Chapter 13: Colleagues

Pie Mindara Manaying

I woke up to a completely bizarre place for what it looked was a nightmare I wished it would not happen. The four walls enclosed a small space suffocated me and the dull look of the grey ceiling struck every sense in me; Pie Mindara Manaying has already here, stuck in the worst place ever.

I searched for my phone, roaming my hand here and there around the bed before I sensed the cold metal case of it touched my skin. The technology that I could use to reach people miles away from me had now become a useless object – limited telecommunication line with worst coverage area forbid every connection from the outside world. Was it that bad? I could not tell it, just not yet. The clock on the screen showed that it was almost afternoon, meaning that I had fallen asleep for a freaking hour or two.

The house was still empty by the time I walked out from my room. My other housemates were not here yet. They were probably enjoying every hour spent out of this place to the most. No one would like to be stuck here though. What else can we do here?

I was about to have my leisure time, touring around this small house before my eyes caught a familiar figure outside the house. There she was, lost in her dreamland in the truck with one of her hands hanging lifelessly out of the window frame. I could not be mad. No, I shouldn’t but I could do a thing to get under her skin.

*******

Kimhan was still asleep, static and undisturbed when I reached her side. “Kimhan wake up!” I emptied the content of a water bottle right onto her face. The water rushed down like a water fall, drenching every inch of dry surface of her attire.

Startled as what I expected her to be, Kimhan was awakened from her sleep in a snap and panted heavily as she tried to catch her breath.

It was seconds later that she finally regaining her consciousness. “What the hell is this?” She was fuming, at the same time trying to get hold of what was happening to her. Just when she saw me, she started to speak again, “You daughter of…” I cut her with a hit on her head before she managed to further her words. Kimhan’s jaw dropped in her utmost disbelief. Her eyes flared up with suppressed irritation.

“No cursing is allowed here. It’s a school area,” I said it short. Kimhan mouthed the word ‘’ to me and grunted softly as she examined her drenched clothes.

“Can’t you be nice sometimes?” She complained.

“Please define ‘NICE’ for me, Ms. Plot Twister!” I was not expecting the expression she gave me. She frowned mixed with confusion drawn all over her face upon hearing me.

“Plot twister?” She asked and suddenly getting her way out of the truck without considering me who was standing so close to the door. The door frame slammed over my body that I stumbled backward forcefully. “What do you mean by that?” She asked, closing her distance between her and me.

“I’m not going to talk to you. I told you to go back and you should have gone from here like hours ago and now look, you’re still here annoying as ever!” I told her. Kimhan laughed at me instead of felt offended by that order.

“I was just taking a nap,” She scoffed.

“Right, now you can move because you had enough nap!” I the empty bottle to her. Kimhan’s lips pressed into one hard line, suppressing whatever the wrath she had in her. Looked who had just successfully driven someone up the wall and there staring into each other’s eyes game with so much hatred began. Kimhan gazed at me as if she was about to swallow me whole. She was mad, irritated and annoyed.

The sound of motor vehicle dismissed the tension between us. Both Kimhan and I were distracted by the presence of unknown jeep, moving to our direction before it pulled to stop right behind Kimhan’s truck. A young, feminine look lady went out first, rushing was the word I could tell as I watched her unloaded a few of plastic bags from the jeep. A minute later, another young gentleman appeared from the other side but differed from the lady, he looked calm and composed.

Could they be my colleagues? But where’s the other female teacher?

“Well hello there!” The feminine one greeted me from a distance. She carried the load of goods she bought with her as she walked to me. “You must be the new teacher,” She said, flashing an adorable smile.

“Yes… and you’re my colleague?” I asked, wishing that I would not go wrong for by prediction. To my relief, she nodded at me.

I watched her dropped the things she carried to the ground carefully before she extended her hand to me for a handshake. “My name is Hongyok,” She introduced herself. “Welcome here Ms…”

“I’m Pie. You can call me Pie,” I took her hand in return as a polite gesture of introducing ourselves to each other.

