Not like Us

Chapter 6

" Nana, " Bella called her grandmother from the second floor. She just woke up and was still on her pajamas. She saw her grandmother already hustling and bustling, moving from one part of the house to another.

Lena looked at her. It was already seven in the morning. She was wearing a blouse and a long skirt. " Why are you not dressed already? " she said to Bella.

Bella's forehead wrinkled. " For the farm? " She looked at her grandmother from head to toe. She was still not dressed, too.

" No! " Her grandmother reacted, disappointed of Bella that she did not remember what day it was. " It is Sunday, Bella. We are going to the church. "

" Oh, " the only word that went out from Bella's mouth.

Lena looked at her again who was still standing near the rail. " Hurry! "

Bella immediately went to the bathroom.

After taking a bath, Bella wrapped herself with a robe that she hanged yesterday night. She went to her room and opened her closet. Ripped jeans, short shorts, crop tops, oversized t-shirts. She sighed. She did not have any Sunday clothes.

Lena opened her door and took a peek. " What are you still standing there? Get dressed! "

Bella looked at her grandmother. Her grandmother looked at her back. " What? "

" Nana... " Bella called. Her grandmother's eyebrows raised. " I do not have any Sunday's dress. All of my clothes are black. "

Her grandmother went inside her room and rummage her closet. " Don't you go to church? "

Bella stared at her and shook her head. " I do not, nana. " Her grandmother facepalmed herself and sighed. Her grandmother went out of her room. " Should I not go? " Bella asked.

Her grandmother peeked at her room back. " Who says? Follow me, " Bella followed her. She didn't want to vexed her grandmother. It looked like she was not in a good mood. Someone woke up on the wrong side of the bed.

Her grandmother went in a room. She followed her. She looked around. It was a spare bedroom but come to think of it, she had not tried to looked around the house. The only room that she went in was hers, the living room, the bathroom, and the kitchen. It looked like she would add roaming around the house to her agenda.

" This was your mom's room, " her grandmother said. Bella's face turned sour just by hearing the word ' mom '. " Why did you bring me here? " she asked.

" Because we will be going to borrow one of her clothes, " her grandmother answer. Bella looked at her, " No, " she remarked. " I do not want ro wear her clothes, " she added.

Her grandmother opened the closet on that room and picked a hanged white dress. " Why? You have the same build when she was at your age. "

Bella folded both of her arms to her chest. " No, " she sternly said and went out of the room. She went back to her room and rummage her closet. She saw a ripped jeans that were not so ripped. She wore it. She grabbed an oversized t-shirt and wore it as well. Just like yesterday, she tucked it in. She looked at herself in the mirror. She looked decent to go to church. She let her black hair down and put a light tint on her lips and cheeks so that she would not look pale.

As she went out of her room, she saw her grandmother who was just getting out of her room. She was now holding her wallet and her shoulders were not covered with shawl. Her grandmother looked at her from head to toe and shook her head. Bella smiled awkwardly.

" I thought you are not going, " her grandmother said as she passed Bella. She went down on the stairs. Bella followed her. " I am going. I just do not like to wear the dress you suggested, " Bella clarified.

" It was a nice dress. I gave it to your mother as a gift. What was there not to like? " Her asked. Bella sighed and her grandmother noticed it. " Nevermind. "

Her grandmother went to the kitchen. Bella saw that there were already breads and a hot choco on the table. Bella went immediately to the table and sat on the chair. She reached for the bread. It was her first time seeing such bread. She was used to see some sliced bread from the mall but not this small round ones. She observed it. There were crumbs all over it. " What do you call this bread, nana? " She cut it into two. There were a hint of green stuff inside.

Her grandmother sat in front of her. " It is called a pandesal in a flavor of malunggay, the moringa. "

Bella sniffed it. " Moringa? How can they incorporate a vegetable on the bread? " she sniffed it again. It was actually very aromatic. It smelled delicious.

Her mother reached for the bread and split it into two. She dunk the other half to her hot choco. " Try it and you would not ask why. "

Bella weirdly looked at her grandmother. " Why are you looking at me like that? " Her grandmother asked. Bella shook her head and ate the other half of her bread. She slowly ate it and gulped. Her grandmother was right. It was delicious. She drank her hot choco. The bread and the hot choco was a great pair.

" It was delicious, nana. I got full, " Bella said as they walked out of their house. It was time to go to the church. Her grandmother faced her and handed the key to her. " You drive. Since, I prepared our breakfast. "

Bella happily accepted the key. It had been days since she last drove. They went to the side of the house where the car was found. Her grandmother lifted the cover.

" Woah, " Bella said. Her grandmother's car was an old mustang. It looked classic. It was a little dusty but it really looked cool and those people who like old things would definitely be a fond of this one. They went it. Bella held the steering wheel. " This is a cool car, nana, " she said in an awe. She inserted the key and it started immediately. It looked like the car was still on its good condition. Bella smiled and looked at her grandmother. " Thank you for giving me this opportunity to drive this cool car, nana. " Bella said and made a low squeak sound.

