Risa woke up one Sunday morning to the loud crows of chickens outside their house. She was stretching her back and yawning when she heard her playmates’ voices.
Suddenly alert, she went out of her room, passed by her mother who was preparing breakfast, and joined her playmates who were playing catch on the wet road. It had rained the day before so Risa and her playmates stayed home all day.
“Today is my day!” Risa thought as she happily ran around, urging her playmate to catch her.
“Risa!” Aling Pacita, Risa’s mother called. “Get in here and eat your breakfast!”
Risa did not listen to her mother. She was busy playing.
“Risa!” Aling Pacita called out for the second time, her voice louder.
Still, Risa ignored her mother. Aling Pacita went out of the house and called Risa for the third and fourth time. Aling Pacita’s voice started to sound angry. Grouchily, Risa went in their house. She followed her mother to the kitchen where a glass of mango juice, a cup of rice, some reheated left over vegetables from last night’s meal, eggs, and noodles were waiting on the table.
“I don’t like to eat rice, Ma” Risa said wrinkling her nose in disappointment to the food on the table.
“What would you rather eat?” Aling Pacita answered. “There are children going hungry in the streets Risa and you have more than enough.”
Risa just sat on the chair staring at the food on the table. “I will be back in fifteen minutes. I’ll be at the store to pay for the eggs and noodles.”
“Can you buy me one of those chips?” Risa asked, suddenly excited.
“Eat your food Risa,” was all her mother’s reply.
Risa rolled her eyes and crossed her arms on her chest. When her mother left, Risa hurriedly went to the sink to throw the rice on her plate. She was snickering as she drained the rice down the sink.
As she was about to go back to the table, she heard a loud BOOM from inside the sink. Suddenly, rice grains popped out like pop corns from the drain. They flew in the air and landed on the floor. Risa was shocked. Her mother should be on her way by now! She hurriedly went outside to get the broom. She was about to go back to the kitchen with a broom in her hand when a giant white rice stood in front of her, blocking the door.
Risa stood there for a while. Her knees shaking, her eyes ready to pop out in disbelief.
“Eat your food, Risa” the giant rice said in its booming voice. Risa could smell burnt rice from where she was standing. Risa heard her stomach growl. She did feel hungry. But the giant rice started moving towards her and only then did Risa realize her food was about to eat her!
“AAHHH!!!” Risa yelled. She ran outside their house, the rice monster running behind her. She ran through their backyard, frightening the chickens until she reached a dead end.
“Eat your food Risa” the rice monster said again. It was about to reach out for Risa with its rice hands when its rice foot got stuck in a puddle of mud. It tried to pull its foot but as it did, it snapped and the rest of its body fell to the ground and exploded to tiny grains of rice.
Risa felt relieved. The chickens gathered around and ate the grains. Risa was suddenly thankful for the food on their table. Better eat them or they’ll eat me, she thought.
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