A House With Heartthrobs (English Version)

Beginning Disclaimer:

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events, locales, and incidents are neither the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance of actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.

Do not distribute, publish, transmit, modify, display or create derivative works from or exploit the contents of this story in any way. Please obtain permission.

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I love handsome boys, but I never had a boyfriend. Because of the love my parents gave me, I don’t find the need to seek more. I love watching TV dramas. My biggest actor crush is Donny Pangilinan. Who wouldn’t be thrilled with that handsome and humble man?

“Kaoree!” Jezrielle calls me. Jez for short. He has been my friend for a long time.

He loves shopping, and the paper bag that he was holding is proof of that.

Every time he earns a salary in his part-time job, he buys some stuff like make-up. Jez really loves make-up! He’s like a second version of Paolo Ballesteros.

“Goodness! There are so many men there, Sis!”, He pointed to the alley on the corner of the street along the barangay hall. It’s vacation time, so we have a basketball league in our town. I’m sure that’s why there are many people in the court, to watch the league.

“Crazy! All this time, I thought you have forgotten about me already!” I said as I carried another paper bag he was holding. This bag I am holding is heavy.

He laughed, then adjusted his bangs to block his eyes.

“Just a few trips from your house, and yet you can’t visit me!” Jez used to live in the same town as mine with his parents. They moved in when he was in high school. However, we now live in a different town.

Jez is two years older than me. I am currently a fresh Senior High School graduate, while Jez is an incoming third-year college in a university. He has a younger sister named Apple, who’s also my friend. But compared to Jez, Apple is not that close to me.

“I’m sorry! I have a lot of part-time jobs these days. I came to my mother’s house and then viola! I’m here visiting you! Aren’t you glad?” he was kicked out of their house. His father caught him putting make-up on his face and could not accept that his only son was a woman at heart.

He currently lives at his friend’s house. There is no rental fee, so it’s okay because he can save money. He only pays for other expenses such as water and electricity bills.

“It’s good that your parents accept you even if you flirt,” he snorted. I laughed. “I’m not a flirt. Okay, maybe a bit flirty, but I have regretted that already!” I did not like anyone with numerous men courting me because Donny Pangilinan’s level is what I want! But of course, I have to be an actress first, so maybe he can stay with me.

“You are so full of yourself! You will grow old as a single woman because you rejected those men! If my body was a woman …” He even raised an eyebrow at me. “I’m going to be pretentious!” I just ignored what he said.

“It’s good that you visited me today because it’s my father’s birthday.”

“It’s good to know! I didn’t have a snack when I got out of the jeep earlier,” he said. When we got home, we found a few acquaintances. Some were taking food while others were chatting with my dad, who’s holding a chicken. He even sniffed it. It looks like his real son more than me. I once thought of making it tinola, but every time I attempted to slaughter the chicken. Dad always came home, and I almost got caught.

“You seem to have many visitors,” said Jez.

“Sweety!”, It was Mama putting the plates on the table. She kissed me on both cheeks. “Why did you take so long? I thought you were in Charlotte’s house for a while” This holiday, I went to do a part-time job teaching Chander, Ate Charlotte’s daughter.

Ate Charlotte is my Mama’s batchmate, but they are not close, so she was not invited either.

“Ma! Look who’s here! It’s Jez!” Mama gasped in surprise.

The two kissed on the cheeks.

“Wow! You look so handsome!” said Mama. But that is true. Compared to his last visit here, he looks different. He seems too stressed in life.

“Yes, Tita! But I’m not handsome. I’m beautiful” we laughed at what it said.

“Is that you, Jezrielle?” Dad is still holding his chicken. Does he have no intention of releasing that?

“No, Tito, I might be a doppelganger” Dad was very scratchy at what he said. “You’re a teenager now! He looks more handsome compared before” Dad tapped his shoulder.

“I’m touched! Uncle!”, His tongue almost twisted at what he said.

Mama invited us inside. I saw some of my Papa’s co-workers at a construction site. Sadly, we have no relatives that are invited. Because they are living in the province. Every vacation, we come to visit them. My grandparents on Mama’s side are both dead. Lolito, Papa’s father, has also passed away. My only cousin is alone-his name is Lucky, younger than me.

Jez and I scooped up something to eat.

As usual, Shanghai was his first target, while mine is a hotdog stabbed with marshmallows.

“There are no handsome guests here. Most of them are all old people!” Jez drank some water.

“It’s more important that you eat,” I said to him.

“My stomach is full, but my eyes aren’t, so I need to see a handsome guy!” he cried.

After a while of crying and murmuring that he wants to see handsome guys, Mama came to talk with him.

“Of course, joke! That’s okay. You’re still kids. Just enjoy, but not right away!” I don’t know what they are talking about, but Mama sees she belongs in generation Z when she engages in conversation.

“Yes, Tita! Do you know I already sent her too many guys to date? But she doesn’t want to,” he snorted.

“Who is it? The guys should be handsome and kind!” Mama first inquired into the picture shown by Jez.

“It’s mine!” he complains as I took his cellphone.

” My dating life always leads to failure,” I said. The recent man he chose to be my date has a girlfriend. It’s a good thing the woman didn’t slap my face.

“Just choose there!” Jez and Mama giggled as I stared at the picture. They are all handsome, but why does all of them know how to smile except for this one who looks like an anime guy?

