Whenever Jaki Gomez or Rosie Sasfy faced a problem, they each tackled it with some great sense of purpose. However, their ways of getting things done were very different. For Rosie, it was always take it as it comes and never plan anything. For Jackilyn Gomez, however, it was always about seeing it through to the end. This time, it would be no different as Jaki attempted to become Sarangani’s next Auditor.
Her close-knit circle of friends was determined to make sure she got there, too and chief among them was Arvind Lee. With the resort in its final stages, it was a perfect time to switch gears at Arvind Construction. By week’s end, two new faces appeared at Jaki’s door.
“Welcome to Arvind Construction, how may I help you?”
“We’re the new assistants,” said one, “I’m Faith and this is Catzkie.”
Jaki looked to Mary, “Since when do we need assistants?”
“…Since you decided to run for Province Auditor.”
“Oh. But what if I lose the election?”
“Don’t worry. Arvind will surely find a place for you. He wants you to drop by the estate in about an hour.”
“What does he want with me?”
“He wants you to meet a couple of VIPs for a long lunch. In the meantime, I need you to drop off this set of finalized checklists at the Auditor’s office.”
“I don’t want to entertain strangers and I certainly don’t want to deal with Anne-Marie this morning, either.”
“Don’t worry, you’ll be fine. This might even be one of the last times you have to go to City Hall and file paperwork.”
“One can only hope.”
While Mary trained the two new assistants, Jaki headed to City Hall and dropped by the Auditor’s office. As she entered the parking lot, she checked for Anne-Marie’s car, but it was nowhere to be found. Jaki quickly headed to the clerk’s desk.
“Hey, Tonie Jane, Can I get this finalized checklist for the high-rise filed so I can start getting signatures on the punch list?”
“You know Anne-Marie will have to sign off on it before I can give you the punch list.”
“I know. Where is she?”
Just then, Anne-Marie sauntered into the office and peered over Jaki’s shoulder.
“I see you’ve got the checklist. I bet you need my signature, right?”
“Of course I do.”
“Just dump it in my to-do pile, Tonie Jane, I’ll get to it when I get to it.”
“Oh my God,” growled Jaki, “What is wrong with you?”
“Nothing’s wrong, dearie. You’re just not my first priority, that’s all. I’m so sorry to disappoint you.”
“Please, just get it signed so Mary Fitzpatrick doesn’t have to get the courts involved again.”
“You always seem to need somebody to do something for you every time the going gets rough.”
“I just need you to act like an Auditor and sign this checklist for me.”
“Oh, alright, but I’m sick of baling you out.”
Anne-Marie scrawled her name across the page and dished the extra copy back to Jaki. Jaki quickly thanked her and headed to the Lee Estate.
“Arvind, I really don’t know if this job will suit me.”
“What makes you say that?”
“I had another run-in down at the Auditor’s Office.”
“Anne-Marie?”
Jaki nodded.
“Just relax and give it time. It’s not any more of a political position than you had as my assistant.”
“You say that, but you always had to come to my rescue when we dealt with people like Anne-Marie.”
“There’s only a handful of people out there like her – and once you get elected, there will at least one less.”
Jaki’s grin was wide and all consuming, like the cat that swallowed the mouse.
“You always know the right thing to say.”
“I just know you. That’s all politics is – making sure your relationships last a long, long time.”
Jaki and Arvind returned to the office just long enough to check in and head out to lunch.
“Where are we going?”
“We’re going to meet a few of my important clients for lunch. With a little nudge, they’ll be more than willing to contribute to your campaign.”
“It’s always something with you and your endless plans.”
“You have absolutely no idea,” said Arvind with a little wink. While he and Jaki worked on their end of things, Eiselle worked just as hard on her end.
“Can I speak to Mya Amores?”
"May I say who is calling?”
"It’s an old friend …Eiselle Lee. Well, she’ll know me as Eiselle St. James.”
“Okay, ma’am, hold on a moment while I give her a buzz.”
Eiselle waited as the receptionist contacted Mya’s personal hotline.
“I have Eiselle St. James on the line for you.”
“Eiselle St. James? What on earth does she want now?”
