Not like Us

Chapter 7

" Hey, Madam Lena! I have fresh potatoes here. Come and buy some! "

" Oh, potatoes! " Lena happily said. " Come, Bella. Let us buy some potatoes. "

Bella's grandmother dragged her to the stall where there were a lot of potatoes. " What is that for, nana? " Bella asked. She did not like potatoes. She preferred sweet potatoes.

" I know you missed eating some food from the city. Do you want to eat fries? I can make you some, " her grandmother offered. Bella looked at her. She indeed hate potatoes but she loves fries. " Please, nana, " she shyly asked. It was not in her nature to ask someone something but she really missed the fries. She looked around the area and it seemed there were no fast food chains present.

" That's is fixed then, " her grandmother said to her and faced the vendor. " Can I have some one kilo of those. "

" That would be 90 pesos ( 1.80$ ), " the vendor declared.

" Oh, I forgot to bring some bayong. Bella, please buy a bayong on the next aisle. I'll be waiting here for you. Just walk straight, " her grandmother commanded and gave her 50 pesos ( 1$ ). Bella had no other choice but to follow her grandmother's order.

She walked straight. She passed some vegetables stores, fruits stores, but she never saw any bayong. Some people were looking at her. She was new to their eyes and her fashion style, too. People in the province usually wore long skirts.

" Do you need anything, Inday? " Some man asked. Bella looked at him from head to toe. He was just wearing a sando shirt, a shorts, and a slippers. He looked like he was on his 50s. He had a big built, too. He must had carry a lot of heavy weights.

" Ah, I am looking for a bayong. Do you know where I can buy one? " she asked.

" Oh, great. We have one. Follow me, " the man said. Bella followed him since she didn't have any idea where to buy. She noticed that the people here in the province were very helpful. She just set her eyes to the man so that she would not get separated to him.

They walked passed several stores before they stopped in front of one. I

He was indeed right. There were a lot of bayongs being hanged and placed on the tables in front of her. " You can choose anything from there, inday. "

Bella assessed every bayong that was presented but she remembered she only had one a 50 pesos with her. " Ah, do you have something that would cost enough for this? " She handed the man the money. The man accepted it. " Yes, we have one, inday. "

The man handed him a bayong made of dried leaves. She assessed it and she thought it was enough to carry the heavy loads. She faced them. " Thank you. "

Bella started walking to the direction where her grandmother was. She was also looking around to check what kind of stores were present in the province. She stopped when she saw a*****e with different little cork bottles displayed on the window. She was curious so she decided to went inside the store. The bell rung when she entered the store. There was an old woman who greeted her. She looked like in an age between 70-80 years old. Her back was in a slouch and she was wearing a duster dress with a shawl.

" Do you need anything? " The old woman asked her.

Bella immediately got shy. She must had expect a customer. Would it disappoint her if she was not. " I am just new here and was curious about your store. Sorry to disturb you. "

She was about to exit the store when the old woman stopped her. " Wait, " she said as she walked near Bella.

Bella faced her. The old woman reached for her hand and closed her eyes. Bella stared at her. The old woman was so focused of what her doing.

" What are you doing? " Bella asked.

The old woman opened her eyes and stared at her intensely. " You should not associate yourself with species that are not like us. "

Bella stepped back. Was she talking about the man that she saw for two consecutive days in the forest? How did she knew about it?

" I am not, " Bella lied and she stepped back. " I should go, " she said to get away from her. She opened the door but the old woman held her hand and placed a small red pouch on her palm. " What is this? " she asked. " It is an ' habak '. It has herbs, oils, and papers of latin prayers. It will serve as a protection from different creatures. You will need it. "

Bella stared at it. She returned it to the old woman but the old woman refused to take it. " I do not have any money with me, " Bella honestly said but even if she had she would not buy it. She might be fooling her.

" It is free of charge. You can keep it but just follow what I say. Do not associate yourself with creatures that are not like us, " she warned emphasizing the last three words that she said, ' not like us '.

Bella just slowly nodded. " Thank you. " She was pushed for a little bit when someone entered the shop. " Nang Tasya, do you have any medicine for a cough? "

The old woman, Nang Tasya, was still staring at her. " Remember it, " she said before she assist the woman who just entered. She went to her shelf with full of little cork bottles which made Bella curious and entered the store. The old woman took a final glance of her before she decided to exit the store.

" Bella! "

Bella freaked out of the sudden calling of her name. She was still looking at the shop when that happened. She looked at her grandmother. " Where have you been? It took you how many minutes to buy that bayong. "

Her grandmother must had followed her. " I am sorry, " she said and handed the bayong to her. " Come, we still have a lot of things to buy. "

Bella nodded and followed her. She slipped the small red pouch, habak, on her jean's pocket.

" Nana, " Bella called. Her grandmother already bought a lot of fruits, vegetables, and other things that she needed for the upcoming holy week. They were now on their way to the car. " Was the faith healer on this town legit? "

Her grandmother looked at her strangely because of her question. " Have you met her? "

Bella nodded. Bella entered the car as soon as they arrived. " What did she say? " Her grandmother asked as she sat on the passenger seat. She groaned a little when she twisted her body to place the things she had bought on the back seat.

" Nothing, " Bella lied. " I just saw her shelf full of bottles so I got curious that was why I entered the shop and asked about that. It turned out it were medicines. "

Bella started the engine and drove off. " So? Is she legit? " Bella asked.

Her grandmother shrugged her shoulders. " I guess. I heard there were already instances that she cured someone. "

Bella focused her eyes on the uphill road. " Really? " she unconsciously asked. She remembered what the old woman said. She shook her head. Her grandmother said it was only ' instances ' and not always so she could be wrong.

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" After you parked it, immediately get inside and help me cook lunch. "

" I do not know how to cook, " Bella admitted. " Can that be an exemption and allow me to stroll the area again? " she asked. Allowing her to stroll again would not be possible again especially that she broke her promise yesterday but she found a good excuse so she would not be scolded but it is a bad excuse, as well , for it might be the reason why would her grandmother would never allow her stroll alone again.

Bella turned off the engine and hurriedly followed her grandmother. She hoped she could still convince her. " All right, I will help but can you allow me to stroll again? "

Her grandmother looked at her with sharp eyes. " You got lost yesterday. I would never allow to happened that again. "

Bella grabbed the chopping board and knife and placed it on the counter. " I would never allow that to happen as well, " she second demotion. " So can you please allow me? "

Her grandmother sternly looked at her. " No, this is not like the city. You cannot find a place to have fun here. "

" But I found something interesting, " Bella whispered. " What did you say? " Her grandmother asked. She did not heard her because she was busy cutting the vegetables. She was going to cook pancit guisado. " No, I did not say something. " Bella sighed.

After the cooking, they already started eating. " We will have an another evening prayer but this time some people would come and join us, " her grandmother said.

" Okay, " she answered and continued eating. " I would be having a meeting with the farmers after this and it would not take that long so be sure to stay in the house," her grandmother said.

Bella's face lightened up and nodded. She still had the chance to go back to the forest.

Once her grandmother went to her meeting. Bella went up to her room and looked for her watch. That would help her to not get lost track of the time. As she sat down on the bed, she felt something on her pocket. She got it out and it was the small red pouch. She placed it on the table. She wore her watch and immediately went out of her room and to the house to head to the forest.