Chapter 2

Lisa’s POV

“Nanay, let’s eat now!” I called out to my mother, who was still working on handmade fans even at this hour. I frowned when I heard her coughing again and again.

That cough… it’s been going on for so long. Why hasn’t it gone away?

I placed the plate of freshly heated food on the table before heading to the backyard, where we usually worked on the fans.

“‘Nay, come on, let’s eat,” I said, walking up to her.

I held the box where we stored the finished fans. She had already filled two boxes! The buyers would be coming soon to pick them up. They usually ordered three boxes at a time. That’s more than a thousand fans made in just one month.

“Let me just finish this last one, anak,” she said.

I looked around at the remaining materials—there were only a few left. We’d need to restock soon. I glanced back when she coughed again.

“Are you really okay, ‘nay? That cough’s been bothering you for a while now.” I walked over with concern and gently rubbed her back. She kept coughing, holding her chest. She reached for the pitcher of water nearby and took a drink.

“I’m fine, anak. Maybe I’m just tired.” I let out a deep sigh, remembering what Sir Fier had said earlier. That’s one of the reasons I agreed to his plan.

I did it for Nanay—to help her and to finish my studies.

“Let me take over, ‘nay. Go wash your hands, it’s time to eat. I’m starving already. Our food today’s from the mansion!” I tried to sound cheerful.

“Oh really? Alright then, let’s eat. Your little ones in your tummy might be hungry already,” she said jokingly.

She laughed as she stood up and began tidying her tools. I also started putting the materials back in their containers. Some of them were sharp and dangerous, especially with the neighbor’s dogs around—those dogs always chew up anything they find.

At the table, Nanay was quiet. I kept talking, telling stories about school. She laughed here and there, sometimes giving comments, but she was different today. Like she had something weighing on her. Her eyes looked tired and sunken.

Maybe she’s just really exhausted from rushing to finish the fans on time.

As I washed our dishes in the wooden sink covered with sheet metal, my mind wandered to what Sir Fier and I talked about earlier. I still wasn’t sure if I had made the right decision—but if it’s for my dreams and for Nanay, then maybe it’s worth it.

He said he’d take care of everything. What scared me the most was his plan to come to our house. He said it would be more believable if Nanay met him and believed that he was really courting me.

I took a deep breath. It already hurt, knowing I would have to lie to Nanay—for the first time ever. But if it was for her own good... maybe I could do it.

He told me not to worry about anyone getting mad. According to him, everything would be fine. What surprised me was what he said about Ma’am Sabby.

“I don’t have a girlfriend or anything. No one will get mad at you,” he said as he sipped his coffee, served earlier by Aling Dyosa.

“Ma’am Sabby? Isn’t she your girlfriend?” I asked curiously, biting into the sandwich with generous ham and mayonnaise.

“She’s just a friend. You don’t need to worry about her.”

What? That woman? The one he’s always all over with—kissing and doing other stuff—and she’s just a friend? Unbelievable!

I could only nod. Maybe that’s what friendship means to people like them—like they’re already married.

“And also,” he continued, “you’re not just going to pretend to be my wife. I want you to act and speak like a decent, educated woman—with class. Think of it as training. I’ll need you to accompany me to gatherings and meetings. That’s unavoidable, especially with my status. If you’re not with me, it’ll be my mom. I think you can do it. You just need a bit of... ahm, dressing up.”

He looked at me up and down even though we were seated—I could feel the intensity of his gaze. I turned away and took a sip of juice to hide the blush creeping up my face.

“But sir, I don’t have money,” I said, wiping my mouth.

The sandwich was so good. I took another without thinking. I didn’t even care that he was still sitting there, watching me.

“I told you—I’ll handle everything. I’ll get you a great designer and fashion guru from Manila,” he said, and my eyes widened.

Wow! But wait—Manila?

“Manila?” I asked, surprised. He was now busy on his fancy phone.

“Yes. We’ll live there. What did you think—here? What are we going to do in this place? My life is in Manila. We’re just vacationing here.”

So cold.

“But what about my mother? I can’t leave her. It’s just the two of us.”

I couldn’t imagine leaving her behind, all alone. Just the thought made me want to back out.

“Then bring her with us. Is that a problem? I’ll get her a condo.”

He said it so casually, not even looking up from his phone.

“Wherever she goes, I’ll go. She’s getting old. It’s lonely without someone around.”

He didn’t respond. He kept typing something on his phone, smiling at whatever it was.

We sat in silence. Once I finished my sandwich, I leaned back in my seat, waiting to hear more.

He didn’t even eat. The food he set aside was left untouched. What a waste. I should’ve eaten it instead. They were probably going to throw it out later. They couldn’t even give it to their dogs—they had their own special food.

