Chapter 1

"Ate Zemira... wake up!"

I opened my eyes, and I could hear my heavy breathing. The sweat from my forehead is enough to fill an entire bottle. 

"Are you okay, ate?" Zion asked, who's sitting beside me.

I nodded.

It was only a dream, but one thing's for sure...

It was that dream again.

The church.

The voice.

The dark room.

The masked man.

Ilang beses ko na siyang nakita sa mga napapanaginipan ko.

What does that mean?

Who's that masked man?

And what the hell is that?! 

He just kissed me! 

Ano ba naman, Zemira... sa panaginip lang naman.

"Ate, look! A cow!" I came back to my senses when I heard my little brother chuckled. "Wow!"

Manghang-mangha siya sa nakita niya.

Nasa kalagitnaan pa pala kami ng biyahe, and it's raining outside.

What a beautiful scenario.

The wind pushes on the car to no avail. The tires make their monotonous hiss over the rain-washed highway.

All around, through these black tinted windows are fields. What reason is there that we can't stop and walk barefoot in the grass?

Oh, yes. Because it's raining.

Gusto kong mas pagmasdan nang matagal ang magandang tanawin sa labas, habang naliligo sa ulan.

I want to experience that one, badly.

Mom fiddles with the radio to fill our ears with the popular song of Paul Anka, "Put your head on my shoulder".

As the song's playing, I can't help but to reminisce my childhood days here. Old days but good ones. 

Naalala ko na noong bata ako ay madalas rin kaming pumunta dito para magbakasyon, pero hindi ko na kabisado pa ang daanan. Marahil ay sobrang tagal na n'on.

Every time I close my eyes while listening to the song, I can feel the gentle rise and fall of the road beneath us. 

Lilipat kami ngayon sa bago naming titir'han.

New house.

New surroundings.

New neighborhood.

For me, adjusting to new changes can be difficult.

We went back here in the Philippines last week for a vacation, pero nabigla na lang ako sa sinabi ni Mom na dito na kami titira, permanently.

I know, because of my Dad.

My parents have recently filed for a divorce.

Why?

"You don't need to stay stuck in an unhappy marriage."

We moved to the United States when I was ten years old and stayed for nearly ten years. I'm still fluent in speaking tagalog because Mom constantly speaks to us in Tagalog at home, reminding us not to forget our first language. At saka nag-aaral din ako nito, online.

Well, anything is possible now because of technology.

"Malayo pa po ba?" I asked my Mom who's driving in front.

She nodded. "Bakit? Inaantok ka ba ulit? You can still sleep, malayo pa tayo."

I sighed.

Ayoko nang matulog ulit at baka mapaniginipan ko na naman ‘yong kanina.

I don't know but despite of the beautiful view from outside, I'm nervous.

Kanina pa ako kinakabahan, kaya rin siguro ako biglang nanaginip kanina.

I hate this weird feeling. 

What's wrong with me?

Who knows what is waiting for us out there? 

This ride, this car — they have found a use for us and somewhere, at the end of this road trip is the answer to what that could be.

Ano'ng naghihintay pagkatapos ng biyaheng ito?

-

I just enjoyed the view— the green fields, the fog, the rain, while listening to the songs on the radio. Para naman mawala ang kaba na kanina pa namumutawi sa katawan ko.

After 2 hours...

"We're here!" Mom exclaimed.

Binasa ko ang nasa arko na unang bumungad sa amin.

"Welcome to Sitio Siniestro."

Malalaking bahay ang mga nandito, hindi maipagkakailang lugar ng mga prestihiyosong tao.

"I was raised here in Sitio Siniestro," said Mom and smiled.

Nasa harap na kami ngayon ng isang malaking gate na mahahalatang sobrang luma na't napabayaan dahil sa kulay.

Creepy.

"Are you sure we will be staying in that house? Mom, it's scary!" Halatang takot na takot si Zion.

"Don't worry, bukas din ay bibili ako ng pintura para baguhin ang awra ng bahay." Mom laughed. "At wala namang multo dito, kayo talaga!" she continued.

Unang lumabas si Mom sa sasakyan para buksan ang gate, napansin ko naman ang kumpulan ng mga matatandang babae sa gilid ng kalsada malapit kung saan huminto ang sasakyan namin.

Lumabas ako ng sasakyan, gano'n din si Zion.

"Oh, ba't pa kayo lumabas?" Mom saw us. "Sige, pumasok na kayo sa loob at ipapasok ko lang ang sasakyan," she added.

