Free Long Distance Love by Kate Valdez

 
    Cecilia piled up the mangoes on her small wooden table, making sure that the freshest and the tastiest-looking ones are presented to entice more customers. She smiled at the mother-son pair crossing her spot and offered her goods, but was turned down with a shy smile.
    The market is in its typical rowdy state, particularly weekend mornings, with men in dirtied shirts carrying heavy cargoes on their shoulders, and the voices of the vendors creating the usual sound reminiscent of public markets. Cecilia could feel the sweat trickling down her back and she fanned her face harder with the piece of cardboard she tore off a carton earlier.
    She swatted away the flies that came close to the fruits while greeting the people passing by, each time hoping that they will buy from her so she can go home early. Mentally calculating her earnings for the day, she patted the body bag fastened around her waist and smiled.
    She stood up at the thought and brought attention to her fruit stand with her loud voice, when she stopped, brows furrowing and lips parting in surprise, when someone caught her sight. Though unsure and partially decided that she was imagining things, she hastily picked up the remaining fruits, shoving everything in a sack and ran away. The old lady selling vegetables beside her narrowed her eyes at her in suspicion but Cecilia ignored her in favor of going as quickly as possible.
    ‘It can’t be. He’s gone.’ Her steps became hurried and she sprinted her way out of the market and to her home, ignoring the streaks of mud striking her long skirt as she walked along.
    She took the stairs two at a time and barged in their apartment, relieved to see Kokoy sleeping on the banig mat, lying on the exact same spot as she had left him earlier. Closing the door behind her, she recalled the man at the market and gasped loudly when everything sunk in. ‘It’s not him. He’s dead.’
    ***
    The sky was dark and dreary and young Cecilia bunched up her skirt, holding it with a hand tightly as the wind blew stronger. Wisps of hair fell on her forehead and she frowned, she must not have bundled up her hair properly earlier, she had thought. She blew the hair away, unable to tuck them as her other hand was busy balancing the bilao basket on her head filled with rice cake delicacies.
    The girl was hurrying to go back home from selling the delicacies, which were still a handful since she was not able to make it to their regular customers. The sky was dimming and she saw lightning from a distance. Any minute now and there will be a downpour and she had to be back home lest she wanted to walk alone at night time. Her father will be mortified.
    The rough road slowed down her pace. A drop of water on her arm made her take longer strides to no avail.
    The downpour was relentless, coming down in large drops. She ran to the nearest shelter, a makeshift shed made up of an old, rusting roof hammered down on pieces of bamboo and old wood. It offered some protection from the rain but not the wind and she can only shiver in the cold.
    With her arm going numb, she settled the bilao basket down and crouched beside it, using her long skirt to shield some from getting wet. She bit her lip in worry; her mother would not be happy to know that the food will be wasted.
    The rain continued to pour, this time with lightning and thunder. It was around an hour before the sun sets but there was no in sight. Their barrio was near the outskirts of the province of Bataan, nestled behind the mountain ranges and outlined with shores. Not a lot of people reside in their place, with most families basking in solitude as houses were at least a kilometer away from each other. Needless to say, barely anyone can be seen outside at this hour, especially a lone lady. 
    She rested her head on her knees, closed her eyes, and prayed for the rain to stop. She had never been out this late before.
    Loud footsteps interrupted her and she whipped her head up instantly, surprised