Chapter 1

“Dad, let me help you with that,” Lyrica quickly offered, rushing to her father’s side. The two walked home together. Lyrica worked in their town as a vendor to help support their family.

“Alright, carry this sack for me,” her father said with a tired but warm smile.

“I told you, Dad, don’t carry this much. It’s dangerous for you,” she said with concern.

“I’m fine, hija. Julio wouldn’t let me ride on his cart earlier—it was already full,” her father explained, his exhaustion evident. Seeing his weary face felt like a stab to Lyrica’s heart.

“Dad, good thing you’re back. Ambet and Niño have run out of milk,” Cynthia, her older sister, greeted him. She acted as though Lyrica wasn’t even there.

Cynthia already had three children—five-year-old Bingo and almost two-year-old twins, Ambet and Niño. Separated from her husband, who was a womanizer and drunkard, Cynthia was unemployed, leaving the burden of raising her kids to Lyrica and their father.

“I didn’t earn anything today, Cynthia. I even had to pay off some of our debt at the store,” their father said. Cynthia huffed in irritation, scratching her head.

“So what now, Dad? These two have been crying all day,” she retorted.

“Here, Ate. Luckily, Mother Lucing paid us early today,” Lyrica said, handing over some money. Cynthia merely glared at her.

“Good. Go buy some milk at the store, Lyrica,” Cynthia said before heading back inside to soothe her children.

Lyrica let it go. Ever since their mother passed away, Cynthia had treated her this way, sometimes even hurting her. Lyrica couldn’t understand where her sister’s anger was coming from.

“Be patient with your sister, Lyrica,” her father said, his voice heavy with fatigue.

“It’s fine, Dad. By the way, I brought some cooked food. I’ll start cooking rice after I get back from the store to buy Ambet’s milk,” Lyrica said with a smile before heading out.

At the store, she heard neighbors chatting.

“Lyrica, when are you going back to school? Your intelligence shouldn’t go to waste,” one of them asked.

“Yes, Julius—my son who was in your grade—is graduating from college this May,” added another.

“I’m saving up so I can go back to school,” Lyrica replied awkwardly.

“Do you think you can save enough? Ever since your sister moved back in, you and your father have done nothing but work, while Cynthia just takes it easy,” said one of the women.

“Exactly. She’s always here, snacking with her kids and even smoking cigarettes,” chimed in another.

“Is that so? We didn’t know Ate had started smoking,” Lyrica said quietly before leaving.

A sense of unease crept over her, and she hurried home.

“Here’s the milk, Ate,” she said, handing it to Cynthia before going to her room. Once inside, she immediately checked her hidden wallet, where she kept all her savings from selling goods in town.

Her heart sank. Only 500 pesos remained. She broke down in tears.

“What happened, Lyrica?” Her father rushed into her room, alarmed.

Still crying, she couldn’t answer. Cynthia soon entered as well.

“What’s going on here?” Cynthia asked bluntly.

“Ate, my savings are almost gone! I’ve been working so hard to save, and now there’s barely anything left!” Lyrica cried, clutching her wallet. She noticed Cynthia’s guilty expression before her sister averted her eyes.

“So what? Are you accusing me of taking it?” Cynthia snapped.

“Cynthia, did you take your sister’s money?” their father asked, his tone stern.

“Why would I do that, Dad? I didn’t even know she had money hidden there,” Cynthia deflected.

“CYNTHIA!”

“Fine! I took some, okay? What do you expect me to do? My kids are starving!” Cynthia shouted.

“Ate, I had saved over 4,000 pesos, and now there’s only 500 left,” Lyrica sobbed. She had been saving to try her luck in Manila, hoping to find a better job there.

“God, Cynthia, where did the rest of her money go?” their father asked, devastated.

“Why are you always taking Lyrica’s side, Dad? I’m your child too!” Cynthia cried and stormed out of the room.

“Lyrica, please forgive your sister. She’s probably just overwhelmed,” her father said softly.

“My savings, Dad. I worked so hard for that... I’ve been skipping proper meals, eating just rice and free soup at the eatery to save money,” Lyrica said, her voice filled with hurt.

Her father embraced her, tears in his eyes. He promised to talk to Cynthia.

That night, Lyrica skipped dinner, too upset to eat. She stayed in her room, crying herself to sleep.

The next morning, she woke up early to prepare for work. Cynthia was still asleep, so she left quietly.

“Lyrica, can we talk?” her father said gently as she stepped out of the house.

“What is it, Dad?” she asked, her eyes still puffy from crying.

“Please be patient with your sister. Maybe she’s just really struggling because she hasn’t found a job yet,” he said.

“We’re all struggling, Dad. You know why I’ve been saving—I want to go to Manila to find work. I could earn more there,” Lyrica explained.

Her father sighed heavily and looked down.

“I know, anak. Don’t worry, I’ll repay what your sister took,” he said.

“No need, Dad. I’m sorry, too. I was just really upset last night. Don’t worry, I’ll save again,” Lyrica said with a smile.

“Thank you, anak,” her father said, hugging her.

“Alright, Dad, I need to go now. I might miss my ride,” she said with a smile.

“Take care, anak. I need to go too—Berto has work for me today. I can’t miss the opportunity,” he replied.

With that, father and daughter parted ways to face another day of hard work.

When I arrived at Nanay Lucing's vegetable stall, I immediately began my tasks. I assisted her with selling and cleaning her stall. I’m deeply thankful to my friend Marco for recommending me for this job with Nanay Lucing.

I met Marco back in high school. We became good friends, along with Mildred, Wren, and Krisha. We formed a close-knit group. Marco, Wren, and Mildred are still continuing their college education, while Krisha and I had to stop. I stopped first, having only completed my first year in college, while Krisha left during her third year after getting pregnant. Now, she lives with her partner, Darius. Whenever we have free time, we all gather at Krisha’s house to spend time together—just like today after my shift.