THE YOUNG BLESSY was stunned when the young man she had been waiting for almost 1 hours didn't appear. They promised they would meet this bridge but Fender still wasn't there. She sighed and threw stones into the water. How many rocks had she thrown into the water while waiting for him? She doesn't think she can count. She even wore a beautiful dress that she bought at a thrift clothes shop yesterday for twenty pesos. Goodness! 20 pesos is a lot money.
“Where is he? He may have forgotten we had a date.” she sighed again and counted from one to a hundred in her mind. If the young man does not show up, she will leave under the bridge.
She finished counting from one to a hundred but no Fender appeared. She stood up sadly and looked at her newly washed clothes. She was going home and had to work in the streets again to buy food.
"Blessy!"
Her eyes lit up when she heard Fender's voice. It finally arrived! She immediately greeted the young man with a tight hug. Laughing, he let go of her embrace.
"You're late," she added.
“I'm sorry if I arrived late. I stopped by to help haul rice to the market so that I can buy your favorite ginataang hito." Fender showed her a bag with only a dish and rice.
On one hand are two bags of cold water that are sold retail somewhere.
Blessy immediately lost the grip she felt. Tearfully, she hugged the young man again and kissed her on the cheek in gratitude. She's only 14 years old and he's 16 but because of the hardships of life, their minds matured first. At a young age, they understood the bitter cycle of the world.
“You can‘ don’t do that—” She couldn't continue to say when he stole a kiss from her lips. "Fender!"
He laughed and quickly guided her to sit on the clean patchwork of wood that was there. They put a plastic cellophane in their right hand and began to eat the food he brought.
"Is it delicious?"
She nodded redly, "Yes! But you don't have any more food tonight."
"So what? I can just see you happy and smiling, I'm full to the brim. You make me full already,” he teased her.
She laughed and jokingly slapped him on the arm. He was immediately adapted to what she did even weakly. Blessy suddenly confused and looked his arm only to found out that he was just joking.
“Argh! You always fooled me."
He just laughed at her and they resumed their little party. She's happy that Fender and her are set up like that. They are both young. Both grew up with squatters and the only difference was, she lived with her strict Aunt. While the young man was on the sidewalk and where he was overtaken by darkness, there he would sleep. Fender has three uncles but he is always hurt and beaten. Because Fender is naturally kind, he doesn’t resist.
Her mother and father died early, she didn't have chance to be with them but it's okay. What is important to Blessy is to live every day even though her Aunt and uncle are always beating her. So maybe why she and Fender are close to each other because they are both orphans.
"I have a gift for you."
She looked at Fender. They had just finished eating and here she was, drinking water. "What's that? Don’t make the mistake of giving me a frog again! I warn you. ”
“Silly. It’s not a frog. It’s a snake, I found it next to frog. ”
“What ?! And you give me a snake?” Annoyed, she slapped him in the arm again and he just laughed at her.
"Give me your hands."
She looked at him innocently as she artistically raised an eyebrow, "And why, huh?"
"Give it to me." Fender took her hand and placed something on it. “Rosary. It was given to me by a nun. Didn't you tell me about the rosary that your Aunt destroy?"
Tears welled up in her eyes as she looked at the rosary. It was just a simple rosary but she burst into tears of joy. She gave Fender a tight hug and thanked her again.
In everything, Fender always worries her. Even though they are both peasant, she is still the first of him to think. In fact of that, Fender is not studying. She was the only one who taught him how to write and read English. She can says Fender is quick to learn. She saw him smart and talented but because life was hard, Fender chose not to study. He just chose to live every day.
Somehow, she's now in 1st year highschool. In the extreme hardships of life, she was almost ‘unable to endroll. She even had to work hard every day because her Aunt didn't send her to school.
"You know, your cute if you cry."
"Heh!" she smirked at him. She hide the rosary he gave to her and put it inside her dress so that her Auntie could not see it. "Fender ..."
"Why?"
"15 years from now, what are we?"
"Still human."
She laughed. “You are pure nonsense. Be serious.”
"I'm really serious about us, ah."
She shuddered at what he said but did not say a word. It was only then that Blessy noticed that he had bruises on hid leg and thigh. With her excessive focus on his handsome face, she didn’t realize he had bruises.
"Where did you get that?" Suddenly her eyebrows lined up as she pointed to his large bruises.
Fender's eyes immediately widened and he hide his arm around her. "I fell down the stairs."
