chapter 4

"You fish there, Fish." I shouted.

"That's meat! Or fresh vegetables." They also shouted.

"You fish there." I shouted again to catch the customer.

Even if we exchange screams, I don't care anymore because this is my life now. The market is noisy, but it's fun. Anyway, no one will bother you as long as you sell properly and don't bother others.

This is what we started. The money that Tito Lorenzo gave me, we used it, we also built a small sari-sari store, but at night we have Resto Grills as a business and in the morning at the bank.

"Fish over there! Meat! Vegetables are still fresh." I shouted to the customers to walk Here also walk there.

"Whose tag is that big bangus?" Ali asked me.

"Ayna Madam, it's just too big." I also answered him.

"How much does Aya weigh?" I asked him.

"Aye, there's only one, mom." he answered me so I lost a kilo.

"200." I said to him and reached for a kilo of fish.

"Thank you ma'am." I thank him

At the same time I reached his payment.

We are here in Lalawigan ng Ilocos Norte, Probinsia ti Ilocos, is a province of the Philippines located in the Ilocos Region. The dialects here are Ilocano, Pangasinense, Tagalog and English.

This is where I grew up so the word namen ilocao yes I am an Ilocana and I will not be ashamed of that. They said that the Ilocanas/Ilocanos were criticized because our skin is brown.

I only went to college in Manila and graduated, then found a job and also fell in love a lot and then went to prison.

My goods are about to run out, so mom started stocking up because we will be going home soon and I will take care of our Resto Grills. By the grace of God, many people come because we haven't been opening since we started. We also have two waitresses and two men to bbq the food they will cook or serve.

Two months since I got out and moved here in Ilocos, I thought about what I needed to do so that I could not think about the things that I should think about, I spent all the days and hours in business so that somehow we could also earn money and save up, I also plan because just as an example to save, I will return to Tito Lorenzo what he gave me from the beginning.

"Intan Yana," mamang urged me to howl so I immediately straightened myself up. No matter how slimy I am, at least my work is honorable.

"How are you Son?" my Mother asked me intensively while we were walking home, she only asked me this in two months. He probably knows I'm not ready to talk about everything.

"I'm fine Mang." I answered him and hugged him.

"Does Noah know you're in Ilocos?" he asked me.

"Sorry. I didn't tell him where our provincial is." I also answered him.

"Maybe you said it. You're friends." I joked with him, he laughed and shook his head.

"I want Noah for you, but what he did to you is inhumane, son. Fortunately, his Daddy is still there to help you, but I really can't forgive him." he said sadly to me.

"You should have loved only Jessie Son." he said to me.

"I'm fine. Let it go. It's over Mang, I'm guilty too." I answered him. He just took a deep breath and didn't speak.

"Speaking of Jessie." I said and smiled.

"Brother!" I called him and waved. I really have no love for Jessie as a lover, even though she is also our feelings are mutual, we are just friends and mom and dad know that.

"A while ago?" I asked him and gave him a hug. He'll take care of me even if I'm fishy.

"Just arrived, arranged the cribs for your Resto Grill tonight" he answered me.

"Thank you. I hope you get some rest." you said to him and sat in the seat in front of him

"I'm fine. I heard that there is someone here in Afam?" he asked me with a smile, so I rolled my eyes at him and even clipped my hair and pulled it out.

"Did you just come here to meet marites?" I asked him. He just laughed.

"Your lansa-lansa should take a shower, maybe your Afam will turn off later." he ordered me so I stood up and quickly went inside.

After I got ready I went out of the house, I caught up with Jessie who was already listing the order because there were already customers.

"Wow!" he said jokingly to me and looked at me from head to toe.

"I won't be surprised if there is Afam going back and forth here because it is being repaired." he said to me.

"What the hell, don't make fun of me, Jusko Jessie. It's just pants and a t-shirt. Ilocana people are just beautiful." I answered him because he managed to make fun of me.

"It's dark." he also answered me and laughed.

"Hey! Brown not black." I dismissed him and even hit him with the notebook I was holding.

"It's true that you're going to bite Atty..." I didn't finish what he was going to say. Because customers came again for their orders.

"Good evening ma'am, just wait for the orders because my handsome friend will serve them later." I smiled at him and he smiled at me before returning to their place.

I was busy writing orders when Jessie nudged me. I looked at him. Later came with him What He was saying.

"Good evening Ms. Beautiful." He greeted me so I looked up at him. I smiled at him.

"Good night to you too Matt. What about us?" I told him.

"Same orders." He said to me, my eyebrows raised.

"Don't you agree with your same orders?" I asked him.

"No! No!" He also spoke and shook his head.

"Because I have companions," He said and I pointed to where they were, so I just nodded. He always had a companion.

"Please Anya, serve my orders I will introduce you to my friends." He smiled and told me before turning away. I just shook my head while watching His back.

Matt Andri Vasquez, He is half American and Half Filipino, He's Height 5'10, but you can't tell that he's Filipino when you look at him. They say when he's here, he's an Afam. Well that Bad He is really handsome.

"His friends stumbled upon this place because it was late when they left the place they were staying from Vigan City, so they ate here because it was just along the high way. Since then, he has been here every night and is a regular customer. we

"Sir, this is your order," I said formally and slowly put down what he ordered repeatedly. San-Mig also has two buckets. There's nothing like drinking something here. It's okay with them, even if they are rich, they are not as artistic as others. They said they just came here to Ilocos for a vacation.

"Don't call me Sir Anya," He said to me.

"By the way I will introduce my friends," He said first.

"Gentlemen, this is Anya Gomez." He introduced himself to me and looked at me so I just smiled at him.

"And this is my friends,"Leo, Daniel, Gabriel" one-by-one he said the names of his friends and I shook hands again for showing respect too.

"We have one more friend, but it's a bit slow I don't know where it's going." Leo said and they laughed. I just shook my head.

"So are you still waiting for something?" I asked Matt.

"Yes." Daniel answered and grinned at me.

"Okay, excuse me gentleman, can I go back to my seat?" I asked her.

"Nice meeting you all and thank you for coming here to Resto And Grill." I thank her.

I turned around when I heard a car and it stopped, so Matt grabbed my hand so I couldn't leave. He stood up and whispered to me.

"I'll introduce our friend before you go back to the Cashier Area." He said to me, so I took a deep breath before I nodded, He was still holding my hand when I faced him. I immediately took my hand back when I saw that his gaze landed on Namen's hand.