically grew up with them being her playmates and her parents, it sucks. She just wants her parents' time to play with her just like her other friends have back in Thailand.

She wants to show her parents that she finally knew how to twirl without slipping, she finally knew how play Twinkle Star using flute without going out of tune, she finally memorized one tongue twister without fumbling her words, she finally ranked up to purple belt on her taekwondo classes.. she finally knew a lot of things yet her parents never give a single care.

Even when they reached the park, she refuses stop sulking until Johnny bought her an ice cream because who can refuse ice cream? Once she's done eating and cleaned up by Faith, she saw several kids gathering around a seesaw and young as she is, she got curious.

So she jumps off the bench, surprising the three guardians. "Where are you going?" Faith asks her.

She turns her body just a bit. "There. That seems fun."

Faith smiles. "Okay, don't get too far and remember, don't punch someone."

Lisa lets out a toothy grin. "I won't." And scurries her way to the crowd.

"I wish they could at least spend like 5 minutes of their time." Ben says, eyes never leaving the running Lisa.

Faith sighs. "I wish the same thing too."

"That kid needs a parent." Johnny says.

"That's why we are here because her own can't."

"You know it's different." Ben continues.

"I know but as long as she has us, everything should be okay."

"You love that kid way too much." Johnny replies.

Faith chuckles, immediately smiling after seeing Lisa laughing while being chased around. "That I do."

Lisa sits on one of the empty swings when she had enough of running and chasing around. Her young mind couldn't remember when was the last time she had this kind of fun, it's exhausting but fun nevertheless.