Twelve Tenants

I felt the sun entering my room as I opened my eyes and then I heard the scream of my beautiful mother.

"Aishana Iris!" shouting my beautiful name is such an honour to hear from my mother. That shout can make me shiver from nervousness. Shoot, she already uses my full name.

"Pull yourself together right now, Aishana. It's already 8:30 in the morning." My mom 's voice is so loud that you can even hear her from the first floor to my room, which is on the second floor. Don't think twice if you don't want her to hit you.

"Opo!" I shouted back, even though I didn't know if she could hear me.

I ran as fast as I could downstairs and saw my mother cleaning our living room. Which is weird for me, she has a job at 9 and here she is cleaning.

"Eat your breakfast already, Aishana, and do it fast please. You have a lot of work to do right now." I nodded at her even though these things made me suspicious and curious, but I said good morning to my mom and kissed both her cheeks anyway. I get myself some bacon and bread on the table and also some egg because I think bacon cannot make my tummy full.

"Don't be a sloth right there, Aishaina. After you eat, please get the 12 single bed sheets upstairs from the storage room and change the bedsheets of every bed in the 6 vacant rooms." What's with changing bed sheets? Are we expecting guests?

"Mom, why do we need to change bedsheets? As if they will use every bed upstairs. My cousins share one bed, fyi."

I mean my cousins on my dad's side usually sleepover in our house and they don't use bunk beds. Those vacant rooms used to be rented rooms for those students, but something happened so that my mom decided to stop that business. Wait! Oh my fcking hell! Don't tell me!

"You're going to let students rent the vacant rooms again?" My mom looked at me like there was no big deal in the situation.

"I trust these kids, Aishana, they are your tita's Shai son. There's no need to worry" They?! I was about to open my mouth to complain but my mom raised her index finger, telling me to shut up. Okay….. I already hate this.

I finish my food with a heavy heart and force myself to help my mom put those fucking bedsheets for those people. This is really making my blood boil. I walked upstairs with heavy feet and a heavy heart. If you think I'm overreacting, then we can't be friends. You can't understand me. I picked up those bedsheets and walked towards the vacant room that is just one step away from my room. I entered the empty room. It's not actually empty, it does have a bunk bed, a drawer, cabinets, and a study table that can be shared by two people.

I start to change the bedsheets and scenes keep on flashing in my mind. What if those guys are badly influenced and will do something bad? My room is just beside them. What if I put some trick inside her to surprise them? A smirk from my lips imagining them shouting-

"Don't think of any mess, Aishana, you're getting weird." I pouted as my mom told me I was weird. Actually maybe?

"Give me those bed sheets. I'll put them on. But that doesn't mean you're free for today. I left the grocery list and my ATM card on the island table to do some errands for me. The tenants are on the way, so please don't go shopping!" My smile vanished at what my mom said. I'm not in the mood to commute, and I think the list will be a lot. My mom always does that as if we're going to get locked down in the house.

I stomp my feet while walking outside the room and enter mine. I changed my clothes to something more presentable and I didn't manage to put on some makeup. I just wore my eyeglasses and brought my sling bag.

I wait for a tricycle outside our house, and even the horn or engine of a tricycle can't be heard in my place. So I don't have a choice but to walk in this hot sun. I can already see the gate of the subdivision, which made me relieved, because I'm tired of this hotness of the sun.

"Good Morning! Ma'am Aishana." I smiled at Kuya Marlon, one of the guards of the subdivision.

"Good Morning po!" a taxi stopped in front of the gate of the subdivision. Taxis can't enter our subdivision. That's why it's hard to get a car inside. Only those tricycle drivers live inside the subdivision. Which is not a lot.

I can hear Kuya Marlon explaining to the taxi driver and passenger about the protocol of the subdivision.

"We're okay here Kuya, thank you." I heard a guy's voice. His voice sounds cool but respectful at the same time.

