Hometown, The Daily Life

'All my bags are packed, i'm ready to go,

I'm standing here outside your door,

I hate to wake you up and say goodbye.'

---

Andy was woken up by the noise and the voices from the people outside her house. It was 6:30 in the morning and they were busy doing their own respective work. She wanted to go back to sleep when her mother suddenly shouting from the first floor of the house saying that they should get up as they have a long day ahead.

"Andy! Get up and wake your brother up then get down here now!" Her mom shouted, "We still have a lot of things to do and I need your help here."

"Coming," Andy sleepily replied.

She stretches her arm upwards and woke her brother up. She stood and rise up from her bed then looked straight outside the window, admiring the scenery in front of her. From there, she saw the elders sweeping the front yard and the backyard of their homes and the green fields in the morning. Dressed in her pajamas, she headed to the bathroom, washed her face, and brushed her teeth before heading downstairs to help her mother.

"Tidy up the things down here and cook for breakfast too," her mother said when she saw Andy descending from the stairs.

"Got it! I know what to do, just tell me if it's fish stew or chicken adobo," Andy replied and asked what to cook for breakfast.

"Take the half of the chicken out of the fridge and cook adobo for breakfast and then buy vegetable soup outside later," her mother replied and headed outside to clean the area where the pig pens are located.

"Okay!" she replied and headed to the task assigned to her.

'Let's see. What to do first? Hmm, okay, let's do cooking the rice first, wash the left plates last night, then wiping the tables, chairs, and windows, and sweep the floor. After that cooking the food is the last. That sounds good. Let's get this started.'

As she was thinking what to do first, she saw her brother descending looking as he just got out of bed, yawning.

"Hey, you should speed up. Mom, is already there," she told him.

Her brother continue to descend and head straight outside the food for the pigs. Andy started washing the rice grains, drains them, and cook them to the rice cooker. After it, she washed the dishes left the night before and do the other things that she usually do.

'Ahh~, the charter anniversary is coming.'

She heard the sound coming outside the house, her mom approaches and enters the house. She walks past her and checks if the things are done and looks for the things that needs help and finishes them too.

"Mom, the food is done. I'll prepare the table for breakfast."

"Tell your dad to come eat too after you're done with it."

Her mother nodded in acknowledgment and headed upstairs to take a bath to remove the stinking odor from her body. Andy prepared the table. From the rice to the viands and th cooked food. She called her parents and her brother afterwards to eat breakfast together.

---

It was sometime after breakfast that she did the remaining chores and finish them all. It was 10:00 in the morning that she headed upstairs and take a bath after she's done tidying up her room. After doing so, she sat on the bed then took her phone out and opened it up. She scanned her phone and found a multiple social media and mobile reading apps the started browsing them.

She stayed seated while the scorching hot sun is showing is showing actively that day. Amidst the humidity, she opened her app and immersed herself in reading.

'Ah, I've caught up with the recent chapters of the books that I am reading. But I still have 4 books on pending. Ugh, I'm too lazy to read though, What should I do?'

Thinking like this, she dropped her phone and picked up her guitar that she hides inside her own cabinet. She started cleaning it and test the tune so that she'll know if she needs to change anything or there are any problems while playing it. After she confirmed that there was no problem, she started using it.

"G… D… good, this is okay," she murmured.

The sound of guitar echoed, the strumming of each chords can be heard clearly by the people close by. By then, she started singing.

'Cause she still looks perfect as days goes by,

Even the worst ones, you make me smile.

I'd stop the world if it gives us time…

'Cause when you love someone,

You opened up your heart.

When you love someone,

You make room.

If you love someone,

And you're not afraid to lose 'em,

You probably never love someone like I do,

You probably never love someone like I do…

As her voice resounded around the room, she was interrupted by a call.

"An, go down and prepare lunch. It's already 11:30," as her mom peaked at the beside the door. "Ray, we need to go to check the ponds later and come help me up too so that we can finish and eat early too," as her mother looked at her brother and reminded him.

Few minutes after lunch, everybody starts to clean and do their own designated task. Andy finished her task and head to their room. There are two rooms upstairs, the door is facing each other. The room on the right side the master's bedroom and the room on the left side is the one that she and her brother occupied.

She entered their room and go back to what she was doing before. She hold the guitar in her arms, places it comfortably before she starts strumming the chords of song she sang a while ago and start singing along with it too.

Night came by without her notice. She glanced at the window in front of her and started thinking what will she do tomorrow and suddenly reminded of her agenda to meet and have fun with her friends.

*ting*

The screen of her phone lit up, indicating that she has one message from one of her group chats on her social media accounts.

Sim: Dude, where are you? Let's meet tomorrow with the others at Sherrie Mall. Around 1:30 maybe.

Andy: Okay, i'm currently at home.

Rhence: Be with someone tomorrow, so I might be a little late. Jase said the same thing too.

Andy: I thought we're gonna go dinner, why so early tho?

Sim: It's okay, it's Saturday tomorrow so we don't have work. Jase has a proctoring tomorrow so he'll be late.

Andy: Okay, then see you tomorrow.

Rhence: 'Kay, so we're good? Sim, bring Abao tomorrow too. Glaiza said she'll be early if she can.

Andy: Yep, just call or chat me tomorrow. I don't have your numbers since you guys keep on changing it.

Sim: Haha, 'kay! I don't have phone so I'll have to ask Abao to bring his phone.

Andy: 👍

Rhence: Ok! See you guys tomorrow!

As soon as the time and date is set, Andy called her mother for dinner. She took the opportunity to ask permission for the next day meet up.

"Mom, I'm going to the City tomorrow. My friends said we'll have dinner," Andy said while munching her own food while she is asking her. "I'm going to be with my college buddies and I might go home late so i'll be sleeping on our house there."

"Ok," her mother replied. "Make sure to check if there are any problems or parasites lurking on the edges of the house. We have to inform your father and ask him what to do about it if there is really anything."

"'Kay. I'll go around 10 or so. I'll ask permission to dad tomorrow," Andy replied while lavishly eating the pork pochero in front of her.

"We'll go to your Aunt's place tomorrow so we can drop you off by then."

They continue to chat about random things afterwards. Andy took a shower and get herself ready to bed. After doing so, she take her phone and checked it. She chatted with her friends, browse the internet, and reads until she realizes it's already midnight and then go to sleep.