Banwag AY 2016-2017 Vol. 7 No. 2

LITERARY
Never-Ever Land
Melit Jane Yu
“Why do you write fiction?” My pen halts,
leaving an unfinished stroke of the letter T. That sudden
question breaks the silence in that dusty old room. I
raised my head and let out the words “To disappear.”
with a sigh. I let that answer float in the air for a while.
Looking back at the paper, I continue to write the
words…
I wake up to the aroma of my mother’s cooking.
“Bacon.” I inhaled. Sunlight was touching my eyes from
the half-rolled blinds on the window as I stretch out of
bed. I glimpse at my clock. It was 6:30 AM. My pet
Cat, which was a dog was already awake, too, playing
with my little brother, George outside the house. Cat
is a golden retriever. Funny name? Not to mention
George’s pet goldfish named Silver.
Instead of hurrying to the shower, I like to stay in
the kitchen and watch my mother’s cooking, instead. I
had no reason to rush anyways. You see, school starts
whenever we students want to. We weren’t obliged
to be there at 6 or 7, but at least at
10 or earlier everyone
was disciplined
enough to
b e
around.
“Good morning, sweetie.” My mom gives me
a kiss, as she slid a plate to the table. “Garnet.” My
name was carved on my plate. My mom, dad, and
George had theirs carved too. My mom really is corny
but sweet.
Bacon and egg it is. I was about to take my first
bite when my mom said, “Uh-uh, shower first.” I did
what I was told.
I walked in to the shower room as the automatic
door opens and then locks just as I entered. The
curtains drop and the lights turn on. I looked at my
unclothed image in the mirror’s reflection. My eyes
shone the color brown, like a fresh young wood’s.
Seems like my excessive travelling and playing
sports made my white skin become tan. By travelling,
I mean hopping from island to island and by sports, I
mean quidditch. Yes, the one where two teams, seven
players each, ride hover boards instead of broomsticks
and catch four balls: a Quaffle, two Bludgers, and the
Golden Snitch.
Good thing I remained slender despite eating
a lot. Have I grown taller? I noticed my wavy golden
hair has reached my hips now. My sixteen-year-old
body was healthy.
After showering, I leave the bathroom,
excitedly took my plate and sat beside my brother
who was also eating on the sofa, watching cartoons.
My father was reading and watching the daily news
through the hologram, a cup of coffee in his hands. No
wonder why he loves to read because all that he hears
from the news would be updates, advancements,
sugar, spice, and everything nice.
At 9 o’clock, I wore my uniform: white collared
blouse, maroon checkered above-the-knee skirt, and
a black necktie. Inside my bag were a few notebooks,
a pen, and my necessities. There was more space for
me to place any books that I liked. The school doesn’t
really require heavy textbooks. There were no home
works, as well.
I wore my school shoes as dad in his suit fixes
his tie, and George, also in his uniform drops fish food
in Silver’s small tank. We kissed mother goodbye
before leaving the house.
Father opens the door, the light from
the outside, temporarily blinds me. I blink a few
times to get a clearer view and I witness this
spectacular view once again. Soaring buildings
and infrastructures are everywhere. Bridges and
roads, houses and automobiles. You can still see
green, for there were a lot of trees as well. Bodies
of water from swimming pools to rivers, to falls, to
oceans were still present, preserved. No one was
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