"Hey, Dad! How are you and Enzo?" Ballsie mumbled as she balanced her cellphone between her ear and her shoulder. She just finished taking a shower and was now brushing her teeth.
"Ballsie, 'nak! We're doing fine. How was your second day there? Everything ok?" Her dad asked on the other end.
"Hmmm, is everything ok? Yeah, I think so. Everything will be ok, if you always keep your feelings in check, Ballsie." She thought to herself as she gargled water and spit out the toothpaste after she brushed her teeth.
"Yeah, dad. Everything is fine. Manang has been showing me around, you know, training me on things I need to do around here." Ballsie paused as she wiped her mouth and as she thought if she should say the next sentence that would surely appease her dad.
"Everyone is nice, even my boss is super nice." She managed to say, but in reality, she wanted to say that her boss was the devil incarnate. He was the main villain in her story. He was Sauron. Voldemort. The Joker. Hannibal Lecter. Darth Vader. He was all the movie villains all rolled into one and honestly, just the biggest pain in her butt.
"That's nice to hear! Phew, a load has been lifted off my chest, 'nak! I'm glad everything is working out." Sure enough, her dad's sigh of relief made the little white lie worth it for Ballsie.
"Ate, ate!" Someone from the background suddenly chimed in.
"Ballsie, Enzo has been itching to talk to you since yesterday. He misses you. Here, talk to him as well." Her dad said as he handed the phone to her younger brother.
"Ate! How are you? Is Manila nice? I miss you, when are you coming home?" Enzo excitedly said in one breath.
Ballsie had a lump on her throat as she fought back the tears that were threatening to fall down her cheeks. It had only been two days and she missed both her dad and her brother deeply. Her brother actually did not want her to leave, but like her dad, supported her decision to take on the job that was offered to her.
"Enzo, I miss you too." Were the only words Ballsie managed to say. Enzo had always been in her corner and Ballsie knew that in her brother's eyes, she could do no wrong. They were only five years apart, but Enzo definitely had always been a kid at heart. Their mother just passed away when Enzo was diagnosed with mild autism, so he had developmental delays growing up. He was delayed in school, so even if he just turned twenty-one this year, he only graduated high school last month.
"Ate, ate! I want to request something. Can I?"
"Of course, my love! What do you want Ate to get you? Do you want me to buy you a game when I get my first paycheck?"
"Ate, no!!! You should save your money. Games are expensive. The ones I have at home are still ok, I still play those, and I haven't got tired of them yet. If you can though, can you buy me boxers? The ones I have here at home have holes already - hehehehe, in the pwet!"
Ballsie smiled as she heard her brother's request. So innocent and so pure, how could she even deny him his simple pleasures in life.
"I promise. One of these days, when Ate can go to the mall, I will buy you how many pairs of boxers! You can wear 3 each day! Pinky promise!" Ballsie put out her pinky as she made the promise to her brother over the phone.
"Ate, you are the best! I love you so much! Ok, I have to go now because I still need to wash our dishes. We just finished eating. Hehehehe! Take care and always remember to pray, ok?"
"Ok, love! Ate loves you. I will be home soon, ok? I will be back before you know. Time will fly fast." Ballsie said as she closed the bathroom door.
"Ballsie, I have to go too." Her dad spoke as he got possession of his phone. "Your brother already said what I wanted to tell you. Always pray and take care of yourself. Don't forget to talk to your mom too!"
"Yup, Dad. I always do. You know I always talk to her at the end of the day to tell her how my day went. Ok, I have to go too. I love you, dad. Don't forget to drink your maintenance meds, ok?"
"Love you, nak!"
As they ended their conversation, Ballsie could still feel the little pang in her heart. She missed her family so much and she couldn't imagine how the next four months would be like. She sat at the edge of the guest room bed and raised her head to look up at the ceiling.
"Hi, Mom! Sorry, I was not able to talk to you yesterday. Didn't tell you how my day went. Well, you heard what I told Dad and Enzo. Please don't be mad at me, ok? I know I lied, but I had to because I didn't want them to worry about me. You understand, right? Please forgive me. I miss you so much. Please continue to guide us wherever you are, ok? I love you to the heavens and back, for all eternity!" Ballsie said as she clutched the necklace hidden inside her shirt. Her dad had given her mom's gold wedding ring to her. She couldn't wear it because her mom's fingers were delicate and small, so she made it work by making it as a pendant and wore it as a necklace.
She sighed as she got up. She clenched her fist and raised her clenched hand above her shoulder. Determined to end the day with a positive attitude, she declared with confidence, "Ok, Ballsie. Let's do this. Another day had passed, and you survived. Remember, just fight, fight, fight!"
