CHAPTER TWO
🌟 "Endurance for the Dream"
~ Eric's Point of View ~
After an entire night's journey, we were finally nearing our first destination.
We weren't allowed to deliver to the large markets where the main vegetable suppliers—those who owned the massive farmlands in the province—unloaded their goods. So, we had no choice but to avoid them and go to other towns, even if they were far, just to earn a living and sell off our stock.
After more than six hours, we finally arrived at the first town where we would drop off our vegetables. Here, we had one hour to go around and peddle our goods to the market vendors.
I eagerly went through the area, carrying a basket of carrots on my back. It weighed more than 15 kilos, and even though it was heavy and hurt my back, I had to endure it.
"Ate (Sister), buy carrots for your stall, fresh from Lingawin!" I offered to a vendor.
We only had one hour to cover the entire area. We walked more than four kilometers, circling the commercial streets of the city.
A few hours later, our journey continued on the truck towards the next town.
I didn't notice the time because I had dozed off. I only woke up when the driver banged on the back of the truck. It had stopped, which meant we had reached our second destination. It was noisy outside the truck and bright because of the lights inside the market.
It was a large market with a very high roof. This was one of the biggest markets in the city, so many people traveled here for cheap vegetables.
This area was the drop-off point for vegetables, where city market vendors sourced their produce to sell in different parts of the town. It was a good thing for us to have a drop-off point because our vegetables were bought without us having to hawk them on the streets or in other markets.
Since we arrived at the drop-off point late at night, the group decided to spend the night there and continue the journey the next day. This spot was okay because even if we just set up on the side, people would approach us to buy vegetables.
Even though customers usually bought only one kilo, we would still manage to sell something, which was better than risking our safety by going to the third destination.
Our truck was still a dangerous target for rebels, even in the city. To them, they were hunters, and the vegetable truck was like a plump animal that needed to be caught and taken to sustain their daily meals.
I enthusiastically sold my goods to the people. There were so many more of them here than in our village, and the city was truly exciting.
I sold out one basket of carrots in just an hour. I was sure many more people wanted to buy, so I quickly grabbed another basket of carrots from our truck.
Preoccupied, I didn't expect to suddenly drop to my knees when I tried to walk back to my spot.
"Huh?"
I didn't know if I had tripped or if someone had pushed me to fall like that. I couldn't understand why my knees felt so weak.
Our truck driver, Kuya Kardo, who was the leader of our group, saw it. I knew he would scold me again because he always seemed to be watching me. With a furrowed brow, he suddenly said:
"You shouldn't force your body, you're too young to become crippled," Kardo told the young man.
Kuya Kardo was grumpy with me and didn't want me to join them selling. He only agreed because my father and mother pleaded with him. He didn't like having a child in the group, saying it made them slow and was extra worry, so I wasn't allowed to show any weakness in front of him, or he might not bring me along again.
I didn't pay much attention to what Kuya Kardo said and just answered with a smile. Many people still wanted to buy my goods, so I didn't have time to rest.
The night would be short because we were heading to another market tomorrow, so I shouldn't waste any time.
I continued selling until the number of people coming and buying at the drop-off point dwindled this evening. After I sold more than four baskets of my carrots, I packed up and climbed into the truck with my companions to sleep.
When I climbed up, I quickly found a spot and took out the plastic bag where I kept my money. I grinned from ear to ear as I counted my earnings from the carrots my mother harvested. Finally, I had earned money, and we would have something to spend again.
After counting it all, I put it into a rabbit-themed wallet that my sister gave me. This is where I kept all my sales.
My family would surely be happy when I returned home. As I was thinking of the happy smiles and praises from my mother and father waiting for me, my stomach suddenly growled.
"I'm hungry," I said.
I realized I hadn't eaten the whole day. I hadn't thought to eat, or maybe I just wasn't used to eating regularly. I didn't have any food with me either, except for the boiled carrots.
I pulled out a small white pouch from a basket and quickly opened it to get the provisions my mother had prepared for me before they left the house.
