Last Testament of Love

CHAPTER V

Beautiful utensils that seem to be made of gold, an exquisite array of plates, glasses, and spoons. Candles and beautiful flower arrangements on the dining table, as if you're dining in a royal palace. Add to that is the cooking of Donya Carmen, in which I believe she prepared three types of dishes such as tinola, afrida, arroz caldo, and of course, fried rice was included, perfectly complemented by tomatoes and tuyo (salted dried fish), which I'm sure Hannah will enjoy tasting and trying it, knowing that she's not that picky with food unlike me.

At first, I didn't like the tuyo because of its strong smell, but when I noticed that every morning it's a must-have on Filipino dining tables, especially for the workers here at home and the helpers of the family on the farm, I gave it a try. I realized that since it's nice trying new kind of food and it's because, first of all, I didn't have a choice but to eat what was prepared on the table that unlike before when I could have carbonara, lasagna, and diet coke in the morning with just a word from my Yaya's and they'd be there to provide it immediately.

"Oh, dear, everything seems to be just the way you like it," said Donya Carmen happily as she organized everything and helped set the table, even though I knew she'd still be teaching the children later. As time goes by, I'm starting to enjoy it because of the kindness she shows. Despite my bad attitude as Lily, maybe I was suddenly humbled by Donya Carmen because, of course, my mom passed away early, so I didn't have anyone to side with at home. So now, as time passes, maybe I'm just feeling the loneliness, that's why I'm also enjoying it. And because there's still no update on Hannah, I'm really making the most of these moments because for sure, if I return to the present, it will feel like just a dream. Donya Carmen taught me magburda (embroidery), household cleaning—things expected of an individual within the family—but she hasn't taught me about community involvement.

"Yes, mother. Thank you, I really appreciate it," I said as I double-checked the arrangement of spoons laid out on the table. And, voila! sobrang perfect na.

Before leaving for work, she kissed me on the forehead. Just like before, I'm alone again in the house, but it's fine because later Hannah and I will gossip about what happened to her and me while she was away. I miss her and Clyde Angela. It's sad to think that during these moments, we're separated from each other. Maybe if we were in the real world, we'd have scheduled an overnight or a soiree while wearing lingerie and doing skincare.

I'm excited for Don Felipe to arrive and for us to be together as a complete family, even though they're not my real parents, at least I get to fulfill the role of Margarita as their child. Somehow, I also feel the need to repay Margarita's kindness because without her, I would probably be dead or lost by now. It's like Margarita loaned me her life, so I can't ruin whatever she has or make decisions without knowing anything, especially since I'm not in her position. For now, I'll just go with the flow.

I've also decided to maybe talk to the General to sort things out and ask him what he has with Margarita. I'm just waiting for him to return because apparently, I'm not allowed to accompany him in and give his military uniform personaly since it's also forbidden due to conservatism. The helper said you can only go there if you're a spouse or if you have a chaperone like an older brother.

Speaking of him, it's been two weeks since I last saw him, and I can't help but wonder where he is or if he's finally left Marga because of what I did. I can't help but think of him, but maybe I should try to shift my focus to more important things, because if he wanted to pursue Marga, then we can apply saying "if he wanted to, he would." It's like a blessing in disguise if you think about it; I found out sooner that he's not worthy of Marga.

While I'm being groomed in front of the mirror, I can't help but be amazed at the skill of the servants attending to me. They're not personal makeup artists, but they're all-around since they can handle personal grooming, including makeup application, hairstyling, and wardrobe selection. For this look, I decided to keep my outfit super simple since Hannah and I aren't going out, and I don't have any plans to do so either. But I still want to beautify myself to avoid showing the stress that's affecting my appearance due to the events happening in my life during this time.