“Do you want me to send her to voicemail?”
“No,” said Mya, “I’ll take the call. I’m curious to find out what she’s up to now.”
“Okay…connecting…Mrs. St. James are you there?”
“Yes, I’m here.”
“I have Miss Amores on the line and I’m connecting you now.”
“Hello, Eiselle. What’s going on in your part of the world? Are we throwing another party?”
“It’s actually a reception after another ribbon cutting. This time, it’s the high-rise near Sarangani Bay.”
“It’s complete?”
“No, but the condos are going to be ready for move-in just before Christmas.”
“We should probably wait for the high-rise to be completed.”
“No!” commanded Eiselle, “It would make a great human interest story. The people from the nearby squatter village are being moved into the condos and Arvind Construction is offering them jobs at the resort when it opens.”
“That does sound like a good story.”
“Goody,” replied Eiselle, “How do I thank you?”
“You don’t have to thank me. Just keep me informed and I’ll be there for the ribbon cutting.”
After Myra ended the phone call with Eiselle, she turned to Francis Vendiola.
“Frank, I just had the weirdest conversation.”
“What was it?”
“It’s not what, but who. Eiselle St. James…I mean Eiselle Lee just called me regarding another ribbon cutting over in Sarangani.”
“That’s not so strange. You know Eiselle Lee.”
“Yeah, but she suggested I do a human interest piece about Arvind’s multi-use project.”
“You think she’s got an ulterior motive?”
“Absolutely – but I have no idea what it could be.”
“Think Anne-Marie Kwok and I bet you’ll have your answer.”
Even before Mya and Francis finished their conversation, Eiselle was on the phone with Anne-Marie.
“Hello, dearie…”
“Yes, Eiselle?”
“I was just calling you regarding the next ribbon cutting.”
“Yes, yes, that damned high-rise. I know all about it, but it won’t be finished for a long time, so just call me then.”
“I don’t mean the high-rise, just the condominiums.”
“Why on earth do you need a ribbon cutting for some worker apartelles?”
“We’re having a Christmas move-in.”
“I get it. Arvind wants to make nice so his little helper girl gets on the evening news for the holidays, right?”
“It’s good for the villagers and it’s good for Arvind, too.”
“Suddenly you’re the Sarangani Saint?”
“No, it’s just right, Anne-Marie.”
“Whatever, Eiselle.”
Anne-Marie quickly tabbed her cellphone and ended the call. After that, she had trouble focusing on her other work. However, Eiselle suddenly saw the puzzle as each piece began to find its proper place. Her next move was another phone call.
“Is Arvind there?”
“He’s right here with me,” said Jaki, “he’s dragging me to a power lunch.”
“Can I join?”
Jaki covered the microphone on her cell phone for a moment and Eiselle could only hear muffled conversation between Jaki and Arvind.
“This is a private lunch, Eiselle.”
“Let me talk to Arvind.”
“It’s for my campaign.”
“Give the phone to Arvind, would you please?”
There were more muffles as Jaki passed her phone to Arvind.
“Yes, Eiselle? What do you need?”
“I wanted to talk to you about the move-in at the condos.”
“We just got the checklist signed by Anne-Marie and we need the final sign-off by the architect, engineer, and city planner.”
“That’s good then. It’s almost done.”
“Almost, but we still have a little ways to go. With the government it always seems to be hurry up and wait.”
“Let me join you for lunch and we’ll discuss the ribbon cutting gala.”
“We don’t really need a ribbon cutting for the condos.”
“Oh! It’s a big plan and the news is already going to be there. I want to tell you all about it.”
“Can’t it wait?”
“It’s very important.”
“I’ll see you later this afternoon and we’ll discuss it.”
“Oh,” moaned Eiselle, “that’s so much waiting.”
“Be patient, dear. I’ll see you this afternoon.”
Arvind ended the call with Eiselle much in the same way that Anne-Marie had done just a few minutes earlier. However, that wasn’t about to stop Eiselle. She had work to do.
