Ritian helped himself to two bowls of white porridge. The food tastes salty and bleak but he didn't complain as he swallowed without a hint of stopping. Gino watched him from the side while Evo had a revering expression on his face as he glance at him for a few times."Did you like it? How does it taste? Very good?" Gino wave the large spoon in front of the fire. His soaked forehead glistening. "You seem to love it. Should I add more?"Ritian wipe his mouth with his sleeves. He smacked his lips together, lamenting internally at how salty did it taste like. "You're... exceptionally talented in cooking.""You mean he cook like he's making salted fish." Evo smiled faintly. "Don't gloss it over. He needs to take harsh words to learn."Gino's grin faltered. His face closed off and Ritian saw the flash of hurt in his eyes. "Oh... I was just asking."He chuckled. "Don't listen to Evo. What does he know about cooking? It's not like he had tasted the dishes sold at a restaurant. He's no judge.
Ritian woke up earlier than both of the youth in the house. He slapped his arms and legs, mildly annoyed with the mosquitoes hanging around him to provide company at four in the morning. If this was the modern age, he would have complained at how early was he cooking breakfast but since it's the ancient time, he woke up early to cook another batch of white porridge.He cooked the rice until it could be swallowed easily. The smooth texture contains just the right amount of salt. This should enlighten Gino on how much to put in next time.At five in the morning, Evo padded in the kitchen, mumbling a soft greeting towards him before cleaning his face in the sink. "You usually wake up this early?"'No. I can't sleep last night.' Maybe it was because of the new surrounding but Ritian find it difficult to get a wink of sleep. 'This is fine. It's good to practice myself into waking up early anyway.'"Let's go to the mountain after breakfast. The school starts at nine. Gino will be there to e
The chicken was not that a lot. But with Evo's expert ways, the dish is enough to last them for two meals.They went home with grimy faces, scratched skin and a basket full of sweet potatoes, wild vegetables and herbs that can cure colds and low fever then a handful of chili.Evo minced the chicken along with its bone into tiny, unrecognisable pieces. When he was done, he went to the house next door and asked for a little bit of their banana stalk.Ritian watched as Evo specifically chose the soft and whitest part of the stalk, peeling it clean and nice then mincing it the same with the chicken.When he was done, he ordered Ritian to open an old coconut. Ritian tried to hack the compact thing with their rusty machete. Evo frowned like he was facing a math problem ‘Ritian-olus’. He didn't ask why Ritian is useless but the contempt in his eyes doesn't really need a verbal explanation.The process was an arduous job. Ritian knew that cooking in modern times was made easier with the ready
Ritian walked the small village with a little hesitation. Katya asked for a day to hide and hunt her own food because Evo and Gino's house had no spare food to feed a cat. With no way of calling his cat back, he could only walk aimlessly for an hour, quietly observing the people around.The town's aquatic resources aren't close to their home. In fact, people who wanted to fish had to go in the commercial street because their trading center are situated near the docks for easy access and fresh goods.Their primary source of food is planting corn. Corn can be a substitute to rice and is less expensive. Although the texture and the size of each grains doesn't look the same, the corn is just as filling.The corn milling factories produces two. The corn grains which they eat for every meal and corn flour. With the latter has difficulties exporting it to towns because of the pests eating away the flour on the way with the long journey.Their village is indeed close to the commercial street
Ritian woke up early and prepared breakfast for the three of them. Katya remained asleep on his shoulder as he navigated around the kitchen.Evo walked out of the house then washing his face on a tub they had arranged to save up water from the rain. He returned after a while with coconut milk in his hand.Ritian suddenly had an idea in his mind and mashed the sweet potatoes from last night. He brought the coconut milk into a boil before gently putting the sweet potatoes inside the pot.He mixed it 'til it combined perfectly. He waited for the mixture to become a little sticky before serving it like porridge to the two teens.Ritian ate a bowl for himself then set aside another portion in his journey to the commercial street later.With a handmade basket in his hand, he left the house before Gino and Evo.The basket he had had nothing but fabrics inside. Katya knew the direction to the commercial market with her attempt to fish before.After two and a half hour, he reached the place.S
VOLUME IChapter OneRitian didn't really know what is it like after being announced dead. He recalls being dragged around by a car that weights ten times than his body but when the moment of truth came and everything finally blackened out, the stairways to heaven and the hole to hell didn't make its appearance to play good cop and bad cop on him.Ritian was so ready to complain why he had to be dead at the age of twenty five. Luckily, he was brought back to life. Sort of.He never had a chance know what does the angels and saints look like up in heaven. Who's more handsome or who's more buff. He'd really wanted to take a peek. He never got the opportunity to do so. Nevertheless, he was given a second chance in life. He would never trade that for anything.On one calm, late afternoon in the quiet lake wedged beside the northern mountains of Cabato, Ritian found himself drowning. His awkward squawk of distress broke t
VOLUME IChapter TwoAfter thirty minutes spent in walking aimlessly on the wide meadow, Ritian was thoroughly convinced that this is not the city. He thought the guy played a prank on him when they entered a seemingly endless labyrinth of trees. He observed the silent man while he trod along the track. The man kept his silence amidst his storm of questions. It took a long moment before Ritian was able to rest assured.A series of thatched houses came to Ritian's sight later on. His shoulders slumped in disappointment. The cold wind blowing past his crotch sent a nasty tingle in his spine. He's still wearing his thin piece of underwear. And it's not comfortable.Throwing a confused expression on Wenren, he fixed the carpet on himself. The guy told him that it is a cape worn by heroes. Ritian refused to believe him just to spite the man. Instead of being offended, the guy looked at him as if wondering what classifica
VOLUME IChapter Three"Sit down." Wenren laid him on the bed. The pitiful thing whimpered even though he weight almost next to nothing. The man patted his head before smiling gently. "I'll bring you your dinner later. Don't run and cause trouble outside. You won't get away from Ms. Via the second time, okay? She can be very mean."Ritian reminisced every single thing that Wenren told him on their way to his house. Apparently, Ritian, the one with the old soul, was an orphan. According to Wenren, he's a little bit 'unstable'. Talking rubbish and making random noises all the time. Maybe that's the reason why his family abandoned him.The chief of the village, Juan, took pity on Ritian and decided to let him stay. Every month, there should be a box where everyone would give their share. It's the village's fund. The money will be spent on building fences to ward off the wild animals or buying seeds for the vegetable garden.