*****

I woke up early because of the loud noise from the bicycle ridden by the bread vendor.

I heard Mama calling him. We loved to eat pandesal (A favorite bread of every Filipino) every morning, so she didn’t miss to buy.

I folded the blanket and stacked my pillow neatly. I stretched my body before leaving the room.

Dad brews coffee in his favorite cup. The aroma of coffee fascinates me. I pulled out a chair then sat on it.

“There, have breakfast,” said Mama. When I touched the pandesal bag, it was still warm.

“Your favorite coffee,” Dad said as he pulled up a chair next to me. He knew I wanted coffee mixed with milk or coffee, mate.

We are often like this every morning, especially when I have no work. We only had pandesal for breakfast. But sometimes, we also ate rice when the vendor did not pass by.

“Sweety, will you come with me? I’m going to the market this morning”.

It’s Saturday now. My mother’s day for shopping. Besides, we had no dish in the refrigerator other than beans for lunch.

I have work today at Charlotte’s house to teach Chander, her son. Dad is out of work today, but he still wakes up early because he has some things that need to be fixed. Just like the galvanized steel we need to replace. When it rains, water drips from there. It’s hard because when it rains hard, the kitchen is flooded.

“Not anymore, Mom. I’ll clean the house first. And it looks like you’re leaving too”

Mother is wearing a green dress with a flower design. Her basket is already on the table. She seems to have taken a bath because her curly hair is wet.

“Oh, Okay. I can’t wait for you either. I’m going to the market,” she said goodbye after eating some more pandesal.Exclusive content © by Nô(v)el/Dr/ama.Org.

Dad told her to buy something before she finally turned the door lock.

I went straight to the bedroom to get a towel. I also took a bath for an hour because of the water’s heat that dissipated the cold brought by the morning.

“You’re so lovely!” I greeted myself. I face the mirror as the foam plays with my hair. It’s my hobby to talk to myself in the morning.

“You inherited it from me, Sweety!” It was Dad who had been waiting for me to come out.

“Yes, Pa. That’s right!” I even sang because of the loud music of the neighbor. It’s better to hear loud music than fight.

A few more pours of water into my body before I finished. Dad took a deep breath. It seemed like he was waiting for Christmas before I finished a bath.

I wore a simple white shirt and faded jeans. I also adjusted the shoes for a simple look.

I cleaned the house before leaving. I broom and mop the floor. Mama will take care of other things.

“Pa! I’m leaving!” I shouted after carrying the greeting card for the child I was teaching

“Be careful, Sweety! There’s your allowance on the table!” he says from the bathroom.

I would not have accepted that, but I thought maybe my fare was not enough. I also don’t have breakfast. I will eat at the cafeteria nearby the house Charlotte when I feel hungry.

Immediately my stomach rumbled. I bought a plate of porridge with eggs. The porridge with minced garlic and lime is delicious. I thought I was the only one eating this morning here in the cafeteria. I saw a man-eating from a table not far away from my seat. He has a good physique, and his nose is defined. You will definitely be cursing because of his perfect face. Adam’s apple swelled even more because he swallowed what he ate.

I adjusted my seat as he noticed I was looking at him.

“Ma’am! I’ll pay! Keep the change!”

I hurried to drink water and then took a tissue to wipe the side of my lip.

“Keep the change! The change is just one peso!” Manang shouted.

Shame on me!

“And at least there’s still change! Be thankful, Manang. That’s a blessing!” I said.

During the few hours teaching Chander, my head hurts. If her mother hadn’t come to the neighbor to gossip, Chander would have listened to me. He only listens to his mother, and it sucks.

He is easily distracted because of his young age. It would have been okay because he quickly understood what I was teaching. Still, he was very impatient and easily bored. Sometimes he would suddenly take his robot toys to entertain himself.

“Thank you, Kaoree. It’s good that you put up with my son” she laughed and then handed me the payment I had worked for a month.

“It’s nothing!” I smiled. This will add to my savings for going to college next school year.

Exhausted, I fell asleep in the jeep. If I hadn’t woken up by the person next to me who I just leaned on, I wouldn’t have woken up.

“Oh! I’m sorry!”

Her eyebrows meet. “You just slept on my shoulder. You even managed to spit on it!”

“My saliva has a benefit because it is the saliva of the Goddess. You should be grateful!” I laughed at her, so her eyebrows met even more.

I was surprised when I came down that the sky was dark, not because of the rain but because of the smoke.

Within a few minutes of walking, I saw our mobbing neighbors. The firefighters were noisy, and there was a lot of mourning.

“Boss! Where are they!?” I asked one of the firefighters.

“Don’t worry. We’re rescuing them!”

I suddenly felt nervous when I saw the fire slowly consuming our house.

I didn’t know if my parents were in the house, so I was even more nervous.

“I want to help!” I said, but they stopped me. Ten minutes before firefighters extinguished the fire, there’s no sign of Mom and Dad.

My tears started to run.

“Please! Where are my parents!” I said to the firefighter. But his eyes became sad, and I followed where he was looking.

“Pa! Ma!” I cried as soon as I recognized them. Their bodies lay with the other victims of the fire.

Even though their face is not easy to recognize because of the burn, I know that they are my parents. The wedding ring that the two wore and the slippers I gave last Christmas were enough to confirm that it was them.

I cried hard. “Ma! Pa!”

I want my body to be numb because of the weight and pain I feel. I hope they just took me.