“Are you sure about your decision, my niece?”

Elle zip her bulking black backpack that rested on the living room center table before looking at her Tita Rosanna. She didn’t exactly know if how many times Rosanna asked if she was sure about going to Metro-Manila— specifically in Pasay City, but one thing is for sure, she will never change her mind about leaving her beloved hometown, even if that means leaving her family behind, too, for a quite some time.

“Tita Rosan, you already know the answer to your question. My belongings and my mind have been prepared for a long time. All I have to do now is to ride a tricycle and take a bus going to Manila,” Elle winced when she wears the big heavy bag at her back. She told herself that she only brings what was needed but didn’t think that she still needed that much.

Tita Rosanna approached her. She sighed and touched her face. “I’m just worried about you, Elle. You remind me of Ate Janna. It will be your first time in Metro Manila, the City is beautiful, but life there is harder than you think.”

“But I have a place to stay, so you don’t have to worry about me, Tita Rosan,” she smiled and held her hand and squeezed it gently. “I will be staying where Eros’ family is living, and I’m sure that place is safe.”

“He lived in a slum, but, yes, I will trust him because her mom is my friend and a trustworthy person. When you see them, give my best regards,”

“I will,” she nodded and gave her Tita a smile of assurance.

“Be careful, okay? Metro-Manila is a wonderful place but also has a lot of bad people.”

“I will take note of that. Eros already told me how I should act. I will act as if I’m a native of the place. And with an appearance like this?” she looked at her clothes. She was only wearing a v-neck sizeable white t-shirt, fade-denim jeans, and a pair of old Converse sneakers she brought at a second-hand store five years ago, and it was still fitted on her size six feet. “I don’t think anyone will be interested in me. Besides, I don’t have anything worthy to them.”

“Even so, some bad people do not choose who will be their next target,” Tita Rosanna said with full of concern.

She nodded and smiled sparingly.

Elle’s relatives and friends waited for her outside the house to bid goodbye and wished her good fortune. Some of them were sad, knowing that it will probably take some time for her to return, but she assured them that when the time comes for her to return, she will remain the same Elle they knew, but more successful than ever.

“Ate Elle! We will miss you for sure! Why did you have to leave?” said Issa, her twelve-year-old cousin and the youngest and only girl daughter of her Tita Stella.

“Because she wanted to try out something new to change her life. When you grew up, you will be able to understand her decision,” said her Uncle Carmelito— Stella’s husband. 

“Take care, my niece. We will miss you for sure!” Stella’s smiling face was now traced with sadness and concern.

“I will, Tita Stella,” she hugged her.

Elle talked and told them that they don’t have to worry about her. After the crying and biddings of goodbyes, Elle and her Tita Rosanna rode a tricycle that took them to the bus terminal. Only Rosanna accompanies her as her request because her cousins might cry and might even stop her from going. She rode to the bus with a signboard written ‘Pasay’’ on it.

“Don’t forget what I’ve told you. Always pray and be wise. You don’t know what is around you, be extra careful,” Tita Rosanna reminds her again as she looked at the bus window. The vehicle starts to move. “I know that you will get along well with the people around you there but be very careful,”

“Don’t worry about me, Tita Rosan. I will always remember your reminders. I will text you immediately once I got there,” she assured her Tita, looking at her through the open bus window.

Rosanna nodded. Her face has traces of concern as tears welled up in her eyes. “Take care, Elle. Just now I am missing you already,”

Elle bit her lower lip and did her best to hold her tears. For her twenty-one years of existence, this will be her first time to leave her beloved hometown, including her relatives, friends, and mostly— Tita Rosanna, who was always there whenever she had a problem.

“I will miss you more, Tita Rosan! I promise that I will not fail you. Take care, always! Tell my cousins that I love them!” she waved her hand as the bus began to move faster. She leaned her back on the chair and whimpered, not able to control her tears, thinking that the next day she will wake up in a different place she is not accustomed to. But she needed to.

It was a year ago when Eros informed her about the whereabouts of her little brother— Jonas. Since that day, her mind has been restless just like that; no days have been passing by without her thinking of him ever since they lost him, and she was sure it was Jonas was the one that Eros was referring to. She told Eros that she would take back her little brother no matter what, but Eros said it would be complicated to do that since her little brother’s newfound family was powerful and wealthy.

“I told you, it’s really him. Elle! I can’t be wrong!” said Eros.

“How did you know that it was him?!” she gripped her cellphone tightly. She talked to Eros in another line of the phone, nervous about what will he say next.

“Well, we both know and witnessed that someone that stormy night took him. And, he’s got your eyes, Elle! Your mother’s eyes! And I saw that he has a heart-shaped red birthmark on his right lower chest. So I’m sure that Mikey is Jonas.

Elle’s heart was racing with fear and excitement. Even she didn’t see the kid yet, and she knows that it was Jonas. “How is he, Eros? Is he okay?”

“He’s in good hands.”

“I will go there, Eros. And I will take my little brother back!”

“Elle, his adoptive family is wealthy and powerful. I know very little about them, and I think what you’re saying is impossible.”

“Shall I give up now that I know that he is alive?” she swallowed hard. Her tears began to fall.

Eros sighed at the other side of the phone. “There’s a way, Elle. If you come here in the City, we can make a way somehow.”

Elle sighed as she recalled the conversation between her and Eros a year ago. That time, she was so excited to tell her relatives about Jonas but refused herself since they believed that the child is already dead. Elle wants to see Jonas again, so they planned carefully about what to do. From selling pandesal, she was able to save enough money to use on her trip to Metro-Manila. 

