Sebastian ‘Baste’ Paner was a jock of hotel services and master of client pampering, especially for rich old women. When his best friend who was running a dating agency enlisted his help to fulfill a dying woman's wish, the greedy Baste accepted the offer right away. Who wouldn't be anyway if you're bound to inherit a massive land in the province after her death? However, it wasn't as easy as Baste had initially thought. “When I called and told your orphanage that I want a family, I didn't mean I need a husband. I need a child,” clarified 61-year-old Filomena Geronimo who mistakenly dialed the agency instead of the orphanage. By the way, it's not a love story. It's something more profound than that. It's... something only we know.
View MoreI KNOW WHAT I did to Basha was not a big deal, but it was not exactly good as well. That was the very reason why I was still standing outside their sari-sari store this late in the evening. I figured that I really owe her an apology for my words earlier this morning.“What are you doing here?” she sourly asked me right away.“I haven’t said anything yet,” I complained. “But why are so mad already?”She just rolled her eyes and began ignoring me. She pretended to arrange the items into their respective shelves just to completely ignore me.“Okay, I’ve said something you didn’t like earlier, so… I’m sorry.”She did not answer me and just proceeded to what she was doing. She was obviously mad and did not want to listen to me. I honestly do not like feeling stupid while asking forgiveness in front of others. I stopped immediately when I observed that my apol
197xTHE DAWN WAS just breaking but Valentina was already all set for the day. She will be joining her Uncle Juan in bringing the vegetables, pineapples, and flowers they harvested to the public market down the town. She was already inside their pickup truck when she spotted Nenita half-walking and half-running towards her and her father Fernando. Her Uncle Juan was not with Nenita when she neared them.“Uncle, tatay cannot come today. His back was still hurting so bad he couldn’t get up,” Nenita informed her Uncle Fernando about her father’s condition.Valen immediately got out of the shotgun seat of the pickup truck because she knew that there was no one else who knew how to drive the vehicle except her Uncle Juan. They have no substitute for him or had not yet found the right one to proxy him for this job. Frida, Fernando’s wife, and Valentina’s mother smiled and caressed the worri
TrustTHE DAY AT the farm ended with me having done only a little. My fellow farmers were good enough not to rebuke me for the minimal works I have made. The sun was already setting down when Valentina and I began walking our way home in silence.“I’m sorry…” I began.She threw me a sideway glance, but she did not stop walking.“What are you apologizing for?”“The works I have done were terrible, and they were much lesser than the other farmers. I’m really sorry…” I sincerely apologized again and lowered my head in shame.It was really a shame because it seemed to appear that I was just all talk and never had proven my claims and promises through my actions. That was the very goal of why I was here and why I stayed here. I have to be worthy of what I will be having. I wanted it to become one of my hard-earned triumphs.
