Chapter 11: Mount Trekk

" We're on the top of the mountain,baby," Virgi is singing happily, they start walking at dawn in going up.

" Please can you be quiet even for this day?, mom said we won't be noisy in coming here because there are spirits around watching after this mountain. When disturbed they'll be angry and punish us because of your voice",Lilian reprimand her younger sister.

" Do you really beleive that?", Virgi want to know.

" I always beleive what mom said", Lilian answered.

" Orlan how many mountain have you already climbed?", Mary asked.

" I started when I was fifteen years old, almost six mountains already.", Orlan answered.

" Then you're already familiar with both small and big mountains here in the province?", Mary asked.

" Not so much,because I had been in that mountain just for once, then I also have to go down before the end of the day," Orlan explained.

" If ever this war is over, then you decided to climb another mountain can I go with you too?",Ruben who had decided to come with them Their mission is to discover where the water of the falls came from. They were very curious, because the water taste so good and so fresh..

" Please, wait for me the soil is so steep,it's not easy to step at", Marga complained.

" Yes,there are also parts that are slippery then it's not easy to climb a mountain, this is my first and this will be my last, this is not my favorite type of hobby!",Virgi said.

" Me too, I wanted to go back now, but we had already climb this far", Mari said.

." I love it here above,look! the river seems small up here,", Myra said.

" Nope,it's dizzying for me,I just realize now that I have fear of heights", Virgi said that makes everybody laugh.

" You see because of this adventure, you realize a lot of things, sometimes it's good to try new things to help you discover what's best for you", Marga said.

" You know what? from my point of view t's nice here it felt as though we're at the top of the world, so free and adventurous", Myra said.

" Huhmmm,one thousand altitude above the hills, I'm already tired, can we please rest for a while?", Virgi asked.

" yup,why not? let's go to that tree and let,s eat our snack", Mary decided so Orlan put the bag that contain their food .

" Wow! my favorite snack, stewed cassava and stewed banana"Lilian said.

" Me too, I love this food", Virgi said.

" Here's the water, anybody wants to drink?",Ruben offered.

" Yes, I felt as though I'm already dehydrated because I sweat a lot, I need fluid replacement for my body", Marga said.

" Ha,ha,ha, too bad,we are in need of more water, pity for Orlan and Ruben they have to carry thebag that contain our foods and water,

we complain of being tired, how about them?

surely they are tired than we are", Virgi said.

" It's okay anyway, I'll be eating that too,so don't worry besides, were use in carrying heavy bags as a part of our training,this is not so heavy like the one we use to carry", Orlan said.

" Yes, that's true, and I beleive we are stronger than you are girls",Ruben agreed with what Orlan said.

" If ever would you like to come back here?", Mari asked.

" It's exciting to climb this mountain, you learn to develop patience, perseverance and hardwork", Mary said.

." No way, I wanna go home now I felt so tired.If only I know earlier how hard it is to climb a mountain I won't be here", Virgi said.

" Then you can go back home now, no one will stop you, we will just tell you later what we had seen ",Marga dared.

" No way, I walk this far, then you'll tell me to go back home now?", Virgi answered.

"Because you're complaining a lot that's why it's okay if you wanna walk back home now " Marga said.

.." I hate you Marga, you're fond of insulting me always" Virgi is already pissed off at her older sister.

" No, of course I'm doing you a big favor because if you go back now your walking distance will be lessen", Marga explained.

" Stop it! I don't want to hear your advices at this time that I'm tired", Virgi said with a hand gesture as though she's in command of a traffic.

" That's enough guys, grandma Virgi is already piss off.", Lilian intervene.

" Look! did you see those wild orchids?",

Orlan asked.

" Yep, they're gorgeous, I love their flowers, can we bring them down?", Mary asked.

" Sure! if you really want to, those orchids are rare luckily the first time I:ve seen it up in the mountain", Orlan said.

" Okay,thanks,you're an angel to me" Mary said.

" Let's look for another variety of wild orchids,I'm sure there are more in here", Orlan said.

" Sure, why not?", Mary said...

" Hey it's no longer waterfalls hunting it's alreadty orchids hunting", Ruben teasingly said., they look for more wild flowers luckily they found six different kinds.They decided to proceed looking for the waterfalls source of water.

They found it later, surprisingly at first they wonder how it happened, a,ok, it's one of the magic of creation that no one can change a beautiful mystery that is hard to pathom by a simple point of view of human mind.

" Yes success! finally we found it right?

what do you think guys,do you like what you see? What they saw is a stream that passes through a hard rock, surprisingly they climb here just to see this? and they discover one more thing so unusual there are five frogs that swim in the stream.

"Yuckks, we drink this water then up here frogs are swimming happily?" Myra was so disgusted of what they discover.

" Ha,ha,ha,ha, but we love the taste of the water right?,it taste good cold and fresh", Mary said.

" Don't worry we will catch this frog to be cooked for our viand", Ruben said,and they begin to capture the frogs and put inside the bag they brought where they put their foods earlier.

"Pity for those frogs, they wil be in your stomach later when we arrive home",Lilian said Orlan just smiled.

" They taste good,taste like chicken if we'll cook them as adobo or marinated ", Orlan said.

" Yucky, I will never try it", Myra said.

" So scary, the frogs staring at you while you bite them", Virgi said.

"Ha,ha ha,ha, you're really so funny, I like your wit Virgi", Orlan said.

" No, I'm serious it felt so gross just even to think that you hear it say 'kokak' in every bite", Virgi seriously said.

" Okay I get it you're funny, but we have to go back down now, I'm starving, and wanna be able to rest my tired feet, I can rest for a week because of my aching limb",

Mari said, so the group started to walk down the mountain they were still chatting excitedly just any topic that will make them forget the distance they'll need to walk back down, they had experienced something different today that they can remember for the rest of their lives.An exciting adventure that some would like to do again in the future, it is a good addition to their bucket list. Their walk back down had been much faster than they walk up, in four hours they were already home.

Everybody laugh when they told them about the five frogs that swim in the stream .just like what Orlan said they cook the frogs when they got home and enjoy eating it. The six girls lie down and told their parents they'll just rest for a while, but they had slept soundly for that night that their parents have no choice but to allow them to rest.

" They were so tired, they hadn't eatin their dinner", Anselma said, while watching their daughters in their sleep. They had never been this close before because the two girls had their own room. They do their own stuff and keep their own secret at home, while here they can supervise to their children personally.

" If there is one advantage this war had done is that it draws our family closer together.In here we had been a hands on parents to our children",Menandro said.

" The only thing that I don't like in here is that we have no freedom to go anywhere outside of this mountain.,we're like a prisoner being kept in one part of the mountain.then we have to bear the tasteless foods because even salt is hard to find", Anselma said.

" I understand what you feel, I feel the same way. You know I want to give what's best for you and our children and being here makes me feel I'm useless", Menandro said.

" Please don't feel bad about yourself, the situation were in right now is non of your doing, I know how responsible husband and father you are, this war will have an end and when that time came we will be more better parents to our children, we will just pray that it will be sooner than expected", Anselma tried to comfort her husband, she never thought he was feeling this way.

come back here?", Mari asked.