One week ago, Eros told her that a friend of his said to him that the Amante Family was hiring a nanny for their six-year-old son— Mikey, who is for sure happened to be Jonas, so she immediately grabbed the opportunity and told her family about her sudden decision. Tita Rosanna and her other relatives believe that she will go to Metro-Manila to find greener pasture. They didn’t know about her real purpose was to see Jonas and take him back home.

A few hours passed on their trip, Elle’s body began to ache for sitting for so long. Tita Rosanna told her that it would take nine to ten hours before arriving at her destination, but she can’t help but feel impatient and dull even though the movies showing on the bus were good. The bus stopped at some stop-over places three times to eat and go to the comfort room. She also bought delicacies she’s planning to give to Jonas and Eros.

AT precisely six p.m., the bus arrived at a terminal in Pasay, Metro-Manila. The bus conductor announced that they were already at the last destination. All of the passengers got off, including her.

When Elle got off the bus, she followed some passengers, stopped for a moment, and took a long look at her surroundings. All the people were busy in their respective business, some of them were chattering, some of them are selling varieties of goods while others were busy walking and running in different directions, the high way was filled with moving vehicles and buildings were everywhere. Elle swallowed hard, It was her first time in a big city like this, and she can’ help to feel thrilled and nervous at the same time. But she knew that there was no turning back now.

“Miss, how much is for the coffee?” Elle asked the lady vendor along the way.

“Fifteen Pesos, Miss. How about taking a burger, too? It looks like you got a long trip. You look worn out.”

“Ten hours of the trip and I need some fuel. How much is the burger?” 

The lady vendor smiled. “Thirty Five Pesos, plus the coffee, a total of Fifty Pesos.” 

“Okay, one burger, too,” she said, looking at her surroundings again.

“Here you are,” the lady vendor handed over the coffee and the burger.

“Thank you,” Elle smiled a little and outstretched her hand to give the exact amount of payment as she got her order.

Elle began to walk again, reminded herself to be vigilant in the vast City of Pasay as being told by her other relatives, so she was cautious even in her walking, but someone bumped into her!

“Ouch!” shouted Elle as the hot coffee spilled on her white t-shirt! She grimaced and used her hand as a fan to her chest to lessen the burning sensation she felt.

“Oh! Fuck! What have you done to my suit?!” said the man angrily.

Elle looked up to see the man, and he’s angry even though it was his fault?

 “Hey! How can you be angry when you were the one who bumped me?!”

The man looked at her with a frown face and open mouth. He’s wearing nice formal clothes, but she didn’t care because more of the coffee spilled on her clothes.

“Lady, don’t you know how much this polo costs?!” the man asked.

“What?” Elle’s eyes widened in disbelief. What does she care about the price of his polo?!

“Are you deaf? I said, don’t you know how much this costs?” the man pointed out his upper clothes with traces of coffee in there and then looked at her from head to shoes.

Elle smirk and propped her hand on her waist. Wow! This man was arrogant as Hell! “Let me think how much it costs…” she looked at him from head to toe, imitates him to annoy him. “Oh! It looks expensive, way expensive than your cheap attitude!”

The man narrowed his eyes. “Oh, really? But do you know that if I change my clothes now, I will be late on my date?”

“Ah, so… you have a date?” she folded her arms and nodded. “That’s why you were in a hurry, and you didn’t care whom you bump into. Well, I don’t care about your date! The fact that this was your entire fault, between you and me, I should be the one that must be angry, and you should be the one to say sorry!”

“Say sorry? Why should I say sorry to someone like you? Hillbilly woman!” he snorted.

Elle’s ears tingled as the heat rose to her face. This man was so arrogant! Even she’s just a provincial girl; she didn’t deserve to be treated like that, especially if it’s not her fault if he is in a mess right now. She doesn’t need to be treated special. All she only needed was his apology, then she will forget about what happened, but with the way he treated her, it’s evident that he has no plan on doing it.

“You know what, city boy? Not little I care about your date, but I wish that the woman who’s waiting for you right now will go home now and realized how monster you are!” she said, peeled the burger, and slapped it on his chest!

“What the hell?!” the man’s eyes widened, and he looked at his upper clothes with the stain of not just coffee, but also catsup and meat now!

“Hell is where you’re going. Good luck with your date!” she bravely said, then walked away! She did her best to move faster but not running.

Elle must be conscious right now because she looks like a wet chick, and some people were staring at her, but she didn’t care because she’s mad. It was her first time in the City then she was welcomed by an arrogant man, much more belittling her for being a provincial girl. Is it evident in her clothes that she is from a province? Or he just got it because of the big backpack at her back? Whatever he thinks about her, it is not right for him to insult anyone; mostly, she was the one who is being aggrieved.

Elle stop t a corner of a building to rest. Her stomach begins to grumble as she regretted throwing away the burger at that bastard. She sniffed, not sure about what will happen next. When she was planning on going to Metro-Manila, her Tita Rosanna said in advance that it would not be easy to go there as she thinks and planned. She already knew that and prepared herself, but it’s different when you’re in the situation. She felt uncertain now but reminded herself that she was doing this for her little brother.

Elle sniffed again and took a paper out from the front pocket of her jeans. The address she was going to was written on it, and then, later on, she walked a little to call a taxi. It didn’t take long for her to grab a cab and rode at the passenger’s seat at the back. Eros instructed her to sit right behind the driver just in case. That was one of the reminders of him on what she should do once she arrived at the big City.

“Sir, can you take me to this address?” Elle showed the driver the paper.

The man took it from her, carefully read it, and returned to her.

As the taxi moved, Elle takes a look around from the taxi window. A hillbilly like her should be fascinated by the city lights, tall buildings, billboards of celebrities, and beautiful cars, but the only excitement she felt at the moment was to see her little brother.