Her car veered through the streets of Sarangani to the entrance to Academy Road. As she idled down the slow slope of Academy Road, she carefully passed a small dump truck. A group of workers stood at the end of the road, carefully spreading gravel up Academy Road while Mrs. Velasco supervised their work.
“Oh, hello, Eiselle. Do you know what this is all about?”
“It’s for the resurfacing.”
“This road doesn’t need resurfaced. It’s fine just the way it is.”
“They’re making Academy Road wider to handle all the traffic to and from the memorial and the park.”
“Who’s making it wider? Is it your husband?”
“The whole city.”
“And we don’t even get a say in any of this?”
“Well, Arvind is giving you free housing at the resort and you should be glad for that.”
“We didn’t ask for any of this.”
“Well, you’re getting it, whether you want it or not.”
To Mrs. Velasco’s dismay, all the details were already complete. The only thing left was the punch list. Even Academy Road and the old-new village of Baluntay were going to make way for the high-rise. In a matter of days, gravel was poured and spread, sand was poured and compacted, and the layers of concrete were drawn over the base layers until a nice, smooth roadway connected the memorial and the national road. Through it all, Mr. G. had to act as go-between for Arvind Construction the villagers.
“Well, we have a brand new Academy Road and the condos are ready for move-in beginning on the 15th.”
“What if we don’t want to go?” asked Mrs. Velasco.
“Then you’ll have to find another place to live,” said Arvind, “which I’ll be more than happy to help you with, but you won’t get a deal as good as this, no matter where you go.”
“I just want to stay here in Baluntay.”
It had only been three months since the tsunami and very few of the scars had healed among the survivors. Still, there was
“Don’t worry,” interrupted Rosie, “I’m sure you’ll grow to love it.”
“So says you,” scoffed Mrs. Velasco, “You’ll be gone in two weeks.”
“Not so,” said Rosie.
Mrs. Velasco crossed her arms as the two women seemingly faced off. Rosie looked to Brian and then to Jonny.
“I thought I was staying until the end of the year.”
“There’s a ticket waiting for you at the house. You’re leaving on December 18th, just as your contract states.”
“But I want to stay for Christmas.”
“I’m sorry, but the work visa ends on the 18th and you’ll have to return to the States.”
Rosie’s shoulders slumped before Jonny had a chance to reply. She really didn’t need his answer anyway. Her time in Baluntay was almost over – and she wasn’t ready to go.
“All you had to do was the extension when we talked about it a few months ago.”
“I know.”
“I’m sorry, but that’s how it’s got to be.”
“I know that, too.”
Rosie withdrew into herself as she hiked towards Mr. G’s house. Soon, she heard the sound of Joy’s footsteps behind her.
“What are you doing, Miss Saspy?”
“I’m going to start packing.”
“Can I tag along?”
“I don’t know, doodlebug. I’ve got lots of things to sort through.”
“Maybe I can help.”
“No, I mean personal things. There’s a lot for me to think about right now.”
Joy slowed her pace and fell a few steps behind Rosie as the two girls continued up Academy Road.
“Maybe you should worry about helping Mrs. Velasco.”
“I don’t think she wants to be bothered right now.”
“You’ve got a point there. I guess I could use your help for a little while.”
“Where do you want me to start?”
“Start in the closet. We’ll take everything off the hangers and roll it up so it fits in my duffel bag.”
Joy pulled a chair to the closet and used it to get a leg up on the task at hand. She pulled the hangers down in sets of two and carefully stepped off the chair.
“Oh my!” said Rosie, “maybe I should do that.”
Rosie moved the chair out of the way and handed the clothes directly to Joy, who put them into a pile on the bed. When she reached the last two items in the closet, she paused for a moment.
“What is it?”
Rosie held a Sooners hoodie in one hand and the orange-yellow rain jacket in the other.
“Oh.”
“Go ahead and put them on the bed with the rest.”
“Rosie?”
“Yea?”
“Can I have the rain jacket?”
Rosie heaved a long sigh.
“Please?”
“I don’t know…how about something else?”
“Okay, the hoodie.”
“It’s much too big for you.”
“It’s not too big.”
Joy quickly tugged the hoodie over her head and modeled it for Rosie. The bottom hem covered Joy’s knees.
