Chapter Seven: Save the Money
We were sweet. Sure. Tell that to her Mom!
For the past 4 months I've had this vibe of saving money, but I didn't know what to do with all the money I saved up. I was thinking of buying LEGOs or another new released PS3 games. I suddenly remembered the time me and my friends decided to go to the park and accidentally bumping with Sakura that day.
YES!
That was that time!
But why would I save. That's the question I kept asking myself but found no answers. I have saved up Four Thousand Four Hundred and Twenty-seven Pesos {PHP4,427}. I stacked the money in my old piggy bank I had when I was a child. 'Swerte yan' (That's lucky) they always told me whenever they see me drop coins in the piggy bank. When we opened the piggy, you can really see one peso, five peso, and ten peso denominations; without any papers, just coins.
When I went home from the park after we've exhausted ourselves from playing that time; my dog Conan went its four feet up and jump to me as I open our gate. That dog just loves being hugged whenever it gets the chance to.
My Mom was already there when I got home. I grabbed Conan's favorite dog food, the 'DogGo' products.
"Hey Mom!" I greeted her though I felt exhausted
"Hey! You're early today." My mom said
"Yeah. Am very exhausted today." I told her "I'll go to my room."
"Don't you want to eat snacks? I have prepared sandwich. It's in the ref. Grab one."
"Nah! I'm good, thanks!"
"Okay! just wake yourself by 7:00 PM, alright?"
I nodded and went straight upstairs. Conan followed me in the room.
I didn't bothered changing my clothes, I just went straight to bed. Head front, facing the ceiling. I was still at the bed, trying to close my eyes to try to sleep. I remembered I forgot something.
"Oh jeez, I forgot about the alarm!"
I went up from bed, looking for the alarm clock. "Where did I put that?" Trying to search for it; at least trying to. "Conan-help!"
Conan barked once. That means 'no'. Conan stayed at his comfort place besides my bed, eyes closed. Maybe even dreaming.
I went to the next room and found it. "Oh DAD! Why didn't I remember that in the first place?" I went back to my room and set up the alarm clock by 7:00 PM It will ring and I HAVE to wake up. I place my head on my soft gold colored pillow.
"Sakura' I mumbled "Sakura...cute name. Cute owner too." I smiled before I close my eyes.
It was Six o'clock. I woke up. My mom was there sitting in the dining table. Conan's still sleeping on the living room couch. Its dinner time, but my mom didn't bother calling me-she just stared at me pointing at the food. I nodded in agreement. I thought of going to the park alone, to think and breath fresh air. I wore my slippers and started to walk towards our gate to open it and walk straight to the end of the Subdivision. The Sun is yet to come down. Its rays flashes through my face. I tried to deflect the light by placing my left hand unto my face to protect me from the sun's powerful rays. The wind seems different, much stronger than earlier, I thought. "I brought some money?!" I said to myself as I place my hands in the pocket of my shorts. They're all coins. "That's convenient.' I thought "Gonna drop by the bakery by the next Subdivision." I brisk walk another block until I reach the Subdivision where I saw Sakura earlier together with my friends. I went straight to the bakery on the other side of the road.
"Hi. Good Evening. I wanna buy your newly baked bread, please." I said to the girl managing the front of the bakery.
"Sure. The new bakes are 'Banana Bread, Baguette, Buns, Pita, and Bagel.'" said the girl.
"Oh! Nice!' I said "I wanna go for the Buns and Banana Bread"
"How many buns and Banana bread, sir?" the girl asked.
"Oh yeah. 3 Buns and 2 Banana bread, please."
"Okay. We'll grab them for you. That'll be 32.75 Pesos, sir."
I reach my pocket for the money and count it; I gave the exact amount to the girl. "Here you go, 32.75!"
"Here's you breads, sir" She said while handing me the paper bag pack of bread. "Thank you!" I told to the girl. She smiled after wards "You're welcome!"
I ate the Buns first. Buns are hot, really newly baked. As I was eating the buns in front of bakery. I saw a familiar face going out from the Subdivision. I didn't bother as I really can't see clearly. I continued to eat the buns and the first slice of banana bread. The familiar face goes nearer and nearer to me. It was a she.
