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Chapter 29

Angelo's P.O.V

It was early in the morning and I was certain of it because of the continuous crowing of the roosters outside. How did roosters even get in Australia? I mean, I've been staying here in Australia for 4 years now and I have never ever heard of a rooster's crow. It was always the crows- like the black scary bird who eats flesh in every zombie and horror movie? Yes, that one.

"Tit-ti-la-ok!" There it goes again, followed by several others who respond to every crowing a single rooster made. It feels like home, I mean back home in the Philippines; the farm, the animals, the vegetable garden, and my aunties. It was amazing how roosters' crows could bring back memories and make me nostalgic.

I must be dreaming. Yes. I am dreaming. Soon I will wake up into reality.

"Magandang buhay hijo! (A good life, boy!)", said by a woman whose voice was familiar, followed by the giggles of excitement. These people were familiar. They sounded like my... my... WAIT. Rooster's crow, familiar voices...

I slowly opened my eyes hoping that it wasn't a dream at all. My vision was blurry and the blinding sunlight from the window hit me. With a groggy voice and messy hair, I spoke. "Aunty?"

Then my vision became clearer. There they were, my Aunt Carol, Aunt Lisa, and aunt Anna  standing in front of me. Their faces were bright as the sunlight and excited as someone with 18th birthday.

"What in the...." Was all I said before memories came flooding me. I had this condition that every morning, I always forget what happened from yesterday. It feels like a temporary amnesia where my brain wasn't able to function its memory well. I mean, thinking early in the morning should be prohibited. Morning should be the best time to refresh everything, like renew everything without backing up the past.

"Daniel?" I looked for the very first person that my mind yearned for, no, it isn't actually my mind that yearned for him. It was my heart who keeps on shouting his name; to be with him anytime.

"He went with Seb to fetch the order from the town. They'll be back soon." Answered aunt Lisa.

I yawned one last time followed by stretching to shake my sleepiness away before going out of the bed.

"I'm craving for fresh milk and Pandesal." I said while wearing my tongs. Pandesal is a delicious Filipino bread that I loved to have in breakfast. It would be really heaven if you would dip it in milk with sugar.

"Sorry hijo, Anna forgot to buy some Pandesal yesterday." Said Aunt Carol, who by then glaring sharply at my poor Aunt Anna.

"Now, now. No problem about that. Do we have condensed milk though?" I asked, smirking at the three women in front of me.

"I know what you're thinking about." Aunt Carol commented.

Aunt Lisa and Aunt Anna gave me a knowing look before smiling wide. "Condensed milk with rice!" The three of us said in unison followed by a loud laughter across the room.

I was sitting alone eating on the wooden table at the hut when Sebastian and Daniel came back from town. My three aunties started their chores after having their breakfast. I was left alone because I eat really slowly like the usual. It seems pretty normal to me to eat for a duration of 40 minutes though. It's normal, right?

My face lit up as soon as I've seen Daniel. He was walking towards me while carrying a box. His toned pecs and chest were marking on his shirt and it made my mouth water just from looking at my sexy blue eyes guy.

Wait. Since when did I become a horn dog? 

A blush flushed on my cheeks and I could feel my ears heating up. I glanced over at Daniel, who was by then looking at me like a confused cat. A handsome and a sexy confused cat. His blue eyes were staring right at me with a funny twitched on it.

"What?" I tried to straighten up and hardened my voice.

He smirked and put down the box he was carrying. "Is that a condensed milk?" he asked.

"Yes."

He shot me another question. "In a rice?"

"Why, yes?" My voice was a bit higher than the usual.

He shook his head in response and seated beside me. "Good morning, babe." He kissed my temple and rest his forehead on my cheeks.

"What's wrong?" I asked because his breathing was different from the normal. Being with him for several months made me able to read the emotions hidden in his every move and his every breath.

He looked at me confused but nonetheless, he grinned wide awkwardly as if to cover up something. "I'm starving. That is wrong with me." He laughed aloud. I let it go this time.

