They say, all the questions now can be answered by one click on the internet. But when Euna searched for the answer to the question: How to escape poverty? There were so many answers that reflected there, she no longer knew what she should follow. But at the very least, only one answer impressed her—be and stay positive in life and love your work.
How can it not make a mark on her mind, she does it every day. But the sad thing is, she still hasn't gotten over the hardship she experienced.
Here in the world, there are rich people who are kind, there are rich people who are poor like her mother's side family. Her mother always said that there are more like them who are seriously poor and living in the slum areas.
Here in the world, there would be no balance if poverty was absent. World that are not fair to those like them, those were the ones playing in Euna's mind as she walked home that morning.
"Hey! Euna, thank heaven, you're already here! I've been waiting for you for a while. I need your payment for the tocino," Marites greeted her, she's her neighbor who is famous there on the railroad for lending tocino, longganisa and whatever else.
"I just came home from work, as you can see, can't you? Can I hide from you, Marites? You're the CCTV operator of this railroad— hey, just a joke, you might be angry, remember the wrinkles on your face!"
"Oh, you're really funny, Euna, I don't have wrinkles yet! If there are any, the skin care offered by Tasha will be replaced while I haven't paid for it yet!"
"Crazy! It's just a joke. Here, that's my payment, you can calm down now." She handed Marites the money, it was her payment for the tocino that her nephew Ian, had served to them the night before.
She pays for it because Marites is lending it by two gives. It's trending here on the railroad.
"Thank you, I'm sorry if I'm really looking forward to your payment, I just need to, you know." She followed what or who Marites pointed using her lips.
When she glanced at what it was— who it was —she shook her head in an instant and took her change from Marites. "Oh, your order arrived again, you're full of money, can you lend me some?" she joked to her neighbor who was also one of those people who was fooled into ordering things online every time.
Those who heard her in the background giggled. They were neighbors who were already sitting on the side of the railroad.
Someone was immediately setting up a table for bingo, someone was cooking chicken seasoning and smoking with cigarettes and someone was just gathering there to gossip, of course. Typical scene in the squatter's area of her country, Philippines. There were even fewer children on the street because it was too early. If it happened to be that afternoon, the barren children who were surprisingly immune to the disease were scattered.
What is the modern call to them? Ah, squammy, yes it is. Yes, they are.
"Ma'm Marites Tuazon, Hapee delivery for you again," said the rider when he approached Marites.
Euna didn't know why she swallowed softly when she heard the rider's baritone voice. She also secretly sighed because his voice seemed so close to her ears.
She moved an inch, then she flinched after, because to her surprise, her elbow and the rider of Hapee Delivery elbow were almost rubbing against each other! And the rider didn't seem to care about how close they were. While she . . .
Argh! It's okay because she shouldn't get too close, why does he really stop when he's so close to her!
Euna just glanced and raised an eyebrow at the rider who was always focused on delivering to their place.
Red, wearing a red jacket, usually his get up. The rider just smiled at her. And with that smile from Red, Euna couldn't help but think that when the sky misted the formula for male beauty, the first honorable mention was the so -called 'Yummy Hapee Rider' of the railroad— that's what young people, adults and women on the railroad called Red— Yummy Happe Rider.
Red is yummy for real. If ever he's a food he can be a one hot ice cream for her— tasty so lick him fast! His physique is well built. And his face, winner! His eyebrows thicken, his eyelashes are flicked as they pass for the woman. His nose, that's probably also called the aristocratic nose. His teeth are full and white like in the commercial of toothpaste — it's just a bonus that he has a dimples, and every time they appear, his eyes also seem to appear but to disappear.
Yes, he is the official delivery rider in their area. She did not know how it happened. Just one day she met him as a permanent person here on this railroad. And one day, every time they meet, he does nothing but teasing her!
"Hi, Euna! You just came home? Tsk, I told you, if you're answering me, you can have an official rider who fetches you," Red greeted him with a smile.
There, he already started!
She rolled her eyeballs and obliquely answered the delivery rider. "Red, if I answer you to be my boyfriend, you will keep an eye on my duty because I have a night shift. You'll make trouble at the convenience store where I work because you'll be drunk one night and for sure, you will force me to go home and sit next to you in the cold dark night— for short, you will surely be a nuisance in my quiet single life. So, spare me with that cliché line of yours, okay? Adios! " Euna even heard the loud laughter of her neighbors when she turned around.
"'You're really mean to Red, Euna!"
"Euna, Red really like you, why don't you pay attention ?!"
"He's already found a way to stay delivering here on the railroad just for you!" Euna even heard her neighbors yelling at her even though she had turned her back on them.
"Your mind is advance, Euna, hey, we can talk about that thing. Especially that cold nights!" Red was also joking loudly.
I turned to him, laughter filled the rails as I lifted my middle finger to Red.
"HMN, it's the morning of the rider who delivers on the train just for you to be that rude to him. You're really bad to that certain rider!"
"Good morning too, Queen," she ignored what her friend, Queen said. "Are my nephews awake yet?"
Her best friend Queen has been with them in that house with her three nephews since the fire killed their entire family and left her with his nephews. Like her, Queen also works in a convenience store that is just a walking distance from here on the railroad where they lives. Like her, Queen no longer have a family because of the fire that broke out on the railroad when they were only about twelve years old.
Sometimes Euna is asking the heaven if they can still leave this dangerous place. Just in case she doesn't bet on any gamble to win like their previous neighbor who was lucky and got off there, right now. So she just ignored that too much questioning about their life. Well, the most important thing is that they can survive every sine day without being cut off an electricity and water.
"Ian woke up earlier. He just cooked and eat it, then he sleep again. So, there's still food for breakfast. I think he really cooked it for you."
She smiled but jokingly said, "It's kinda scary, maybe that boy has an order online again."
Queen laughed. "Then think about it. Let's eat and I'm just waiting for you. I'm also really waiting for how you can avoid the spark between you and Red again."
Euna laughed. Her friend is really crazy, she ignored it before but she actually inserted that topic now.
"You know I don't have those sparks anymore."
"Geez, I don't know about you! The handsome rider has been blowing wind at you for three months. Why, if you ask me, whether he is serious about you or not, you should gamble again to love. Your nephews are growing up. "
Yes, Red has been wooing her for three months. But she didn't know, even though she could feel the undeniable spark that her friend was saying between them and the rider, she still begged herself to pay attention to it.
"I don't know that man very well yet."
"Gosh! How do you better know someone you don't recognize, first of all? Hey, aren't you used to it? We've been gambling in our whole lives. It's been a long time since you gave in to your whim. You don't even realize that your nephews are growing up, Euna."
Hey, Red Henson ...
Why is it that every time she and Queen meet and talk, they can't help but talk about him?
Honestly, she knew what Queen was up to. She get it. The only thing she couldn't really understand to herself was that she seemed to get bad vibes with Red every time she was around, apart from the spark. She didn't want to ignore that feeling and of course, she also didn't want to make it a big deal either.
Tch, her guts are often really crazy.