CHAPTER ONE

"Harris, you can go home now since your shift is done." Mr. Baker said.

I look at my watch and it's already 9 pm. Did I work so hard? I finish to clean the table first and get my things in the counter so I can go home.

As I was fixing my things Mr. Baker gave me a small brown envelope.

"This is your salary for this day." He said while smiling.

I accept the small envelope and smile at him as a response.

I walk outside to his bakery and starting to count the money that I receive for today.

"300 pesos for this long day. I hope this would help me to finish my studies." I said with hope to myself.

I am alone anymore. I don't have family nor friends. I don't know where my mother is. They said she was a prostitute and just gave birth to me while my father is the CEO of the famous company here in the Philippines.

He doesn't wanted me as his son. He  also didn't gave me a financial support its just like I'm not his blood line. He just offered me to baby sit my younger brother but I refused, because I don't want to see his face even his wife. They abusing me thats why I left their house.

As I was walking in the middle of the night. I feel the rain drops in my head. I look at the sky and see the dark clouds and heavy rain that starting to fall.

I get my bag and use it as my umbrella and run as fast as I can to hide in the waiting shed. When I reached the waiting shed I look at the woman who is looking at me too.

I froze when I saw her innocent and pretty face. She is like an angel to me. She is also wet like me and uses her bag as an umbrella.

I looked on the other side because I feel embarassed. We wait almost half an hour to make the rain stop and just go home. When the rain is just a drops. I waited her to go first because it's already dark and it's dangerous to go home alone like this especially to women.

She looks at me first before she went to her destination. I feel so relieved that I watched her walking away from me and go home safely. I wish we could meet again.

++++++

Days passed by, the vacation is already done and the classes are starting to begin.

I am a scholar at the famous school here in the Philippines and I belong to the varsity team so I just paid 1/4 of my tuition fee.

"He is really handsome. Oh my gosh! Does he have a girlfriend?"

"I wish he doesn't have."

"I really like him." giggles

These are the words that I always hear in this school from the girls.

They always admire me and scream my name as I walk in front of them. I admit that I got looks and brain,but they didn't know that I don't have money and I don't belong to their group. Most of the students here are rich unlike me.

Anyways I don't care about them, because no one cares about me at all. So I care for myself and I don't need someone wait...

I stop walking when my eyes caught the girl I just met in the waiting shed few days ago.

She is laughing with her friends. They must be talking something or someone ahm girls stuff.

My heart beats stop when she look at me slowly. Wow she is very adorable and cute.

I look away and continue walking because I look like an idiot. Mesmerizing to a woman who doesn't care about my existent.

I told you self. I don't need someone's care. But wait? We are schoolmates. It means I will see her everyday. I smile secretly. Do I have a crush on her? Maybe yes. I don't need to deny it at all.

The three subjects were finished and its already lunch time.

I hold my bag and went to the rooftop instead of the cafeteria. Their products has a golden price, but I admit that those products are delicious and it doesn't fit to me because I don't have enough money to buy those fancy foods. All I have is hamburger that Mr. Baker gave me this morning.

I opened the hamburger and started to read a book about business and so on. I stopped eating and reading when someone spoke behind me.

"Hey? Why are you alone here?" An angelic voice said.

I turned around and look at her and froze. Shit! She is the woman that I met in the waiting shed and met a while ago.

"Hey are you alright?" She spoke again and wave her hands in front of my face.

"Uhm yeah, what are you doing here?" She must be in the cafeteria.

"Nah. I just don't want to eat because I'm full." She replied.

I don't know what to say but she spoke again.

"Why are you eating here? Is that your lunch? Hamburger?" She asked me.

I feel embarassed to the woman in front of me. It shows that I don't have nothing and I don't suit to this school.

I was about to answer her but she asked me again.

"You are reading a book? A business book? Wow its really true that you have a smart brain." She said and smile. I smiled at her too.

"Maybe you are reading that kind of book because you are the successor of you family right?" She asked again. This time my smile fade away.

"Oh I'm sorry I am being too noisy that I disturb your studying hihi." She said.

"No its okay." I replied to her.

"Ahm yeah maybe see you again next time. I have something to do right now." She said.

I was about to answer her but she already turned around and walk away from me.

See me again next time? What does she mean?

I finished eating and reading and went to my next class. After that I went to the bakery and start my night shift.

Yes, I'm a part timer student. This could help me than going outside and hang out with the boys. Thats why I feel thank you that I don't have friends because no one will invite me to have a party with them.

I start to work so hard. No one in the school sees me here since this bakery is not that famous. Maybe they will eat a fancy bread than a cheap bread.

I didn't say that the bread of Mr. Baker is cheap. I just want to say that the riches people don't go to a small bakery like this.

"What are you thinking Mr. Apprentice?" Mr. Baker broke the silence.

I just look at him and smile.

"I'm just wondering why do rich people don't go to a small store like this?" I said.

"Their assignment everyday is to spend million dollars in just one day." He replied.

"Thats what you think?" I said while smiling.

"Yes maybe."

"Hahaha, maybe its true but for me. The fancy bread is just like your bread. If there is spanish bread there would be a fancy spanish bread too, but the thing is. The riches people always purchase the fancy spanish bread because the store is famous and they don't think if the bread cost a million dollars. They just want to belong to the group that they were belong." I said.

"Its the same situation to the poorest person like me. I would rather buy cheap things and foods than those expensive ones because I don't have enough money to spend." I added.

"Very well said Mr. Apprentice. Someday I will see you built a lot of branches of bakery in the world." He said and we laugh at each other.

Mr. Baker is an old man. He is just like me he doesn't have family nor friends. All he has is a bakery and an apprentice like me.

I stop displaying the breads when I think about my future.

Maybe I am just like him. I will build my own business and live alone until I die.

"Don't do the same thing with me. Socialize to everyone and find a girlfriend so you can have a partner in life. Build your own family and have a dozens of kids." He smiled at me.

"I already have a partner in life." I replied.

"And who is it?" He asked.

"You." I said and I saw him froze but I didn't pay attention at all.

"You are the one that I asked money for when I worked so hard. You are like a grandfather to me. I wish I am in your blood line so I am the successor of your bakery." I joked then we laughed to each other.

"You are so funny kid." He said.

After finishing my work. We closed the bakery shop and go home.

I open the door of my apartment and click the switch to open the lights.

My room is just like me. Empty.

I count the money that Mr. Baker gave me. I was shocked because instead of 300 pesos its 2.500 pesos and there was a note inside the brown envelope. It says..

My Apprentice,

Thank you for making me laughed. I hope this 2,500 pesos would help your studies.

Mr. Baker.