"Here, aunt Carol cooked you some spam and bacon."

"Awww, that is so sweet of her. I'll thank her later."

Daniel's P.O.V

Sebastian and I came back home from gathering the ordered groceries in the town. I volunteered to come with Sebastian because I needed some fresh air to breathe after some revelations that I learned early that morning.

I was pretty excited to see what the scenery looks like and to see some extraordinary creatures that Australia doesn't have. The first 5 minutes walk was fascinating as I saw some buffalo (they call it Carabao in Philippines) and a man riding it, I saw a flocks of migratory birds, a lot of wild flowers. 10 minutes more down from Angelo's boundary came to what it seems like a small town. There I saw a herd of goats and sheep, a flock of turkeys and chicken and every person we met along the way never ceases to greet us a good morning and welcoming us with their warm smile.

Though the town was pretty small, the people living there have these good vibes surrounding them. They really seem to welcome anyone that comes to visit their small land. They were friendly and you know that you are safe around them.

My feet didn't feel  tired at all during the first 15 minutes of the journey. Not until there was nothing to see anymore and the paradise became a military challenge. We had to cross two rivers and take a steep hill down to reach the town. What I didn't expect is that the journey would take a total of an hour and a half of major walking and military execution.

All in all, it took us a total of almost hour and a half worth of walking (or possibly rolling down the hill) and another 15 minutes of jeepney ride to our destination. On the other hand, the mysterious butler with me didn't even shed a single sweat at all!

Now here is the thing, the jeepney ride was awesome. It's the mini shuttle bus version of Philippines and you have to squeeze your butt to fit in inside the vehicle. Sebastian told me that it was normally for 9 sitters each side (left and right), however, the freakin' driver seemed a little bit depressed so he decided to fill his vehicle with 22 people inside; each side has 11 people trying to sit.

My forehead was sweating bullet while Sebastian was looking at me like I'm from the outer space. I mean come on; he never told me that this journey would be as hard as I could think. That man is plain sadistic. No, seriously he is.

When we got to our destination, Sebastian asked me to stand by, while he confirms all the order with the manager. Fortunately though, he seemed to have mercy on me and bought me a snack; three sticks of kwek-kwek (quail egg skewered in a stick wrapped in orange batter) and a glass of samalamig (gelatin juice). At first, I looked at him as if I was waiting for him to tell me that he was just kidding me. But he just stood there with blank expression holding the food to me.

"Have a try of these. You would never say that you visited this country until you try this." He said; his expression was serious. "Say, my master couldn't afford any time to show you the way his life was when he was living here." I took the food from him and seated at the bench on the side of the street, behind the street vendor. "Isn't this what you wanted? Didn't you want to learn and feel how my master lived his early life? How he became this strong despite all the struggles he's been facing?" 

I was silent for a while and I couldn't seem to utter a single word. All I did was nod in response. That very moment, I learned that this mystery man, this butler, adores and love Angelo with all his life. Not in a romantic way but in a fatherly kind of way. And I know that I can trust him that he would never let something bad happen to my precious Angelo.

"Now, after this journey, you can tell him how it went through and about your experience. By then, he would never be sad or feel guilty for not giving  you a time to enjoy this holiday." He explained; his face was still blank and serious.

"I didn't come with him here to have an enjoyable holiday. I came here with him to give him support and to pick him up in case he breaks down." I said, my voice was a bit louder than the usual.

Sebastian looked at me as if he was reading what was on my mind. "He will sure break down. Are you prepared when it happen? Can you promise me that you'll have enough strength to pick his broken pieces? Can you promise me that you won't give up just in case you got cut and wounded by the broken pieces of him that you tried to pick up? Will you still be there for him even if you don't know what's gonna happen next after he learned the real story behind Nathan?" He fired his questions like a machine gun, and I wasn't prepared for it. Every question went through me and to my bones. My lips went dry as a desert and I had to compose myself not to accidentally abdicate the food that I was holding.

