144 Beyond The Hills

Jia grew up in small rural community in the Northern part of Cebu. Their small hut was erected on a slope halfway towards the foot of a hill and midway towards the top. On the other side of the hill was a deep cliff while the other side where their house stood, overlooked the sea that separated the islands of Cebu and Leyte.

Several meters from the house towards the foot of the mountain was a creek. During summer, the water would dry up but during rainy days, the water would swell from its pathways causing a dangerous overflow. The gravitational pressure of the water from the hills would become so strong that many lives were already claimed especially those unattended children.

Neighboring houses were far but due to the serenity of the place, the people could communicate through yelling. Due to the close succession of hills, their voices would make an echo, enough to be heard by everyone.