Chapter 24
They walked back to the waiting SUV, and Erwin jumped out to open the doors when they came closer. Two small children and a kid, almost ten years of age, dressed in dirty shirts, shorts, and caked muddy tsinelas, approached them.
“Manong,” the girl said, holding out her dark brown hand palm up to Jojo.
The older one corrected her, and said,”Siya ay isang Don.”
“Erwin’s been running the AC.” Jojo motioned Adam inside. Adam took his seat in the Lexus as he saw Jojo crouch and talk to the kids. A woman peeked from around the privacy hedge as Jojo conversed with them in Filipino. Adam watched as Jojo took several hundred pesos and hand them to each of the kids. As he stood up, he approached the woman. Adam couldn’t hear what they said, but saw Jojo give more money to the woman.