Voices In The Theater [SAMPLE]

Chapter 4 - Names & Places

        Fortunately, it turned out that Karen only wanted to get the research team together to discuss how we would divide the work, "...so we can cover the most material in the shortest possible time."

        Even more fortunately, Vanessa told her she had another report group meeting to go to, while Richard just shrugged (a barely visible shrug, considering that Chynna had slinked arms and... arms all over him). So Karen said we would just meet on Monday, 5:00 PM, at the Conservatory.

        I almost wanted to stay and talk to Sir Julius, but Migs and Aris already had him cornered. They seemed engrossed in a discussion of energy and light and frequencies and waves. It also seemed like their conversation was going to take more than five minutes, so I decided to duck out of the room before they noticed. Still, I felt Migs' eyes on my back just as I disappeared out of the door.

        It was 11:15 a.m. I took the Metro to Buendia Station, then a bus to "Fairview, Ortigas Ilalim." I actually had no idea what those last words meant. All I knew was that if I took this bus, I'd be home in about 15 minutes.

        "Home" these days was a three-bedroom apartment in this two-building complex called The Columns, which was right across the building where Dad works. This was also what brought us here to Manila in the first place: Dad had been assigned to manage his company's customer care center in the Philippines, and because it was a five-year assignment, he had the option to relocate and take us with him.

        It was an easy decision for him to make, since Mom was Filipina and she really missed the place she grew up in. It wasn't such an easy transition for me. I had to leave behind the only friends I'd ever had and the only home I'd ever known. The home that held all my memories of Grandma Marie. But of course, none of my concerns really mattered to him. So about halfway through senior year they pulled me out of school, sold our house, brought us to this place, and had me home-tutored for about two months so I can get into university.

        De La Salle University: the place where I felt like a freak, where most of the girls wondered if I'd already learned to shower every day, and where most of the guys assumed I was easy.

        Until maybe this morning. This morning, the people I'd met seemed to have other things on their minds.

        It was surprising. In a good way.

        By 11:45 I was still on the bus, so I decided to text my mom that I'd be having lunch in Greenbelt instead of at home.

        As soon as I saw the waterfall staircase of the Peninsula I prepared to get off. From Rustan's, I walked straight to the underground pass, emerged on the other side of Makati Avenue, then walked two more blocks towards Greenbelt.

        The day was humid and sticky, the midday sun mercilessly fried my head, and I knew the brisk walk would further drench my cotton shirt with sweat and make it cling to my back. But I knew it would all be worth it.

        Greenbelt, Makati was my real home here.

        I remember reading this quote somewhere before:

        "A place is nothing, not even space, unless at its heart a figure stands."

        Back in New Jersey home was where Libby and I had sleepovers since we were nine, and Grandma Marie baked us cookies and smiled knowingly when we whispered and giggled about boys, and where I spent countless nights writing about dreamy Eric Taylor in my diary... only to find out he was such an asshole.

        Here in Manila I was alone and displaced, the freak that everyone looked at and whispered about just because I looked slightly different. Many of the people were warm and welcoming, that's for sure. But a lot of them also held unfair stereotypes that often made me feel I was being judged.