Chapter Thirty-two [The initial encounter with setbacks and difficulties]The entire student body council organizes a program during Foundation Week.At that point, the schedules for her teacher adviser to move to a new school district is accessible. Teaching other important academic courses to the junior class is the only teacher adviser's job for most of the month. Every now and again, the entire class joins the senior class when they don't yet have a teacher.Senior teacher advisers facilitate class discussions and recitations, which Ericka can usually participate in. Her female classmates, who all happen to be the most talented and accomplished junior students in the class, turn to smile at her when they see how involved she is in class, as does the senior male student seated in the back row.In the recesses of Ericka's preoccupied thoughts, she recalls the day she graduated from elementary school and the nickname the older students gave that public school—which she had switched t

Chapter Thirty-four: [ Something good is happening ]"You must quit attending school this year. If you fall from that high, elevated position, our daily budget will be jeopardized once more, and we will have to start eating dried fish and fish sauce to pay your hospital bill." John, who has long harbored displeasure towards Ericka, scoffed and threw caution to the breeze as Randy grinned and made fun of Ericka for being overly dramatic and forgetful in her responses to events.“I apologize, Papa and Mama. I was unable to stop them when they surprised me, and I was at a loss for words when they expressed delight at seeing our farm and the fruit-bearing coconut trees. Before they return to their own home in the late afternoon, Ericka humbly explains, "Our bananas are not yet harvested, and there is no coffee or tea here for them to sample.” Furthermore,"On top of that, tomorrow will still be an athletic meet competition. The following day is our great night to announce the winner. Of

Chapter Thirty-six [The partiality]Ericka hastily wraps her nude body in an old cloth as her thoughts return to that same moment, dashes home to get ready for school, and puts on her school uniform before heading to class early in the morning. Those pesky thoughts that kept bothering her, knowing in shame,"It's likely that he witnesses me washing my body in my undies in the morning. Most likely other bystanders as well! Why did I never consider that washing my body in public here would be a disgrace? Since the river runs beside our field, I assumed that this region belonged to us and that I was free to do as I pleased. They are currently using this area to wash their bodies as well!"Her forehead wrinkles and brows tighten as she gets disgusted with her far-off neighbors who likewise wash their dirty old clothing and wash their bodies in the same spot. Ericka finishes washing after thirty minutes, and the rain hasn't stopped yet. When the younger woman realizes her basin is full an

Chapter Thirty-Eight [ The uncontrolled wildfires]"Could you stop moving because I might lose strength and swiftly let go gripping tightly of your two legs?" Randy is chastising her younger sister further. "Make sure you hold tight to my neck so that even if we fall, the powerful current won't carry you down to the bottom of the river."Randy makes fun of Ericka for trembling and quivering in her knees, fearing that she may unintentionally let go of her larger and taller older brother.As is customary, as soon as they cross the river, they dash into the dark, cave-like plantation where large plants that can eat tiny animals reside and spread disease-carrying mosquitoes to onlookers.The land doesn't belong to Ericka's parents, but at that moment she saw large snakes clinging to a large banana trunk that had fully ripe fruits on it."Observe! This is outside the scope of our plantation. Come on, let the snakes devour the fruits instead of coming after us and consuming our entire body.