Chapter 15

After Ninong Alfredo drops us off at the main entrance while he looks for a parking space, we head straight to the department store kid section. Since Ninong is the one who's paying for big bro's clothes then I won't hold back at choosing, I could already hear Ninang's nagging voice at the back of my mind scolding me for not knowing the importance of money.

What's the use of money when you don't use it to buy stuff that we need? Like that's a contradiction of the meaning of why money exists in the first place. Besides this is the only time Ninong becomes so generous compared to his other antics of helping others with his money, might as well abused it while it's free.

"C'mon big bro, choose any clothes that catch your eyes don't mind the price since Ninong is the one paying for all of this. We might as all well make the most of it while it's free right, we can't let such blessing pass us without squeezing everything right, big bro?" – I mischievously laugh getting a glimpse of facepalm expression from my Ninang while my grandparents chuckle at my childish evil plan towards Ninong's money.

Hehe~ I can't help it; money is the new version of a food is life in this modern world. money became one of the necessities to live a comfortable life, without money you don't have anything except family, friends, and maybe love but those are circumstantial stuff. Other people may or may not have a family to support them, friends to back them up, or a loved one to be there for them at every turn.

"Our little Arie is getting mischievous by day, I wonder where she got it from?" – mamang jokingly wondered

"Oh, you don't have to wonder where she got it from, mother, she definitely inherited it from Luke. Catherine has manners, thankfully, I even wonder how Luke got lucky to get such a woman to marry him. If I were him, he better not get any ideas at betraying his wife." – papang answered back quite seriously, wondering why papang would ever think my father would even cheat on mother. It never happened in the other timeline, so it will never happen in this timeline.

"Father, not in front of the kids." – Ninang hissed at papang glaring at him while papang just look at the other way whistling.

"It's just words. It's not like such a thing will happen and if it did happen then Luke is disowned and thrown out from this family with no cents he'll get from our inheritance when I and your mother die." – this is one thing about my grandfather, he despises, no, loathe unfaithful actions with passion. Betrayal is the worst sin any person could ever do in the eyes of papang.

He doesn't care if that person is part of the family or a friend if that person betrayed the trust, then it's that person is the greatest sinner in papang's viewpoint. He got that belief in the military, he was a great military surgeon, well, both he and mamang is great military surgeon. They even received medals and awards for saving soldiers on the battlefield and turning the tides when a biological weapon was released.

Anyway, my mind is wandering to places where it's not irrelevant to the present, remember I must spoil big bro by helping him choose lots and lots of clothes. But not that much as he is still growing up, we might have a problem in the future if he outgrows his clothes fast.

At the end of the shopping spree, we bought everything that big bro might need in the future, we even bought him some basketball shoes, like air Nike and Air Jordan. Luckily, Ninang bought his clothes with extra sizes in them that wouldn't like baggy clothes on him if he wears them in his current size and he could still wear them if he grows up. Mamang and papang even saw a matching outfit for me and big bro.

It's a sleeveless cute baby blue and white checkered dress with a white ribbon on my right chest and partner blue checkered hat, a pair of white doll shoes that have embraided flower patterns. For big bro, it's the same color and pattern polo button shirt, white ribbon right above his chest, and short white jumpsuit, lastly a pair of simple white shoes.

We've finally arrived at the Cuisine de Paraiso, and I couldn't help but marvel at how beautiful this place is. The design has a mixture of modern style while not dampening the style of mother nature with how those trees enclosed the restaurant, ivy leaves run up the archway gate as different kinds of colorful flowers blend in together.

"Welcome to the Cuisine of Paradise, do you have a reservation Sir?" – ask the waiter towards Ninong

"Alfredo Castillio"

"Follow me please, my name is Dominic, I'll be the one serving you and your family tonight. Everything has been prepared for you and if you have anything to ask, please press this button and call my name." – the waiter Dominic politely said as he hands out a black button remote.

As I look around, the amazement I feel towards this place is magnificent, like I couldn't believe such a place exist. There's a big and wide lake in the very center where a few huts are situated in the middle as lily pads and lily flowers float in the water. I could even see koi fishes swimming energetically, and on the land, there are treehouses with fairy lights hanging and wrapped around the trees and some wooden lantern poles.

"Our treehouses and lake huts are only for the costumers who had a reservation as you might notice, the total of all of this can be counted in four hands. So, all the walk-in customers are in the dine-in area where they could view the whole lake. Ah, here we are, please enjoy your stay, to place your order this tablet has our menu you can choose here and tap your order then submit it in the end. Any questions for later, then press the button and call out my name, Dominic."

In the next few hours, we ate our fill and had the best family bonding time together, I miss this feeling of normalcy and peacefulness eating together with my family. It's been so long since I've felt like this again, in the past… no in the other timeline when big bro died from the battle, I didn't have anyone to eat together with me. I have no family left behind anymore, I felt so lonely and lost.

There's no one to welcome me home as even my fiancé was busy fighting for humanity's survival, my other friends have duty like the rest of us. We met up to have some fun like training together or watching old movies that were not destroyed, but it was always not the same. We all want is to find the solace of normal life where we don't have to worry about impending doom looming over us. We were still teenagers entering adulthood, we didn't want… I didn't want to experience those again without the solace of warmth from my family's love and comfort.

Time flies by fast when a person is enjoying his or her time of life without glancing at the clock, that's where we realize how moments like this should be treasured and enjoy the moment while we still can. Because life likes to throw things, we don't expect just to throw us off our balance, to make us tumble down to the ground and crawl our way again, to learn how to stand up on our two feet and find the balance of life again.

That's how I learn things about life, the next second I'm happy and enjoying the moment then the next I'm regretting everything because of one simple mistake as the semblance of balance has collapsed.

I've fallen asleep together with big bro in the car on our way home, I feel my body being carried on to who knows where, but I don't really care now, my body has reached its maximum limit that all my injuries and fatigued that I've been pushing down is coming back again. Besides I have trustworthy guards doing their duty at keeping me safe, so if they're not moving then that's mean we are home.

There's not much to think about it or say, my wonderful family night ended with falling deeper in the slumber of darkness and woken up by an excited big brother dragging me out of my bed towards my bathroom. Seeing a glimpse of my uniform prepared at the table and smelling the delicious breakfast waiting for me to eat. I forcefully awaken myself remembering that we have an exam to pass, I might as well make the best out of it.

Besides I'm quite curious why the principal chose us four when we didn't even make it to the top ten last year, I could understand Simon being chosen, but Denise and big bro is a big fat no. As for me, it may be because of exams results from the first day, nevertheless, it's still not enough reason to choose me, big bro, and Denise for this special class.

I must find out as it may become a variant in my future objective, I don't like creating a plan with an unknown variable hanging like bait right in front of me. However, before that, I should contact Armond about his progress at finding the tomb of my two masters.

"Are you ready for the exam, Arie?" – big bro asked me with much enthusiasm and edginess at the same time making me want to laugh out loud at him.

"As ready as I'll ever be, big bro, pretty nervous because I don't want to disappoint everyone's expectation of me. How about you, big bro, you seem jumpy and high in tension?" – I asked softly smiling at the spark in his eyes.

"I just can't believe I got chosen to be one of the contestants for the seat of being special class."