A GOSSIP NEIGHBOR WHO DID NOTHING BUT WATCHED EVERY MOVE OF THE PEOPLE AROUND HER AND SUSPECTED THAT THE NEWLY MOVED FAMILY WAS DOING SOMETHING EVIL BECAUSE OF THE NOISES EVERY NIGHT

It was only four in the afternoon when Aling Marites was already peering out her window. No, this was not just an internet meme; her name was really Marites and she stood by the responsibility that came with it. She was called the “CCTV of Barangay Masipag.”

Not a mosquito landed and not a dog barked that Aling Marites didn’t know about. But in recent weeks, something had been making her blood boil and her tongue itch—the new residents next door, Rico and his wife Lena.

The couple were mysterious. The windows were always closed, the fence was high, and they rarely went outside. But what was more disturbing was what Aling Marites heard every time ten o’clock came.

Tugsh! Pok! Krrrsshhh!

It sounded like someone was being beaten. It sounded like someone was being pulled. It sounded like someone was being cut open.

“Oh, I’m telling you,” Aling Marites whispered to her ‘kumares’ while they were playing bingo on the corner. “Those guys are addicts. Or maybe they’re a syndicate. Do you hear that sound every night? Maybe they’re cutting up… you know.” She let out a sigh and her eyes widened. “Maybe Lena’s peg is a chop-chop lady!”

Before long, the story spread throughout the barangay. From a simple suspicion, it became “confirmed news” in the minds of people that there was a shabu lab or maybe a human slaughterhouse inside Rico’s house. Every look the neighbors gave Lena when she took out the trash was filled with fear and judgment.

One night, Aling Marites couldn’t hold back any longer. It was eleven o’clock and the pok-pok-pok was still audible from the other side. He was furious because he couldn’t sleep—and because he couldn’t confirm whether his suspicions were correct. He called the Barangay Chairman and reported that there was “suspicious activity” and that there was a chemical smell (even though there really wasn’t any).

Because Aling Marites was powerful in the barangay, the Captain immediately responded with five guards and two police officers. They knocked loudly on Rico’s gate.

“Open it! This is the barangay!” the Captain shouted.

Rico came out, sweating, with oil stains on his clothes, and very shocked. “Captain? Why? What’s wrong?”

“We have a report of illegal activities here. We need to inspect your house,” the police officer said firmly.

Rico didn’t want to agree, but when he saw Aling Marites peeking behind the guards with a triumphant smile, he just sighed. “Okay, let’s go. We’re not hiding anything.”

The entire troop entered, including the curious Aling Marites. They headed straight to the backyard where the noise was coming from. Marites expected to see chemicals, guns, or maybe body parts.

Opening the door of the warehouse, they were exposed to a small workshop. It was hot inside. All steel, screws, rubber, and paint.

Page: SAY – Story Around You | Original story

But Rico wasn’t making guns.

In the middle of the room, small wheelchairs and prosthetic legs made of recycled materials were lined up. They even had designs of superheroes—Iron Man, Batman, Wonder Woman. The noise Marites heard was Rico pounding old pipes to make a wheelchair frame for disabled and poor children who couldn’t afford expensive equipment.

Everyone was stunned. They thought the “shabu lab” was just a workshop of hope.

“What is this for?” asked the Captain, his voice suddenly softening.

“It’s a project my wife and I did,” Rico explained while wiping his hands. “We used to volunteer at the foundation, but it closed. There were many children left who needed mobility aids. We work at night because we have work in the morning. Sorry for the noise, we’re trying to keep it down.”

The entire barangay officials fell silent. Aling Marites, who had almost burst a vein in her neck earlier in the fight, looked like a wet chick. She was so embarrassed. Her mind was dirty, but her neighbor’s intentions were so pure.

“Sorry,” Rico said softly. “If you want, we’ll just stop it.”

“Don’t!” Aling Marites suddenly shouted. Everyone was shocked. “I mean… don’t stop. What you’re doing is great.”

Everyone thought the story would end there. A simple lesson in “don’t judge a book by its cover.” Marites made amends, apologized, and even became a supporter of Rico’s project.

But as they say, life has a twist.

A few months passed, Rico’s project became popular. It was featured on TV, the number of donors increased. Aling Marites became the volunteer coordinator. One day, a large donation arrived from a wealthy businessman who had seen a feature on them. The businessman wanted to meet Rico in person.

The day of the meeting arrived. Rico was wearing his best polo shirt. Aling Marites was with him as the “PR Manager”. They entered the elegant office of the CEO of a large construction firm.

When the CEO turned away from the window, Aling Marites’ jaw dropped.

The CEO was none other than “Bong,” her former high school boyfriend whom she had broken up with because he “had no dreams” and “was just a trash collector.” Bong, now a billionaire, owned the company that was donating.

“Marites?” Bong asked in surprise.

“Bong?” Marites could barely breathe.

Bong smiled at Rico. “Is this the one you’re with, Rico? What you’re doing is great. You know, that’s why I donated because I remembered my old love. He also liked to help… at first. But he didn’t see my value back then because my hands were just dirty from the work I was doing.”

Marites turned pale. He wanted to be swallowed by the earth.

But here’s the real twist:

Rico looked at Bong and then at Aling Marites. Rico suddenly laughed out loud.

“Pa, that’s enough,” Rico said to Bong.

Marites looked at Rico. “Pa?”

“Yes, Aling Marites,” Rico replied while taking off his glasses. “I’m Bong’s son from his first wife. Papa sent us here to your barangay. It wasn’t an accident that we moved next to your house. Papa bought that land and ordered me to make noise every night.”

“Huh? Why?” Marites asked in confusion.

Bong approached and handed a folder to Marites. “Because I know you will be the strongest CCTV. I know you will report us. And when we are reported, Rico’s advocacy will be famous for free because of the scandal, and most of all… I want to see if you have changed.”

Bong smiled with a mixture of bitterness and sweetness. “And it seems you have changed. Thank you for helping my son, Marites. From now on, I will answer for the funds of your entire barangay.”

Aling Marites was just stunned as she handed over the check worth five million. She didn’t know whether to be happy or faint. The noise she made, the gossip she spread, and the ex she broke up with—they all formed the most unbelievable plot twist of her life.

From then on, Aling Marites was no longer called “CCTV.” She is now the “Golden Megaphone” of Barangay Masipag, a herald of good deeds, and a billionaire’s certified ex-girlfriend.