Arise

1

When I was about to go home, there was a child wandering around at midnight. As I was walking towards the subdivision, this child was across me, 7 feet away. I couldn't recognize him, he isn't, in any way, familiar to me. It was kind of weird that he's there because in our place there is a curfew for visitors, plus the guards strictly follow the rules.

I don't usually walk whenever I go home, but there are no tricycles outside right now. I think they're celebrating something because I heard people singing in videoke's near the subdivision's gate where tricycle drivers usually stay.

I tried to look at him closely. He- no, wait, what? Oh, so she's a woman, with a barber's cut. She's wearing her uniform-I think she's in high school-maybe she's just about to go home from her school but, I don't see any backpack or even a sling bag.

"Shit!", I tripped. I guess this is what happens when I mind other people's business. I dusted my shoes off then I noticed the sky lightened up a bit so I looked up. Maybe the heavy clouds were blown away by the wind.

I took this moment and witnessed such view. "Woah, there are a lot of visible stars tonight", I thought. Is it always this beautiful outside at this time? Or is it just because of the weather? I don't know. I am a fan of the beauty of our nature, but lately I haven't been really appreciative of these things.

Lost in my own thoughts, I realized I was already at the front of our home. Then I remembered the child. I looked around, I couldn't see any trace of her. Where could she have gone?

I went inside and locked the door. The lights were off. Well, looking at this hour, they might already be asleep.

"Oh, you're home", I got startled as I heard someone's voice, it was my grandfather.

"Granddad! You scared me", I said while holding my chest due to shock. He laughed in reply.

I removed my shoes and kept it. I went to the kitchen to wash my hands. "Why are you still up?", I asked then looked at him. I saw him opening the fridge.

"For this," he poured fresh milk in a wine glass. "I couldn't sleep so I decided to get a drink", he continued.

It may look weird that he's using a wine glass for his milk but you'll get used to it when you're living with him under the same roof. He's just used to drinking wines when he was way younger, and that glass was his favorite so he still uses it.

He sat at the dining area, holding the glass dearly. I couldn't help but look at him and laugh. "Really granddad?", believe it or not, he looked like a kid finishing his milk until the last drop.

"What?", he asked. I just sighed, smiling. "What's wrong with me drinking milk, it's not as if I was drinking from a bottle for you to be weirded out like that", he said in a sarcastic way. Oh boy, here we go again. He always brings up this story, that when I was-

"Don't you remember? When you're about 9 to 10 years old, I still see you drinking from your bottle, with a tsupon! So who's weird now, huh?", he continued.

-ugh never mind. He already said it. Anyways, I went to the sala to get my bag. "Guess what I brought?" I asked him.

"What, a pain in the ass? Hahaha just kidding", ugh I hate him.

"Catch!", I said as I threw the bread I bought him, it was his favorite. He flinched but he managed to catch.

"What's this?", he looked at it, adjusting his vision by making his eyes look smaller, reading what was written. "Bo-ne-Bonete! Aw, thank you apo". He came closer to kiss me on my head. I told him that I love him and gave him a tight hug. I heard him sniffed so I asked what's wrong. "I love you, too, but can you take a bath now, you smell awful", he said. Ugh, this guy, really?

I rolled my eyes and acted like I was about to take back the bonete. He immediately took it from the table to keep it away from me. "Nah-uh-uh", he moved his index finger sidewards, symbolizing to not touch it.

"I'm just kidding, go on take a bath then rest. And I," he slowly opened the bread, " I'm going to eat this already." he said while looking at what he's doing, completely removing the plastic. I scoffed.

"Goodnight, granddad. You too, take a rest after you finish that, ok?", I reminded him. I went upstairs and washed up. Thank God I could finally rest.