Those people you can talk to.

Living in the province provides people with the scent of pastures, fresh wind breeze, clear river water, and a refreshing feeling. Sitting on the wooden porch reading something from great grandmothers notes, and a sound of a ballad song echoing through the wooden walls. A nostalgic feeling anybody who has experienced the provincial life would miss.

It was early morning when Sai got out of his headgear, the cold breeze caressing his cheeks, standing on the veranda, watching chickens singing their wake up calls, dogs wrestling at the front yard, and the slowly dying sound of crickets.

Sai stared at his mobile phone, slim foldable phone with accessible touch screen pane on both sides, an almost perfect combination of the ancient and modern-day atmosphere. He received multiple calls early in the morning that he had missed, and a message that said;

[Mr. Sherman, Sai.

As a representative of the Maintenance Department of the East-Base 328 Research Institute, I am glad to inform you that your transfer would be three days after you have received this message. Please be aware that your absence will mean a postponement of your transfer in worst case termination. Rest assured your application has already been processed and your personal appearance is the final requirement, in contrast to this please send us a photo of your personal rooms four walls, ceiling, and floor.

Thank you for your time, we expect a response from you as soon as you receive this message.

Sender:...]

The date was never specific on the transfers, sometimes the service bus would come after 5 months of shortlisting, sometimes just a day after the requirements were sent. The transfer was like a nationwide tour, hopping from one location to the other. But the cost was of course covered by the company, the longest the person would stay on the bus was ten days. The applicants are required to present themselves at the central city's central library, at exactly twelve noon the busses heading to different researcher institute would start arriving, and by four in the afternoon no busses will be present, and anyone who still arrives late will receive a message of a delayed transfer.

"Knock! Knock! Knock!"

Sai heard a knock on the door as he prepares to go for a run.

"I know you're out of the game. The representative called, saying you should be transferring three days from now." Sai's mother said through the door.

"Just a moment!" Sai shouted when he heard his mother spoke.

"..." the mother was starring at his son waiting for any words that her child would like to say.

"Let's talk about that later tonight. Yes? No?... I'm going for a run... later..." Sai said as he opened the door and hugged his mother, the promptly dashed out of the door, put on his shoes and run out of the house.

His mother, on the other hand, was stupefied, as if she had touched an unwanted topic and was left on the air hanging. Staring at her child rushing out of the house she thought to herself; 'is he really that eager to get out there?' Melancholic thoughts started to flood her mind, and a sad smile accompanied by a little tear that escapes her calm composure was both beautiful and heartbreaking at the same time.

"Whoo... Didn't expect mom to be the one to pick up that call." Sai voiced his worry over his mothers overthinking nature.

Running down the grassy patch on the side of the road, Sai puts on his earphones and jogged to the old school buildings' sports field. The building itself was remodeled to be used as a training facility, filled with gym equipment and modern books used to supplement elementary level learning, and advanced learning students.

Children were playing catch on one side, volleyball, basketball, some team games and others are playing mind games. This was the new norm, some basic reading and writing exercises were issued by class teachers to train the young sprouts.

On the track field, some adults are running along with the advanced crafts students, running laps after laps to full fill the daily requirement of the system. Amongst them was a woman that has been waiting for someone who said he has something to talk about.

"Have you been waiting for long?" Sai asked Izen as he scoots beside her slowing down his pace not touching the 'Sorry I am late' route.

"No! I was enjoying the atmosphere here until someone arrived."

"Who is that that spoiled your mood, I will go and beat that person up." Pretending that he doesn't know who she was referring to. Of course, violence is no longer rampant on the streets and any form of it is punishable by law if caught.

"Remember that wizard lady we met last night?"

"Yes, why?"

"Her name is AlayaMaby, rings any bell?"

"Not really, other than the Aleya on her name, nothing."

"Haha... Was just thinking about how AleyaNala caught the information about the NPC. When I checked the time it was first sited it was about four hours before I logged-out."

"So?"

"Maybe that Maby person was the friend Nala mentioned a few times before."

"And where are you going with this? Are you perhaps, feeling guilty about the wood?"

"N... No..." Izen answered without confidence.

"Of course, there is nothing to be guilty about. You were just selling what you have, besides, it's not like you were properly acquainted with both Aleya's."

"Right..." Izen said, while slowly approaching the bench to take a rest, she has been running for quite some time now, and has long since finished her daily run.

"Okay, you rest for a while I'll finish my run as fast as I can. So we can talk properly."

"It's alright, you can take your time. I have a lot to think about as well."

Leaving Izen to her thoughts, Sai went on his jog, running as fast as he could without losing a breath. Going around the oval, taking a rest occasionally, to have small talks with his waiting friend. Izen, of course, didn't just loiter, she has stretched her muscles, performing some acrobatic stunts. To any who witnessed her movements, nobody would have thought that a person of her built was capable of bending to a certain extent. A body that is not too large for a woman and not too skinny either, it was an athletic build but not the starve me to death athletic diet build either, it was almost perfect.

When Sai finally finished his requisite run, he took a few more rounds around the oval to compensate for his slowed metabolic rate. Slowly slowing his pace to let his running heartbeat to slowly slow down to a manageable resting tempo, he approached Izen completely rested sitting on the bench, staring on blank space.

