"Mabuhay! Philippine Airlines welcomes you to Manila. Time now is 34 minutes
hour of 12 in the afternoonand and date today is 9th of February 2019."
Sound from the intercom awakened me from my deep slumber. I looked at the window and saw how bright the sky was.
"Please remain seated with your seatbelt fastened until aircraft comes to complete stop, and fasten seatbelts signs are switched off." I remained seated as the flight attendant said, my hands felt cold out of nervousness since it has been so long since the last time I rode a plane. "For passengers who need assistance, please deplane last. Our cabin crew will assist you and endorse you to our ground staff."
"On behalf of Captain Ejercito and the rest of the crew, we thank you for flying with PAL. The heart of Filipino."
I felt goosebumps as soon as the plane landed, it felt like we just bumped on something hard, I guess the one piloting this aircraft is not that experienced and skilled compared to the one piloting the plane I rode nearly 10 years ago.
"As we enter the ramp area, please remain seated until the fasten seatbelt signs are switched off. "
Moments later, I found myself standing under the scorching heat of the sun, accompanied by my sister's endless complains. I sighed in frustration as I wiped the sweat off my forehead. I hope she realizes she's not the only one having trouble with the weather. Nanay Lucille is shaking her head while looking at my sister in disbelief.
"Malabong magbago iyang kapatid mo, tsk." She sounds so hopeless while eyeing my sister. I looked at her and saw how much she sweated, who wouldn't when she's wearing a trench coat.
'Hay... never talagang nag t-think'
We ignored her complains and walked out of the airlines. Just as we walked through the exit, I noticed a black limousine parked together with our things.
'This must be our sundo, so cool... '
A man in which I think was in his fifties came out of the car. I glanced at Nanay Lucille and noticed how she stared at the man who is already walking towards us. If looks could kill, the man will surely be laying on the floor the moment Nanay's has landed on him. I tapped her shoulder softly. " Nanay, is something the matter?" She glanced at me, her eyes softened.
"Wala naman nak', may nakita lang akong bwiset, tsk." Her eyes flew back to the man in black. He was already standing in front of us.
"Good afternoon, ladies. Welcome to the Philippines. " He's got a good accent. He is a handsome man, he's tall and lean, despite his old age, I can still see how good looking he is. Reason why I don't understand the deadly glares that Nanay Lucille has been sending him, I wonder if her eyes are hurting. And he doesn't seem to mind. I came to the thought that they know each other, or perhaps they're enemies.
He glanced at Nanay and gave her a beautiful smile. "Good afternoon, Lucille. " I'm sensing something in the atmosphere.
Nanay rolled her eyes dramatically, "Walang good sa tanghali kung ikaw ang babati, Armando...," anger is visible in her voice. "Tabi!" She intentionally nudged his shoulder.
'Gosh, Nanay is so maattitude... unbelievable...'
Mr. Armando glanced at us, smiling as if nothing awkward just happened. "I never knew your nanny has got that awful attitude." She eyed the car in disgust, I felt my blood boil by the way she stares at the car where Nanay is in.
'Tsh, believe me, you're on another level'
I heard Mr. Armando sigh, "I'm sorry for the commotion, without further ado, I'm going to introduce myself. I'm Armando Agoncillio, and I will be your butler from this day on. Welcome, ladies." He bowed his head like of those butlers I see on TV. He then lead us to the car and quietly placed our belongings at the back compartment.
I am seated next to Nanay who is looking outside the window with an unexplainable expression. I couldn't tell what she's thinking or feeling since this is the first time I've seen her being like this.
'The weather must have upset her... probably'
The ride is so quiet, my sister is peacefully sleeping at the back of the car, her feet hanging on the table. This girl and her lost manners. My eyes flew outside of the window. I never thought that a there's a place that could compare my love for Paris. All my life, I've always believed that Paris is the most beautiful place in the world. Well, maybe because I've never been to anywhere else aside from the Philippines and Paris. Though I forgot a lot about this place since it was a decade ago since the last time that I visited here.
Back in Manila, I see nothing but tall buildings and lots of vehicles. My eyes failed to spot nature. The city is the physical proof of humans cruelty to Mother Earth. I couldn't bare the heat and the polluted air. But now that we're on our way to Bulacan, I couldn't help but feel amazed by how beautiful the place is. This is just the road to Bulacan, what more if we get to Bulacan already. I can't help but feel excited.
I couldn't help but think of the possible things that might happen to us here. My heart is flattering in excitement, and I couldn't help but feel more happy when I remembered that my friend lives in Bulacan too.
Finally, after a decade. I finally get to see Maria. I flinched when my phone rang. I saw my precious friend's name on the screen. I can't help but smile, thinking that she doesn't know na I'm on the way to make kita sa kanya.
'Ah! So exciting'
I bit my lower lips before I answered the call, "He–, "
"Hoy, gaga! My balita ako! " My ears rang awfully, I can't handle her voice. It took me a whole minute to recover from her attack.
"What news?" I sighed, hoping to get an answer without harshness.
"Niloloko ako ng jowa kong pangit," I can hear the bitterness in her voice "ang kapal, pangit na nga, maloloko pa." Her breathing started to turn heavy.
"Huh?" Confusion starts to eat me "I thought you said he's gwapo, wait...he cheated on you?!"
"Hé, sois tranquille! " My sister shouted.
(Hey, be quite!) Haha
"Hoy gagi sino yon?" She then discarded that question. "Oo, sinabi ko ngang 'noon' na gwapo siya, 'noon. Two years ago!" My ears started to feel numb. " At oo, niloko ako ng putragis na lalaking iyon, animal siya! Hangal! Matapos ang dalawang taon, ipagpapalit niya ako sa babaeng nakilala niya sa tabi ng kalsada, takte siya, mabilaukan sana!" Even after all that she has mentioned, all I can understand is that her boyfriend cheated on her. I can't believe what I'm hearing, the fact that her spoke so fast, I can't believe I was able to comprehend everything that she said.