“Pie?” She smiled somewhat amused by the name I told her. “Pie, that’s Nan. She works here too,” I swore to God that I almost freaked out when I heard Hongyok told me that the gentleman I saw was a woman like us too. Lord, what has gone wrong with the life today? First, Kimhan and now, this Nan?

“Hi there, Pie. Nice to meet you,” Nan waved from the other side and should I tell that she owned a good voice?

Seconds later she was standing right next to Hongyok, facing me the new friends they got to meet for the first time. “Our apology for not being here to welcome you,” Nan said. “But we can celebrate your arrival with some meal, shall we?” She showed the goods she brought in her hand to me which later I found to be some raw materials for cook.

“Nan is a good cook,” Hongyok nudged the other girl teasing. “Come, let’s treat you with good food,” Hongyok beckoned me to move to the house.

“I’m going back now, Pie.” Kimhan who had been silent for quite some time spoke. Her voice caught all of us, that the previously invisible Kimhan now become noticeable to both Hongyok and Nan.

“Oh, we didn’t realise that she’s here, aren’t we?” Hongyok gasped a little, looking somewhat guilty for not noticing Kimhan’s presence there with us.

Kimhan smiled at her but it was nothing but bitter one. “Please take a good care of Pie. I’m going to visit her later,” Kim told her and all of us watched her made her way back to the old truck.

“Would you like to stay and have our treat?” Nan spoke all of sudden that her offer stopped Kimhan on her track. “Come and join us. You’re the guest and I guess you’re related to Pie,” Nan said, glancing at me once before she looked at Kimhan again.

Hesitated, Kimhan shook her head. “It’s alright. I have some works to do,” Kimhan said.

“Oh come on,” No one expected Hongyok would insist for Kimhan to stay for a while. “The more the merrier,” She stated.

Then both of the young teachers looked at me expectantly, waiting for a word or two to convince Kimhan to stay. Only if they knew how much I wished I could get rid of Kimhan. “You haven’t eaten anything since morning Kimhan. How could you not accept their offer?” I spoke something which totally opposing my thought.

Kimhan turned around with a smug look on her face upon any second her eyes met mine. Speak whatever you wished to speak in your mind Kimhan. I did it for their favour.

******

“Aren’t you supposed to report your duty here like… a few weeks ago, Pie?” Nan queried while she arranged the stuffs into the empty cabinet. Hongyok did the same at the other side while I was just staring at them, not having anything to be done at the moment. The food stocks could last for two weeks or more I guessed. They had them a lot.

“Something came up,” I told them. Both of the teachers exchanged a look before they stared at me again. “Hey, I’m here anyway,” I feigned a laugh, wishing that they would not question me further for the thing I did not wish to answer. The secret would remain between those who knew it, not by others to learn about it.

“Right,” Hongyok nodded. “Your service is highly needed here. Have you met the Headmaster? Did he tell you anything?” She asked, pointing the carrot she held in her hand at me as she spoke.

“Yeah, that there are only the two of you and him teaching at the school.”

“That’s true. We are like multipurpose human teachers here!” Hongyok jested. “It’s not that bad to be here, Pie. Trust me you’ll get used to this environment and even enjoy your days teaching here,” Hongyok spoke as if she could read my mind.

“I came here first and this kid came later,” Nan joined in. “She freaked out so much when she first arrived here. Guess who gets homesick for the first two weeks?” Whatever Nan told me made Hongyok glared at her. I smiled a little upon seeing the pouty face Hongyok had. Nan surely loved to a lot.

“So Nan is older than Hongyok?” Kimhan queried all of sudden to anybody it may concern.

The two teachers brought their gazes to Kimhan before Nan willingly answered her. “Hongyok is a year younger than me and I guess Pie and I are at the same age. I’m 25.”

It came to my surprise that Nan could guess it right. People rarely guess my age correctly. It would usually be one or two years younger than my exact age. However my new colleague here guessed it right for the first time. She was great in calculation or there was 25 stuck on my forehead tha