Irene
I'm scrolling through my emails in my Macbook when my phone suddenly rang.
Incoming Call: Isabelle Dy...
I answered it right away. I really feel excitement whenever we see each other and do chitchats or when she calls me, it really makes my heart pound in so much joy.
"Hello, Isabelle? Is this you, sweetie? I asked as soon as I answered her call.
"T-tita?" She replied.
She's nervous? I think? Why?
"Hi, what's up?" I answered softly.
"Is there a problem?" I added.
"Actually tita, yes. I need your help po."
What's the problem? My heart is beating so fast out of nervousness, but I kept myself calm.
"Okay sure, what's that?" I asked calmly.
"Tita, I already told Sister Anabelle and Sister Theressa about your offer and—" She uttered, I didn't let her finish, I get myself ready for the answer.
"Really? What did they say?" I asked, I'm excited yet nervous as well.
"Tita, they want you to be here daw po, so they can talk to you daw po, If you don't mind coming over?" She asked, politely
Of course, I'll go if it's the only way for you to come with me.
"I don't mind, sweetie. Okay, expect me to be there tomorrow. I'll see you and I'll bring you with me na, okay?" I said in my monotone voice.
"Really tita? You'll be here?" She said with full of joy in her voice, I can tell that this lady really wants to study Music at its finest.
"Yes! So better pack your needed things now." I replied, excitement and happiness were evident on her voice.
"Omg, thank you tita!" She said, It made me smile.
"All for you, belle!" I replied softly, we talked more about some random things and ended the call after, so she can pack her things and get ready because I'll be bringing her to Manila with me!
We already ate our dinner, actually they ate first and then I followed, after that I went to my room and I took a rest because it was a long day for me. I attended so many meetings via zoom call.
Morning approached and I made my way downstairs, I saw them in the dining table, all of them. Greggy needed to go back to Manila because his secretary called him and she said that he needs to be there for an urgent meeting, manang noticed my presence and invited me to sit.
"What's going on?" I asked them, seemed like may pinag-uusapan silang importante.
"A-h we were just talking about something, Ading." Bonget replied, parang may tinatago ang mga ito pero hindi ko na pinansin.
...
Imee
I saw the family sitting in the dining table so I went towards them, they're talking about random things and all of a sudden I remembered the scenario happened in Paoay Church the girl Irene talked with, she kinda looks Irene, when I saw her entire face, she has resemblances with Irene, I was just taken aback when Borgy tapped my shoulders.
"Are you okay, mom?" He asked, kanina pa ata ako tinatawag kaya ako tinapik.
"Yes, why?" I asked trying to make my voice jolly para hindi na magtanong ang mga ito.
"Nothing, you look bothered and thinking something important." He said, fixing his eyes onto me.
"Yes Imee, is there something wrong?" Mama Meldy asked, I immediately shook my head.
"Ah, I just remembered something." I answered directly.
"What is it? That looks so important." Mama Meldy asked, so I breathed-out before telling them, hindi na ako makakapag-sinungaling dito dahil nanay ko na mismo ang nagtanong saakin.
"Well Mama, when we visited Paoay, Irene talked to a young girl and I think she liked her company, she laughed and I can feel the joy in her heart, she's smiling to her the whole conversation." I explained habang inaalala ko ang pagkakataong 'yun, doon ko nalang ulit nakitang masaya ang kapatid ko, "And when she looked at us and saw her face, she has a resemblances with Irene, Mama. What if siya si Celestine?" I added.
"Is that the reason why you looked out of the blue and bothered when we were there?" Bonget asked, I nodded right away.
"Yes, I was looking at them." I replied shortly.
"Do you think she's Celestine?" Mama Meldy asked while looking at me, I'm thinking twice kasi isang beses ko palang naman nakita yung batang 'yun.
"I don't know, I'm not sure. But I have a strong feeling.." I answered, iba din kasi ang pakiramdam ko sa bata parang ang lapit lapit niya sa puso ko, ito din ata ang nararamdaman ni Irene.
"Where can we find that girl?" Mama Meldy asked, looking at each of us.
"I think she's a choir there because when I looked at Irene she was looking at the girl and she's in the choir area." I replied, siguro ipapahanap na ito ni mommy o paiimbistigahan.
"Maybe Irene felt something towards her too? Maybe that's why she asked her information?" Liza articulated, may point siya.
"I hope it's her na nga, I pity tita Irene na, she always looks sad and she's always crying." Matthew added, my sister experienced a lot of pain and suffering already, tama na siguro 'yun.
"Bong, call a private investigator and tell him that I'll speak with him." Mama Meldy said to Bongbong, sabi ko na nga ba, papaimbestigahan yung bata.
"Okay ma." Bonget replied right away, we're eager to find her.
"But aren't we going to ask tita Irene about this? Maybe she already know some information about that girl." Matthew suggested, hindi naman ata gugustohin ni Irene 'to.
"We still need to make sure that it's really Celestine before we tell her. Baka masaktan nanaman siya sa maling akala." I told them, ang daming beses na kasi kaming nagkamali.
"For now, let's investigate about the girl. I think she's just somewhere in Paoay Church lang because I saw Hannah, the young girl who assisted us, she's friends with that girl and Hannah lives in Bahay Kalinga." I added, baka doon din nakatira yung batang 'yun.
"Can you talk to that Hannah and asked her about that girl?" Mama Meldy asked me, hindi naman pwedeng tanungin ko agad-agad ito about sa bata, baka ano pa ang maisip neto.
"I don't have her contact number, mom but I'll try to reach her out." I said, we are still talking when we heard footsteps right in the stairs and we saw Irene, I invited her to sit with us immediately.
