Tale of Arcillana

Chapter 10

Cam’s Point of View:

"Half day is not enough to tour Arcillana Grand Mall." I commented. We haven't reached the third floor yet. My brother promised that we are going back here maybe next week because classes will start the next day.

"You should wake up early next time Sis. There's a lot of places we can go here in the island. Maybe we can go to the museum, capitol, beaches or clubhouse next weekends." He said providing us options.

"A clubhouse? Arcillana have a clubhouse? Wow. That's nice!" I exclaimed. I turned my head on Dark who's busy with his newly bought phone. "Hey D! You want to learn how to play golf right?" I asked. He immediately looked at me. He's been dying to play that sport before we left Manila. He thought it will take two years before he could play it.

"Yes!" He replied with excitement. "Why? Can we play golf here?" He asked.

"Nope. Not here. But bro said they have a clubhouse here. There's a golf course there probably." I said. I can see the glimmer in his eyes.

"That's great! I don't have to wait for two years. I should get a golf lessons. I will make sure I'll exceed their skills in playing golf." He said with full of determination. He is referring to his classmates back in their old school. He told me that he was bullied because he doesn't play outdoor sports. His classmates said that he's just a book smart, nothing else.

I chuckled after hearing his answer. That's my brother, when you've said something on him that he does not agree with, he will do everything to prove that you are wrong. My little brother has an intelligent mind, he can learn not everything but I can say a lot of things.

I placed the shopping bags on the floor. My shoulder hurts carrying these. I have it from left to right.

We do have a lot of shopping bags. We entered every store in the ground floor where these high-priced brand located. I am a lavish kind of person because I can afford. If you have all the means, why not utilize it right? Some are dreaming to have this kind of lifestyle. But today, I didn't spend any single centavo. I've used their cards for my shopping. And I think we already spent almost three hundred thousand.

Dark bought gaming controller, gaming headset and a phone he could use for games. He said he is going to buy a desktop next time because he only have one desktop in his room.

Back in Manila, he had this gadgets for gaming purposes only. There's another small room in his room where all his gadgets are and the wall painted with his favorite heroes. He's addicted to online games. He called it his den.

He's an indoor person because he spent most of his time in his den with his beloved heroes. Aside from playing online games, D loves to play board games and his top most favorite is playing chess. That is his sport and he is good in playing that game. He oftentimes received gold medals whenever he plays it in a tournament.

While Light, just like me, she's fond of buying dresses, shoes and bags. We have the same taste in fashion. She's just into modeling while I just want to have an aura.

And our brother, he also bought a lot. That's because he's with me. I chose everything for him and he can't say no. He knows I have the best taste in fashion and he doesn't have that. I bought him tops, trousers and foot wears.

Aside from buying everything we want to buy, we also tried their massage chair. We spent an hour there because it felt so good. It is very relaxing and it makes you fell asleep. I am at the verge of buying the massage chair because it feels great but it is not for sale. It is only paid for an hour by the customers who wants to relaxed. But anyway, I would request for it. There's no effin' way I can't have it. I am Camelle Arabella Montidalgo and I can have whatever I want to.

We are now in a bench waiting for the oldies to come. It is already six o'clock in the evening and we agreed to eat in a restaurant here inside the mall.

My brother said that the council's office is just nearby, about twenty minutes of travel. It was located in the middle of the island and it was called, Capitol.

If the mall is quite big for me, according to my brother, the Capitol is thrice as big as the mall. It is because all the offices are on it. It has a one stop transaction unlike in other places, you have travel to reach another post. It is very convenient to every Arcillanian. It makes their lives easier.

After ten minutes, I saw them walking towards us. There are five men in black at their back and two in each side. Every single person passed them bowed down their heads. They ain't royalties but the people of Arcillana treated them like one.

"Don't you have so much of it?" Our father asked when he saw our shopping bags on the floor.

"Let them Richard." My grandma said. "You can buy whatever you wish to buy." She continued. I smiled from ear to ear. She's spoiling us.

"I know that kind of smile Camelle." My father commented as if he's giving a warning.

"What?" I asked and gave him my innocent look. "Grandma said we can buy everything we wish to." I retorted while shrugging my shoulder.

"But you always spend too much Cam. At least a hundred thousand for a dress, bag or shoe? I bet your closet would cost more than just a million. You should at least value the money. That could feed thousands of families out there who suffers from hunger." He replied. Well that's true. But what can I do? I grew up getting everything I want to. I grew up with a silver spoon on my mouth. I grew up having all the luxury the world could offer. Is it my fault? Am I the one to blame?