She does not believe. She knew he had been beaten again and she wanted to cry at that part where someone had hurt him again.
"Blessy!"
They were both surprised when her Aunt appeared. Behind her aunt is her cousin who obviously pointed out their location. Her aunt was carrying a pipe in one hand and was furious.
“You really are a bitch! You put your flirtation first with that sucking kid?! Look how his slippers were not in same size and color and perforated clothes ?! Come here, Blessy bitch!" It pulled her by the hair.
"It hurts, Aunt!"
"Don't hurt Blessy!" Fender stepped in and tried to remove her Aunt's hand from her hair.
She was crying in pain because she felt that her hair would be removed from her scalp. While her cousin just artistically laughing watching her.
"Let her go!" Fender begged.
Blessy screamed as her Aunt hit Fender's back with a pipe. Fender almost lost his conscious, the blood dripped from his nose. She's screaming right now! But her Aunt is deaf. She kept dragging her while pulling her hair.
"B-Blessy ..."
“F-fender stay! I'm just okay. Please, don’t follow me, huh? Don't— arghh!” she scream in pain.
Even though Fender is bloody and weak from the acquired hit. He struggled to get up and chase her.
“Your stubbornness is really young! How many times my husband hit you in the thigh to keep you away from my beautiful niece! So come on, I'll take you by the head! ”
“Aunt! Don'tttttt!!!" a loud scream escaped her throat.
“LOOK at you, Fender… look at you." A sobbed escape from Blessy as she looked at the young man's bruises.
She managed to fled in the middle of the night to her Aunt's house and hurried under the bridge even though it was dangerous. She was carrying an old back pack full of clothes, a flashlight, a candle, and a little money to save. So when she made sure that they were asleep, she took the courage to run away.
“I-it’s nothing. Don't cry anymore, you're ugly."
She was even more moved to tears by what he said. Even though she knows he's hurts, he's still makes her feel like his okay.
“You don't know how scared I was before. I thought you were going to get hit in the head. Lucky, it only hit your shoulder but it still hurts!"
Fender just smiled and wiped away her tears that preceded the dripping. Her heart was broken by the situation of the two of them. They just love each other, and she doesn't see anything wrong with that. They both know their limitations and have great respect even if they say they are uneducated. Fender has no education to be proud of but he seems to act more educated.
From the dim light of the candle, he caressed her hair tenderly. “Stop crying. You look even uglier ‘when you cry, eh.”
“I don’t know about you! You're still give a joke even though you've been hurting. You always think of me. At least sometimes, think about yourself too! Not just me, me! How about you, Fender? What about the whole you?!"
He didn't respond. He just stared at her as he wiped away her tears without stopping to fall. “I am still here, very much alive. So ‘don’t cry anymore. I'm okay."
She nodded softly. Somehow, Blessy calms down every time she hears Fender’s voice, saying it’s okay even if it’s not. It just calms her heart because he knows she will cry like a river.
"There, you look better now that you don't cry anymore."
She leaned to him and glanced over his shoulder. She knew its hurt and it would be hard to move. It got a strong hit from her Aunt and Fender was thin. His bone must have been bruised and the thought that the young man's bone might have been broken, makes her cry more.
“And you cry again. Come here, I'll give you a hug.”
She bit her lip as he hugged her. She tries to calm down but she is even more sympathetic to Fender's situation. He always hurts because of her but even though the whole world is still against their relationship, they doesn't care. Fender was always there with her. He's always watches over her wherever she goes.
“The size of your bruise on the shoulder. I think you broke a bone." She let go of the hug.
He tried to laugh at what she said, “No. Your Aunt's beating is just a whip. You know that your boyfriend is iron-bodied. I still am!” he raised his arm and showed her his tiny muscle.
Somehow, she smiled at his joke. Fender was the only street kid she met who was full of the positive in life.
“Stop joking! I see you suffering and hurting.”
“Eh what? There is a saying, ‘When there’s a rice, there is a hen.”
"And what does that mean?"
“It means, Your boyfriend Fender Hearst, is handsome and will love you forever!”
She kept laughing at the young man's explanation. He's really funny. Now she know why God gave her someone like him — handsome, kind and always worried about her.
"Fender ..."
"Oh?"
"I-I love you so much ..."
He smiled and held out her hand, "I love you more."
She already made up her mind. If this was the only thing that would happen to the two of them, she'd better go with Fender. What good is it if she stays in her Aunt's life? They only beat her till she die.
"I've already made up my mind."