"What's going on?" She asked, we all kept quiet and we let Bonget to speak.
"Ah we were just talking about something, Ading. Come join us." Bonget replied, Irene sat on her chair.
"By the way, I'm going to Paoay tomorrow." Irene said, we were shocked and we wondered why is she going there.
"Why?" Mama Meldy asked.
"I'm going to Bahay Kalinga, I offered an opportunity kasi to a young lady that lives in Bahay Kalinga, the choir member Manang, do you remember her?" She asked me, yun nga.
"Oh yes, I do. The beautiful lady wearing a white sweater and denim jeans?" I asked describing the lady we have just talked kanina.
"Right. I offered her to study Music in our schoo, her voice is angelic and so good kasi, so I think I can help her to improve her voice more, she'll also stay with me in Manila." She told us, hindi naman magpapatira 'tong si Irene kung wala itong nararamdaman na kahit ano sa bata.
"Oh really, that's good Irene." Mama Meldy said, I think Mama Meldy knows already that the girl Irene is talking about is the same girl who we have talked earlier.
"How long will the class will take, Irene?" Bonget asked curiously.
"Two weeks, more or less." She replied, Bonget nodded.
"What's her name, ading?" I asked, I'm now really curious about the girl.
"Isabelle Dy." She simply replied, she started to eat while we ask questions about her.
"Beautiful name." I praised
"Devoted to God." Mama Meldy spoked.
"That's the meaning of Isabelle, Mama?" Irene asked sweetly and looked at Mama Meldy, there's something in that girl talaga na nagpabalik sa sigla ng kapatid ko.
"Yes, Isabelle means Devoted to God." Mama Meldy answered.
"Well I can tell she is, her name suits her.." Irene said while smiling at us, ang ganda ng ngiti nito.
"I can see that you're close to her already." Mama Meldy said, tumingin ito kay mommy at mas ngumiti pa.
"Kind of, Mama. You'll meet her tomorrow, she's a sweet & caring lady, you'll love her for sure." Irene said like she's sure na magugustuhan namin ito.
"I think so too, well I'm excited to meet her tomorrow." Mama Meldy uttered.
"Can't wait to meet her too." Bonget conveyed, Irene smiled.
"Is she kind tita?" Sandro suddenly asked, joining the conversation.
"Yes she is, she's so pretty too." Irene replied, her eyes were full of adoration.
"We're all excited to meet her, tita." Michael muttered, sana nga hindi mahiya si Isabelle sa mga kapre at duwende dito saamin.
"I'll tell her that you are all excited to meet her. You'll approach her first tomorrow ha, she's a shy girl." Irene told them.
"I think she'll be really shy, we are all boys." Simon said as the boys chuckled, for sure, lalo na't mahiyain daw sabi ni Irene.
"Well, you should make a plan on how to make her comfortable with you guys." I convinced them which they've agreed right away, syempre gusto din nilang mapasaya ang tita Irene nila.
"Your tita Imee is right, think boys, think!" Liza said, I saw Irene's eyes, she looks so excited too.
"The ways you did to become close with Celestine before, you should do it with Isabelle tomorrow." Bonget uttered, the boys agreed and nodded.
"Right!" The boys said as they laughed.
"I'll cook tomorrow, I'll make her taste my pinakbet pizza." I voluntarily said.
"She'll love it, tita Manang!" Simon assures, I winked at him proudly.
"Aw, thanks not so lil' Simon!" I said and pinched his cheeks, he just smiled at me, Celestine was the second youngest among all, the first grandchild is Borgy, then Michael, Matthew, Sandro, Simon, Celestine & Vinny, that's the sequence.
"Tita, do you have a driver na tomorrow? I can drive for you." Borgy offered.
"Is it okay lang Borgs? You don't have any errands tomorrow?" Irene asked Borgy.
"No naman po."
"Okay sure, can you drive me to Paoay?" Irene asked him, Borgy immediately nodded.
"Sure tita, of course." Borgy replied, "What time are we leaving?" Borgy added.
"After breakfast, Borgs." Irene answered.
"Isn't it too early, Irene?" Bonget asked.
"I need to speak with the nuns pa, Bonget." Irene replied, she drink her water while looking at us.
"Ah okay then, we should rest now." Bonget replied, gusto kong makilala pa si Isabelle, siguro nga napakabait na bata ito.
"Mama, rest na." I said looking at Mama Meldy, Liza called Mama Meldy's nurse and caregiver.
"Goodnight, mama!" I stood up and kissed her cheeks.
"Goodnight, mom." Irene said, she kissed mom's cheeks too.
"Goodnight, Ma." Bonget said, he kissed Mama's forehead.
"Goodnight, Abu!" The boys said, giving their grandmother a goodnight's kisses and hugs.
"Okay kids, sleep na. Sandro, Simon, Vincent." Liza called her kids, telling them to sleep already.
"You should take a rest too, boys! Kuya, Michael, Matthew. Take a rest na." I told them, they just nooded at me.
"Goodnight mom." Borgy, Michael and Matthew said and they kissed my cheeks for goodnight.
"Goodnight tita manang." Sandro, Simon and Vincent also kissed my cheeks.
"Goodnight tita Irene!" The boys said and kissed Irene's cheeks.
"Goodnight my boys, I love you all." Irene replied, she kissed all the boys's forehead.
"Goodnight tito Bonget and tita Liza." The boys said and hug their tito and tita.
"Goodnight everyone!" Bonget said, after we exchanged our goodnights' we head our way to our respective rooms to take a rest.
To be continue..
Sorry for the wrong grammars and misspelled words.