Chapter 26 No communication

As soon as the rooster crowed I immediately got up from my bed, I could hear the laughter outside and I could still hear the clinking of the glasses, obviously mixing the coffee. When I glanced at the clock it was only four in the morning, instead of complaining I immediately took care of myself. I only wore thick clothes because of what they told me last night when they arrived. They were just walking to that mountain. I didn't have a hard time getting along with them because they also came from Manila and were also destined here. The others looked young and I was third among the adults. After arranging my things, I opened the door, they were quiet and greeted me warmly.
"We're about to knock on your door, it's good that your light is on. How are you sleeping?" Clarrise talking to me while mixing coffee.
"It's okay, it's still innovating," I replied simply then sat down in the chair nearby.
The old man's house is also open but I haven't noticed them yet. "It's bad, it's a good thing you're with us. The damn thing is that we should be with you, in case we replace you," began a teacher who was busy fanning the food. This is where they cook outside.
"Replaced?" I wondered.
"Yes. You're really going to go up the mountain, just in case we saw that your record was cleaner than the other one, so we chose you. We also don't want you there because you'll have a hard time going down, it's too steep," she explained and I nodded.
"I'm sorry, we're looking at the records of those who will be with us, and another one from the public school. Are you an archery teacher right? So we want to get you for our students who want to learn that much for not completely gone, especially in this place," Erick clarified making me smile.
Culture.
So I was willing to sign their offer because here in the province, I will definitely benefit from what I teach. I m sure the thing I loved wouldn t rot, unmixed fennel. We decided to leave, they weren't joking, we just walked until the light caught up with us, because I was used to walking I couldn't bear what they said was a quick body ache.
Cross the paddy field, take a boat, cross the steep path and cross the river with only shallow water, walk again, after three hours of walking is finally, I have a view of the school, not too big but very simple. There is only one floor and it is only small, only ten rooms but the space that the children are running in now is vast. This is my dream place for my assignment.
This is it Annika, I can freely do whatever I want.
The kids stopped at the playmate and looked at us, they waved at us and Clarisse s child -loving delight was obvious. It greeted us with a hug, I could not escape because of the hug of five children almost up to my thigh.
Are they the kids who want to learn to shoot?
"Don't worry, they know how to speak English, they're just like Manila kids," Erick whispered and I smiled.
"When I count to five and there are no more in the outside, Ma'am Ficarro will no longer teach," Khaye said loudly causing the children to run away.
"We'll take care of you, for now you monitor first, we'll just teach a little time, then in the vacancy you can talk to them," said Clarrise to whom I nodded.
I followed them and more than ten children appeared in that room, each room with no more than five children. It politely stood up and Khaye greeted us.
"Good day, Miss Torres and Miss Ficarro!" simultaneous pronunciation of children who seem to be proficient in English. It is true. I don't have a hard time talking.
"You can sit down," Khaye said with a smile as they followed.
I just stared at the kids staring at me, I had a few waving in the back. I can say that they are very different from my students in Manila because fear is in front of their eyes, unlike the children here.
"Who among you wants to learn to shooting? Raise your right hand!" Khaye's spirited introduction as the children quickly raised their right hand.
"There! Very good, many. I want to introduce you to a good teacher," Khaye said smiling as she pulled my hand closer to hers.
I was shocked because I didn't know that other people could do that to me. Mostly, they treat me as a highness, has a title or what. But now, it's really different. They treat me the way on how they treat themselves. Khaye smiled at me, signaling that I would be the one to speak. I looked at the children who were younger and younger than I was teaching in manila.
"Hi, Good morning," I greeted as they seemed to understand. "I'm Ma'am Annika Ficarro, you can call me Ma'am Ficarro, or Ma'am Annika," I muttered because they might not understand me.
A woman in the background raised her hand and mouthed a smile at us. "Can I call you Ma'am Nika? It's like we have the same name."
Khaye grinned.
Nika? Looks like I'm a kid.
"S-Sure, of course." When I said yes, her smile widened and she sat down again.
After asking many questions I decided to go to the other room. The whole day ended with introducing and answering their questions. I also did not escape their offer to play, which I could not refuse. It's just funny because other teachers with me are also playing. One of the things I learned was, I had to place myself in their personalities in order to understand and reconcile them.
"Goodbye! Tomorrow again!" they will all say goodbye to us.
We waved and noticed the parents there who were also overjoyed because of their naughty children. It was four o'clock in the afternoon and we had to start walking. As before, we did the same. Crossing the shallow part of the river, I couldn't help but smile especially since it was my dream then, to go to this place, that's all I went for work. After that we had to take off our shoes to cross the steep road. I didn't feel scared because I went through this before. We rented a bank again to cross again to the other village.
"Are you okay?" Erick's touch with me. I was just in the back and following some of the chatterers ahead, I hadn t quite memorized the road yet.
"That's right," I sparingly replied.
"It was really like that at first. You will also get used to provincial life here, happy here if you're satisfied," he said with a smile that didn't even bother to complain about the thing he made.
It's happy here if you are satisfied. It was Grandma Crising who presented to cook, which the others enjoyed. So while they were taking care of themselves I did the same. I just washed my body. I almost feel tired and sore in my hip that I can move so there is no problem. All I could hear was cricket and dancing crops, I sat down on my bed, decided to move a large box that Erick had been carrying earlier. He said that's what they made the kids do before going home.
I paused to check the time, it was seven o'clock. What can they do? Can they eat?
That's how masculine my eyes were when there was a signal, messages came in quickly and loudly from each person. I even looked for a signal because I might have a chance to call or talk to them, but I was disappointed because the signal was missing in the area.
"Nika, let's eat." Khaye knocked on the door that was open.
"Khaye, is there really no signal here?" I asked because one day I also couldn't turn on the cell phone.
It sniffed then nodded. "Oh, I forgot to say that there is no signal here. If you want to call your family, we still have to wait until the end of the month to get to town, because that's the only place we can call," she explained to my surprise.
A month? At the end of March can I call them? Honestly, I would lose communication with those I left behind.