They Know The End

Russell

8:54 am

I started my day at the wee hours of morning, when I woke up to my bag filled with less food than usual. I looked around and saw no one in the street.

I looked into my bag again and checked if they stole something else more important. My hands felt the wrinkled paper of the bills. Thank God.

For some reason, they didn't bother with taking the money as well. Maybe they couldn't steal it unless they wanted me to wake up.

I slung the tote bag on my shoulder and stretched. Then, I went back the way I came.

At five o'clock in the morning, this street was less noisy than last time. Everything was now tinted light blue as the sun creeped on the horizon.

I saw people dressed in school uniforms, jaywalking on the road to get to their school on the other side. The smell of various street foods made me sigh in wonder. . .and hunger.

"Tahoooo! Tahooooo!" screamed a vendor.

Up ahead, there were a variety of people gathered around a peddler who carried two metal containers linked to each other on his shoulder. He put down the containers and immediately the people around him began taking out money.

I was hungry, so I figured I'd take some taho for breakfast.

I made my way to the group and took out a twenty-peso bill. Slowly but surely, the vendor served the people there. There were office workers, students, people dressed in casual clothing, and even people dressed in rags like me. A single taho vendor brought everyone together.

The crowd lessened until eventually, I was face to face with the man himself.

He was dressed in simple, baggy clothes. His hands showed some wear, and his tanned, almost sunburnt, skin was a testament to the hours of working under the unforgiving sun. He held several folded bills in between his fingers.

He took one good look at me too.

"Isa ka taho palihug, kuya," I told him. Then, I handed him the twenty pesos.

He accepted the bill and gave me a big plastic cup filled with brown sugary liquid and with distinct white slippery tofu loosely mixed together. The cup was warm.

He offered me a plastic spoon, but I declined. "Ako ra ni i-inom diretso." I was planning on drinking it directly. "Lamat, kuya." Then I was on my way again.

I passed by the cafe and was tempted to check outand see if Matthew replied to our chats. But I decided against it; it would only be a waste of money.

I made my way beside the bridge. Cars sped past by me, the wind and the sound bothering me a little. I made a right turn and joined the group planning to cross the road.

I had to be careful. The guys who beat me up last night wouldn't be too far away. Even if I was still pretty far from my home, they wandered in this area pretty often.

I blended in with the group and kept my head low. I walked with them and became their shadow. I didn't bother checking or peeking from the group. And they seemed to believe that it was normal for me to be there.

We were now across our home. On this side of the road sat a gas station and a showroom that remained mostly empty throughout the year.

I took a peek as we moved past the place. It was a tight bubble filled with houses made of scraps, bamboo, and wood. From what I remembered, only about eight houses were made of concrete.

The entire community stood on several platforms, supported by pillars on the bottom to avoid getting hit by the river's water. Trash often floated there and the stench of it--especially at the edges of the place--was enough to make everyone gag. People threw their garbage and the wind and waves carried them there.

Somewhere there, my mother would be wondering where the hell I went and why the medicine didn't arrive.

I sighed. I will have to come back to that place eventually.

The crowd dissipated when we arrived at the bridge over the river. Most of them were students and some of them were employees of the college nearby.

I fast-walked all the way to the other side, drinking my taho. It was sweet and warm, as usual. It was an immaculate dessert, after all.

Once I was finished with the drink, I was already nearing the entrance of the mall. There was still a long stretch to navigate into the mall, however, but it was within my reach.

I climbed the ramp to the entrance, but stopped myself when I saw a guard sitting down by a stand on the left. His arms were crossed and his hat was covering his face. He must be sleeping, I thought.

I turned to the right and ran away from his view.

I hid behind a pillar and breathed a sigh of relief.

Now, all I had to do now was wait.

-

And, boy, did I wait, alright.

I sat down for two hours. I watched as people gathered outside the mall and heard the cars trickled in. This mall didn't open until 10 am, but that didn't stop the populace from waiting.

A couple of them noticed me and gave me some money. I had gained a few coins and a twenty-peso bill from that venture.

I sighed to myself. By now, he would've messaged me on Last Friend. I hoped that he still went on with the plan; I did come off as very distrusting.

I ripped open some junk foods and began to eat.

A baby came over to me when she saw me eating food. I offered her one, but her mother carried her up.

"Remember what we talked about, Mia?" she asked her, in a gentle motherly tone as they walked away.

"Don't get food to. . .swayner!" Mia replied.

"Very good!"

And then the mother looked at me with an expression I couldn't recognize. Was it pity or disgust? It lasted for a brief second before she turned and tossed her daughter up and down in joy.

I looked at the road where the cars would come in.

"Come on, Matthew. . .hurry up. This is so embarrassing."