Chapter 4
1391 Words
Arthur open palm are on Luke's front. They are in his condo, on the last floor of the building he owned, sitting on the long black couch while watching television. He sometimes stays there when he is tired of working but this time, he doesn't have money.
Luke's eyed rolled and give him a high-five, Arthur did it again and it makes him wonder why, "What are you up to, man? You are such a baby, I am not here to babysit you, okay?" he said while his brows are almost bumped to each other.
Arthur leans his head on the backrest, "Let me borrow money, Luke," he replied and facepalm.
"No way, you are not paying your debt on me. Why would I lend you money again?" He pushed his hand back on him and focus on what he is watching.
"What friends are for? Besides, It's your fault why I lost my coat and specifically my WALLET, Luke. My WALLET." He pushed his head using his index finger.
Luke throws a pillow on him and moves to another couch to sit, Arthur, can't believe him while following him a gaze on his back.
"You are unbelievable!" he shouted and went to his fridge. He picked up a bottle of beer and go back to the couch. He opened it and it makes a sound.
Luke faced him, "Do you have one there?" he asked.
Arthur shook his head, "Don't dare, Luke. I don't have groceries, you will just empty my fridge..." He stated and drink his beer.
Luke's pouted his lips and harshly crossed his arms and looks at the television, "Okay fine. I will not, just don't ask me for help, hmmmp!" he responded.
Arthur's brows raised, "What are you a gay? Damn, man! Don't tell me you have feelings for me!" he shouted and cover his half-naked body with a throw pillow.
Luke rolled his eyes on him and raised his middle finger, "Asshole."
Arthur sighed in relief, "That's good, Luke. But anyway, do you remember where is that woman's school?" he asked and trying to remember the woman's ID chord.
"No, do you plan to kill her?"
"No, of course not! Do I look like a murderer? I want my wallet back!"
Luke's mouth move as he laughs loudly, "I thought you are gonna kill her,"
"I am serious, what if we'll go to her school and wait for her outside?"
Luke puts his hand over his chin while thinking, "Well, that's a good idea but can you wait that long?" he knows that Arthur is impatient. He can not just stay and wait.
"I will try, I will try..."
**********
"Is that true, Porchia? You slept on your class?!"
Porchia heard a shout from her mother while she is laying down on her bed. Early in the morning and she is yelling at her. She opened her eyes and slowly sits above her soft mattress.
"Mom," she softly called her but her mother's face looks scary than she thinks. Her hands are now over her waist while her eyes are almost killing her.
"Don't mom-mom me, Porchia! What did you do huh? Why did you ditch your class?" she asked loudly and pinch her right ear.
Porchia's face crumpled while following her mom's hand where she is going to go with her ear, "Aw! Ouch, mom." She groaned in pain.
They go down from the stairs while she is still in her pink pajamas, she heard laughs in the kitchen, they might be her brother and father.
"Mom, I'm sorry. I didn't ditch my class, it's just that---ah--I am not feeling well," she said. She can now feel that her mother's nails are going to cut her ear.
She pulled inside the kitchen and let her go. She rubs her warm ear after her mother takes off her fingers. She pouted her lips and sits beside her brother-Patrick.
"Good morning, Kuya, daddy," she greeted them.
Patrick holding back his laugh not to hear by their mom, her daddy is just calming himself while covering his face with a newspaper.
Her forehead wrinkled while staring at them, "What happened to the both of you? Earlier I heard yo---," she didn't finish what she was about to say when her hair almost fly with a strong air from her mom's mouth.
"QUIET!" she shouted again.
Porchia's eyes widened and stunned in her sit. She didn't move and swallow her own saliva, she feels a lump in her throat and her breathing stops as she saw her mom holding a knife while loudly chopping the apple on the chopping board.
"Breath, Porchia." She said.
Porchia is catching her breath, she couldn't look at her brother who elbows her side. She elbows Patrick back and he silently groaned. She nibbles her lips when her mother throws a glare at them.
After they have eaten breakfast, they can finally breathe freely. She has to take a bath fast or they will come to school late.
"Porchia, faster! I have class at 8 AM!" her brother shouted while knocking on her door.
"Yes, I am done!"
"I'll wait for you outside!"
"Okay!"
She goes out of her room without combing her hair. She runs downstairs and slows down when she saw her mom waiting for her at the door. Her heart started to jump, she doesn't want to be yelled at again.
"Bye, mom," she said and kiss her cheeks. She was about to go when her mom spoke.
"Porch," she said in a calm tone.
"Mom, I'm sorry! I will not do it again..." She replied even if she don't what her mom will say.
Her mom laughed at her and eventually composed herself back to a fierce one, "Don't do that again, you are graduating student, Porch. Always keep that in mind."
Porchia nodded and kiss her dad's cheeks when he saw him coming.
"Yes, mom. Bye, I love you both." She waves her hand from side to side before going out of their house. Patrick is waiting for her outside the gate. Porchia's family is not that rich, they are not poor either. They owned a milling factory, they milled corns, starch, and even sugarcane.
They are in the middle of the way when Porchia speaks, "Mom is scaring, Kuya. I thought she will kill me." She commented. She opened the car's window and place her chin above.
"You made her mad, Porch. I tried to wake you up many times but you are dead asleep..." He stated and laugh. "You even make me carried you," he sighed and shakes his head.
Porchia pouted her lips, "She is like a monster, her mouth seems to have a fire when she is shouting," she replied and laugh.
Patrick's laugh becomes louder, "You know mom, don't make her mad."
They become silent as she closes the window. They are almost there in their school. She gets her back and wears it. The convoy on the black car, it's slow like finding a parking space. Patrick buzzed his horn.
"15 minutes and I am dead," he whispered. When the car finally has its space. Patrick entered have beside it.
"Let's go, Porch." He opened the door on his side and get out.
Porchia finally out from the car and stared at the car they are following earlier.
"Do you think she is studying here?" she heard someone ask.
"Yeah, her uniform that time is the same with their uniform here."
Her eyes widened when she realized that on the next car was the man she encountered in the cafe. They are wearing their usual formal garments. She ducked and covers her face with the book.
"I will kill that woman!" he shouted.
She was startled and run while shutting her eyes.
"Porchia, what are you doing?" her brother asked. She sticks her body on his brother's side and hides her face. They will go to walk in their front.
"Shh...Kuya, please cooperate."
"Did you ask her name?"
"No, I didn't," Luke answered.
"Excuse me!"
"Oh s**t!" she whispered.
They stopped, "Are you talking to me?" Patrick asked while pointing himself.
"Kuya, let's go. We are late!"
"Come here, man. We will gonna ask you about someone for a minute."
She pulled him when her brother moves to walk towards them.
"Kuya!"
- Writer