“Oh, by the way! Your mom needs to know about us. I’m coming to your house. That’s when we’ll start acting like a couple. She needs to believe this is real. Our marriage won’t be fake—it’ll be legal. So she needs to be part of it too.”

That’s what I had been worrying about. I wasn’t scared that Nanay would get angry—I was of age. She’d even been asking about these things for a while. But I always told her the truth—that there was no one. I’d never had a boyfriend, not even once. I’m just scared... that she’ll know I’m lying. I’ve never lied to her before. I never had a reason to—until now.

“When, sir?” I asked, nervous.

“As soon as possible. Our vacation here is almost over. My family might go ahead and return to Manila while I stay to settle things. Start packing. You’ll be leaving with me.”

---

I peeked into Nanay’s room. She was asleep. Beside her was a photo of my father. She always slept this way—ever since Tatay and my younger sibling passed away. She talked about them every day. She hadn’t been the same cheerful woman since.

I quietly sat on her bamboo bed and looked at her.

“I love you so much, Nanay. I’m doing this for you.”

I bent down to kiss her but something caught my eye—something under her pillow. I carefully pulled it out, making sure not to wake her. It was a large brown envelope. I opened it and saw a blue plastic folder and several documents inside.

I went to the kitchen for more light and looked through the papers one by one. At first, I didn’t understand what I was reading. But then I opened one envelope—and my hand flew to my mouth.

I looked back toward Nanay’s room. I couldn’t believe what I was reading. I was frozen there, trying to find answers. Then the tears started falling.

I wanted to deny it, but her name was all over the documents and the blue x-ray film. There were receipts for medicine—medicines I’d never seen before. They weren’t the cheap cough medicines I’d been buying.

My knees weakened. Nanay had been sick for a long time. One of the test dates was just a few days ago.

Why did she hide this from me?

My Nanay...

I cried and cried. This couldn’t be happening. I had to do something.

I didn’t sleep that night. I skipped class the next day. I also didn’t need to go back to the mansion—Sir Fier and I had discussed that already. They even gave me the full payment for my work—more than what I was originally promised.

It was still dark when I started cooking breakfast. I fried runny eggs—Nanay’s favorite. Since we didn’t have leftover rice from the night before, I cooked a new batch. I heard the men from the neighborhood getting ready to go fishing. That’s their usual schedule—leaving before sunrise and coming back when the sun is up.

When I finished, I cleaned the house and gathered our laundry. I started washing it outside, not minding the cold water from the communal pump. My mind was somewhere else, completely distracted.

If our neighbor hadn’t called out to say goodbye before heading to the sea, I wouldn’t have realized I was pouring too much soap into the basin. By the time I finished, the sun was rising. I also filled our water drums for bathing, making multiple trips to the pump.

“Oh, anak! You’re up so early,” Nanay said as she came out holding a cup of coffee.

I nodded, out of breath from carrying the last bucket into the bathroom.

“Yes, ‘nay! Go ahead and eat. I made breakfast already,” I said, catching my breath.

“You didn’t have to do all that, anak. I could’ve handled it. You have school today! Go eat now,” she urged. I stared at her while she invited me to our small kitchen and set her coffee on our wooden table.

I didn’t say anything as she spooned rice and food onto my plate. Then she stood up again to prepare sliced tomatoes and onions for our dipping sauce.

Tears streamed down my face as I watched her back. She was coughing softly, trying to hide it with little throat clears.

“Nanay?” I called out. She didn’t respond. She just kept mixing the tomatoes and shrimp paste. When she returned to the table, she gave me a warm smile.

“Come on, anak. Let’s eat. I’ll walk you to school today. I just want to see you go off,” she said, trying to sound strong and happy.

“You can’t fool me, ‘nay. Why didn’t you tell me?”

I couldn’t hold it in anymore. I broke down in front of her. I took her hand and cried. She looked confused, asking me what was wrong.

“I’ll find a way, ‘nay. I just wish you told me sooner so I could’ve helped you.” I stood up and hugged her.

“Anak,” she whispered, her tears falling too. I tightened my arms around her, burying my face into her neck as I sobbed.

She took a deep breath.

“Stay strong, Lisa. I love you so much. Always remember that.” We both cried together—mourning, fearing, hurting. I didn’t know what I’d do if I lost her. I couldn’t take it.

“You’ll get better, ‘nay. You will! Didn’t you say you want to see me get married? That’s happening soon.”

I forced a smile, made my voice sound happy. I stood tall in front of her, pretending everything was fine even as pain slowly ate me alive inside.

Just six more months...