Her grandmother just looked at her. It was the first time she was Bella this happy since she came here. " Let us just go. The mass will start soon. "

Bella nodded and started revving the car. " Guide me with the directions. I still do not know where the church was situated. "

Her grandmother nodded and signaled her to just go straight. They still have to pass a forest. It was the same forest Bella and her parents passed when they went to her grandmother's house. Few minutes later, they arrived in a small town. They were shops around the area. In a distance, she saw the church that her grandmother was referring to. She saw that they were a row of cars near the church. It must be the parking area. Bella parked the car there. As soon as her grandmother exited the car, their were already women who looked like on their forties surrounded her. Bella looked at them and they noticed her that she was inside the car. Her grandmother signaled her to go out. She nodded and did as what she said

" Oh, madam! " One of the women shockingly said as she stared at Bella. Bella awkwardly smiled. What is with them? She asked

" Is that your granddaughter? She looks very pretty. "

" Yes, she is. Bella, " her grandmother called her to get beside her. She did not want to but she did not have other choice.

" My name is Bella, " she awkwardly introduced herself. The women were very intrigued by her. They all stared at her like she was a rare thing.

" She came from the city, right? "

Her grandmother nodded.

" That is why she looks so pretty. Her beauty stand out amongst everyone. "

Bella did not know what to say. They were complimenting her and she was not uncomfortable with it but neither she was comfortable, too.

" You should meet my son. He is muscular and handsome. You would definitely like him. "

Bella awkwardly laugh. She wanted to say she did not want to but it would sound rude.

" No, you would like my son better. He is smart and he is studying in the city, too. He would be right here in a minute. "

" Now, now, " Bella's grandmother interrupted. " The mass is starting soon, we should now get inside. " It was already 8:30. It was already the second mass of the day.

" Come now, Bella, " her grandmother said as she entered the church. Bella immediately followed her. She did not want to be with the women who were pushing their sons to her.

Before they completely entered the church, they dipped their right index finger in the holy water font and perform the sign of the cross. Bella's grandmother sat on the pew in front near the altar. Bella had only a small knowledge on what to respond to the speaker in front. Her mother did not usually pushed her to go to the church with her and with that she got to only visit the church less than five times a year but here in the province, it looked like her grandmother would always bring her here every Sunday. Bella looked on her grandmother who was very focused on listening to the priest. Her grandmother laughed every time to priest threw a joke. Her grandmother was really religious while Bella was not.

After the mass, they went out of the church. Bella hurriedly went back to the car so that she would not be able to talk to the mothers in the town but her grandmother stopped her.

" Bella, come back her, " her grandmother called. Bella sighed and slipped the key back to her jeans. " Why? Are we not going home already? "

" No, we are going to buy groceries in the market. "

Bella heaved a heavy breath. " I am fine staying in the car, " she excused.

Her grandmother threw an intense gazed on her. " Are you fine letting your grandmother lift the heavy stuff? " she said to Bella. Bella's squared shoulder slouched. That was why she liked the city compared to here. In the city, she could party. No one was stopping her. She was free.

" Fine, " Bella answered.

" Madam Lena! "

Someone from their back shouted. Bella remembered that voice. It was one of the mothers earlier. " Great, " Bella whispered.

" Bella, " the mother greeted. She pulled someone to be near her. It was a man who looked like around Bella's age.

" This is my son, Lucas, " she introduced her son with a big smile. " Mom, " Lucas shyly called. He did not understand why was his mother doing this.

Bella looked at him from head to toe. He looked like his style of clothing looked like he came from the city, too. " He just got home earlier from his dorm. He studied in **** University. He will be 2nd year in college after this summer. He is a Civil Engineering student. " The mother proudly said. " And oh, he is part of the dean's lister, " she added.

" Mom, " Lucas reprimand him in whisper.

Bella bitterly smiled. It looked like his mother was very proud of him. She wished it was the same way it was for her.

" It looks like your mom is very proud of you. You must cherished her. " Bella said to Lucas. She extended her left arm. " My name is Bella Rioflorido. I am studying from the same university. I am on the same batch as you, too. I would be second year after this summer. I am a Computer Engineering student, " Bella introduced herself.

Lucas' mother smiled widely. Lucas looked at her left hand. He raised his left hand too to shake her hand. " You are left handed, " he commented. Bella laughed, " Yes, you are really smart. You noticed it. "

They shook their hands.

" Are you a dean's lister, too? " Lucas' mother asked. " Mom! " Lucas shouted in whisper and retrieved his hands. He was embarrassed.

Bella laughed and nodded. " Yes, I may not looked like one but I guess I got lucky. "

Lucas' mother let out a soft squeak. " You and my Lucas are very compatible. "

Bella just laughed awkwardly and Lucas blushed. He held his mother on her shoulder. " Let us go home, mom. " He bowed at her and to Bella's grandmother. " Sorry for keeping you longer. We should go, " he said and pulled her mother away.

Bella and her grandmother looked at each other. Bella just shrugged. Her grandmother clung on her arms and pulled her to walk to the market. " You did not tell me you are part of the dean's lister, " her grandmother said.

" You did not ask, " she replied. Maybe because they only saw her as a messed and ruined that was why they were not expecting any accomplishments from her, Bella thought.