I took one and sprinkled it with salt that was packaged inside. This was all I ate from breakfast to lunch, and unfortunately, even for dinner.
My companions in the truck grimaced when they saw what I was eating. Some people weren't used to eating boiled carrots, and it was strange to them, but since I had grown up eating them, the kind of food or even the taste didn't matter to me anymore.
The truth is, I found them delicious.
But even though carrots are nutritious, they can't fully satisfy what my body needs. I felt weak from hunger, but I didn't have extra money to buy other food.
I couldn't afford to buy food for that day because it would surely reduce my earnings, which still hadn't reached the quota I needed to pay for the seedlings my mother had borrowed money for.
Just a few hours after eating, I felt hungry again.
I felt a sharp stomach ache, and it seemed to be craving heavier food like rice or meat.
"Unbelievable, I'm hungry again," I muttered as my stomach churned.
No matter what I did, I felt the hunger carving a hole in my stomach. Closing my eyes and trying to force myself to sleep was useless.
It hurt... I winced from the severe pain. It felt like my stomach was eating my insides as I felt cold sweat streaming down my cheeks.
My head ached, and I felt dizzy from the hunger I was experiencing. I couldn't take it anymore, if only...
~ End of Point of View ~
"Mama, Papa, I can't take it anymore," he whispered to himself, writhing in pain.
Erik quickly stood up and searched for another pouch inside the basket. He knew he had no boiled provisions left, but in his confusion, he was desperately hoping that maybe something had been overlooked or left in the pouch that he could eat.
The young man knew he was at his limit and his mind felt hazy. He couldn't bear the feeling and was ready to do anything to alleviate the pain.
"I can't take this anymore, it really hurts so much," Erik groaned.
At that moment, he took out his wallet and climbed down from the truck. The only thing on his mind now was to buy food or medicine for his stomach ache.
His face showed his struggle against the pain as he stepped away from the truck.
A few steps away, their driver, Kardo, immediately noticed him and called out from his seat in the driver's cab.
"Hey, Carrot Boy! Where are you going?" Kardo shouted.
He looked back and complained about his stomach ache. Although their leader understood what the young man was going through, he couldn't do anything to help him. At that moment, he touched the bag next to him and was about to open it, but he hesitated and didn't follow through.
Kardo thought of the young man's miserable condition and how strong he was to endure the job of a vegetable vendor at his young age.
He knew Erik needed food and medicine, and since he himself needed the loaf of bread he had in the bag, he couldn't give it away.
Erik told him he was going out of the warehouse they were sheltering in to buy something to eat, so he allowed him to go, just reminding him about the rebels or bad people who wandered around at night.
The young man knew about that, and even he was afraid of running into them, but despite that, he still continued to leave.
He was disoriented as he walked, struggling to bear the pain in his stomach.
After a few minutes of walking, he reached some stores.
He immediately entered a building and happened upon an eatery. A few people were still eating in the carinderia (local restaurant), even though it was almost eleven at night.
The young man's mouth watered as he smelled the fragrant aroma of the delicious food the woman was selling. It was as if a magic was enticing the young man to buy and eat them.
He imagined a sparkling shimmer over the dishes; he had lost self-control and was desperate to fill his stomach.
He couldn't resist the temptation to eat any longer and finally gripped the glass counter of the stall.
~ Eric's Point of View ~
The aroma of their food is so enticing; just looking at it seems delicious. This is what I need to make my stomach ache go away.
I know something feels wrong, but I don't care anymore. I want to eat them, even though something seems to be bothering me.
In his craving for the food, he suddenly heard a voice briefly passing through his ear.
A repeating voice calling his name and telling him to stop what he was planning to do. Was the voice trying to stop me just my imagination? I don't know, but I feel like I'm forgetting something.
With every moment of hesitation about pointing out what to buy, due to the mysterious voice I heard in my mind, I suddenly clutched my aching stomach, which wouldn't stop growling.
My mind is confused, probably because I'm hungry. Right. Perhaps that's the case.
It's more important to alleviate my hunger so I can think straight.
