It’s still 5:30AM but Debb’s room is filled with synchronized noise. She was up all night painting him again. Her dream man; Tall, medium-build, has moderately-tightened muscles, fair-skinned, and quite handsome. He whom she has just met last October through that free concert held in their Barrio during the Oktoberfest celebration; He whom she has been obsessed to for almost a year.
"Hello handsome." She whispers as she is moving the paintbrush through his face.
“Do you have any girlfriend?” She asked the painting. She stares at the man’s face as she moves closer to him; Nose to nose. Her forehead touches his as she closes her eyes and listens to the synchronized noise. For her, it is music; Rock Music. Then she moves away and turns off her Walkman.
They are 9 in the family; her parents, and 6 brothers. In other words, she is the unica hijah. Joshua, the eldest, had become dependent on drugs after being influenced by his friends. Joseph, next to Joshua, had chosen to help their father in the fields and in managing their haciendas. Unfortunately, he ended up selling some of their lands for his personal purposes. John, the third son, had become successful and is now working abroad. But until now, they have no trace of him. He hasn’t even send a penny since he departed. James, the fourth son, had studied college but later dropped out because his girlfriend got pregnant. Jude, the fifth son, is a bastard. Jules, the sixth son, is a gay. And Debb, the youngest, is still unknown. She’s a fresh high school graduate, but has no plans on going to college. Besides, there is no use in planning, because she is not going to college. Their lands are slowly bought by rich foreign investors, and they have no choice but to sell it. They are now in the state of Poverty.
She unplugs her Walkman and places it inside her cabinet. She does it every morning. Because if she doesn’t, Joseph will sell it to his friends, and there would be nothing left to her. No cellphone, no Computer, no Facebook. That Walkman is her only possession. And it has a sentimental value to her. It was given to her by Joshua when he is still an active varsity player in Basketball. That was before he became drug dependent.
She glances at her watch. It’s already 6:00AM.
“Good morning!” She shouted as she jumps to her bed. She closes her eyes and thinks of his dream man as she slowly loses consciousness.