"Then that's not my problem anymore dad. I was born as a Montidalgo and they are not. I am living the life I deserved. They could at least do everything they can do to free themselves from hunger and poverty, break the chains that binds them to it." I replied. I really hate it when people are blaming me on something that is not my fault in the first place. "And just as you know, I am not incarcerating myself to the luxury of life. Of course you wouldn't know that because you are too busy to check on your children. All you can see are the not so good doings in your eyes. Nothing else. Have you ever asked what I did right? What I did for other people to help them? No right?" I said while trying my best to lower down my voice. I need to calm myself. He's at it again. He always nag about it. We are in a mall and it is very unethical of me to raised my voice here knowing that our family is one of the families that receives a high respect and admire by the people.

"Hey that's enough. Let's not talk about it in here." My brother interrupted.

"Vonn is right." My grandma said. She smiled while looking at me. "You have my word dear. I will give you later your card." She added and winked at me.

"Come on. They are probably done preparing our food." Our grandfather suddenly said. Right, we are going to have our family dinner here.

Grandma ordered their bodyguards to carry our shopping bags. She led the way to the escalator and we followed her.

I can see people bowing their heads down whenever they see us. This is awkward. We are getting the attention of everybody. We reached the second floor and went for another escalator up for the third floor.

I thought it will take a week before I could finally reached the third floor.

"Wow. This is great. The smell were making me hungry even more." My little sister said.

I am seeing different food stall in here. And I am smelling delicious food.

"Is the third floor of Arcillana Grand Mall only consists of food stall, a canteen?" My brother asked curiously. Right, I am only seeing here food stalls.

"No. Only one fourth of the floor is occupied by food stall, canteen and other well known restaurants. Another one fourth of it is a playground for the kids. And half of it is a cinema." Mom said.

"Playground? Really? Can we try it?" Light said with full of excitement.

"You said you are no longer a kid, L." My little brother commented. I can see his favorite expression in his face right now, a smirk.

"Ow right." She pouted. "Never mind. We are going to eat anyway. I am hungry." Light said. But her face says she wanted to play.

"Good evening." The lady in front of the restaurant greeted. She bowed down her head after her greetings.

"Carmensita, my lovely Amiga." A lady in her 70's welcomed us. She had this white hair in a textured, short pixie cut. I love her blue eyes. She looked very foreign to me. "I rushed myself here after hearing that you book for a dinner." She mentioned. The lady recognize our grandfather as well as our parents. "So they are the fifth generation. Hello there." She smiled as she gave us her greetings.

"This is Clarissa Smith. She's a good friend of mine back in college. She owned this CS Restaurant. It has branches all over the world." My grandma said. I carefully looked at the lady. She's familiar. I think I saw her somewhere. "I've heard you went out of the island. That is why you missed the party last night." She added giving her attention to the lady named Clarissa.

"Yes Amiga. I am sorry I haven't attended the party. I just got home about three hours ago." She explained. Grandma nodded as a response.

"By the way, these are our grandchildren. Vonn Andrew, Camelle Arabella, the twins, Prince Dark and Princess Light." We bowed down to the lady as a respect and way of greetings. She smiled at us.

"The genes of Montidalgo." She said and have a soft laughter in an elegant way. "Come on, they prepared the foods already." She said and led us the way.

I scanned the whole place. This place is huge and very elegant just like the owner. I'll bet she loves color red because the dominant color in here is red and gold. There are abstract paintings on the wall. And every table we could passed by have a bouquet of red roses.

"Enjoy your dinner Montidalgo. I have a dinner meeting with my staff today so I get going. Until we meet again, Amiga." The lady said and kissed grandma's cheeks. "Bye kids. I have to go." She said.

We occupied an eighth seater round table. It has a golden yellow table cloth that's drooping covering the whole table overlaid by another red square table cloth that only covers the upper part of the table. The table set properly. It was organized.

"I didn't know she's still on hand with their business." Dad commented probably referring to the owner of this restaurant.

"Yes she is. She's the famous Chef Rissa after all." Grandma replies that made me looked at her in an instant.

"You mean, an international Chef? Whom I saw in television? She's an Arcillanian? I thought Chef Rissa's an American." I asked surprisingly.

"Yes dear. She lived in America for four years back when she took another course, Culinary Arts before becoming one of the most famous Chef in the world. But she stopped appearing on tv for almost ten years. She focused on the business instead, managing it." Grandma replied.

Woah. I haven't recognized her. She's one of the most famous Chef in the world. I've seen her on tv. I didn't know that's she's born in here.

"There's a lot of well known personalities who came from Arcillana sis. One of them is your favorite international singer, Krysler Thompson." My brother said and gave me a winked.

I was in awe after hearing what my brother have said. Gosh. Please tell me I am not dreaming! That I heard it right!

Arcillana never fails to amaze me day by day. I think I should normalize my lips to form an o shaped whenever I am receiving new information about this place.