Portrait behind bars

Sechs

Chapter 6

We are almost staying here for months. I don't still know why. Busy sila daddy sa trabaho and I'm stuck with Alfonso and Claire.

We barely went out, mas gugustuhin pa naming tumambay sa loob ng bahay at magmuni-muni.

"I really wanna go back to Philippines" saad ni Claire habang nakapatong ang ulo sa sofa at nakalaylay ang buhok

"Me too" and I faced palm

"Looks like everyone's bored now" rinig kong saad ni Daddy kaya napabalikwas ako

"Good thing that we decided that we will bring all of you in our business" ani Tito Emman

"Finally Dad, naisipan niyo rin kaming dalhin jan sa pinagkakaabalahan niyo" bulalas naman ni Claire

"Someone requested" kibit balikat naman na sagot ni Tito Drake while pointing his eyes to Alfonso who rolled his eyes to us.

I went back to my room to changed my clothes. I choose again a comfy outfit.

Sabay na kaming lumabas ng kwarto ni Claire at dinaluhan sila na nag-aantay sa may living room. Binigyan namin sila ng ngiti bago sumunod.

Sabay-sabay kaming sumakay sa van. Sa likod na row kami uupo ni Claire. Nagulat naman ako na nandun na pala si Alfonso at tahimik na nakadungaw sa bintana.

"Una ka na" saad ko kay Claire

"Mauuna ka o iiwan ka namin" pagtataray niya sa akin

Wala talaga akong panalo sa babaeng 'to kapag ginusto, masusunod. Napailing na lang ako at naunang umakyat sa sasakyan.

Napansin ko naman na natigilan sa pag-iisip si Alfonso nang tumabi ako sa kanya. I just gave him a small smile before I looked away.

Naging tahimik naman ang byahe namin hanggang sa makarating sa paroroonan namin. Bumaba na ako ng sasakyan. Nagulat naman ako nang bigyan ako ng hard hat pinagsuot ng puting jump suit.

"Where are we, dad?" baling ko sa aking ama

"We are here at Hallstatt Salt Mine also known as Salzwelten" nakangiti niyang saad

"Maybe you don't know that we, your Tito Drake and Tito Emman are handling a Salt Business here. Salt is very well-known in this place for about long years" dagdag pa ni Daddy

Pumasok kami sa parang cave at may trail doon. Touring the salt mine will bring you a 'thrilling miners' slide'.

While touring around, we heard the history of the salt mine. How it discovered by the salt miners at kung gaano na ito katagal sa bansa.

"The Hallstatt Salt Mine considered as the oldest salt mine in the world for over 7,000 years old. Salt also known as white gold thas was so valuable at time that an entire period in of early Iron Age became known as Hallstatt Era." pagkukuwento sa amin ni Tito Drake

"There, you can see the hands on and daily life of workers" turo niya pa sa amin. "Look" turo niya ulit.

"There where the salt is broken down into brine and sent by pipes to surround villages as it has been for thousands of years." dagdag niya pa

Again, I was amazed with the history of their salt mining. You see how every parts of it is part of their history. How they preserve everything.

"I really thought that salt can get from the sea. There is a process on how to get the salt from the sea in the Philippines. I never thought that it can be digged" manghang bulalas ko sa kanila

"Well, there are a lot of process to have a salt but here mining is popular and also salt." saad naman ni Tito Emman.

Natapos ang isang oras na paglilibot namin sa salt mining. Pagkalabas ay hindi mawala ang paghanga ko sa lugar. From the out side, you can see the trees and mountains swaying from the wind. The birds freely flew and the weather is appropriate from what I am seeing.