“How do I look?”
Rosie just laughed.
“I’ll grow into it, I promise.”
Alright, it’s all yours.”
The girls were left alone at Mr. G’s house, which suited both of them just fine. Meanwhile, Arvind had enlisted the services of Mr. Rana to provide brand new furniture for the condos. The flat bed truck, with all of its wood carefully stacked and bundled, made several trips between the furniture store and the condos while the final touches were put on Academy Road.
“The condos are actually ready for move-in right now.”
“Can we see them?” asked Brian.
“I can take a few of you in my car.”
“We can just head across the foot bridge to the high-rise.”
“What about me?” asked Mrs. Velasco.
“Brian can take the kids,” said Arvind, “while Jaki and take the adults.”
Brian and the children crossed the bridge and walked to the parking lot in front of the construction site. Soon after, Jaki and Arvind’s cars arrived with the adults.
“You ready to see your new home?” asked Jaki as she jangled the condo keys in her hands.
A cheer erupted from the children. Meanwhile, Mrs. Velasco and Mrs. Serencio still remained skeptical.
“We’ll see your place first,” said Jaki to Mrs. Velasco.
“I told you…”
“I know, I know,” said Jaki, “but this is the place we have reserved just for you.”
Jaki triumphantly led the way past the construction office and through the work site to the condos. She turned a corner and headed to the leading edge of the property, directly overlooking Sarangani Bay.
“Well,” said Mrs. Serencio, “the view sure is pretty.”
Jaki nodded as she fit the key into the door and opened it. As her heels clicked across the wooden floor, the sound echoed through the living room.
“This is all ours?” asked Juvie.
Jaki nodded.
“Well,” said Mrs. Velasco, “ti’s much too big for me and the girls.”
“You have a room for you and one for the girls. Wait until you see this…”
Jaki opened the door to the girls’ bedroom and the children poured past her and ran towards the bunk bed. Juvie was the last into the room as she pondered over the scale of it all. She stood there in the middle of the room with Jaki and looked at the large window that faced the bay. She walked slowly towards the window and placed her hands upon the windowsill. She’d only seen fancy bedroom windows like this in television shows and fashion magazines she went to the mall with her mother.
“This is all ours?” she said to Jaki.
“Yes, if your mother wants to move in.”
Juvie looked to her mother.
“This is not our home. Our home is in Baluntay.”
“If you want,” said Jaki, “you can move into the new condos when we finish them.”
“Where will they be?”
“Right over there,” said Jaki as she pointed to the old village.
Mrs. Velasco crinkled her nose at the thought of it.
“What about our homes?” asked Mrs. Serencio.
“They’ll be removed for the new condos as soon as you move your things over to your brand new condos.”
“You mean bulldozed,” Mrs. Velasco stated flatly.
“Yes, but for new condos. These weren’t even your houses three months ago.”
“But they’re our houses now.”
Arvind cleared his throat.
“I’m not doing this to ruin anyone’s home. I’m just trying to be absolutely fair to everyone.”
“Yes,” added Jonny, “Let’s not fight over this right now. Arvind Lee is doing right by us. And he certainly could’ve handled this like some selfish developer. If we all work together, we can make short work of the move.”
Although Mrs. Serencio and Mrs. Velasco were the last two holdouts, Mrs. Serencio really had no intention of saying no to a brand new home. Mrs. Serencio basically felt the same, but managed to hold on to her dignity even as she transferred her things to the new house
“Where do you want me to put your stuff?” asked Brian.
“Put them by the door. We might need to move it back to the village.”
Brian did as told. Meanwhile, Juvie was just behind him with a box marked “JOY”.
“Do you want me to put this box with the rest?” asked Juvie.
“Just put everything that says Joy or Juvie in your bedroom and we’ll sort things out when Joy gets back from Mr. G’s house.”
The girls marched down Academy Road just before dinnertime, only to find the old village mostly abandoned. A small group of kids were there, using the abandoned houses to play starfighters.
“Pyoo! Pyoo! Pyoo!” said Herve as he mocked the sound of a laser shooter.
“Where is everyone?” asked Joy.
