Chapter 1 Outside

It's three o'clock in the afternoon. The loud sound of the bell can be heard again in the Manila, specifically in the Quiapo. Avah holds her personal rosary as she walks the long way to the convent altar. He was also wearing the white uniform of the Sisters in the convent.

The next time, the white she is wearing now will be black because she will finally become a full nun. When she reached the first long seat in front of the altar, she sat down. There she began to pray the Rosary, although it was long, she never tired of reciting the holy prayer.

Since childhood until now that she is twenty-six, she has been doing it every day by three o'clock. It's like a disease that even though she has a serious reason for not being able to do it, she still leave it in her mind even though it's not in front of Jesus. After praying, she left the church itself to help her fellow Sisters in cooking snacks for children like her who are cared for by the Catholic Church.

While Avah was walking, she heard Mother Segunda's voice. The good woman who took care of her when she was just a baby. Mother Segunda was just a sister then, now with the passage of time she is in charge of the entire group of nuns in the convent.

"Sister Avah." That old nun brought by age and old age, her skin is already wrinkled and her body parts are drooping just like her cheek.

"Mother Segunda, good afternoon." Avah greeted the approaching nun.

"Did you just finish praying the Holy Rosary?" Mother Segunda asked with a smile.

"Yes, Mother. I also prayed that the ceremony that would make me a nun would be easier." Avah said as they continued walking. Now they are in the garden where young people play and their shrill laughter brings life to the catholic church.

"Regarding that matter, I would like to have a word with you." Mother Segunda said.

"Go ahead, Mother. What do you want to say? Has God heard my prayer and hastened the ceremony?" Avah was happy and the joy was obvious in her voice.

"I know that it springs from your heart to choose God over anything else in the world. I also know that this is what you have been waiting and looking forward to for a long time. But Avah, you have not yet fully seen the beauty of life outside of the Convent because all you see are the undesirables." Mother Segunda answer.

"No matter how beautiful the world outside the Convent is, I would not trade my true home. And God's home is my only home, Mother Segunda." Avah was smiling while deeply looking at the images of the holy Saints and Apostles of Jesus.

"Whatever you say, my decision is complete, Sister Avah. You must leave the Convent one day in two weeks." When Avah heard her, she immediately stopped and turned to the nun. Shock was plastered on her gentle and beautiful face.

"During that time you will meditate, think about another kind of life besides serving in the Convent. I am not driving you away, Sister Avah. In fact I would like you to join me here as a full nun. But when it came out I'm like you before I tied the knot with God, I saw the beauty of the world outside. I want you to see it too and then you decide. By the second week and this is still what you want, nothing else can stop you from being appointed as a real nun."

The two just stopped in the middle of the garden. No matter how loudly the children laughed, it seemed that Avah couldn't hear it because of what the nun said.

"But Mother Segunda, my decision is complete. My dream is to become a nun. You don't have to let me out to meditate!" Begging by the girl.

"Sister Avah, as I said. Whatever you decide or publish, my decision will not be changed. All the nuns here have gone through the same test, but many have also found true happiness outside the Catholic Church. Avah , trust God. Whatever happens during your stay outside, think that it is God's will. And whatever you decide, you are a perfect nun in my eyes." There was a sweet smile on Mother Segunda's lips when she told the girl everything. And with the girl's silence, Segunda knew that she had convinced the girl.

The day passed quickly, even if Avah wanted to stop time she knew it was madness. She was carrying one of her suitcases. The suitcase carries her bibles, scanty clothes, rosaries, and her other holy things. Behind Avah are her colleagues inside. They all watched Avah's departure with sadness in their eyes. Just one more step and she was completely outside the Convent. It's good that she has saved some money that she can use in the first week.

"Sister Avah, take this with you. You need it more." Mother Segunda handed over an old and small cellphone called a Nokia 3210.

"Thank you, Mother Segunda. Thank you brothers and sisters. I promise that I will come back here and when I come back I will never leave again." Avah said.

"Be careful, Sister Avah. We will wait." Said by another Sister who is a few years younger than her.

"Alright Avah, may the Lord guide you." Mother Segunda said. Avah smiled at everyone and then she took one step towards the outside of the Convent's grounds. When she came out, the large wooden door closed and only then did she feel alone.

She stared at the cellphone and then she remembered that she had pinned the number of her friend at the Convent on the page of her purchase. She immediately grabbed the purchase from the pocket of the suitcase and immediately saw the friend's number that was given to her when their path met at the Church. She immediately called her and after a few rings someone answered on the other line.

"Hello? Who's this?" Said by her friend.

"Ah... This is Avah." She is ashamed to introduce herself to her.

"Avah? Who's Avah?"

"Avah Rodeo,"

"Oh my god! Is that really you? Avah from the same orphanage?" It's a good thing that Avah has a good command of the English language when she home school, otherwise they might not understand each other.

"Yes, it's me. I called you because you're the only one I know and have contact with. I-I left the Convent and I thought... that maybe I could stay at your house for two weeks." She said.

Immediately her friend said the words, "Yeah, sure!"