THUD!
THUD! THUD!
"HUFF!! HUFF!"
"GASP!"
THUD!
TAP! TAP!
BAM! BAM! BAM!
"GAAASP! GASSP!"
I've been running for a while now. Tom Cruise would be embarrassed right now if he saw how long I've been running. It is quite unexpected how fast I can run right now, maybe because of the experience I've had in my previous life.
Running against an enemy is not always about speed. The way you control your breathing. The way you think as you run. These will help you take turns without wasting any time. The only problem that I have is carrying some groceries with me, weighing me down. I've been thinking about throwing them all away.
"A few more!" I said while running in a circle from the plaza, trying my best to lose them. However, these kids really do some cardio. If I ran mindlessly like others, I might be running out of breath right now.
"Hey!!! Hey!!! Gasp! Stop! Or… or I'll kill you!!!!"
I can't hear what they say clearly. They have also been running around quite a lot now. You'll notice from how they shout that they are losing their breath.
"Idiots!! Running while shouting will only tire you out!!" I gaze at them as I run.
Then suddenly—
Bang!
"Aw shit!"
The plastic bag that I am carrying hits the flagpole, scattering vegetables on the ground.
"Shit, what should I do?"
Seeing how the vegetables are on the ground and thinking about how much I've spent on them, I looked around, wondering what I should do. Then I got some ideas. I decided to stop in my tracks and pick them all up.
I put them all on my shirt as I calmly walk toward the Jollibee store. I should have done this from the start. There are many establishments in this place with strict security. Fighting inside and causing trouble will put you in the police station.
"There's nothing I can do about it. There is a limit to my capabilities right now. Fighting 5 kids older than me won't end with simple injuries. I might even be put in the hospital again!!" I said to myself as I crossed the road, entering the store.
I rested inside and sat near the door where the guard is. The kids didn't enter. Instead, they waited for me outside. Maybe they are thinking of cutting off my way out, which is pretty intelligent of them.
"Let's just see who will win this game of attrition." That is the only solution that I have. Hiding behind someone is not a cowardly act… I tried convincing myself.
"No! Maybe it is cowardly. But at least it works."
It is about 3 in the afternoon right now. Relaxing in this place with air conditioning is good. Better than them outside, where the sun will hit them any second now.
"Child, are you going to order something?" the guard asked.
Now I'm a little nervous.
Time slows down as I rack my brain to come up with a better lie.
Telling him that I am not will surely kick my ass out of here. Then those cheetahs out there will eat my ass off. I start to think about a reply that might work to keep me safe in these conditions. I've managed to come up with a few reasons after thinking for a second.
Reply number 1: telling him the truth that someone wants to get revenge on me.
However, this reply is a double-edged sword. The guard might go outside and ask them why they are after me. Knowing that I hurt them first won't help me at all. He might just send me up to them like a cat stealing food from the table.
Reply number 2: telling him that it is hot outside and I want to stay for a few minutes to cool off.
This reply will surely work. However, it will only work for a few hours. During rush hour, the store will be packed, and the guard will kick me out for staying too long. Sending me to my death with the angry, sunburned kids outside.
Reply number 3: telling him that my parents will pick me up here and that I am currently waiting for them to get out of work.
This reply is the best I can think of. It will surely work on the guard. Kicking me out while I wait for my parents and something happens to me will also affect him, so let's just do that.
I calm myself and tell the lie with a straight face without error.
"My father works nearby. He told me to wait in here for a while until he gets out," I said calmly.
He smiled, then he moved his chair as he said,
"Okay, just wait here and sit in my chair while you wait."
He noticed that I had vegetables on my shirt. He walked to the locker nearby, then handed me a plastic bag so that my shirt wouldn't stay dirty.
Clearly with nothing to do, he started a conversation with me.
"How old are you?" he asked curiously.
"I just turned 13 a while back."
"Oh, 13!? Same age as my daughter," he said.
"She is currently in the school nearby where they offer free tutoring. You should try going there sometimes so that you can learn the lessons in advance!" he said enthusiastically.
"Oh, maybe next time. My grades are not that low yet," I replied.
We talked for a while, treating me like a child.
You might be wondering why those kids don't want to enter this establishment. Well, they are trying. They have been picking and pushing each other forward for a while now. They are scared to enter any establishment with a guard. Kids don't usually enter this place unless they buy something. Even if they have money, some are scared to order. I don't know what that is called, but this scenario exists.
They stayed outside the establishment, planning to wait for me. I didn't bother with them because I enjoyed talking to the security guard.
"You should study well so that your parents will be proud of you. Do you know how hard life is if you don't finish school?" he stated.
This kind of conversation is what I love the most learning something from other people while having a conversation. No matter how intelligent you are, there will always be people out there who have experienced more than you. And their experience is worth learning from.
I nodded my head, fully immersing myself in the conversation, totally forgetting about the kids outside. They might notice that I am interested in his story, making him more enthusiastic about telling his experiences.
"Back when I was as old as you are, my parents decided for me to stop studying. You guys are lucky now that education is free for everyone. Back in the day, we had tuition to pay. We wanted to study, but we couldn't afford it. My father is a farmer and my mother is a housewife. Sometimes we could only eat rice seasoned with salt. Sometimes we only drank water just to get by," he reminisced.
"In this generation, there are few kids that want to go to school. Something that we called a luxury back in the day is something that children don't care about today. They don't know how hard life is for uneducated people."
I nodded. Seeing me agree with him, he continued.
"You might say, what about me? I am doing well as a security guard. I look cool even though I didn't finish school," he stated.
He stopped, waiting for my response.
I nodded my head again, confirming his thoughts. I wanted to learn more about him because I think he is an interesting person.
"Hahaha. I didn't have it as easy as you might think."
He leaned back in the chair and looked at me. I stayed silent, waiting for him to continue.
Listening to him reminded me that life was never simple for anyone. Every person carried stories that others never saw. Sometimes, the most valuable lessons didn't come from books…
They came from people.