"Hey, you're a little late to be here, are you?" She said.
"What?" I said in confusion.
"Ben? It's me, Sakura. Hey!"
I came back from what happened to me. Maybe because of the bread, I supposed.
"Sakura? Wait? What? What're you doing here?"
"I live here, I'll buy something here." she said.
"O yeah! Pft! I forgot! Of course you live here!" I told her.
She laughed.
"Actually, we're gonna have our dinner. Wanna join?"
"Oh...Oh no...no. Hehe. No..." I told her shyly.
"Come. I insist!" She said to me then grabbing me by the arm and pulled me until we enter the Subdivision.
"Alright! Alright! I'll come with you!" I told her, "Just don't grab me all of a sudden, okay?"
"Okay!' She answered with a smile "I won't"
We continued to walk to the straight street that's too straight to be a street. It was like an never ending street of streets, but then, we saw the gazebo. I felt relief! We turn right facing the gazebo, and there, I saw their home. "A little creepy, to be a house, yeah?" I said.
"Yeah' she answered in agreement "At least it's a home."
"Yeah, a home." I felt uncomfortable at this exact moment.
We entered their home. There were her Mom and a little BROTHER? That's odd. I thought she doesn't have any siblings.
"Good Evening, Ma'am." I said to her Mother and bow. They're Japs, so I did.
"No need for the bow, darling." Her Mother told me "I'm not Japanese, ya know!?"
"Oh." I said and bowed again.
Why did I bow again. The fuck's wrong with me, I thought!
Her brother though, is silent in a corner, reading something. I can't distinguish what It was, but I think it's Playboy.
Sakura place the food in a big bowl. Her mother asked me to sit beside her and Sakura's chair.
Sakura served the food.
"Hmm...that's smells good!" I said to Sakura while she place the food on the table.
"Of course." She replied.
"What is that?" I asked
"See for yourself!" She said smiling.
I gazed at it; at first I thought it was a beef.
Wait. nope, not beef. Maybe Cow?
NO. Not Cow.
Pig? Sheep?
Her mother whispered "IT'S YOU!"
"Oh! Me!" I said. I chuckled.
Another seconds passed. I realized something "Wait. ME!? WHAT!"
"You said, save money. So we save money not to buy proper food!" Sakura's mother said. Now with red bright eyes!
I gazed at Sakura. She has red eyes too, even her little brother.
"SAVE SAVE SAVE SAVE SAVE!!!" They chant!
"SAVE THE MONEY!"
"SAVE THE MONEY!"
"SAVE THE MONEY!"
I ran outside their house just to see them fifty times bigger than me! Even my piggy bank was there. HUGE PIGGY BANK!
Sakura was holding a knife. A BIG KNIFE!
"I thought YOU LOVE ME! WHY DID YOU HOLD HANDS!" Sakura roared in anger!
Then she stabbed me using the knife she was holding. My vision all goes black.
I was screeching
"SAVE MONEY!" I said.
I suddenly WOKE UP!
I look at the time, it was 7:30 in the evening. "It was just...a freaking dream." I look where I left Conan. Yup Conan's there. I went up from bed. Go downstairs.
"Mom!" I shouted "Where you? Sorry I woke up a little late!"
A shadow was there at the living room. "It's alright, son." That's Moms voice. She was sitting in the couch. I went to her. I saw her eyes red! JUST LIKE THEM!
"The heck!" She choked me by the neck until I pass out. Pitch black!
I woke up! I was scared shit! It was a dream. NO. It was a NIGHTMARE!!
I went up and look at the time; 8:45 in the evening. Oh dang, I thought, I'm very late for dinner.
Conan wasn't at his throne beside my bed. I went down and saw Conan on the couch.
"You're late." Mom told me when she saw me.
"Yeah, sorry about that!"
"Your Dads home early."
"Nice. So we going to the mall tomorrow?" I asked Mom
"Maybe." she answered, but I know we will.
"Eat your dinner. I placed it in the fridge. Just reheat it, Okay?"
"Okay."
"I'm going up now, alright?"
"Sure!"
"Oh By the way--SAVE YOUR MONEY! Don't waste it on another set of games!"