I woke up feeling a bit dizzy. I smelled something mouthwatering. I opened my eyes and found myself in an unfamiliar room. I looked around and saw a tray of food on the bedside table. Without thinking, I quickly attacked it.

 

As soon as I was finished, I stretched out lazily. I stood up and headed towards the door. I opened it and peered through it but I saw no one. I stepped out of the room and looked around again. I saw the stairs in my right. I climbed down.

 

The house was pretty big but not bigger than ours, of course. I frowned as I didn’t see anyone. “Pest!” I called out. “If you’re planning another prank on me, you’re gonna regret it!”

 

No answer.

 

Aish! Where is that pest? Oh, wait a minute! What if those bad guys chasing us caught him? And I just gave them a clue to where I am. Aish! I should hide myself quickly.

 

I looked around, searching for a place to hide. I decided to go to the right side of the house when out of the corner, I bumped into someone. Fear and dread washed over me. Waah! I think he’s the one of those bad guys! I screamed at the top of my lungs and started running away from the person.

 

“What’s going on here?” I heard a very familiar voice up ahead. I looked up and saw the pest. Relief washed over me. I quickly went to hide myself behind him and pointed a shaking finger on the opposite direction.

 

“T-there’s a person. . .”

 

“I’m sorry if I scared you,” the person said.

 

“What did you do, Kevin?” the pest asked.

 

“Nothing. She bumped into me and started screaming.”

 

“Y-you know that guy?” I asked.

 

I heard the pest chuckled. “That’s Kevin, he’s a houseboy here.”

 

“What?” I panted.

 

“He’s a houseboy. What are screaming about?”

 

“I. . . I thought he’s one of those. . . .” I trailed. Then, I realized that the pest had his arm wrapped around my shoulder. Kyaa! I quickly shrugged his arm off, feeling disgusted. The pest! He obviously took advantage of my momentary panic. “Ya! How many times do I have to tell you that you don’t have the right to touch me?!”

 

“What if I want to? Can you do something to stop me?” he teased and poked my arm.

 

“Ya!” I burst out angrily.

 

He poked me in the forehead this time.

 

“Ya!” I burst out again. Suddenly, he pulled me into his arms, locking me in a bear tight hug. Kya! I started struggling out of his arms, trying to free myself. “Let me go!” I gritted. I continued attempting to free myself from his arms. I want him to let me go but I didn’t really expect he would. So, I was pretty surprised when he did, making me stumble on the floor, first.

 

The pest laughed out loud. I glared at him.

 

“Catch me if you can wild cat,” he said and lazily walked towards the houseboy, Kevin.

 

“Oh, yes I will!” I gritted and stood up.

 

“Oops, talk to you later, Kevin!” the pest shouted behind him as he started running as he saw I was going after him.

 

“Come back here, you y-” I stopped when I realized what I was about to say. Gah! What the hell?!?

 

“What did you just say, kitten?” the pest called back, he was now running backwards.

 

“I said come back here you stupid pest!”

 

“No. That’s not what I heard,” he laughed. I saw him went out through a door. I trailed behind him. I was greeted by a very bright sun that it almost blinded me. My eyes took a while in adjusting.

 

When my eyes were fully adjusted, that’s when I noticed the rows and rows of trees in a neat line. Then, I saw oranges on the branches. It dawned on me that this place is actually an orange farm. Eh? I didn’t know we own an orange farm.

 

“What’s wrong, wild cat? Can’t keep up?” I heard the pest’s voice from afar. I looked up and saw the pest a few good miles away already. Aish! I angrily surged forward.

 

“KYAA! I’m going to make you pay!”

 

I chased after him. We went here and there. He continuously laughed at me while I continuously screamed after him. I stumbled a few times along the way because of the uneven ground and the roots but I didn’t surrender even if I can see the workers or farmers or whatever you call them looking at me. I was sweating already until I reached a clearing. I saw him stopped abruptly, his back facing me.

 

I grinned widely as I prepared myself to jump on his back. With a triumphant laugh, I jumped on his back, cling to him and bit his ear hard. Out of nowhere, I felt something hard hit my head. “Ouch!” I moaned and let go of the pest. “That hurts, you pest!”

 

My head was hit again.

 

“You dare call me a pest?” a female voice asked. I looked up and saw an old woman with a walking stick. She was wearing a very stern face, crooked nose. I thought she shaved her eyebrows but then, when I squinted my eyes, I saw the almost invisible thin, white eyebrows of hers. She actually freaks me out. She looks like a witch!

 

“Who are you?” I blurted. I was hit by the walking stick again.

 

“You disrespectful girl!” she spat. I took a step backwards as a shower of saliva went my way. “I will not tolerate this kind of behavior!” she continued.

 

“And who are you to-?”

 

“SILENCE!” she spat again. Her eyes almost popped out from their sockets. It actually scared the hell out of me. “You,” she spoke to me. “The next time you speak to me in a disrespectful tone, say goodbye to your beautiful face ‘coz I’m going to rip it off. It’s time someone laid a hard hand on you and teaches you some manners!”

 

She then turned to the pest. “Jiyong, I believed I asked you to help with the helpers to remove the pests from the young ones and with the harvest-“

 

I suddenly laughed out loud. “How can he do that to his own kind?”

 

I was hit in the head again.

 

“You are not allowed to speak when someone’s not yet finished talking!”

 

I clamped my mouth shut.

 

“I’m sorry, Grandma but I was just having a good laugh at Dara,” the pest humbly said.

 

Eh? She’s his grandmother? And why does he sound scared?

 

“Having a good laugh?” the old woman asked, looking confused and surprised. Then, her eyes went to mine then back to the pest. I was surprised when her face softened. “Jiyong, bring this disrespectful brat with you and let her help with the harvest,” she said, later on.

 

“Me? But why me? And why would I do that in the first place? I’m not a servant or a helper.”

 

“She doesn’t know how the harvesting works.”

 

“Then teach her. I want five baskets from each of you. And Jiyong, do not help her. And you, little brat, if you want to eat, then you should work for it!”

 

“Is she for real?” I whispered as the old woman turned around.

 

“Listen!” the old woman said in a loud booming voice to the helpers. This actually surprised me. How can someone in her age speak loudly like that? “I forbid any of you to help these two. Understood?”

 

A resounding yes was heard from them.

 

“Ugh, this will be a hard one. Five baskets!” I heard the pest mumbled.

 

“Ya! Pest! You fill those five baskets of mine, too,” I ordered him.

 

“Sorry, wild cat. You’re on you own.”

 

“What?”

 

“One basket takes time already.”

 

“But I don’t know how to-”

 

“Well, I guess you won’t eat anything,” he said, obviously trying hard not to smile.