“Pyoo! Pyoo! You’re dead!”
“No, I’m serious!”
“Pyoo! Pyoo!”
“Everyone’s up at the condos,” said Mariella.
As Rosie and Joy crossed the bridge, the children broke off from their game and followed them to the condos.
When they arrived, the smell of fresh cooking greeted them at the Velasco’s front door. It meant only one thing: Mrs. Velasco and Mrs. Serencio were fixing up something special for dinner.
“Come on, dear,” Mrs. Velasco ordered the girls, “grab some place mats and set up an eating area in the living room.”
Besides the collection of moving boxes, the living room was bare. Rosie and the children spread newspapers on the ground and arranged the place mats in the center of the room.
“Come now,” said Mrs. Velasco, “grab a dish and fill it up. We’ll gather in the living room for a move-in feast.”
“We’re moving in?” asked Juvie.
“I didn’t say that, but since our stuff is here, maybe we can try it out for a while.”
There were three types of Adobo: chicken, pork, and fish, and there were pancit noodles for Rosie, too. They gathered around a collection of plates and ate buffet-style. Ti was quite some move-in feast that lasted long into the night.
The ribbon cutting ceremony came two days after everyone had officially settled into their new places, but it gave Eiselle the chance to finalize plans for her grand gala and also allowed the media to gather for a press conference at the next big ribbon cutting.
Mya Amores was, of course, front and center with her news crew.
“Arvind, now that the high rise at Sarangani is almost complete, how do you visualize the multi-use complex impacting other resort developments?”
“Eventually, I think it will impact the entire business community.”
“What do you mean?”
“If developers invest in the people, those investments will always improve the bottom line. A stronger community means higher property values.”
“Jaki, how do you think this will impact Baluntay?”
“Mya, my family is from this part of Sarangani and anything to help them only does right by me.”
“Do you agree, Anne-Marie?”
“Well…not totally.”
“How so?”
“There’s a reason the greatest civilizations have separated the poor from the rich. They just don’t belong together.”
“Maybe it’s time that changed,” said Jaki.
“The Romans and Greeks never mixed the rich and the poor. What makes you think you can do it any better than them?”
“Honestly, Anne-Marie, I don’t know what to say to you.”
“Mmm-hmm,” said Anne-Marie with a little sneer.
“Arvind, do you have similar plans for all your future resorts?”
“Moving forward, Arvind Construction will only build multi-use properties like this.”
“Well,” said Mya, “only time will tell with Arvind Construction’s new multi-use complex. Until them, I’m Mya Amores reporting for MindaNews from The Condos at Sarangani Bay.”
On the following Saturday morning, Mr. G. hiked across Academy Road to the condos, just to check in on his villagers. He was more than a little surprised to see Mrs. Velasco’s initial reluctance had faded as she luxuriated in the creature comforts of her new condo. She and Mrs. Serencio were out on the porch between their homes, enjoying a cool but clear morning.
“Mr. Gutierrez, what are you doing here?”
“I thought I’d drop by and see how things are going.”
“Why don’t you sit for a while and join us for a bit of tea?”
“That sounds just perfect.”
“Good! I’ve already got a teapot brewing on the new stove.”
“Mrs. Serencio and I were just discussing your problem at the Academy?”
“I have a problem at the Academy?”
“You are losing a very good teacher in just a week.”
“Oh, that.”
“What are you going to do?’
Jonny shrugged, “there’s really nothing to do except say goodbye.”
“You’re not going to have a formal send-off?”
“I really hadn’t planned on it.”
“Well,” said Mrs. Velasco, “I think it would be the very least you could do.”
“”I’m not good at long goodbyes.”
“When is she leaving?”
“I think her flight is just before noon on Sunday morning.”
“Then let’s plan something for Saturday night. I think Mrs. Serencio and I could handle everything.”
Mrs. Serencio nodded affirmatively.
“Then it’s settled. You just make to bring Miss Sasfy and we’ll handle the rest.”
