thirteen

Kao

Five years ago

"Baby, I'm so sorry, but Ma and Pa will be late tonight. I already cooked dinner for you. Just reheat the tinola when you get home, alright? We still have one last meeting with the farmers today. Don't wait up."

My mother informed me over the phone.

"Take care, we love you!"

I smiled to myself when I heard what my mother said.

"I love you too, ma. You and pa take care alright? Travel safe! Bye!"

I heaved a content sigh as I walked towards the bus stop.

I was on my way home as school just finished.

On normal occasions, when my parents who were both business people buying and selling farm produce were not busy, they would both make sure to be the one to fetch me from school.

And I always love it when they do that, even if I was already on my last year of high school.

Being an only child of parents who also have no siblings in their respective families, my parents and I are very close.

So close that there is nothing that I would not tell my parents.

And they in turn were very supportive towards me.

They always see to it that they were able to provide for me and my needs even without me asking for it.

Compared to majority of my friends, we were not rich, but I was able to attend private school since prep and had live a comfortable life all thanks to my parents.

Just being with them, I could not ask for anything more.

I smiled to myself at the thought.

This is what life is all about I thought.

I tugged my newly bought iPhone 6s on my left armpit as I readied to raise my hand to flag down a taxi when suddenly, a guy bumped into me and forcefully snatched my phone.

"Hey! What the!"

I looked around for help but everyone around me stood frozen and were just staring.

Damn!

So much for always be in public places!

I tucked my bag securely on my back before I made a move to run after the guy who stole my phone who was now about to make a turn on to an unfamiliar alley.

I couldn't let him take the gift my mother gave me for being a top student.

Aside from the fact that it had not been a month since I got the gadget, just the thought of my parents working hard day and night just to be able to provide me my needs and wants was enough push for me to run my fastest.

I was already sweaty and tired and all lost inside the alley where I saw the guy went into.

In contrast to what I thought, it was a busy alley with small stalls of vendors on the sides selling stuff that ranged from food to accessories.

It was my first time in that street even with the fact that it was just a block away from my high school.

"Asshole! Wait for me you jerk!"

I looked around to the commotion I heard not far from where I was standing and I saw two guys wearing the uniform from a neighboring public high school.

Both of them looked rugged.

All panting and sweaty just like me.

"You're really stupid, you know that!?!"

The shorter guy playfully punched the taller guy who was crouched.

His hands were on both his knees for support as he continued to catch his breath.

"Whatever! At least as I was able to get this!"

My eyes widened when I saw what the tall guy took from the back pocket of his denim jeans.

I could not be mistaken!

It was my cellphone.

The black jelly case clearly has my name printed horizontally in the middle.

Both boys laughed and high fived and looked too proud of themselves that it's as if I was possessed by the flash and all other superheroes that I ran to where the boys were without hesitations and snatched my phone from the guy.

"This is my phone, you thief!"

They both blinked at each other in shock as I shouted and punched the tall guy on the face.

"What the!"

He yelled back as he tried to regain his balance with the shorter guy helping him.

"What is wrong with you!?!"

The tall guy glared and was about to launch at me when the shorter guy held him back.

"Hey, hey, hey! Stop! Stop! Calm down!"

The tall guy faced his friend and pushed him off.

"Calm down!?! This midget just called me a thief punched me in the face and you want me to calm down!?!"

My eyes narrowed at the guy.

Who is he calling midget!?!

The nerve!

He may be tall and I may just stand more or less on the level of his shoulders but he had no right to insult me some thief that he is!

"Because you are one and you deserved the punch!"

I said as I noticed how few people were already taking notice of the commotion and were already gathering around us.

"Huh! You, talk to this guy."

The tall guy scoffed before he pushed the shorter guy towards me as he stepped back and massaged his jaw.

I must admit, he looked scary, but my adrenaline was at its peak that I didn't feel anything at the moment other that wanting to punch the phone thief some more.

"Yeah! Talk to me. I need you to explain why you snatched my phone. And to think that you're even wearing your school uniform in broad daylight. Have you not any regard for yourself and your alma mater!?!"

I faced the tall guy trying not to be intimidated with how he was towering and glaring at me at the same time.

"Just because you're bigger than everyone else doesn't mean you can go on bullying and snatching things from them. You seemed healthy, why can't you go and find a job instead of thieving-!"

The short guy had to pull the tall guy as I stepped back when he once again launched himself at me.

"Let me just punch this guy-!"

The short guy sandwiched himself between us.

"Hey! Hey! Stop-stop!"

The short guy turned towards the guy.

I saw him glared at his friend before he faced me.

"Sir. We did not snatch your phone, okay? I mean, in a way we did-!"

My eyes glared with what I heard him say.

"See!?! At least you're honest!"

The tall guy was at me again.

"Really this guy-!"

The short guy raised both his hands in between the tall aguy and I.

"Stop! Both of you!"

He glared at me and the tall guy.

"Dude, fighting never solves anything."

He regarded his friend before he faced me and I had to take a step back when he did.

"And you-young man. We did snatch your phone! We did but it was from the thief who snatched it from you. We were eating at the street food stall by the junction when we saw what happened. I asked my friend if we could help you but instead of answering, he tripped the guy and ran after him when the tripping didn't work. The thief was already able to board a running vehicle when my friend here was able to snatch your phone back. The guy jumped off the moving vehicle to ran after us that was why you saw us running and panting just a little while earlier. If we really did steal your phone, do you really think we would ran back here towards your direction!?!"

The short guy was breathless when he finished with his recall but instead of stopping, he went on and continued.

"These people here know us. And saw what happened. You can ask them if you still don't believe us."

I looked around and that was when I realized how some people are already crowding around us trying to see what was going on when I middle aged lady stepped out of the crowd and walked to where we were and regarded me.

"I owned the food stall they were eating at earlier. I saw everything. They're my regulars, they may not always pay me in full every time they eat but I can vouch for them to not be thieves. By the way, you two, I'm here to collect your payments, you've been eating for free for a month now."

I blinked at the lady when I heard the short guy groaned.

"Tsk! Come on, manang Rose, do you really have to announce that to everyone!?!"

He said before he regarded the tall guy.

"Dude, pay for me first. I'll just pay you back next time."

The tall guy narrowed his eyes at his friend before he regarded me and I didn't know why I swallowed dryly and stepped back.

"Manang..."

He faced the lady vendor and I didn't know what and how to react when I heard what he said next.

"Let this guy pay up. His punching me should be enough to pay for our meal for the whole month."