With Strings Attached

Chapter 4: Draw

As soon as she left, I called my father to tell him that we had arrived safely. He was pleased and relieved.

"Is he treating you well?" he asked.

"He is," I replied.

"Mabuti. Okay ka lang ba d'yan?"

"Opo. Kayo po ba? Dumating na po ba ang mga katulong?"

"Oo, just like your husband promised. Pati 'yung bagong espesyalista ay tumawag para magpakilala."

"Mabuti naman po at nang matingnan na po 'yang puso n'yo—" I heard three beeps and knew that my battery was running low. "Dad, my phone's battery is about to run out. Baka maputol, i-charge ko po muna 'tapos tawag po ako ulit."

"Hindi na, magpahinga ka na d'yan. Pwede naman tayong mag-usap sa ibang araw."

"I'll come visit this weekend, may mga dala po akong pasalubong sa inyo."

"We are looking forward to your visit, Anak. Okay lang kami rito, h'wag mo kaming alalahanin—"

The conversation was cut short when my battery died and I was about to search my bag for my charger when I heard a knock on my door.

"Madam, ready na po ang dinner ninyo."

"Hi, Manang," I said after opening the door.

"Hello, Madam—naku po pasensya na dahil nakalimutan ko pong ayusin ang mga gamit ninyo. Hindi tuloy kayo nakapagpalit ng damit."

I waved her apology off. "Hindi, Manang. I was talking to my Dad kaya nakalimutan kong magpalit. Hindi bale po, kaya ko pong mag-ayos ng gamit ko, hindi n'yo ako kailangang tulungan," I said because I couldn't tell her that I didn't want to take my things out of my trolley bag only to put them inside again when I'd go to the third floor bedroom.

She smiled. "Basta po, tawagin n'yo lang po ako, ha, kung may kailangan po kayo."

"Opo."

The chef was waiting for me in the dining room to introduce himself. He announced the name of each viand as the house helps carried them to the table and he beamed at me every time I'd put a spoonful inside my mouth.

By the time the meal was finished, I was so full that I could barely stand.

"Nagustuhan n'yo naman po ang luto ko?" Chef Ollie, who's in his sixties and who used to run his own restaurant, asked.

I nodded. "Masarap po lahat, Chef."

He smiled luminously at me.

"Madam, kung may kailangan po kayo, tawagin n'yo lang po kami sa intercom. Wala na po ba kayong kailangan?"

I shook my head. "Wala na po. Magpahinga na po kayo pagkatapos po ninyong magligpit."

"Sige po."

I went up to the master bedroom and waited for thirty minutes before I lugged my bags to the third floor because I didn't want Manang Magda and the other house helps to see me.

Baka hindi nila alam 'yung set-up namin ni Ayden, mahirap na. I don't want to give them anything to talk about...

I chose the smallest bedroom and arranged my things inside the closet. At eleven minutes past ten, I was already in the shower and was in bed before eleven.

"Grabe 'yung pagod ko sa araw na 'to..." I murmured before drifting off to sleep.

The shouting woke me up. That and the fact that everything seemed so bright outside my window. I bolted out of my bed and ran to the door thinking that the house was on fire.