1 Chapter One: The Day I Decided To Write This Book

Every morning, I do the same thing over and over again. I wake up in bed at 6:00 AM, fix 'em tidy. Go to the bathroom to to do the thing and especially, brush my teeth. After all of that, I go downstairs and start to feed my fishes, I love them fish. I have a Siamese Fighting Fish with his buds, the guppies. On my other aquarium are the Goldfishes and my Angel Fishes, they're pretty neat, actually. Every morning I give them food and they're really happy. Like REALLY REALLY HAPPY.

So yeah, back to the same shit I do. After that feeding my fish scenario, I go straight to our kitchen to look for food and every single day, the only food I find for breakfast is bread of salt or 'pan-de-sal' here in the Philippines. Gosh! I thought to myself, another day for me to eat pan-de-sal for breakfast. BUT TODAY. Today is very different. My Mom boiled eggs for breakfast and some bacon which we usually eat for Lunch.

After finding out that our breakfast is a good boiled egg, I went to our living room or 'sala' as we normally say here in my Country. I opened our LED Flat Screen Television my dad bought last Christmas, and man, our TV is LIT! Like, really crystal clear quality!

Our TV opened without a sound, just a light indicator (red means its off and green when its on), it was shut off on Channel 13 last night by my Mom. It's a good thing it was shut off at that channel 'cause that is the channel I am supposed to watch, you know News and stuffs; by the way, this is not the channel 13 you may know. It's the Channel 13 here, in the Philippines. So I watched for an hour, all that shenanigans and stuffs you wouldn't even want to know, so let's skip that.

During that time, my Cousin, Erich (Pronounced e-rish) called me on messenger, He told me that He wanted me to help him with something. It wasn't clear at first. I had to ask him several times what it was, I know, it seems stupid, but man, if you will personally know this man, I don't know if you'll guys last for 5 minutes.

Then, after several clarifications on what It was, I now know what it is. Erich wanted me to help him to chat this girl on social media. I told him to give me all the information I needed so that I can know to myself what I will do before, during and after the chat, if I will chat this girl for him.

I waited for several minutes hoping to obtain the crucial infos I might need. BUT! (angry face) I didn't receive the information I needed, all that he sent to me was the name of the group he's with and the photo of that group, so I ask him again! "Can you send me ALL the information I needed?"

There was no reply. I'm mad AF! But he is my cousin, so I can't just boast to him, I know what state he's in, so I respect that.

I was going to eat our breakfast, the boiled egg and bacons. I went to the kitchen and fetch a knife. cut the boiled egg on the top-almost top. My Mom prepared a teaspoon to scoop the boiled egg inside. I know what you're thinking, why won't I eat boiled eggs as it were? Using hands to remove the shells for the egg? The only answer I can give you is: it's a hassle and I'm trying to be a Russian Royalty, you know, eating eggs from little egg holders with small golden spoons; just like that.

I scooped inside the boiled egg, then my phone rang again. I thought: This is Erich. So went to the little table in the middle of our 'sala' to get the phone. I saw 'Erich' on the dial. "I knew It!"

I answered "Yo! Waddup?"

He answered: "Hello? Ben? Is that you?"

"Yeap."

"Hello?" "Hello?"

"Hilu!"(Heelu) I replied "This IS ME, Ben, your friendly neighborhood."

The reason we can't understand each other is that Erich's background noise is so noisy that I can hear every single one of them on their house saying in Filipino Language "Nasaan na si--Kakauwi ko lang--bakit? Nasaan si Pedro?" (Where is--I just got home--why? Where is Pedro).

"Boi ang ingay!" I told Erich in a bland street Filipino way of saying "Your background is noisy."

"Yeah, sorry, It really is very loud here." Erich apologized then said "I am going to the Mall, by the way."

I'm surprised to know that 'cause I was meant to go out later today to the mall. I thought that this is a great opportunity to go, so I ask Erich "Can I come with you to the mall?"

"Sure!' He replied "But KKB, Okay?" (KKB is Kanya Kanya Bayad or You Pay for Yourself)

"Okay!" I replied in a hilarious way. "So what Time, Dude?"

"Probably 9:30--no no--make it 10:00." He told me in a way that's confusing.

"Right! 10:30! Got it!" I replied.

He laughed and it is a hilarious type of laugh that I can't really explain. It made me laugh too.

"No, 10:00! ano ka ba?" He told me followed by a laugh.