"I'll find a tricycle for you Sir." kuya Marlon offered to the passengers. Three guys stepped out of the car, one was wearing a hoodie. Seriously hoodie in this super hot place. The other is wearing a denim jacket with a white shirt inside and is also wearing a bucket hat. Are they living in hell? But ghad! I was mesmerised by the other guy. He looks like a model, he's wearing a white statement shirt but his aura is so damned powerful. Simple yet charismatic, I can make him my model for my clothes.

"Ma'am Aishana, you can ride this taxi ma'am." Kuya Marlon opened the passenger door for me after he helped the three guys with their luggage.

"Okay po! Thank you po." I walked past them and entered the taxi. I told the taxi driver about the mall that I was going to. After a while, the taxi stopped in front of the mall and I paid the taxi driver.

I rode the escalator on and on the other side of the escalator I saw two familiar guys but I forgot where I saw them both. I entered the art store to buy my art stuff and forgot about those guys. I roamed around inside the art store and a red-haired guy caught my attention. I came closer to the section where the painting I needed was and also that red-haired guy standing. I noticed both the acrylic paints of his holding, his thorn and which one to choose, I think. And this is the time when I enter a conversation right.

"That one is better." While pointing at the paint, which is also the kind of acrylic paint I needed. He faced me with a confused look but he smiled cutely after.

"Thank you, I haven't tried this acrylic paint, but I'll try this if you say so." Oh gad! The way he speaks softly, you can't be angry at him.

"You're welcome." I smiled sweetly and also showed him the acrylic paint that I got. After I paid for my artwork, I proceeded to start looking for the foods that were listed on my paper. Half way through, the food on my list was already there and I could already see that my cart was full. As I was going u-turn in an alley, a full cart bumped my cart and all of my groceries dropped on the floor. That made me freeze for 10 seconds, and I raised my head to look at someone who bumped my cart. He is also shocked for sure with that open mouth.

"I'm so sorry!" I wanted to shout at this guy, but he looked innocent even though he's tall, he looked like a lost kid in the supermarket.

"John!" I looked at the guy who shouted at the guy who bumped my cart but he looked worried also.

"I was looking for you three and I didn't mean to bump her. I'm sorry." I feel worried when he says that to his brother, I think?

"It's okay." I said and put on a smile to show them my assurance. The two guys who just arrived on the scene helped me to pick up my things on the floor. After we picked up everything, I bid goodbye and also thanked them for their help.

I paid for my groceries at the cashier and after the bagger guy finished putting them on the plastic I just realised the struggle that I would face. I push the cart with the plastic bags on it through the exit door. After I passed the exit door, I unexpectedly faced an obstacle: a big bump in the hallway.

"Need help?" I was about to push my cart hard when the four guys showed up. They didn't wait for my answer when the guy who's name was John pushed my cart for me.

''Thank you!"

"Sorry about what happened a while ago, I'm John po, Ate?" Omyghad, Did he just call me Ate. He's taller than me and do I look that old?

"It's okay-" I was about to introduce myself when a hand shoved at my face.

"I'm Sam. Nice to meet you." I awkwardly smiled and shook his hand with mine.

"That's Matt." he pointed to the guy who shouted at John a while ago. He waves at me, so I wave back.

"And that's Kyle. You might think he's a snob, but he's really nice.' I nodded at Sam while he was pointing to a guy who was wearing a headset and playing with his phone.

I didn't get to introduce myself when I got a call from dad.

"I think I need to go! Nice to meet you all!" I waved at them while pushing my cart and answered dad's call with my left hand.

"Hi Dad!"

"I'm in the parking lot, sweetie, in the same place." I dropped the call when I saw that it was not far from where I was. He got near me and looked at my cart.

"That's a lot of food."

"Tell that to mom." I jokingly told dad. He pushed the cart until we got near our car.

Dad is driving the car and halfway through that drive, an unexpected accident on the road happens. It's not us but broo! I saw it with both of my eyes.