Chapter 31: Offer
Once the two leaders were done with their discussion, I was brought to the third floor where the room of the daughter was located and was briefed of her condition by Ms. Ivette.
The girl laying in bed had a pale face and light brown hair reaching her shoulders. Tinakpan niya agad ang sarili niya ng kumot nang marinig ang pagdating namin.
"Hindi niya gusto ng kahit anong ingay," paliwanag ni Ms. Ivette.
Nanatili sa hallway ang dalawang pinuno while Ms. Ivette and I stayed in the room, watching the bundle of blanket and pillow where she was hidden.
"Ilang araw na siyang hindi lumalabas ng kanyang kwarto," buntong hininga ni Ms. Ivette. "All her test were normal and the hospital said everything was fine. But she barely eats and rarely gets out of bed," paliwanag niya.
Makaraan ng ilang minuto, lumabas kami sa hallway. Sumulyap ako sa mag-asawa bago muling nagsalita. "Pwede ko po bang makausap ang anak niyo nang mag-isa?"
The father raised an eyebrow at my request. Pero nagkaroon sila ng kasunduan kanina lang. To treat their daughter, they would let me do my job without distraction.
Tumango si Ms. Ivette at bumaling sa kanyang asawa. Their were no exchange of words pero tuluyan itong pumayag. They left the hallway first.
Zackary was hesitant to leave me. "Remember your promise, Eleanor," he reminded me, reaching for my hand. "If things get risky, you don't have to do anything."
"Zack, do you trust me?"
Pinisil niya ang palad ko. "Of course."
Ngumiti ako. "Then I'll be fine."
Tuluyan niyang binitawan ang palad ko. "I'll wait in the living room with the others."
Hinintay ko na makaalis ang lahat hangang sa tuluyang naging tahimik ang paligid. I walked to the room, standing still at the open doorway, watching. Her body moved under the sheets, carefully removing a blanket from her view to check on what she assumed was an empty room. Nang makita niyang nakatayo ako sa doorway, muli niyang tinakpan ang kanyang mukha.
"I'm here to check on you," I told her, gently closing the door behind me.
"I'm not sick," she blurted under the sheet.
"I know."
Silence lingered between us as I approached her bed. I usually know if someone is physically suffering. I could see it from the color and paleness of their skin, the tint on their lips, or the sunken look in their eyes. And when I treat them closer, that's when I search for the source of these things. But the girl in front of me, she isn't sick from the illnesses I normally see.
I sat on the chair next to her bed. "Do you know that struggling with our thoughts and emotions is a sickness too?" She stayed still under the sheet. Hoping she's listening, nagpatuloy ako sa pagsasalita. "Our mind... it's where everything resides, our health, our well being, our thoughts."
Pinagmasdan ko siya bago muling nagsalita. "Have you seen a boat?" I could tell she was curious of my question. She took a small peak of me under the sheets. "Our body is like a boat. When the ocean is rough and waves crash against us, it could make the boat sink, like the way illnesses make our bodies weak."
"But when the tide is calm and the weather is nice, do you know boat still sinks?"
Tuluyan niyang inalis ang kumot sa kanyang mukha. "Why?" she asked.
"Because they're broken from the inside," I told her, relieved that she's listening. "No matter how calm and peaceful and comfortable we are, some boats are made weaker than others. But it's not a bad thing. We just need to recognize what's wrong with us."
I gave her a small smile. "And I think you're a smart, young lady who knew what's broken in you."
Ilang sandali ang lumipas bago siya nagsalita. At first it was barely audible, like she's afraid to voice it out. "I no longer want to go to school... people are too mean to me."
"Did they do something to you?"
"They said Papa hoped for a son but got me instead," she mumbled, brushing the hair off her pale face. "Everyone knows about it. He hoped for a son for a long time but got me instead."
Mahinahon ko siyang pinagmasdan. I've now found the source of why she's sick.
"Maybe what you're hearing were words from before," I offered. "Maybe it was his thoughts before you were born, before he held you in his arms, before he watch you grew up. Have you ask him what he thinks about now?"
Muling nagkaroon ng katahimikan sa pagitan namin. Pero hindi ko siya pinilit magsalita o punan ang katahimikan. She needed someone to listen more than anything else.
"Hindi kami masyadong naguusap," mahina niyang sabi. "Lagi siyang busy. Siya ang nagt-training sa mga orders. He loves spending time with them more than being here. I wished he got a son instead of me... maybe he would stay home often."
Muli niyang tinakpan ng kumot ang kanyang mukha nang mapansin ko ang unti-unting pagpula ng kanyang mga mata, a sign of tears brimming her eyes.
Tahimik ko siyang pinagmasdan bago muling nagsalita. "Do you want to rest for now?"
She nodded under the sheets.
Lumabas ako mula sa kanyang kwarto at mahinahon na sinara ang pinto. It's indeed a complicated thing, the human emotions. They creep and spread without warning, an invisible illness.