Immediately the expression on his face changed from what she had said. It was as if he already knew what she was going to say next. It averted its gaze and slowly stared at the candle burning by its own flame.
“Blessy, the night is too deep. You need to go home and they might you're not in the house.”
"I don't want to go back to that house, Fender."
He immediately looked up and stared at her, "You're kidding, right?"
She shook quickly. She's not kidding. She did not want to return home with bruises and pain that had shaped her whole being.
“No and I am determined. Let’s leave Fender, let’s leave this place. I don’t care where we go, as long as we leave. The only thing that matters to me is your safety and— ”
"Don't go on, Blessy."
"Why?"
“We love each other but do you think I will let what you want happen? You have a lot to reach and one of your dreams is to become a Doctor when you are in the power of your Aunt. Just don't worry about me. Please, don’t trade your dreams just for ‘me.”
"But Fender—"
His light kiss prevented her from saying anything. Tears welled up in her eyes again. It just wiped away her tears as their lips parted.
“I love you so much and honestly, I really want to run away from the hellish abode you have now. But look at me, Blessy. I’m even poorer on the rat. When you are with me, your studies will stop and I will hinder your dream of becoming a Doctor. I have a lot of trust in you. So don't make a decision that you will regret in the future."
She looked down. She felt ashamed. She was too hasty but she loved him! He is more important to her.
“But Fender, I am serious and my decision is fix. I am fourteen but I'm matured enough. I would rather be with you than— ”
“And you're just here! You are such a flirtatious woman! ”
"Aunt!"
They were both surprised by Fender when her Aunt appeared. She was carrying a baton and then her artistic cousin frowned. Obvious in its appearance it is disturbed by deep sleep.
“Mommy, eh! You know that girl is flirtatious! You should have listened when I told you to shave that and tie it to Browny's jail, eh. "
"F-fender, let's go ..."
The young man gripped her hand tightly and it was impossible for him to force it to run. In hiss situation, it will be difficult for them to run away from her Aunt and cousin.
"Come with us, Blessy!"
"No! I don't want to go back to your hellish house! ”
“Bitch!”
"Stop!!!" she cried out as her Aunt pulled her hair. Fender was quick to help her, but because he was still weak, her Aunt pushed him away. While her artistic cousin, purely frowning and mad.
"Let her go!"
She was surprised when Fender suddenly pushed her Aunt. The woman released her when she fell on the rock. Fender quickly pulled her by the hand and they ran even though he was heaving and writhing in pain.
“Mommy! They escaped!” her cousin's artistic scream.
“You’re right, Blessy. Let's leave now! But that doesn't mean I ran away from you we could be together. I will run away with you so that you can reach your dream. I will run away with you so that your Aunt will not be able to hurt you again. ”
She just nodded as they drove down the narrow road. They rested for a while because he was still hard to run properly and she understood that.
"Let's hide there!" she pointed to a truck full of garbage.
Fender agreed and they went there holding hands. There they will hide and it's up to the truck will it take them after that.
Fender and Blessy both woke up when the garbage truck they were riding in stopped. The smell was foul and smelly but that was better than going back to the hellish house she grew up in.
It's already morning and gives new hope to them.
"Let's get down here."
"But Fender, maybe Auntie is still there."
“We are far from our place, Blessy. Come while there is still time. ”
He nodded slowly and complied with his wishes. All she had with her was her back pack with only a little money and clothes. They carefully went down and there they noticed that they were far away. They see somewhere else, full of garbage.
"Where are we?" she look around The smell of garbage was smoky but she just didn't seem to have it. She's used to that smell. She always has that with her in her aunt's house.
“Dump site. We are far away from your Aunt.”
"Where are we going next?"
"I do not know. For now, let's take a break Blessy. I can already feel the pain in my body. ”
She was suddenly worried about the man and attended to him. They sat on one side for a moment.
"Fender, are you okay?"
He smiled wryly. “D-don't think about me. I just need a break and I'll be okay. ”
She bit her lip and nodded. Yesterday it was still ‘not eating. When she realized that she had bread and water in her bag, she immediately opened it and took the bread she was carrying.
“Eat it, Fender. I know you haven’t eaten since yesterday. ”
It didn't say a word, “I'm fine. J-just water on ‘me, I’ll be fine Blessy.”
"You don't want to eat my bread?"
"That's for you later when you're hungry." It reached for the water she was carrying and opened it. He slowly brought it to his mouth and drink the half.