The First Journey

Aviore slowly descended to the fire exit of Capiz Memorial Hospital. She's afraid that someone will notice her because she has not paid her bills yet. Whoever brought her to this hospital, it's his or her responsibility now to pay her bills.

Just a floor of the building when she saw someone standing at the bottom of the stairs. He's having a cigarette.

"Oh no! What should I do?" she whispered to herself. She looked around. She has nothing to hide or pass through. He might notice her. But the man does not seem to be working in the hospital so she thought he will ignore her.

She began to descend from the stairs.

"Ahhhh ...." she shouted. She made her palms as a shield so she won't kiss the ground. Luckily, it's just her palm and her knees that got scratched but it's still painful.

"Are you okay?" asked the man who she thought was a few years older than her. He helped her stand up.

"Uhm! I'm fine! I-I'm used to it." she said giving him a fake smile as she rubbed off her aching hand and knee from dirt.

"Why are you here? Aren't you a patient?"

Her eyes widened at what he said. 'How did he know? I'm not even wearing a hospital gown.'

"H-huh? Uhh. I'm not a patient! I-I'm just a visitor. Right! I'm just a visitor. I just want to go this way!" she answered in panic.

"huh? Then why do you have a patient tag on your wrist?" she looked at her hand and her mouth formed an 'O'. Why did she forgot to remove it? There's nothing to lose. There is only one solution.

Without saying anything, she ran away.

"Wait!" the man shouted at her but she did not look back. She just kept running. When she thought she was far enough, she stopped.

She's panting hard she could hear her heartbeat. Seconds later she quickly broke the patient tag in her hand. 'Wow ... Fortunately, I did not stumble.'

She looked around wondering where to go!

She pulled out the ATM Card she was carrying. "I wonder how much i saved in here!"

Since she started working, she made sure to put even a small amount of money to this account. Good thing she hid it from her mother and father. Remembering what happened, her eyes become teary again.

She looked for an atm machine and checked its balance. She withdrawn all its contents amounting to 8000 pesos. She also looked for a place to buy clothes even at eleven o'clock in the evening and bought a jacket with a hood to hide the bruises on her hand. Good thing her poster father didn't kick her in the face.

She took the paper out of her pocket and read the address again. She has to go to Guimaras.

"Aviore, you can do it! You have nowhere to go so whether what that old man said is true, let's try it! Fighting!" she said encouragingly herself.

She rode a tricycle to the bus terminal. Because she has no place to sleep tonight, she decided to sleep on the ride.

She decided to ride in an ordinary bus where she could open the window for fresh air. She looked for a seat beside the window but it's all occupied. She found a double seat in the back with someone sitting beside the window. She went there and sat down.

She would have preferred to sit by the window so that she could sleep well but there was a man sitting there. She also wanted to rest her aching body.

"Do you want to exchange seat?" he asked.

"Uh, is it okay?" she asked shyly. 'How did he know I wanted to exchange seat? Ahh .... maybe because I'm looking at his seat.'

"It's okay. It looks like you want to sit beside the window because you look at my side."

"Thank you!" She smiled widely and they exchanged seat. Aside from being handsome he is also kind. She's lucky to sit beside him for this long trip.

She really prefers to ride the ordinary bus than the air-conditioned bus because she feel dizzy and sick.

"You're welcome! Uh, Where are you going?" He asked shyly.

"In Guimaras!"

"Really? Are you going home there or on vacation?"

"ahh no, I just have to meet someone."

"your boyfriend?"

"No! I just need to meet this certain person." She answered and gave him a smile. "You? Where are you going?" she asked.

"Me? I'm just going to Iloilo City. For work."

"ahh ..." she replied.

"gruuuuhh" her stomach suddenly sounded. She has not eaten since her father beaten her. She bowed in shame and looked away. The sound of her stomach was so loud.

"haha ... The bus hasn't left yet, you can still buy food." he said laughing while there she is feeling ashamed. "Do you want me to buy food for you?" he added.

"No need" she waved her hand to refuse.

"I'll buy it myself. Hehe." she declined and gave him an awkward smile.

"ok. It's up to you."

She got off the bus and bought two plastic bags of quail eggs with four peaces in each plastic, a coconut pie, and mineral water. After she bought, she went back inside the bus.

"Uh, do you want some?" She offered him.

"No thank you! I'm still full. I ate at home before leaving."

"oh ok. Up to you."

She started eating coconut pie. It's delicious because it's still warm. She then ate the quail egg. She knocked it on the window pane to crack it.

"What's your name? I-if it's ok to ask." the man asked as she was peeling the egg.

"Aviore." then she held out her hand to him but before he could reach it she suddenly withdrew it and smelled it first because it might stink.

"hahaha. It's ok even if your hand stinks. Don't worry I have alcohol." he whispered the last word in her ear and he even winked at him.

She stared at it for a moment. This man is really handsome in any angle. Beautiful eyes, pointed nose, and kissable lips she said in her mind. She shook her head from the thought.

"ahh ... Hehe ..." She replied shyly. "What is your name?" Then she ate her peeled quail egg.

"Trover. It's nice to meet you Aviore!" he said and held out his hand.

Aviory just looked at it not sure if she should accept it. The smell of her hand is awful.

He moved his hand up and down as if telling her he's waiting.

"it's ni- aho! Aho! Aho!" She cough even before she could finish her sentence. She was choked by the egg she was eating while speaking.

"Are you okay?" He tapped her back lightly but she felt the pang of pain in her back that made her stiffen. She quickly restrained his left hand when she saw that he would repeat it. She took the water next to her with her right hand then opened it and drank.

"I'm fine."

"D-does my pat hurt? S-sorry." he said feeling sorry.

"I-It's fine." She answered so that he would not be sorry.

As soon as the bus started running she had finished eating everything she bought and they just talked about things. She found out that he also do not like riding an air-conditioned vehicle. Time passed and she did not realized she had fallen asleep.

"Aviore!" She woke up from the call and felt a pat on her cheek. She woke up leaning on Trover's shoulder. He tapped her on the cheek with his left hand and his right hand rested on her shoulder supporting her.

"We are here!"

She sat up and looked around. They are in Tagbak Ceres Terminal. She had been to ilo-ilo once so she knew it was the last stop. As far as she knew, the trip last for atleast two and a half hours. She had a long sleep. Perhaps it was because of her tiredness and body aches and her comfortable lean on Trover's shoulder that she slept for so long.

She sat up after Trover. He took the backpack that was placed on the baggage rack on their heads and they followed the passengers who were coming out. As she was walking she suddenly remembered something.

"Oh my! I haven't paid yet." She said in a high voice. Suddenly someone pushed her from behind and Trover turned to face her. Because she did not expect it she unconsciously shouted. She stumbled and because Trover was in front of her, she tried to grasp his shirt so she won't fall but she did not expect him to fall as well. They both fell. Trover was lying down and she was on top of him but what she did not expect was their lips being pressed to each other.