"Hey, you awake still?"

"Ohh... haha... let's walk now, I won't let you sit down even for a second." said begrudgingly after being wakened from her stupor.

"Where to?"

"Home, where else?"

"Can't we just sit somewhere and..."

"No! I find it easier to think while walking rather than get tired sitting, besides I am still a little bit behind on my calorie burn. So..." stated while looking at Sai who is slowly walking beside her.

A few moments of silence while the two were walking on the sidewalk, passing some department stores and small stands, avoiding the conversation where many people could hear, a long silence it neither bearable nor was it enjoyable, just two people searching for words on how to begin to break the Ice.

"So what is this that is so important that you hold your tongue?" It was Izen who broke the chunks without repost.

"Three days from now, I will be leaving for the Institute."

"Oh, then congratulations are in order. What do auntie and uncle have to say about this? Did you tell them yet?"

"Mother found out earlier than I did. I am not sure about the other two, or mother had already told them about it."

"Good then, I'm sure you were about to hide it from them again, until the day of the departure."

"You say it like its a bad thing."

"Of course it is, people need time to prepare, you know, withdrawing some cash for pocket money, pulling out documents from the long-sealed cabinets, washing and drying clothes to be packed, maybe even buy brand new bedsheets. People who care prepare these things, especially mothers who prepare side dishes just for you."

"Ohh..."

"Ohh?!... that's all you have to say?" Like a nagging mother, his best friend speaks.

"But what if mother suddenly goes ballistics on me."

"Maybe because you deserve it, anyways I heard that you are required to send some photos of your bedroom or private room is what they call it."

"For someone who is not leaving this place, you know to allot."

"Yah... Let's not speak on a finished tone. I didn't say that I wouldn't leave, I just postponed it with permission. There is a difference."

The two slowly walked back home, taking their time on each other company, having casual conversations, and occasionally teasing each other. It was an interaction of two people that has great trust in each other could have, a seemingly context-less conversation, but for the two, it has a deeper meaning than the shallow spoke words.

"Hey, Congratulations again, even if I see you in the game, Congratulations still. Remember we are and always will be proud of you, even if we don't speak it often. Congratulations You did good!." Izen said as they approached the fork on the road, leading to the direction their houses were located.

"T... Thanks... I will keep that in mind." Sai said looking at his friend departing.

"I expect you to," Izen said looking back, turning and dashed, hiding from Sai's view. Keeping her teary eye from being spotted by her friend.

"Don't cry when I am not around, Okay," Sai shouted while looking at the direction Izen disappear to.

"Even tears of joy?" She retorted as she completely disappeared from view.

When Sai reached home, he was greeted by his mother, cooking some dishes for breakfast.

"Have a seat." His mother prompted.

"No! I'll help you cook today," Sai imposed.

"Okay, peel those potatoes, slice them into cubes for the fried rice, after you finished that, take out some preserved vegetables from the refrigerator." His mother said as she takes out the plates and utensils from the cupboard.

After a while of peeling and slicing, Sai finally broke the silence.

"Mom, have you told Dad and Salli about the transfer?"

"Not yet, your father left early, and your brother is still sleeping."

"Ohhh... Then what do you think of me leaving for the Institute?"

"As long as you are happy, I will support you. Even if it means you going away for a time from home."

"Mom, are you really alright with me leaving?"

"How could I not be alright. I, too, needed to move out of the house to find my self and grow. Keeping you here might be the dumbest thing I will do, that's why if what you really wanted is to go out there, just remember we are here for you to come home to okay."

"Thanks, Mom."

"And don't worry about your father either, he has been nagging about your transfer case. What you have to do is to have a nice long chat with your brother, he might not understand yet what it means to be an adult. But we are here for him too, you took most of our attention, its time for him to be the recipient, Yes?"

"Haha... Yes, Mother..."

It may be a very short conversation between the two, but it was filled with words that grip the heart. Sai, in particular, struggled to hold his tears back and almost cut his fingers prompting him to stop for a moment and recollect himself. After which the mother and son had their breakfast, and the mother left son alone at home to ho to work.

It was past lunch when the younger brother arrived home from his physical training class, and Sai was preparing food in the kitchen.

"You're up early today?"

"And your late."

"What's up anyway?" The little one asked taking out some handicraft that is assigned for him to do.

"Nothing, I just felt like spending time with you today."

"What's up with you all of a sudden? You're giving me the creeps."

"Usually people would respond, 'How should we spend it?' Things like that."

"Mom! Brother is acting weird, should we call some doctors... Mom?"

"Would you stop it you brat!" Sai said chasing his brother with a plastic spatula on hand.

"Mommy!" The boy shouted when Sai caught up to him and struck with the spatula.

"So should I keep beating you up?" Sai threatened to continue the torture.

"I want to watch a movie, there is this movie that was just released the other day." Said his younger brother while rubbing the oily forehead that received the beating.

"Is that all?"

"You're really giving me the creeps... I'll think things up as we go... usually, people ask the other party if they want to go on a date you know."

"Well I'm not dating you am I."

"I'll call on big sis on this, I'm sure she knows what's wrong with your wiring today."

"Haha... Even she can not rectify this malfunction." Sai laughed maniacally.