Wonder Kids

Chapter 12: El

El’s Point of View

When I wake up, Ate Elli and Ate Alona are not around anymore. Ate Linda wake us up and guide us to the canteen. Sabi niya ay nasa labas na raw sila ate at kumukuha ng foods namin. I don’t want my ate to go, but she said she wants to help the camp. But I know the truth; she’s just having fun using a gun. That’s why she joins them.

But for me? No, never. I will never go outside of this camp. It’s safe here, unlike outside, monsters are everywhere, and I don’t fight with them. I saw on the internet that one bite and you would turn like them, just like in the movies.

We are now at the canteen and eating our breakfast. Since ate Elli and ate Alona are gone, Kuya Malcolm is the one who’s helping Tj to eat. Ate Linda said that our breakfast now is lugaw, it’s a soup made of rice. She gave us salt and tells us to put it on our bowl to taste good. I never taste something like this, but I can say it’s tastes good. Tj loves it too because he still wants a cup. Ate Linda gave him another one.

After we finish our food, we go to the bathroom and clean ourselves. I helped Kuya Malcolm with Tj; he’s such a baby. But it’s okay, he’s our bunso, and he can’t do most anything without any help. Ate is not here, so I have to be a kuya to him.

I wish mom and dad are here, and I really missed them. Like ate, I keep on calling them. We’re just still thankful because we still have electricity and signal until now, even the internet.

We’re now in our room, Tj is with me in ate Elli’s bed, Kuya Malcolm is on ate Alona’s bed and reading some book. I’m using ate Elli’s iPad and browsing on the internet.

“Kuya, when what time will Ate Elli will come home?” Tj said sadly. He’s playing his monster trucks.

I looked at him. “I don’t know. They will be back soon, I guess.” I looked at the wall clock that is hanging on the top of the door. It’s past ten; I hope Ate Elli and the others are doing fine.

I heard Tj sigh and went back in playing. I know he’s still confused about what is happening now, but he’s obeying what mom had told us. He knows how to follow us, especially to Ate. But sometimes he’s looking for mom and dad, ate just explaining to him that they will be back soon.

Speaking of mom and dad. I tried looking for their GPS one time, it pings! But after a few seconds, it goes out again. So now I’m trying to learn how to hack a phone to locate where they are. I haven’t told Ate about this; I will say to her when I have my progress. This is what I do since I’ve learned that there is an apocalypse going on outside. I tried to learn many things, especially about technology. I’m also learning how to make first aid.

I must do this so I can help ate. We need to help each other to survive.

Oh, I forgot. I’ve learned that this virus came from the vaccine that scientist was making for the Covid-19. They said it has some harmful side effects and turns people to a zombie. I thank God that we didn’t take any vaccine from the government. My dad doesn’t want us to take it, and I don’t know why but he said it indeed.

Maybe he knows something. He’s a policeman, after all.

After a few minutes, Ate Linda goes back again to our room to fetch us for lunch. Furthermore, our lunch is a bowl of one-cup rice and one hotdog, it’s too small, but the woman who gives us food explains that our food is short. We have to save our food until they come back. But of course, just like in the movies, one Manong starts shouting at the girl who’s giving us food.

“Anong klaseng pagkain ‘to? Isang hotdog na maliit at isang tasang kanin?! Sa tingin mo ba nakakabusog ‘to? Eh mas malaki pa t**i ko r’yan eh!” he shouts with all his might. His face turns red, and his eyes widened as he looks at her with a sharp eye.

Everyone is looking at the guy who’s shouting now.

“Kuya El, what’s t**i?” Tj asked while frowning. He’s also looking at the guy.

I looked at Kuya Malcolm. He didn’t hear Tj’s question because he’s too busy watching the commotion in front of us.

I opened my mouth, but I don’t know what to say to Tj. “It’s a thing that only lads like as have.”

Tj nodded as if he understands what I told him. I just shook my head and continue eating.

“K-Kuya kasi… kapag dinamihan po namin bawat isa hindi na po kakasya.” She’s shaking now; I can see it because the spoon that she’s holding is moving back and forth.

“Tangina!”

My eyes widened when he tosses his plate to Ate. I feel sorry for Ate; she looks messy now because the sticky rice goes all over her body and face.

“Sa inyo na ‘yan! Mga putangina n’yo! Ang dadamot niyo!” he said again and walked out.

Ate, who’s serving the food, started crying. The other people go to her to comfort her.

Why can’t he understand what is going on now? It’s not hard to wait for our food. And besides, doesn’t he know what is going on in the world right now? In the future, we might have nothing to eat anymore. He should be thankful that we still have something to eat now.

I shook my head. Sometimes I can’t understand the oldies.

After we eat, we go back again to our room. But now there are other kids in our room. They are Selena and Boyet, and they have the same age as Tj. They are playing with Tj’s toys on the floor. I’m just watching them while I’m doing my thing on the laptop. Kuya Malcolm is in the kitchen and helping the others clean the plate.

Tomorrow I will ask Ate Linda to teach me how to cook. Now I am watching a cooking show on Youtube. I should learn how to cook too.

Time has passed, Tj is still playing with his playmate when Kuya Malcolm announces that ate Elli is back. My heart skips a second because she’s safe and comes back to us. I left Tj in our room with his playmate and goes down to the ground floor with Kuya.

I immediately hugged ate Elli when I saw her. I was so happy that she came back. But my happiness didn’t last long when I saw ate’s face.

She looks stunned, and her eyes are red. I immediately felt that something wrong happened because she’s shaking.

“Ate, what’s wrong?”

Tears in her eyes started building when she heard my voice. She looks at me, and I don’t know why but my heart started beating fast when I saw the pain in ate’s eyes. There is something wrong. I feel it. I look around, and I notice that ate Alona is not around.

“Where’s ate Alona?” I asked ate Elli. I don’t know why I felt heavy in my chest when I didn’t saw ate Alona. I started panicking too.

Ate Elli didn’t answer me. The people with her stop for a second and look at me. They all look sad, and when my eyes fall on them, they shook their head and sigh.

“Ate, where is ate Alona?” my voice started to break.

Ate shook her head and hugged me. Her shoulder started to shake.

What’s wrong? I was about to ask again when she started talking.

“A-Ate… Ate Alona… t-this is my fault, El.” She stops hugging me and looks me in the eyes. Her face is now wet because of her tears. She shook her head again. “A-Ate Alona is… gone. S-She's dead, El,” she said as she mourns.

I was stunned for a second before I realized what she said.

“She’s dead, El! Ate Alona is dead!”

© 03-05