'Gilid ng road? Is that what she call a burikat?'
"Are you okay, then?" I asked out of concern, I can't believe my friend gets to experience this kind of problem. It is true that despite the beauty that you possess, men still cheats. Though not everyone, let us not generalize that fact. But still, it applies.
"Ay syempre 'okay' lang, hindi naman masakit, parang kagat lang ng dinosaur," I can smell the stench of sarcasm in her voice, "gaga ka, syempre hindi, ikaw kaya lokohin. Malamang sa malamang masasaktan ako, minahal ko iyong hayop eh, kaya nakakadiri." I felt guilty for asking that question.
"I'm sorry, I asked such a stupid question." I looked down at my fingers, I never liked it when she answers me this way whenever I ask her if she's okay, I'm still not used to her sarcasm. As years passed by, she gets harsher and harsher, reason why I can't keep up with her humor.
"Wag ka ngang mag-overthink, para kang kigwa." I guess she read what was on my mind. She knows me so well, despite meeting each for only two months, ten years ago, she still managed to find a way for us to reconnect. I'll never replace her. She's my precious star.
"Okay... " There was a long silence, " Do you still have anything to say?" I opened another conversation when she didn't utter a word.
"Maliban sa panloloko niya, wala naman na." I can't help but feel thankful, no more shouting.
"If so, I'm going to end the call. We're actually on our way to somewhere. " I'm sorry, I can't disclose any further information for you.
"Okay, bye bye... " The call ended.
"We're almost there, ladies. Give it 3 minutes. " With those words, I glanced at Nanay to tell her how excited I am. But my excitement turned into confusion once I saw her expression.
It's so sour. She looks so disgusted but I can't tell why and what she's disgusted with.
Just as Mr. Armando said, we stopped at a massive gate, which I assume is our house. Or so I thought, because I'm left looking at awe in such a huge mansion. Our house in Paris is big, but not as big as this one. It looks like that one house in a story that I've read two months ago. It looks so old fashioned, really different from the other houses that we saw through the ride. Even the land where the mansion is built is so wide. I can't believe my parents possess this kind of asset.
Mr. Armando lead us inside the mansion, my sister was in daze as I am. Nanay Lucille's expression remained the same. I can see a lot of servants lining up to welcome us. I couldn't contain my smile. I never thought I would get to meet this kind of people, they were all so kind, but my sister just gave them the opposite behavior.
I noticed there judgemental stares, to which I chose to ignore.
"Welcome to Casa Auclair"
The servants introduced themselves, and I can't help but be close to them, especially Manang Belle and her daughter, Janina. She's a girl at my age, beautiful and pure, yet feisty like Maria.
The introduction took long, enough for us to eat dinner. Manang Belle then send us to our designated room, Nanay Lucille already knew where hers was, since she already lived her before. My room is spacious. It's a coquette theme room. I only liked it because it has lots and lots of books.
It took me hours to tour myself in the room. I read books to pass time and then drifted to sleep.
In the morning, Manang Belle cooked a full Filipino breakfast like sinangag, eggs, tocino, and hotdogs. I liked it so much. And I can't move on with the fact that my picky sister actually ate the food that Manang cooked. She hates local foods, she likes the fancy ones. I considered it as a miracle. And for Nanay, her mood didn't even change a bit. Still sour as ever, I couldn't talk to her well, especially when Mr. Armando is around. It's like she'll burst any moment out of anger.
Sighing with the situation, I decided to stroll around the house. Everything about this place screams nature. I stayed long in the garden, with a book in my hand. I layed on the garden grass under a big Acacia tree near the gates. It was such a refreshing feeling, it's like I'm back at the garden at home. But this place feels more magical than back at Paris.
I never thought that a day like this would come. I feel like a bird that finally got freed in her cage after years of being kept inside. It feels nice, seeing the sky paired with the floating leaves together with the breeze, the soft chirping of birds, and the buzzing of bees near the flowers.
Peace...
But that peace got interrupted when a familiar voice started ringing in my ears. It came from outside of the gates. I abruptly stood up to check the commotion outside.
"Tanga, sagot ang hinihingi kong ulol ka, hindi eksplinasyon! " And I'm right, it's my friend, Maria Phyllis Saiorse De Jesus. My hand flew to my mouth when I realized that the man she's shouting at is her boyfriend.
Oh no, this is bad...
"Maha–"
"Anong mahal? Gago lang, mandiri ka! " Anger and disgust is visible in her face, "Ano, hindi ka sasagot? Bakit mo nga ako pinagpalit sa burikat na iyon?!!" I face heated, I can't believe her voice is more powerful in person. It could wake the whole subdivision at night.
"Alam kong hindi mo matata–"
"Bakit nga?! "
"Dahil mas mahal ko siya. Patawad Mar–" A slipper went flying straight to his face. The impact made a sound, his face turned red in an instant.
"Tangina, pasmado ba iyang bibig mo?! Huwag na huwag mo akong matawag na Maria, tarantado ka!" Her face is so red from anger. I'm glad that there were no other people watching aside from me. I can't handle the secondhand embarrassment.
"Alam mong mahal kita, pero mas mahal ko—" My friend interfered even before he could finish his sentence.
"Oo na, alam ko! Ang bobo pa ng rason mo. Hindi naman ako sirang plaka para ulit-ulitin mo!" And then she dragged him outside the subdivision, her hands pinching his ears, stumping angrily towards the gates.
And here I am, still rooted in place. Stunned speeches by her attitude. I couldn't believe what I just saw.
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