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1031 Words
The day ends for the both of them and they settle down at the man's place. Lito looked around as they walked towards his apartment. It wasn't that far from the station where the buses were left for the night and it wasn't looking great either.
Lito looked around as they entered his place. It was messy, it was a wreck.
Lito wasn't used to this setting. He was used to where he was from. A simple wooden house that was quite elevated from the ground. The man's place was rather weird for him. It was all cement and for Lito, it just wasn't his type.
"I'm not gonna tell you to make yourself at home." The man says.
Lito feels quite confused since he's used to being welcomed at every house he goes to back in the Philippines.
He nods as he couldn't really do anything about it. He's thankful for the roof above his head at least.
The man proceeds to make him sit down at his couch. It was filled with hot cheetos and snacks that were slowly rotting. Lito wiped it all out before he sat, though he didn't know what it was.
"Do you eat pizza? Fries? Burger?" The man opens his fridge.
"Sorry but, what are those? " Lito asks.
"Just try it." The man takes out some pizza out and microwaves it along with some fries.
Lito was fascinated by the microwave. He was amazed on how it lit up and how it spun.
"What's this thing?" Lito approaches the man.
"Its called a microwave. It heats things up." The man seemed tired.
"Oh, I see. What about that one?" Lito points at something.
"Fridge. It's the opposite of a microwave." The man takes the pizza out as the microwave makes a sound.
"Let's eat." He goes to the table.
He pulls out a stool and one other chair. Lito sits down as he does too.
He starts eating but Lito just stares at him plainly. Lito knows people thank the food before they ate, but this guy, he just gobbled it all up.
Still Lito shook it off and did his prayer before eating and after that, he hesitantly takes a bite at the pizza.
"Go on, it won't kill you." The man laughs.
Lito swallows his saliva and picks it up. He takes a small bite, and he immediately didn't like the taste.
His tastebuds weren't used to the sauce nor the cheese, the bread was forgiving but everything else was a bust for him.
He didn't want to offend the man though so he politely grabbed a few pieces of fries.
He tried it out and he liked it, at least. The flavor was suitable for him because it was plain with only salt.
It was the only thing he had for dinner.
"So how do I live here now?" He asks the man.
"You find a job, and get one apartment too." He instructs.
"Where would I find that, and nevermind, what should I call you?" He drinks some water.
"I go by different names, depending on the country. If it America, then call me Tom, but in the Philippines, I'm Canor." He replies.
"You sleep at the couch, and you should go out to find a job tomorrow." He stands up.
He takes the dishes and piles them on the sink.
Lito just does as he's told. They soon head to bed but Tom, or as Lito would call him, Mang (A filipino term referring to men older than you or just to show respect) Canor, stays up to watch the TV. He plays some basketball in a volume, but Lito was tired enough to fall asleep in a few minutes.
A few hours later, Lito wakes up. He looks around and sees Mang Canor asleep already. He woke up due to the fact that he was uncomfortable in the soft cushion of the sofa. He was more used to wooden beds and even sleeping on the floor, so without hesitation, he takes out banig (a traditional Filipino mat where people sleep) and lays it on the floor. The tiled floor was cold, unlike the bamboo floors they had in their bahay kubo (traditional Filipino house) yet it was better than the couch for him.
He wakes up with a sore side as it was too cold last night. He looks around and he feels a bit dreamy still. His ear searches for the shoujd of the roosters, but all he could hear was Mang Canor snoring.
He didn't know what time it was, and he couldn't go outside since the door was locked. He sits on the couch after he keeps his sleeping mat.
Lito was used to waking up early, just like when he was at home.
He waits, and waits, and waits. It took a few hours before Mang Canor woke up. So while he was waiting, he figured he'd try to look for stuff to tell the time in the apartment. He was careful not to wake Mang Canor up, nor touch anything. He then finds a window, but to his dismay, it faced a wide wall, so he couldn't see anything. He also didn't know how to open it.
He was bored as he returned to his seat, yet he couldn't do anything. He grabbed his bag and looked at what he had. He realized he still had some snacks that his mom made for him. He was overjoyed as he opened each one. He decided not to eat all of it since he might want to eat it later.
He took a bite and the nostalgia of his home fills his head. He knows he has a lot to learn of this new world he's in, and he'd probably take a while to adjust with his new surroundings.
He wonders how he'll do in his new job, would he even fit in? He sighs as he thinks of it. He admits he wants to go back, he misses everything he had.
The day soon started to grow brighter as Lito was filled with confusion again. How would he do in this modern world?
- Writer