197xTHE SUN KISSED the hills as the skies turned bleak, hinting the end of that specific day for the people of the Pitong Gatang. Valentina was busy finishing their farm work for that day when she noticed through her peripherals that Nenita and Johnny were talking in whispers in a corner. It had been weeks since the guy began helping them in the farm. She overheard her cousin asking Johnny once why he was doing it and if he had no other work in the city. He just said that he was still on a vacation, so he figured that it would be nice and best to spend it by helping them.Valen finished whatever she was doing when she heard Nenita laugh as she pushed Johnny in her direction. She carried the basket full of eggplants they harvested for the day and began walking, but even before she can get away, Johnny already stood in front of her and smiled at her warmly.“Let me carry it.”“I can handle it,&rd
TrustI SET MY alarm for today, but Valentina was faster than lighting in waking me up. She did not wait for me to join her in walking down the stairs. She just left right after knocking at my bedroom door and telling me to wake up. I followed suit to the dining area where breakfast was already served and prepared. My lips slightly parted in surprise as she sat on her seat. I walked towards her and stood just beside her seat.“I remember telling you last night that it will be me who’s going to cook breakfast for us.”“And I also remember you telling me that you do not know how to cook,” she retorted before sipping on her coffee.“You… remember that? I mean, I was just surprised because that small detail remained in your mind. I know you’re going through some sort of, you know, memory loss.”“Just sit down and eat. We have a lot of work to d
197xJOHNNY STAYED IN Pitong Gatang for that whole summer. The only family member left for him was his grandmother. He spent most of his time taking care of her and visiting and helping Valen on the farm which greatly surprised the woman when she saw him approaching one morning. He was dressed like their usual clothes for farming — a long sleeves polo, comfortable pants, a pair of humble footwear, and a straw hat.“What are you doing here…” she asked him in disbelief as she kept staring at his smiling face.“Let me help you.”“What do you know about farming?”“I studied horticulture and agriculture for four years because I always remember you.”Valen had to look away after hearing that. She felt overwhelmed that he did not really forget about her within those years that they were apart, but she was also kind of jealous. She knew that Johnn
I RETREATED TO where Basha and Aunt Anita was and helped them in cleaning up the table. Bart and Uncle Bert went with Valen and the other farmers to work on the farms. I was kind of worried for Valen because she was not getting any younger and she was sick. She had to rest for all I know and retire. She had to take care of her health and condition, too.I saw Basha carry a pile of empty dishes. She could hardly take them with both of her hands, so I left my post in wiping the table to walk towards her to help her.“Let me carry it,” I told her.She just frowned at me and kept the pile away from me.“I can do it,” she replied, sounding serious and unwelcoming.“You could hardly carry it. Just let me do it.” I insisted and tried snatching them from her.She was also persistent to keep the pile of dishes away from me, so we ended up just pulling and pushing, almost scrambling for it. She groa
197xFOUR YEARS, IT had been four years since Valentina last saw Johnny. He said he will be coming back when school was over, but four school years had passed yet no Johnny came back. In the second year, Valen stopped writing and sending him letters. She just lost her hope in him and in his palabra de honor.She wanted to blame him and be mad at him but she could not because she also questioned who she was in his life and how much she meant to him for him to meet his promise and come back. He was not obliged to do anything with her in the first place. He was an intelligent city boy while she was just a simple girl from the province. They lived very different lives, and they were like worlds apart. She could not blame him if she was that easy to forget. She was just hurt, but she had to keep it to herself and just keep going.After their farm works and before the day ended, she decided to go visit the gazebo. She used to
THE PEOPLE OF Pitong Gatang were already gathered at the huge table outside the Soriano Family’s house and sari-sari store. There was also food atop the table. I was surprised because I did not expect their breakfast to be this way like they were having a feast minus the delicious and expensive foods.“Kuya Bart!”The moment my eyes met with Basha’s, she glared at me brazenly for a reason I do not even know. She looked away when I furrowed my brows and just busied herself with helping the people in further preparing the table. Guess, she was simply harboring some bad blood for me. I did not come here to please her, though, so I did not care at all. I came here for business and for my big bright future.“Baste! It’s good that you’re here. Can I ask you a favor?” asked Aunt Anita while carrying two huge plates of fried rice.I helped her carry one and then I placed it on the already full table
Something Only We KnowSebastian ‘Baste’ Paner was a jock of hotel services and master of client pampering, especially for rich old women. When his best friend who was running a dating agency enlisted his help to fulfill a dying woman's wish, the greedy Baste accepted the offer right away. Who wouldn't be anyway if you're bound to inherit a massive land in the province after her death? However, it wasn't as easy as Baste had initially thought.“When I called and told your orphanage that I want a family, I didn't mean I need a husband. I need a child,” clarified 61-year-old Valentina Geronimo who mistakenly dialed the agency instead of the orphanage.By the way, it's not a love story. It's something more profound than that. It's... something only we know._______________________________________I will be writing this story in honor of my late grandmother, Valentina. The setti
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