"AT LAST I CAN GO HOME!"
Roy shouted as he took off from the plane. He knows that this land is connected to their house location. Approximately 5 hours by riding public transportation to arrive. Even so, he is very excited to see his parents and siblings.
"I will go to the beach for sure. To the mountain where my father used to grow plants. And----and---"
He couldn't remember what he wanted to do and where he wanted to go. He was working for 2 decades abroad. He thought that maybe his parents saved enough for him to stay there and start a business. He was sending quite an amount of money to his parents every month.
"MACROHON…..MACROHON…."
"WHERE ARE YOU GOING, SIR?"
One guy near the van keeps on shouting to have passengers. He approached that man and got inside the van.
The engine started from the time Roy seated inside. He is very tired from a long trip but he can't sleep because of excitement.
"Hmmmm….I smell home," He said to himself.
The van started moving and Roy started smiling. He is having fun watching the places he passes by. He doesn't remember the place because it's been a while since he was home.
"Sir….sir." The driver awakes Roy.
"We are here at Macrohon."
Roy opened his eyes right away. He fell asleep and he was surprised that he arrived already.
"Sorry, I fell asleep."
Roy immediately went outside the van. In his thoughts, he wanted to run but he restrained himself for now.
He is walking fast to arrive early at their house. Of course, this is what he was dreaming for. To be at home or to be with his family. The people in their place are staring at him. The old people recognised him and greeted him with a smile. Some called him and said, "how are you, Roy?" He just answered them and showed a smile. He doesn't want to waste a single time to come home first before talking to the people in the neighbourhood.
He feels down and disappointed. His heart trembled as he saw their house didn't change. It looks like before when he was studying. The roof was made from a broken galvanised iron and the wall was not concreted. He went inside right away to check his parents.
"Mum….Dad…."
"MUM-----DAD-----," He shouted when no one answered.
He went to the back, maybe his parents are there.
His tears fell watching his Mum accepting laundry from the neighbours and his Dad filing firewoods to sell. He couldn't control his emotions. Even his voice is shaking.
"MUMMM…."
"DADDDD...What are you doing?"
He cried hard hugging his parents.
"Where did my money go? I sent you money every month to make you stop working like this. I know. Mum, Dad. I know how hard this kind of work. You helped me finish my studies and I want to repay you by supporting you when I was away?"
His father and mother just cry.
"Son. Please don't cry. I know this is hard for you but I couldn't ignore your sisters and brothers. They needed the money for their families."
"But Mum…"
Words couldn't spill out from Roy. I know she's afraid that I will ask for the money back from his siblings. His mother shows a begging face for him not to talk about it anymore.
"Please forgive us, son." His father started talking with a calm voice.
"When your brother Joe came to us. When your sister came to us and the others came to us. We couldn't ignore their needs because they have families needed to feed and to send to school."
Roy is angry but he decided not to. He wanted to confront his brothers and sisters but he thought there's no use in doing so. The money was gone. It will never return.
Roy calmed down and understood his parents. Suddenly Joe and his sister showed up.
"Roy, my present?"
A word from his brother Joe.
"So, you're home now Roy?" Her sister said.
The other siblings are living far. They can't get here right away.
"Yeah, I'm here."
"Present?" He asked.
But his mother is holding his arm. He didn't continue what he wanted to say.
"I'm here to take care of our parents and no plans of working abroad again." He answered.
"But…" His brother and sister are attempting to say something. Roy knew already what they were planning to say.
"Don't rely on me anymore. I don't have money because I sent it all here. I have a little here but I want to repair this house. A lot of holes in the roof and the walls are not concreted. The coldness will get inside for sure." Roy explained.
"But……. Life is hard here Roy, you know that." Joe is trying to convince him not to stay.
"That's my problem Joe, not yours."
Joe just shut his mouth.
"I will be fishing and I will be farming. I have saved money in case of an emergency. There's the sea to earn money. Also, the land is still in good shape I guess. I don't care if I will be having a hard time here. What is important is I can make sure to take care of our parents. I'm tired of seeing them working hard even in their old ages."
Roy decided to stay and started to take care of the things he needs to fix. He experienced this kind of life anyway. He just thinks that it's better to be this way rather than having a luxury life but his heart is not in peace.
End...
Thank you for reading
images are mine
mrnightmare
Not an entry yet. I misunderstood the prompt week. lol
I believe the longing to home Roy felt started here, there are things that are so uniquely exist in our type of culture that may be avoided or made easy in other cultures, but it's just inherently part of us. Special hand signs to see where that small Kia fill of people is going rather than just reading. It's just us, who we are.
Those small almost hustle moves we do here. The ability to make little being your own boss instead of making a lot in jobs you don't feel like you belong in them. This piece just resonated with me as a person who lived abroad for all of his teenage years and some of his 20s. That feeling of never fitting in, even though all evidence suggest that you are, you just don't feel it.
Great story.
Thank you for sharing your impression with this author. Meaningful comments are encouraging...they are nourishment for writers :)
Hello @mrnightmare.net,
I love your story. Maybe because I come from a large family where money was scarce, I can relate to the difficulty here.
You describe the setting extremely well. You give us insight into Roy's character, and his parents' character. Most believably, you create siblings with flaws, human flaws that may be regrettable but are understandable.
A moving story, that carries carries the reader along. Thank you!
Hi @mrnightmare.net,
Did you remember to link the story in the comment section of the prompt? Easier to find it that way. Thanks!
Yeah, I didn't place it there because for me the concept of it didn't fit the prompt. I misunderstood it.