The week flew by as Rosie made her final preparations. She placed a video call to her father and told her when her flight would arrive in Oklahoma City and she visited everyone she could in the last few days to collect email addresses and phone numbers of her friends. Also, she slowly undid the careful packing she had finished just a week before. By the time Saturday came, everything from her backpack was reorganized into neat little piles along the far wall of her bedroom.
“I thought you were all ready to go,” said Jonny.
“I was, but life happened and as you always say, “How do you make God laugh?”
“…you make a plan,” chuckled Jonny.
He stood there for a few minutes and watched Rosie sort through her things before interrupting her.
“What are your plans for tonight?”
“Hopefully, I can finish all my packing.”
“Mrs. Velasco is throwing a little going away party at the apartelles.”
“You know I wouldn’t miss that for the world.”
“Then it’s a date.”
Just before sunset, Brian arrived at Jonny’s house, with a guitar in one hand and a Joy’s hand in the other.
“Hello, Rosie!” said Joy.
“Hello, dearest Joy. How are you?”
“I’m a little sad.”
“Me, too,” replied Rosie, “but we will use that as an excuse to have as much fun as possible, okay?”
Joy nodded. Brian and Rosie stood across from each other at the doorway to the map room and remained quiet.
“I know,” said Rosie, “I will miss you, too.”
Brian nodded and Rosie quickly pressed her body into his and wrapped her arms around his waist.
“Hug me tight,” she whispered to him.
Brian responded with a long, slow embrace until Jonny came rumbling down the stairs.
“Basta!” he said, “enough of those sad moments. Tonight is a party.”
“Alrighty,” said Rosie as she grabbed Brian in one hand and Joy in the other and let them lead her up the hill to the apartelles.
Not only was everyone from the village there, but also some familiar faces from Arvind Construction and people from around the community, too.
The night was quick, with Rosie getting lost in every conversation and not able to simply say a quick hi-and-bye to anyone. That meant she missed out on some of her closest friends. Still, as the night wound down, the few that remained were the ones she care for the most. A small handful of friends gathered on the landing outside Mrs. Velasco’s new home, including the Velascos, the Serencios, Brian, Rosie, and Mr. G.
“I’m gonna miss this place,” sighed Rosie.
“We’re not going anywhere,” said Jonny, “we’re only a plane ride away.”
“Ugh,” said Rosie, “don’t remind me. I have to spend all of tomorrow and Monday being neighbors with strangers.”
“It’s not so bad,” said Jonny, “life would be boring without a little adventure.”
He reached over to the bucket of beers and grabbed one for himself and opened it. Then, he looked to Rosie.
“Would you like one last San Mig before you leave?”
“Ah - of course!” exclaimed Rosie, “Give me a San Mig for the road.”
San Miguel Beer – the national beer of The Philippines
XXX
After Rosie took the last swig of her San Mig, she got up and walked over to Brian. As she reached towards him, he flinched away. She coyly gave him a pick on the forehead.
“Don’t act so frightened, silly boy. All I wanted was this…”
She snatched the guitar from Brian’s hands and returned to her spot between Herve and Joy.
“Do I have any requests?”
“Play one of the classics, like ‘Mack the Knife’ or ‘I’ve Gotta Be Me,’” suggested Jonny.
“I don’t know those.”
“How about a sing-a-long?” said Mrs.Velasco.
Rosie strummed on the guitar for a bit before breaking into song.
“Leavin’ on a Jet Plane, don’t know when I’ll be back again…”
Joy and Herve leaned into Rosie until she finished singing. There was a short bit of silence as everyone lingered on the thought of Rosie’s departure.
“I never knew you could play a guitar.”
“Mr. Rudie, I’m sure there are millions of things you’d don’t know about me.”
“Ain’t that the truth?”
A short and somewhat sad silence fell over the group again.
“Alright,” said Rosie, “we’d better get to bed. Tomorrow, we will have lots to do in a very little amount of time.”
“Rosie?” said Joy, “can you have a sleepover with us tonight?”
“I don’t think so, doodlebug. All my stuff is back at the house and I still want to give it one last check before I leave.”
“But we only have thirteen hours left,” said Joy.
“Yep, only thirteen more hours.” said Rosie as she ran her fingers through Joy’s hair, catching her hand on the ponytail and pulling it through her hand.