I shouldn't hesitate anymore. I'm practically starving, so why should I stop myself from eating?
But before I could point out what to buy to the woman, I noticed the numbers next to the dishes.
I couldn't read the labels because they were written in another language, but I knew the numbers next to them were the food prices.
I was shocked and stepped back in surprise at the price of the rice and main dishes they were selling. They reached 60 pesos for just rice and a dish. This was unfair. It was ridiculous.
I couldn't understand why their prices were so inflated for one order, because back home, rice was five pesos a serving and a dish was ten pesos at a carinderia.
I asked why their goods were so expensive for one order, but they just looked at me strangely for asking and simply said:
"You're not in the mountains, kid. This is life in the city," she said.
At that moment, I realized the difference between our place and this small city.
I looked around me, and it was truly different from the cramped eateries in the province. It had many lights and electric fans, complete services, and clean utensils. I could also see a television that people were watching and gadgets held by some customers.
There were many things here that we didn't have, like paved streets and buildings. Bright roads at night because of the lampposts.
Maybe the city really is very different from what I'm used to, and I can't complain about these things and the differences.
While thinking about the unusual things in the city, my sisters who I want to study in Manila came to mind.
That's right. If they can study in Manila, they surely won't be like me, staring at things in the city like an idiot. It's embarrassing when you think about it.
Manila. They say Manila is a progressive city, the capital of the country. If so, I'm sure things there are even more expensive than here.
I looked at my wallet and realized that if my sisters were to study in Manila, they would surely need a lot of money just for their daily food.
The cost of living in the city is too high. What about Manila? Wait, what is life like in Manila for kids my age?
I envy them because they were born in the city. They don't have to go through the hardships of being a provincial native. If only I had a chance, I would want to live in the city too.
It would be nice to think that if I were born a city resident, I would be studying in a proper classroom. Have a clean water source, usable lights at night, and delicious food.
Beautiful buildings, lampposts, paved roads, a civilized community, and advanced technology.
I also want to experience hanging out with friends without having to worry about whether you'll have food the next day. I also want to experience stepping into towering buildings and viewing the world from above them.
It would be wonderful to think that I could also attain what city kids achieve. If only I had the chance.
But I know deep down that those things are impossible for me. I only finished Grade 6, and because of the difficulty of life, I couldn't continue studying. I regret not studying well during the time I was still attending school. I didn't know that was the last time I would ever step into a school.
But nevertheless...
Even if it's too late for me, it's not too late for my younger sisters. They are my only hope and treasure.
While thinking about those things, I closed my eyes for a moment.
I quickly closed my wallet and walked away from the store. I don't know why, but my stomach ache seemed to have disappeared.
Maybe it was because I was thinking about my sisters' future, or maybe I was more restrained from spending because I regretted the money that would be deducted from my earnings.
But even though the pain in my stomach was gone, it didn't remove the weakness in my arms and knees, which seemed to be searching for a source of energy.
But what's the point of my efforts if I let my hunger defeat me? Right, I probably won't die just because I didn't eat for one night.
"I will not be defeated!" he shouted, raising his hands and reaching for the sky.
An utterance that strengthened his resolve to face the hardships of life.
I know that the endurance I am going through is part of the challenge I need to overcome to achieve my dreams.
~ End of Point of View ~
He gazed at the stars in the sky that seemed to shine brightly. He was full of confidence in achieving the dream for his sisters.
A boy aspiring for change in their life status. He had no idea how difficult or possible it was to achieve it, but he was ready to gamble on it.
"Okay, I need to sell more tomorrow," Erik said to himself.
As his feet took another step away from where he stood, something suddenly hit his head.
A hard object was struck against the young man's head by an unknown assailant, causing him to slide down onto the street.
In an instant, his vision seemed to darken, and he slowly lost consciousness.
Blood could be seen flowing from the wound on his head, and because it was late at night, no one else witnessed the attack.
The young man was successfully robbed, and the unidentified people quickly escaped.
He collapsed on the road unexpectedly and was helpless against what happened.
End of Chapter