('Ano ka ba' is what are you in English Language but, us, Filipinos sometimes use that word in a way to degrade someone hilariously but not hateful enough to become verbal abuse.)

I laughed after he told me that, then told him I have to finish breakfast first then go to bath. He told me he will too. So he hang up the phone. Rude, right? No, it wasn't. I placed my phone again on the small table and return to scooping that wonderful boiled egg my mom just prepared for breakfast.

My Dad was first to leave the house. He is working at a construction company near our house. It was CTA, though I don't know what 'CTA' actually meant, at least we--I mean, HE get some hard earned pile of money from his job/s and everyday, the only people truly living in our house is me and my mom but whenever I'm not around, It's just my mom.

So, yeah, back to me, I was about to go to bath when I forgot my phone and speaker; so I grabbed 'em both and started pairing them. I played my favorite playlist: '80's hits' from the music stream platform with a green icon. It started to play the first song.

This is the time I started to take a bath. Just taking a bath, people!

I'm done taking my GLORIOUS bath from my shower that showered me with warm filtered water.

It's time to choose my wear for the day. I opened up my wardrobe and its all black, shirts are black, long sleeve shirts are black, v-necks are black, everything black except for one Polo Shirt. My Brown one. The one that I hated when I bought It. I kept asking myself, Why did I bought this stuff? This isn't even black.

Now you know, I'm a black lover.

For a matter of Three minutes of gazing and swinging the hangers of my 'all black wardrobe'. I decided to wear the brown one I hated. I know, it's frustrating when you can't choose a wear, then chose a wear that you hated most!? This is probably one to none that it would happen, but It DID happened.

So yeah, I put it on and got my blue jeans and rubber shoe. Well, they are all signature items, not like LV or Hilfiger, but on a more lower class ones but expensive too.

After that, I messaged Erich:

'Bruh! Finished bathing and am Dress!'

He replied: 'same same'

'Where u?' I replied back

'here at house'

'g' I replied, as a usual reply to him.

I waited for a reply, but he just 'seen' me, as indicated on messenger. I typed 'Where we meet Rich?'

Then he 'seen' again but now replying 'at the first block of the first street crossing'

'g' I replied back 'gonna go now'

Then I grab my satchel and went straight to the location Erich replied to me. Note that Erich is a fast walker, means if I walk Ten Meters, he walks Ten Meters faster than me.

So I reach halfway of the street and I saw that face--HIS FACE on the other side of the road smiling or like giggling, I dunno, it's like a smile that makes you nervous. So while I am walking to him, he walked straight to me and we walk to the crossing together instead of ME walking to the crossing to meet him. Its nice, you know, but sometimes I find it stupid.

We went to the other side of the street to ride a motorized tricycle or 'tricycle'.

(Tricycle are an indigenous form of the auto rickshaw and are a common means of public or private transportation in the Philippines.)

After that we rode a Jeepney, which is also a common form of public or private transportation here in the Philippines.

We arrived at the mall that is near to our houses. Actually, there's two malls. One in the left and one in the right. It's like, 'if you can't find the item on the other one, go to the other mall, they might have what you're looking for' vibes. The only difference is that the mall on the left is much expensive than in the right.

We entered the mall in the right, 'cause Erich doesn't want fancy things and fancy stuffs my neighbors buy there, and as a good cousin, I am obliged to be with him ALL THE TIME whenever he's within our vicinity. We didn't do much at the mall but to look for guitars, running shoes, sports shoes, eat lunch, look at good looking chicks and Korean girls hanging around the Expensive Mall in the left.

Oh wait. The last one may have been just me.

Oh Yeah. It's only me.

After spending nearly 5 hours at the mall--both malls, I told Erich that I'm tired and I have work later night. So we decided to go home and rode the same public transport all over again until I got home and rest.

I was sitting on our couch looking through my newsfeed of boredom. Same old stuffs I see while scrolling through the feed. I feel getting really tired scrolling and a thought inserted my mind. Poof!

I told myself 'If I could write a story about a story about me'

What IF? I smiled. a smile with fulfillment and conviction.

I hurriedly went upstairs to my room and opened my computer and started typing words.

I started It at: 'Every morning, I do the same thing...'

"O.M.G.!" I thought. "I'm really writing-a story."

A story of a guy who suffered a lot but came back up to live a better and successful life.

My name is BEN and THIS. IS. MY. STORY.