I stood up at the street where I grew up, looking each people who is passing and walking, the busy street is making the whole city alive, and every people that is passing, I am eyeing for their bag, or belongings. I look at Gena, and she also look at me, and pointed out a girl, busy at tapping the screen of her phone and I started to walk to her direction, bump into the girl who is busy, and she didn’t bother to look at my direction.

I run to the dark alley and check the wallet, and show the money that I got, and Gena looked envious at the money that I got, and I toss her some money.

“You always have a good eye at spotting victim,” she joked, and I am still checking the wallet and rolled my eyes, maybe this wallet is worth a penny too when I sell this.

“Well, maybe I just got a jackpot for today, maybe my lucky day.” I smiled sweetly and buy went to the store, I am about to buy a food, and a woman that I steal the wallet is walking and pointed out Gena, with the police behind her.

“Gena, run!” I automatically run to a different direction and Gena also run on her own, I went to the other side of the road, and watched how the police run after Gena, I feel nervous when they got Gena and handcuff her, she was looking at me and now our eyes met, I saw how scared she is right now.

I feel sad her, I don’t know how Gena can bail out of the prison, I’ve been in this situation since I was young, I steal money from the people, because my salary is never enough, the street of Manila is rich with people, and stealing from them isn’t bad at all.

My salary at bakery is not enough, they didn’t pay me well, maybe because I don’t have proper educational background, that is why my salary is small.

I went to my place, at the bakery where I am staying, and they are looking at me now, I showed my bitter smile and Nathalia smirked.

“The street snatcher is here, I don’t know why our boss trust you to work here, after all the stealing incident that you are involved in.” I rolled my eyes and drink some water; I am tired due to fatigue when I run away from the police officers.

“Just shut up, or I will steal money from you,” I joked, and she automatically covered her wallet and raise her brows.

She looked stupid by her act and finally walk away, my shift will start soon, and I must look presentable at the customers, so I take a quick bath and change my clothes, before seeing my reflection at the mirror.

My brown eyes, it looks dead. After all hardships that I encountered since I was young, no wonder that I looked tired even I haven’t done anything.

I am living in poverty, I also looked malnourished, but I know that maybe this day will end, and one day if I got my luck, I would live in the life that I am dreaming since I was young, but I also remember that I stopped dreaming at the day that my parents died.

Everyone’s dream is to become successful, how I can keep on dreaming if I don’t have a proper education, a stable life and a house that I can call my home.

I brush off all of my thoughts and wear my apron, went to the cashier and wait for the customer to buy something.

“Looking good, Nich.” A guy approached the store and I rolled my eyes, he keep hitting on me since the day I started working here, and all I do when he is approaching is to ignore him.

“Acting strong huh?” I rolled my eyes and give the orders from other customers right now.

“Why don’t you go out with me, I can give you everything you want.” I laugh hard and look at him with pity.

“You think you are enough? Look at yourself, you look dirty and haven’t bathe for a month,” I said with disgust, and he looked annoyed at my respond.

“And I don’t anything in my life, I am contended and happy with this kind of life—”

“By stealing money at the people, you call it life?” I didn’t respond and look straight at him with my dead eye stare.

“Leave me alone, get a life and remember that I will never ever give you a chance, you look like a broken shoe.” I didn’t listen to his rant and went inside the bakery to get some bread and display it to the stalls.

The owner is behind me, shook his head and stopped me to walk out of the workstation of bakery.

“Nichelle, you should be nice to customers.” I put down the tray and listen to what he is saying.

“I am nice to customers, but that guy is not a customer, he’s annoying me since then, isn’t it harassment?” she took a deep sigh and look at the stalls, the guy who is bugging me was still there.

“You know that we need customers, even he is annoying you should be nice to him or ignore that guy.” I get the tray, went to the stalls and he is still there.

“To all customers here, see this girl, she is a snatcher at the streets, if you don’t want to become a victim of this woman, don’t buy here, she might see you at streets and become her target.” I slam the tray and go out of the cashier area, hold his hand, and place it behind him, stretch it till he is screaming in pain.

“What the fuck is wrong with you, I am working here, and you are acting like a jerk after I took down your so-called offer,” I hissed, and he is still crying in pain before I let go of his hand and was stumbling at the floor.

“Nichelle!” the owner snatched my hand and helped the guy who is making a scene now. “I am sorry, sir. Please don’t make a—”

“That woman is rude, I am being friendly here and she is throwing attitude to me, is this how your employee treats me?” My jaw dropped and looked at my boss. She took a deep breath.

“I am sorry, I will talk to her right now, please take care.” He finally left and my boss is looking at me, hold my arms and drag me to the working station.

“What did you do, you just make a scene!” I didn’t answer and waited my boss to finish what she is saying.

“He just disrespects me, shooing away the customers and he is the one who is harassing me here, come on.” I removed my hairnet, and she shook her head.

“Nichelle, that is not what I am talking about, you can ignore him, hurting the customer is not necessary!” I rolled my eyes once again and stopped me from walking away from the working station.

“Rest for today, you can’t do whatever you want just because you are offended by the customers, that is not the right behavior that I need at my store, you are scaring the other customers around.” I can’t believe on what she just said, and I removed my apron.

I walk away and I am about to pass by her office, the door is open, and I saw a bunch of cash at the table, I look around me before sneaking in, get money and used the backdoor of the bakery.

Fuck them, they are all shitty, I understand what she is trying to say, but if she takes care of the customer who is making a scene, I won’t end up in the situation where I pinned down that stupid guy.

I was walking around the streets, and I found myself walking back to my old house, the back of the church. I saw the entrance of church and look away.

Now, I am questioning my life, does God really exist, because if he did, why he bring this kind of life to me, I am young when my parents died, life is so cruel to me, until this day. I started to hate my life and make an excuse just to keep on living.

I want to die, badly want to end my own life, but at the end of the day, I see myself living and continuing the harsh life that is destined to me.