Red Strings of Fate (Haunted Series 2)

Strings 19: TJDV 752

"Gaga anong nakakatawa sa sinabi ko?" I shushed her as I went back to work. Narinig ko ang buntong hininga niya.

"I'm so happy for you." She said, and I looked up to see her staring at the sketches I have on my wall. "Ngayon nalang uli kita nakitang excited kahit andaming blisters yang kamay mo."

I pursed my lips and took a glimpse of my hands. The kevlar was hard to cut, and the cutting itself took a lot of my time. That's why I had to take a break and decided to finish Jamie's dress first.

Bumalik ako sa palasyo ng mga Del Valle pagkatapos kong gawin ang mga kailangan ko sa araw na 'to. Pagkatapos naman ng trabaho ko sa mansyon, sa gabi ko sinimulang i-stitch ang bodice ng dress ni Jamie.

Bigla naman akong napangiti ng maalala ang sinabi ni Marianne. Napangiti ako dahil gaya nga ng sinabi niya, kahit andami kong paltos, I've never felt so alive.

Clothes are used as a form of expression, sometimes used as armor to deal with the world, figuratively or literally, and it's a privilege to create those armor for people. Don't get me wrong, iniisip ko na 'putangina tama bang desisyon na sinasabay sabay ko lahat ng to?'. Kasi shuta ang hirap ha.

I don't want to romanticize my lack of sleep and my blistered hands, but I want my work to reflect how thankful I am for them—this is from me right now, and the little kid in me who misses the twins I used to play with.

Nang pumatak ng ala-una ng madling araw, pinatay ko ang ilaw at pinilit nang makatulog. Maaga pa ako bukas at babalik ako sa bahay pagkatapos ng trabaho ko dito para ipatuloy ang ginagawa ko para kay James.

Sew. Visit the hospital. Work as a maid. Sew.

That's my routine until it's the day we have to travel to San Raigo.

"It is time to make haste!" Napalingon ako sa bunso nilang tumatakbo pababa ng hagdan, wearing a strawhat and her sundress flapping behind her.

"Cici, why are you suddenly speaking in a british accent?" Lumabas si Jamie ng kusina hawak ang snacks para sa daan at nilagay ito sa ecobag ng mga pagkain.

"I binged two seasons of Bridgerton last night. It was absolutely marvelous!" She said breathlessly at naupo sa couch.

Ito siguro ang unang araw na nakita kong madaming tao sa loob ng palasyo. Pakalat kalat ang ibang mga agent para tumulong magbuhat, andito ang jowa ni Jamie na pangalan pala ay Gabriel, ang magkakapatid (sa ngayon wala sa paningin ko ang dalawang nakakatandang lalake), at kaming mga kasambay na sasama.

Speaking of sasama, dahil hindi makakasama si Lorraine—for obvious reasons—sinuggest ni Manang na palitan nalang ng ibang tao, and surprise surprise Ate Gie volunteered.

She's going to make the week irritable for me for sure.

Lahat kami nasa ground floor nagaayos ng mga dadalhin nang nangibabaw boses ni Jamie. "Did you contact Dad, Cici?"

Oh, ito pa pala. Apparently hindi raw makakasama Daddy nila. For me, it's weird... why can't he attend his children's birthday?

Given na busy siya, but still. They're family.

It's either he's busy or... hindi ba siya nakakasama sa pamilya ng mommy nila dahil sa nangyari? Narinig ko lang from a little bird named Rossana, na sirang sira ang image ni Sir sa parte ng pamilya ng Mommy nila—after all, he cheated and their mother died while he was staying at that other woman's house.