GREGORIO secretly rages in anger at his caretaker for not being careful at work.
"Is that so Sir, that's why Mang Nestor brought Daisy's bag yesterday," Maggie said as if a thorn had been pulled out of her throat.They even thought of some bad things. Then it turned out that it had good intentions. Maggie was suddenly ashamed of herself."I'm sorry Sir," Alyssa apologized.They saw the artist smile at them. "Oh, that's nothing, when you have a problem you can talk to me, don't be shy."They nodded with a smile."Let's go down, maybe your fellow students are waiting for us in the kitchen.""All right, let's go down, we might run out of sopas," said Maggie with a weak laugh.Laughing, Alyssa put her arm around her friend's shoulder. "Let's bet, they haven't started eating yet,""How can you be sure?" Maggie asked her.Alyssa pinched Maggie's right ear. "When do we eat without eating together?"Maggie seemed to think. "Yeah, hehehe!" Maggie chucklI believe when we return to Manila you will be looking for drawing and painting!" Alyssa said positively, as she continued to draw."Maybe!" Maggie replied. "Even though we're busy with our studies, I still have time for drawing and painting. I'm going to be as good as you, girl!" she added."You need to treat me when we return to Manila. Because, if you don't come with me, you won't know that you have other hidden talents." Alyssa heard her friend's loud laugh."I'm always the one who treats you every time we go out,"She laughed at what her friend said. It's true what Maggie said, she was the one who always gave her free food.Maggie is the one who often goes out for food trips when they have extra time after class."Because you're the one who likes to eat," she joked. She looked at Maggie she saw one of her eyebrows rise."All you have to say is you're just stingy," retorted Maggie. "Even twenty-five cents in exchange, you'll still get it." Maggie was joking.
GREGORIO gave each one a candle.The students moaned in frustration."Tomorrow morning I will send Mang Nestor to town to buy more gas to use in the generator," Gregorio added."I'll just go with Mang Nestor tomorrow Sir," Noel suggested looking at the caretaker.Gregorio turned his head to the young man, who was secretly celebrating."Maybe you can buy some junk food tomorrow, Noel?" Maggie asked him."Sure!" Noel answered. "Can I go with Mang Nestor tomorrow, Sir?" He asked the artist again who seemed to be silent for a moment."Are you sure?" Gregorio asked the young man as he played with his fingers. He already knew who his fourth victim would be."Yes, Sir!" Noel answered quickly."All right, go with Mang Nestor tomorrow morning.""Yahoo!" Noel said cheerfully, and he asked his fellow students what else they wanted to buy."Just buy junk foods," they replied."Okay, noted guys!""Mang Nestor, you can rest now. You and Noel will leave early
GREGORIO opened the door of his room slightly but saw nothing. Maybe it was just the rustling of the trees outside his mansion caused by the heavy rain with the strong wind."OUCH!" Alyssa's complaint. Maggie was sitting on the floor while squeezing her right foot. As she glanced into the artist's room as she walked, she stepped on, one of Maggie's feet causing her to fall. "Just massage slowly, because it hurts.""You don't even look at what you're stepping on, then you're still looking at Sir's room," Maggie told her as she applied ointment to her foot. "It's a good thing you're not crippled.""Are you sure? Why does it hurt?" Alyssa asked one question after another. She winced, every time Maggie's palm caressed her foot."I didn't see any bones come out of your foot!" Maggie replied as if she was just joking. "Seriously, your foot will be okay later. You just got bruised because you fell.""I hope so," she said biting her lower lip.Maggie stood up, she finished
IN the room occupied by Noel and Carlos, Noel had a bad dream. In his dream, he was on a beach and he was surfing.A big wave hit the surfing board he was standing on, causing him to fall into the sea. Fortunately, he was a good swimmer at their school. His sway was so fast that he approached the floating surfing board not far from him. But a strong wave came again and it carried the surfing board and he could no longer see it."So annoying," he said angrily as he slapped his hands on the surface of the sea. He dived under the sea. Luckily he wasn't too far away so he could see the big umbrella standing on the side of the beach.Noel would have dived under the sea again when he noticed something on his side. It was getting closer to where he was, he was just so scared when he found out what it was."Shark!" Noel was horrified to swim backward.He felt tired but he did not stop swimming in the backstroke style to get away from the shark chasing him. He w
"ALYSSA," Gregorio called the girl's attention and he caught her yawning again. "Are you still sleepy?"Alyssa raised her head quickly."Sorry Sir, I just had a hard time sleeping last night." She was embarrassed when she confessed to the artist. She simply looked at her friend who was also looking at her. "It was hot last night S- Sir," Alyssa stuttered when she lied. If she admits that they were in front of his room last night, he might ask more questions and she didn't know what to answer. It's even more embarrassing for her."Is that so. If you want to have coffee, you can bring coffee here in the living room. Coffee will also help you stay awake." The artist suggested."Really Sir?" Exclaimed of the students.Gregorio laughed and spoke again. "I thought only Alyssa was sleepy. All of you!" He said, "All right, go to the kitchen and make some coffee."The students quickly got up and headed for the kitchen.Gregorio noticed Alyssa's slow walk. His eyes narrow
"DID you like it?" Gregorio asked Noel as he approached."It's so beautiful, Sir," answered Noel.Gregorio patted the young man's shoulders. "That's what I'll give you,"The young man's eyes widened as he stared at the artist. As if, he wanted to be sure of what he had heard.The artist smiled at him. "That will be yours, but on one condition?""Sir?" Noel seemed disappointed."You just have to continue painting some parts of the drawing that I haven't painted yet. Don't worry I'll show you what colors to use.""I'm nervous, I wonder what the condition is." Noel's confession. It was true what he said, he felt something nervous at that time but he just ignored it. The artist laughed at what he said."That's my policy to the students I give a gift to. They have to finish the paintings first before they can get them." Gregorio said as he handed the paintbrush to him. Noel accepted it. "So, can you do it?""Sure Sir.Very easy!" Noel's arrogant answer. He sat o
ONCE again, the artist offered a prayer to the statue of his master before finally closing the black cabinet. The smile on the artist's lips was still there.Alyssa stopped drawing when she felt something strange in her chest. She couldn't help but touch her chest. Noel suddenly entered her mind.Everyone was startled when suddenly a loud thunder and lightning broke the silence of the living room.Alyssa's pencil was broken as she pressed it against the canvas when she was startled by thunder and lightning."I hope Noel and Mang Nestor are okay," Alyssa said."Yeah, I can already hear the heavy rain outside," Charlotte said. But she quickly stood up remembering that she was going to cook rice. "I'll leave you guys, I'm going to cook rice. When Sir is down here in the living room, tell him I'm in the kitchen.""All right," Maureen replied.They rested for a while.Charlotte turned around and walked towards the kitchen."What happened to your p
"THE barangay captain of San Victoria, he said, the bridge that connects the road to here, and to the other side of town was cut." Gregorio lied to them."What do you mean Sir?" Carlos immediately asked the artist who was obviously nervous because he remembered his friend Noel and even the caretaker, Mang Nestor.The students exchanged glances."How are Noel and Mang Nestor?" Alyssa asked the artist and held her friend Maggie's hand tightly."Don't worry guys, they're fine." Gregorio smiled in response to them, as he still had many lies already formed in his mind."Thank God!" said the students. They even signed the cross which secretly annoyed the artist."People who are stranded and unable to cross are in the municipality. Among them are Mang Nestor and Noel," in addition to what he said and sat on the sofa in front of the students. "When the rain stops I'll try to go to the other town to catch up.""Sir, how can you get there, you said the bridge was cut." Sa