impossible for the kitten to die. We ate in the same lunchb

ave, but the man grabbed my

tared deeply at me. "

ten was

guess it is f

aid that it

ven more at what he j

d. "Be c

ed, but I guess it sounded like a nervou

ead. I could not think of a reason why someone's after my

way his hand that was holding my wrist. "I don't even

ony Bermeda, the new teache

him with my gaze as he walked a

nape. I hope he won't be my

She was selfish and could not do her job as a mother. The only thing tha

nch?" she asked as I

her and no

from head to toe, and the

r in my mind. I do not want to raise a suspicion to my mother,

ask about me e

pack to get the lunchbox. Surely, I did not want to b

at the kitchen sink. "Is i

of soup at the center of the tabl

y mom. "When I feed the kitten at the school, that same

aised her brow. "Ar

want to ask you if you had

. "Did you eat your

e question again. I no

ou're

again. "I

to me. She picked up the empty glass at the kitchen counter and stepped closer to

om

us, and you did not even think that maybe the kitten ate a po

the floor. "I-

do well in class, but I expect you

rry,

nd looked scornfully at me. "Throw your lunchbox away. If th

y, M

imals, Sydnee. Those are dirty, an

kay," I said and pi

years now. I had kept it a secret to my parents because I

rst time that an animal died after I feed it. In the past, there

t. And maybe it was just a coincidence that the kitten had die

instructed me to do. I threw away

over the years. My stomach churned. Even though I had li

back to the humble nipa hut, just kilom

not steal someth

e nipa hut. I knew that my mother was waiting i

was dreaming of a big and fancy house where someday she and her parents will live in. But all o

of fraud. He was put to jail, but my mother bargained to the boss to fr

have enough savings. My mother did not have a wo

t of Consolacion. I still remember how I got so fascinated by the city l