I never mistreated him. In fact, I was good to him… somewhat. It’s just that I was annoyed by how innocent he was when we were toddlers. We were always bullied by the older kids, and being a girl, I couldn’t really defend myself. When Japen was around, the bullying got even worse. They always mocked Japen for being weak back then, and during those times, Japen would cry. And that sticky thing? Uh, gross.
That’s why I always pushed him to do better, to be stronger. I would hit him, scowl at him, and slap him. I thought what I did was for his own good, but I was wrong. Japen became afraid of me. I even remember it took him three days before he came close to me and walked me home.
But now, I couldn’t see any of that. All I saw was a tall, dark-skinned, strong man in front of me. His face resembled that of a grown man, and there was a slight playful smile on his lips.
He let go of my wrists. Quickly, I hid my hands behind my back and stepped back. He raised an eyebrow at what I did but just smirked and looked away.
“I’ll just cook something real quick. Sit at the table,” he said and turned away. He walked towards his small kitchen.
I took a deep breath. Stepping closer to the table, I grabbed the plate with the dark fish. I threw it out the wide-open window. That’s when the air inside the house started to smell fresh. Good.
I waited a moment for Japen. In just a few minutes, I saw him approaching with a small plate. He set it down on the table, and there I saw the very weird thing. It was corned beef with… an egg.
“What’s that?” I whispered.
“It’s more decent than what you threw out,” Japen retorted. He sat across from me and resumed his interrupted meal.
I glanced at the corned beef on the table, but because my stomach was growling, I took a portion and ate. We were quiet for a few minutes, and I finished first. I didn’t feel like eating much with that kind of dish. It tasted strange.
Japen washed the dishes while I excused myself to go to the back of the house. He mentioned there was a hammock there, so I wanted to try it out. I said my goodbyes to that guy, and he might even shout at me again if he sees me going out of the house without letting him know. Tsk. That man. Stricter than Dad.
The weather that day was good. The sun was high in the sky. I wasn’t hot because there were plenty of trees. I quickly found the hammock that Japen mentioned. It was there, hanging still. So I fastened my steps and checked if the hammock was secure. It was okay.
I sat down there and gently swayed the hammock. I thought of raising my legs and sitting in the hammock, so I slowly and carefully lay down. Once I had lain down, I saw the branches and leaves of the trees. They were closely intertwined, and occasionally, the sunlight filtered through the lush leaves.
It made me smile. It had been years since I had stared at nature for so long. Life in the city was full of uncertainties and time there passed quickly. I was surprised that I was late in the next class.
But life in the remote town was slow and remarkable. It was as if I was in a different world with a different timeline. But I knew I wasn’t.
I enjoyed the view for a few minutes when suddenly Japen’s face loomed into view. His brow was furrowed. “Didn’t you grab a blanket to cover yourself, Azora?” he asked.
I furrowed my brow at what he said, then looked at my entire outfit. That’s when I noticed that my skirt was already raised, so you could see both my legs from my thighs to my knees. I quickly sat down well.
“This isn’t your father’s mansion, Azora. Many of my neighbors really want to see a fair complexion. So tidy up and sit properly.”
I smirked. “It’s not my intention to attract their attention. Besides, if someone is a pervert, then they’re just a pervert. It’s not about what women wear.” I rolled my eyes.
“Women’s clothing adds to desire, so dress appropriately, Azora.”
“Hey, I’m wearing decent clothes. This is my university uniform, you know.”
Japen just shook his head and walked back to his house without saying a word. I squinted my eyes as I watched his figure fade into the distance. Then, I returned to lying down and gazing at the leaves and branches of the tree. Before long, Japen returned with a towel. He laid it over my legs and feet.
“You’ll be staying here for five more days, Azora. Your father said he’ll send clothes here.”
“Is he ignoring me?” I whispered.
For the past few years, Dad hadn’t been like this. He always used to tell me to come home early, especially when I was commuting. He would constantly check on me and ask if I was okay. But right now, I couldn’t help but wonder. Even though I clearly remembered what he did to Anthony, I was still left wondering why he suddenly pushed me to stay at Japen’s house for days.
“No, he said he has something to take care of.”
I glanced at Japen. He was looking into the distance at the rose bushes. I smiled. “What’s Mang Selyo doing in Bohol?”
“We have a relative who needs help.”
“And why are you here?”
Japen turned to look at me. I couldn’t read his gaze, but I knew his eyes and face were serious. “To watch over you.”
And that made me fall silent and look away. Well, I wasn’t happy that Mang Selyo was away, but I definitely wasn’t sad at the thought of Japen looking after me. Actually, I liked the idea.