Magkano po?" (How much?) Eion asked the tricycle driver. The driver mumbled the price. Eion grabbed his wallet and paid. The driver gave a change to Eion but Eion said to keep it.
"Why did you even invite me here, you know I might disturb you..." I spoke up as we walked inside the market. I was in slippers and in a dress. I pulled my dress to avoid the mud. It was rainy last night so the road was wet.
"You don't want to?"
"No, I love to. I love to annoy you."
"You're the only one who's awake. If there's someone else..."
"I see." So I'm just his option. Tsk.
Thirty minutes later we were running around the wet market, buying fish, crabs, and seafood. It looks like The idiot just tagged me along because he wants me to carry the stuff. I sighed, "So you always do this Eion?" I asked, starting a conversation.
He grunted in reply, busy picking vegetables. I studied him. To Mario, the old man, the staff of the resort, and even here, he's really different. I mean, aside from him speaking so fluently in another language, it gave me a whole new perspective.
When we reached the very end, there were vendors lining the street. They sell a lot of food as they cook it live there, with a lot of students, teenagers our age, and others go and eat just beside the corners of the street.
The vendors cook live there, an egg covered in flour and fried in oil, feet of chicken in sticks, and a lot more food.
I scrunched my nose in disgust. What kind of food is that? Seeing the customers buy every now and then and eat, my stomach growled in hunger. I glanced at Eion, "We'll eat?"
He shook his head in annoyance, "No. I will eat. Stay here. Watch for our supplies." He walked towards a stall that was not too far from here, and I saw him mumbling something to the vendor.
I looked at him in pure disbelief. Wow. So nice of him to leave me here in a corner. I put down the five big bags full of vegetables and heavy fruits. I leaned on a wall, ignoring the eyes of the people around me.
"Girlfriend mo, iho. Iniwan mo lang jan?" I heard a vendor who was eyeing me earlier said to Eion with concerned eyes. (Your girlfriend, kid. You just left her there?)
Eion glanced back at me, then turned to the vendor, "Napagod lang po sya." He then pointed at a food, "Dalawa pong balot," then Eion went towards the other vendors, "fishball po, isaw pati paa." (She just got tired. Two duck eggs please, and fish balls and chicken intestines and some chicken feet)
He went back to my spot after ordering a lot of food. I sighed, looking at him tiredly, "Are you done? Can we go home now?" He started to walk ahead, leaving me and not even bothering to help me carry our stuff.
"Not yet. One more." He replied and went to a nearby lady who sells peanuts in this big basin. "Mani po."
I huffed but didn't complain. Too tired to even think about it. There was a lot of mud we had crossed paths with, making me act instantly and pull my dress while at the same time holding these five bags. I glared at Eion's back in front of me. He didn't even notice my struggle. Or maybe, he just ignored it.
Eion stopped ahead of me as a little girl with dirty clothes had her hand reach out to Eion, asking for alms.
I stared at the girl, she had this can in her hand which didn't contain anything. Her dirty clothes and charcoaled face told me that she's homeless. I averted my gaze to the ground as I can't.
I feel sorry for the girl since she'll only receive nothing like money but a you-don't-exist-treatment from Eion and if even luckier, a glare.
If only I brought my money with me, I could give her something. But right now, I have nothing besides the different kinds of vegetables I didn't even know existed.
When I tried to look up, my eyes went big as saucers, blinking a few times. Without a word, Eion took out his coin purse and handed some coins to the girl. The girl thanked Eion and went ahead and into the crowd.
A motorbike passed by the muddy road, making the black mud make its way on my way, and unto my dress. In front, Eion stopped walking and took a glance. When he saw my dirty dress, he didn't react, instead, he just went ahead and continued.
The dirt on my dress was not that big, neither was it so small, but it's medium size and enough to be spotted easily since my mid-length dress is green, and the first was just at my thighs.
"Wait." I panted. Reaching for a tissue when I forgot that I don't have my go-to bag with me since earlier. "Can we buy some tissues?" I asked.
"No. Time is gold."
I glared daggers to Eion, and to his back, burning holes to it and welding that heart to melt. We continued on walking.
We passed by a very slippery area as my black sandals and I kept on sliding. I kept on rubbing Eion's arms as I prevent myself from falling to the slippery ground.
Eion glared at me. Clenching his jaw, he slapped away my arms from him as he scoffed, "Why did you even wear a dress and sandals in a market?"
"I didn't...thought because you just..."
He looked at me in annoyance, and ran his hands to his hair in frustration, "You know what? Wait here." He said, and off to another vendor.
I looked down at the ground. Tears were welling up my eyes for an unknown reason, a silly one, but my eyes were uncontrollable right now. I felt like crying. I swallowed, drawing a heavy breath to calm myself down, no, Snow.
This is stupid, crying over some dirt? What kind of a strong independent woman are you? I shook my head, wiping away the tears that formed. A lot of people stared at me.
I see Eion coming towards me. I sighed in relief. Together, we walked.
"So, where to ne-"
It was all of a sudden. I couldn't even blink. In an instant, I was on the ground, with the five bags together with me and sympathizing with me. I somehow slipped again and Eion being Eion leaving me ahead, I don't have anyone to grab with.
I looked around, people were looking at me in concern. Eion was far from me now. I tried to stand and ended up slipping. "Okay ka lang ba miss?" "Kailangan mo ba ng tulong?"
(Are you okay, miss? Do you need some help?) Some people asked, coming to surround me.
I shook my head at them. There was one thing in my mind now. Drawing a heavy breath, I closed my eyes and shouted in the middle of the crowd, "Eion!"