Rosie and Mr. G. returned to the house and Rosie went straight to bed, but all she could think about was how she should have extended her contract for one more year. She was feeling homesick, but now it was for Baluntay, and of course, the sleep she got that night was short and fitful. When a pair of Humvees rumbled down Academy Road bright and early the next morning, Rosie could barely get out of bed. It didn’t help when Ralj shouted up the steps leading from the map room.
“Get out of bed, sleepyhead! The cavalry’s here to take you to the airport!”
Rosie rose from bed and looked out her window to see two truckloads of children donning their maroon and white Oklahoma Sooners t-shirts. It was a welcome and heart-warming sight.
“That’s quite some morning call,” replied Rosie, “you really didn’t have to go to all this trouble.”
“No trouble at all, ma’am,” replied Marco, “Can we help you with your luggage?”
“Give me just a moment to get ready.”
Rosie jumped into her day clothes and met Marco, Pidro, and Ralj at the top of the stairs.
“I have three bags, but they’re all heavy.”
“No heavier than a duffel bag,” said Marco as he threw the largest one over his shoulder.
“Someone’s showing off,” said Pidro.
“Nah,” scoffed Marco, “I don’t know Rosie very well, but my sister Jaki has only the greatest praise for her, so this is the least I can do.”
“Jaki and I have become very close in the last few months.”
“We will all miss you,” said Pidro, “of course, Ralj will miss you the most.”
“Why do you always make drama for me, Specialist?”
“You’re an easy target, Master Sergeant.”
“Just for that, you can sit in the back with the kids. Rosie, you can ride in the front with me.”
“Sure thing,” said Rosie as she hopped in the front seat. However, she remained silent the whole way to the airport in General Santos City. As she hopped out of the Humvee, Pidro and Marco plucked the children out of the back hatch.
“Out you go!” said Marco.
“I think everyone should stay here,” said Ralj.
“I want to walk Miss Sasfy to the plane,” said Maria.
“You can’t do that.”
“Why not?”
“Security won’t let you go that far.”
“Well,” said Joy, “we will go as far as they let me go.”
A maroon-shirted mass cut through the hordes of passengers as Rosie went to the counter and got her boarding pass. Then, Rosie presented her boarding pass to the security guard and left everyone behind.
“Rosie!” called Joy, “Come back soon!”
Rosie turned around and smiled.
“We will miss you!” said Maria.
“I’ll miss you, too.”
“Rosie?” said Joy.
“Yes, doodlebug?”
Joy’s smile was awkward and weak. It showed the signs of possible tears and Rosie just wanted to take the little girl in the over-sized Sooners hoodie and ruck her in her backpack.
“When will you return?”
“I’m not sure, but I promise, it will be soon.”
“How soon is that?”
“I don’t know, but as soon as possible.”
Rosie gave the whole group a nonchalant wave and headed into the terminal. As she did, a flood of goodbyes echoed from behind her. Then, there was a bit of silence as Joy called to her again.
“Come back soon!” called Joy.
Rosie continued through the long hallway toward her gate. Joy continued to call for her, but Rosie tried to focus on the low hum of the luggage wheels rolling over the marbled floor and clicking on each tile’s edge.
Beyond that, the trip from Gensan to Manila was utterly forgettable and so, too, was the trip to Tokyo. However, when she boarded the Airbus and settled in, she was in the last row of the airplane, by the restroom. She buckled herself in and made sure everything was in order as the jetliner made its way to the runway.
“Folks, this is your Captain speaking. Thanks for your patience. We’re now the next in line for departure.”
The jet turned slightly as it aligned itself for take-off. As the jet engines started to rumble, Rosie tightened her lap belt one last time.
“Let’s go home,” said the flight attendant just behind Rosie. Rosie turned and gave her a happy little wink. As the jet rumbled down the tarmac, Rosie’s face became hot and flushed. Tears streamed down her cheeks and Rosie quickly wiped them away. She reached up and turned on the cool air vent.
Then, she leaned back and closed her eyes.
“Yes,” she whispered to herself, “let’s go home.”
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