Fictional Short Story by: Jay Mark M. Malirong

               Against   All - Odds 

          In one kingdom, there are two classes, the rich and poor family. Leo had large coconut trees and rice fields, and he also had one lovely daughter named Josephine. Josephine is a beautiful and lovely girl, she has one dog named Alice, Alice is a small and light brown dog and it looks very attractive because of large ears and huge eyes, also Alice has the ability to fly and it is the things that Josephine admired. Leo is very strict with Josephine, he doesn't allow her to have a boyfriend and to meet a farmer, because he is always down all the farmers because he thinks that farmers are not educated and useless.

          One day, Josephine and her dog come to their farm to visit her grandmother. While they were walking, she accidentally bumped into a guy on a street named Richard. Richard is a farmer, a bread winner of their family, a strong, handsome, independent and dedicated man that many girls in their kingdom admired him. Josephine continuously walked until she came to her grandmother's home. After their lunch, they go to their rice fields and she asks her grandmother, who is the man that she encountered earlier, her grandmother laughing while answering her " Ohh... he is Richard" and they were joking until they went back to her grandmother's home. It's 3 o'clock in the afternoon, a time when Josephine needs to go back to their home, while she was walking Richard is still in her mind and made her smile. 12 midnight, Josephine and her dog facing the open window with a comfortable roomy chair and Richard is still in her mind until she got a slept. 

          The next day, Josephine woke up early, and secretly went to their farm just to see Richard, Richard is on the farm cutting the branches of mango trees. Josephine confidently came to him and introduced herself "hello, l am Josephine, l am the girl who bumped you yesterday" and she asked Richard named even though she already knew it "and how about you? What's your name", Richard was really shocked, nervous and shakingly replied "he... hello l am Richard, how can l assist you?" But Richard didn't notice her, they seat under the mango tree and they talked about their experiences and they knew each other. And Josephine secretly meets to Ricardo every morning on the farm, until they become a partner.

          A month after, Josephine brought Richard to her father to introduce as her boyfriend, and her father was really shocked when he saw Richard because he already knew that Richard is a farmer, and he hates it. Josephine fights for Richard and she wants to prove that Richard is not just a farmer, but her father told her that "I am your Father and l am the only one who has a right to choose who is the right man that you be married", Josephine and Richard go back to the farm, and they decide that they went to another kingdom just to hide from her father.

          After a few months, Josephine came into the town to buy their needs and she heard that her father had a heart condition. Josephine goes back to their home and tells Richard that she really needs to go back to her father's home because of her father's conditions. Richard and Josephine arrived at their father's home and she saw her father on the bed having a hard time, she was crying and blaming herself for what happened to her father, her face is full of sadness and remorse for what she did in the past. She apologized to it and give a huge hug to her father, her father was also apologized to her for being not a good father(shaking voice). Josephine understand it and she forgive it. 

          A month ago, Josephine, Richard and her father Leo, was celebrated their victory for having their happy and complete family. And they live happily ever after.