Another Tale of Love

Chapter 1: Always

[HARRIET]

"Are you alright?" nawala ang atensyon ko sa labas ng bintana ng sinasakyan namin at liningon ang katabi, I gave him a reassuring smile before answering "It's just that, I've been away for a very long time, the country is more developed now from the last time I saw it"

"Manila City indeed changed a lot but sadly there are still parts of it that still overlooked" he said before concentrating again in his phone

"Highly develop countries also bear the same weight in some aspects though but anyway it's still a progress to be enjoyed by its citizens" I replied without looking at him as I amused myself with the people as we passed by along the brightly lit buildings that surrounds them.

People laughing with their friends..

Some are waiting anxiously walking back and forth..

Two opposite people yelling at each other..

A random chasing game in the side walk...

It was people in their own worlds but stand and breath the same land and air. Isn't that fascinating? witnessing the whole scene like a panting in a large canvass, a subject of many photographs right in front of you. Its so surreal that I'm back and my heart beats so loud and fast because of it. I never knew how I crave so much for this for so many passing days away from my homeland. Hindi ko kailanman naisip na mararamdaman ang ganitong klaseng pangunguli, pangungulila bukod sa mga taong naiwan. I was getting emotional kaya shift my attention to my ever so cold and upright older brother "Kuya Clarence..." I called his name to get his attention, I made a low chuckles when he looked at me with a his brows furrowed. "What's with the looked?" he confusedly asked sa naging reaksyon ko.

"Nothing, maybe I just missed being called Kuya" he replied shaking his head repeatedly probably remembering something

"there's Kuya Clark and the others" I said laughing when I suddenly have a flashback of the good old days

"Nah. your kuya Clark is no better, and the other we don't see each other that much" he faintly smiled after saying that "it's much better cause its you my little sister" aniya

"Gosh! Kuya naman.." I can't help but burst out laughing "maybe because I have grown a lot"

"tsk. you used to tail me around just to ask for a pat and compliments"

Inirapan ko lang siya sa sinabi niya "Yah let's not bring the past" nakangusong usal ko while he laughed at me

"San tayo?" I said in a solemn voice looking at him worriedly, I knew where we are going but still asked, I don't know what appropriate words to represent what I'm feeling right now, am I regretting it? Do i regret this? am I afraid? or I'm just a coward and still the same immature person from years ago but I came a long way it's been so long just for me to go back from who I was. Always undecided and regretful.

"Don't worry, It'll be fine, Dad is like that, hard on the outside but soft like a pillow inside" He replied laughing at what he said, he looked directly in my eyes then he pat my head like he always do when we were still children playing around, I smiled and can't help but teary eyed at his remarks about our Dad who I haven't seen in the past 5 years since I ran away from home.

Yes. I ran away from home with my own two feet defying the people who feed me and raised just for my dreams. But Am I wrong for that? nevermind I shake my head to dissolve such thoughts.

"How about Kuya Clark? Is he in the country?" I said while fidling with my phone looking to our adventurous brother Instagram account on his whereabouts "Woah! Is this some kind of a new definition of a lawyer's work?" I muttered while scrolling through my ever-so outgoing brother, his Instagram stories tells me that he is, indeed in an adventure of his own. He wasn't active for two weeks already which unusual, he usually updates me but he didn't sent me single message nor called me, it wasn't new to me though na hindi ko nalalman ang mga nagaganap sa buhay ni Kuya Clark.