Come Back To Me

COME BACK TO ME – CHAPTER 2

COME BACK TO ME – CHAPTER 2

“Don’t forget your lunch box,” Zenny reminded her son as Zian tried to tie his shoelace on his left shoe. The boy was getting ready to leave for school with his older cousin, Cher. She was in fifth grade.

Zian wore a blue polo shirt and khaki pants. He was allowed to wear causal clothes on the first week of the school year. The following week, the Elementary school students must then wear their uniform, white polo shirt and short or long navy blue pants for boys, and white blouse and blue plaid skirt for the girls.

The six year old nodded to his mother as he pursed his lips, concentrating on another task while internalizing what his mother just asked him to do. He was done tying his shoes and raised his head. His older cousin, Cher was playing with the twins at the dining table. Cher was wearing her uniform. The boy walked back to the kitchen of their open plan home to fetch his lunch box.

“Ready?” Cher asked as she tied her long black hair into a bun. She slung her bag onto her shoulder and got off seat while bidding goodbye to her two favorite cousins, Edward and Evie. Zian bid goodbye to his siblings and gathered his backpack with his lunch box inside of it already.

The school was more or less four kilometers away from home. That is why Zian’s mother arranged a motorcycle to send him to and fro. Cher shared the ride with him.

Upon getting to school Cher would then accompany Zian to class and later during recess; she would go and check on him. At lunch, the two would get eat their meal at the canteen where Zian would meet his friend, Nially. At the end of the day, the boy would wait for Cher’s classes to be over and the two would go straight home.

This became a routine between the two, Zian didn’t find his class exciting nor boring. He was mostly quiet, observing anything and everything in his classes except for when he was distracted by his classmate sitting right behind him – Alden Paul.

“Hi! You’re late for the flag ceremony today!” Alden would comment whenever Zian was late. He was once caught running while the Philippine flag was being raised. He was scolded by the teacher that day.

Zian would just smile thinly whenever Alden noticed something. He wanted to say something, exchange a few words but he found himself mum.

“Hey, what did you have for lunch?” Alden would ask him after getting back to their afternoon lessons. He would simply tell him what he had and Alden would go on saying how he had the same a few days back or how he wanted to have the same meal next time.

Christmas came rolling fast and Zian would experience his first Chirstmas party at school. Zian didn’t understand the holiday in the beginning. He didn’t know Santa either. He also did not understand the spirit of gift giving. The boy hardly remembered the holidays he spent with his father and his mother was not one to explain the things they would celebrate. The only time Zian felt and understood festivities was when his siblings turned one year old. They invited almost the entire barangay. He was so happy that day because his siblings both covered his cheeks with the cake icing and began showering him with kisses.

“What’s this, Ma?” Zian asked his mother as she slid a wrapped gift in a paper bag. Both the wrapper and the bag had snowflakes and little santas in them.

“It’s for your exchange gift at the party later. Here.” Zenny handed the bag to Zian when she heard the twins quarrel over something. “What is it, little rugrats?”

As the two blabbered about the red truck they were fighting over, Zian took the bag and placed it with his school backpack in the living room. The twins were crying and sniffing as they gave each other a hug after their mother told them to apologize to each other.

Edward and Evie looked exactly like their father. They slightly curly black hair complemented their brown eyes and lightly tanned skin. Both have high bridged nose and pinkish lips just like their older brother.

It was almost nine o’clock in the morning when Cher came to their house. “Zian!” the eleven year old excitedly called her younger cousin. “Ready?”

The boy turned to his mother, confused.

“Cher will take you to the party, okay?” Zenny told her son. “I can’t go with you today.”

Zian wanted to ask why but chose not to say it. He had seen how his mother’s hands were full every day with the chores and his siblings’ needs. Their father had been home once since he left over six months ago. He wasn’t home that long. He had to go back two weeks later.

***

“Zian, hi!” Mrs. Selina Jacinto greeted the boy as he arrived at the doorway of his classroom. Cher accompanied him and told the teacher that Zian’s mother couldn’t come to the party. Cher had her own party to attend to so she left ater getting Zian settled inside the room.

Christmas parties were held by ech class led by their advisor. It would serve as the last day of school before the holiday vacation commenced.

Zian’s class seemed a lot livelier than usual. It was more crowded. The class of thirty was almost double in size. Most of the parents had come with their children.

The six year old stared at his gift bag sitting at the table at the center of the room. All the chairs were pushed to the side. He did not have the concept of loneliness but at that moment, he was sad that his mother was not with him. Witnessing other children merrily talking to their parents made him wish his mother was there, too.

“Hi, Zian!” Alden Paul slumped down the seat next to the lonely classmate of his. He was wearing a red tshirt and blue short jeans. Smiling, he tilted his head down with his face looking up to Zian. The other boy was playing with his fingers on his lap. “Where’s your mom?”

Zian blinked over the question, almost caught by surprise. Tension rose in his chest and he felt his eyes burn. His lips quivered and instead of answering Alden, he stood up and ran away from the classroom. Alden Paul ran after him sensing he had upset his classmate.

“Zian?”

The boy turned around when he heard a familiar voice. It was Nially. She and her mother were on their way to the girl’s party.

“You okay, Zian?” Nica, Nially’s mother asked.

The boy simply nodded with eyes brimming in tears. Seeing the state her friend was in, Nially opened her arms and gave the boy a hug. She had done the same when Zian was getting picked at by older kids at the canteen one time. Since then, she had been protective of the timid boy.

From a small distance, another boy was pursing his lips as he glared at the scene before him.

“Alden! Come. The party is about to start. Go get Zian, too.” Alden’s mother, Patricia called his son.

Alden ran across the rose garden in front of the classroom and towards Zian and Nially to interrupt the two friends. “Zian, the party is about to start. Come on,” he said while extending a hand. He smiled at the boy and once Zian had walked back with him, he turned around and glared at Nially. Guiding Zian back to the room, Alden stuck his tongue out to the six year old girl.

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