Tumungo ako sa living room kung saan sila naghihintay. The couple stood up upon seeing me. Lumapit ako sa kanila at sinubukang ipaliwanag ang mga napansin ko sa kanilang anak. I tried to communicate to them the reason behind her lack of interest to do things without overstepping my boundaries.
Nanghina si Ms. Ivette sa narinig at kinailangang alalayan para makaupo siya sa couch. Namuo ang luha sa kanyang mga mata. "I didn't know something like this is happening to her... I didn't know she would thought of such things."
"Mukhang alam ko kung bakit..."
Bumaling si Ms. Ivette sa kanyang asawa na kanina pa tahimik. "What do you mean, Albert?"
"I didn't mean my words that way when I said them," his low, booming voice, became sullen. "I've mentioned it while training some orders weeks ago."
"Told them what?" Ms. Ivette demanded, her tears now falling to her delicate cheeks.
"That I wished I had a son to train," turan ng kanyang asawa. "But I didn't say I would rather have a son. You know how much I'm thankful that Isla came into our lives."
Tuluyang napasandal sa couch si Ms. Ivette. "Your words must have been twisted when it reached our daughter." Malinaw ang panghihina sa kanyang mukha.
Nabigla ako nang humarap sa'kin ang pinuno. "Ano ang dapat naming gawin?"
Hindi ako nakasagot agad. I was too dumbfounded, realizing a leader was asking for my advice. "Pinaalam ko lang po kung ano ang mga napansin ko..." I tried to say. "It's always better for people who are silently struggling to have someone to listen to what they feel without prejudice or judgement."
Humugot ng malalim na hininga ang pinuno. "I'll talk to her."
Sumunod ang mag-asawa sa kwarto ng kanilang anak. Naiwan ako kasama si Zackary sa living room. Naging tahimik ako, nakatayo sa kanyang tabi.
"What's the matter?" Zackary asked me.
"I'm sorry," I mumbled. "I couldn't treat things like this. I know I'm here to treat her but-"
Inabot niya ang palad ko para hawakan. Nag-alangan ako. We were in the living room, in such open space where servants and orders might see us.
"Zack, someone might see..."
I tried to pull my hand away but he pulled me closer hanggang sa hawak niya na ako sa kanyang bisig. Bumalot ang kanyang mga braso sa isang yakap.
"You're an amazing woman and I should be proud to have you beside me."
Tumingala ako at sumulyap sa kanyang mukha. "But I didn't do anything..."
"You've done more than enough."
It was already late afternoon when the couple came back to the living room. Zackary and I were planning to leave para hindi kami abutin ng hating gabi sa daan.
"Leave?" tanong ng pinuno nang magpaalam si Zackary. "We haven't sign the documents yet, Zackary. Stay after dinner and we'll discuss about it."
Ibig bang sabihin, pumapayag na sila sa alyansa? Zackary faced me, silently asking if it was alright for us to stay longer. Tumango ako na may ngiti sa labi.
By dinner time, their dining hall with a long wood table was laid with food close to a feast. Roasted chicken, herbs and salad, fresh steamed vegetables, ribs dripping with sauce... it was a lot of dishes for such a short period of preparation.
Bago pumasok sa dining hall, napansin ko ang mukha ng mag-asawa. Their faces seemed more at peace, pleasant. Habang hinihintay namin ang dalawang pinuno sa dining hall, Ms. Ivette approached me and held both of my hand.
"Thank you, Eleanor."
"Pero... wala po akong ginawa..."
"You did something..." she told me. "You made us see what we've missed."
Nagsimula ang hapunan nang dumating ang dalawang pinuno sa hapagkainan. The servants in the dining hall attentively served us a series of well-plated food and drinks. Nag-uusap parin si Zackary at Sir Albert habang kumakain. Looks like they finally got the hang of each other's company.
Habang nasa gitna ng pagkain, bumaling sa'kin si Sir Albert. "I didn't know you have such talented stuff in your apothecary," he said, voice booming, loud and cherry now that things were quite settled. "Say, Ms. Eleanor, what if I give you a better offer to work in my town?"
Tuluyan akong huminto sa pagkain. Hindi ako nakasagot. Nakangiti siya... kanya hindi ko alam kung isang biro lang ba ang narinig ko o seryosong tanong.
Sumulyap ako kay Zackary. Tuluyang nagbago ang expression sa kanyang mukha. Kung kanino ay akala ko tuluyan na silang nagkasundo... tila bumalik ang hostility sa pagitan nilang dalawa. Zackary gritted his teeth, jaw clenched.
"We needed people like you here-"
Someone slammed the utensils down. It was Zackary. Nagbabanta ang tingin niya sa pinuno sa kabilang dulo ng mesa.
"She's my woman," his voice growled low. "She's not just a staff in the apothecary... she's mine."
***