Takot pa rin si Zion kaya naman sumama rin siya kay Mom sa loob ng sasakyan.

Napansin ako ng isa sa mga nasa kumpulan, and I waved at her.

Nang ngitian ko siya ay halatang nagulat siya. Pagkatapos n'on ay dali-dali silang nagsialisan at bumalik sa loob ng kani-kanilang bahay.

What the hell was that?

Pumasok na lang ako at sobrang namangha. Kahit na alam kong nakapunta na ako dito noon, iba pa rin kapag binalikan 'tong bahay ngayon, lalo't sobrang tagal na ng panahon na 'yon.

It's a very old house, you could have already told from its design. The door in the center, a square window (divided into quarters) on each side of the door. 

It is, without a doubt, huge, almost intimidatingly so. I know on climbing out, it took a more detailed form.

The house is long and narrow, two floors high, and only about twelve feet wide in the front, but it stretched thirty feet back like a gigantic shoe box.

A tiny rose garden had been established here in front, as far as I recall, and although it had clearly been carefully planned and loved once, it was now overrun with weeds.

"Kailangan lang ng kaunting linis," Mom said. "Let's go inside."

Kaunting linis? Seryoso ba siya?

The house is welcoming from the open door.

"It's your grandmother's ancestral house," Mom added, at saka binuksan ang pintuan.

"It was a living museum. She had never bought anything more modern than the 1960's."

Nang makapasok ay inilibot ko ang paningin sa kabuuan ng bahay, si Zion naman na kanina'y takot na takot, ngayon ay tuwang-tuwa na. "Can I invite friends to play here with me?" tanong pa niya.

"Of course, Zion," Mom answered.

Dust lay over every surface like dirty snow, pristine dust layer, not a foot print anywhere.

From the interior design to the furnitures, I can tell that everything was original, refurbished retro.

The floor was an old-fashioned parquet. The windows weren't the large ones that are so fashionable and modernized now, but more the size I used to see in old country cottages.

Maalikabok man, nakakamangha pa rin na kahit matagal nang walang naninirahan ay sobrang ganda at tibay pa rin ng bahay.

"Sige na't idiretso mo na ang gamit mo sa itaas,"  ani Mom at saka ibinigay sa akin ang isang susi.

"The second room up there is yours, Mira."

That nickname again.

Dumiretso nga ako sa kuwartong sinabi niya at mas namangha pa ako. 

Sobrang lawak ng kuwarto.

I opened the window, para naman lumiwanag kahit papaano.

Umuulan pa rin.

Pinagmasdan ko ang buong kuwarto at napako ang atensyon ko sa nakadisplay na litrato ni Mom sa pader, kaya masasabi kong ito 'yong kuwarto niya noon.

Nilapitan at pinagmasdan kong mabuti ang litrato.

Dalaga pa si Mom sa litrato, at ganoong-ganoon  ang itsura ko ngayon.

Ba't parang napunit?

It's like it was ripped in half. 

Nevermind.

Muli ko na lamang itinuon ang atensyon sa kabuuan nitong kuwarto.

Ang mga gamit na nandito ay natakpan ng puting tela na inalis ko naman isa-isa.

All the furniture were old, classy.

May cassette player.

And, there's also a piano here.

Music lover kasi si Mom.

I don't know but I'm starting to love this place, kahit na natatakot din ako kanina.

Nagsimula akong linisan ang kuwarto, wala namang masiyadong kalat. Maalikabok lang talaga.

I cleaned the room for almost half an hour, dahil na rin inilagay ko na ang mga gamit ko dito.

Tumingin ako sa labas, tumila na rin ang ulan sa wakas .

Bumaba ako at naabutan ko sina Mom at Zion na naglilinis din kaya tinulungan ko sila.

Halos limang oras din ang inabot bago namin tuluyang malinis ang kabuuan ng bahay.

Yes, nang kami-kami lang.

It's already 3 PM.

Kumain muna kami at pagkatapos ay dumiretso ako ulit sa kuwarto.

Inaantok ako. 

Hihilata na sana ako sa kama nang mapansin ko ang isang papel na nakakalat sa sahig.

I'm sure I already cleaned this room.

Wala namang kalat na kanina.

Kaagad ko 'yong pinulot, but then I feel something strange.

Binuklat ko ang papel and my brain stutters for a moment.

Every part of me goes on pause while my thoughts catch up when I see what's written on the paper.

"Welcome home, Zemira."