Before I could even answer him, the store manager called him. He left me sitting alone on my spot. I was in deep thinking, the noise around me vanished as if I was the only one standing in my own place; isolated to everything but myself.

I wasn't sure why but my eyes started to sting until I couldn't hold the tears anymore. Why was I crying? I might be sad, or happy? No. The answer is in my head, but I couldn't accept it at all. Why am I crying? Why?

It's because I'm scared. I'm scared that Angelo would leave me.

Anyhow, I tried to choke down the food that Sebastian gave me or else I would just be a burden to the guy if I didn't get my strength back. I am not weak and I will not show it to Sebastian who by then was clearly challenging my resolve for Angelo. 

And I chose that I will never ever back down.

After quite a while, Sebastian called me to the store and asked me to put a couple box of grocery and 2 sacks of rice to the pick-up truck. It turns out that the store owner was under the Grande industry and owes his business to the family.

After loading the groceries to the truck, Sebastian and I got ourselves in with the store driver and we drove back home.

The journey was obviously faster when using a truck compared to traveling in feet. However, I never talked nor speak with Sebastian on the entire journey back home. The scenery became nothing and blank as my mind was off somewhere else.

As soon as the vehicle stopped in front of the house, I quickly rushed out from the car and took a sack of rice with me. All I wanted to feel is the calming touch and intoxicating scent of Angelo that always makes my worries away. My feet were walking fast as if they have their own mind and looking for Angelo.

I wasn't sure how I know it, but my feet automatically made its way to Angelo, who was by then sitting on a wooden table on the hut and having a breakfast.

Wait. Is that a condensed milk in rice? Seriously, this guy can survive by eating whatever he believes is edible enough to eat. He is very resourceful and he really appreciates everything that he possess. And him being that way makes me more fall for him and respect him more and more.

I caught him looking at him hungrily while I carefully placing the sack down the floor. A smirked painted on my lips as soon as he noticed me watching him.

He must have also notice that I have a funny looked on my face. I was fascinated looking at him eating a strange combination of foods. It's not just that, I was fascinated about the way my worries has washed away as soon as I got a glance of him.

"What?" he asked; his right eyebrow quirked in question. I always like it when he showed his sassiness to me.

 "Is that a condensed milk?"

"Yes."

I shot him another question. "In a rice?"

"Why, yes?" His voice was a bit higher than the usual as if his favorite food was in the verge of getting incarcerated.

I shook my head in response and seated beside me. "Good morning, babe." I kissed his temple and rest my forehead on my cheeks.

"What's wrong?" He asked. I wasn't sure how but the guy can always read my feelings.

I tried to act like I didn't know what he was saying and looked at him as if I was confused.

To avoid his next question, I tried to show him  a wide grin and diverted the topic.

 "I'm starving. That is wrong with me." I answered. And it's true, three sticks of kwek- kwek didn't even land on my gut. I laughed awkwardly; hoping and praying that he won't ask another question because God knows how I fail in hiding my emotions when it comes to Angelo.

"Here, aunt Carol cooked you some spam and bacon."

"Awww, that is so sweet of her. I'll thank her later." I pigged out the food in front me.

Sebastian came in with the boxes of grocery on his hands. "Good morning, sir." He greeted Angelo and threw me a knowing look. 

"I'm going to see Nathan after you're done with your breakfast." Angelo said out of nowhere. My overwhelming appetite suddenly seemed to disappear and the food on my stomach was trying to make their out again from my gut.

Sebastian and I exchanged look. I gulped a glass of water straight to push down the foods that were threatening to escape my intestines.

"Are you ready?" I asked, my face were hard and straight, even though my heart was pumping so hard on my chest.

He nodded. "Is it alright if you come with me?"

"You don't need to ask. I'm always here for you."

With the last gulped of water, we prepared ourselves to face the moment of truth.

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