Nothing 04

VALENTINA LET ME stay in the attic of her bungalow house. Apart from the fact that it was getting late and the drive back to the city will be surely exhausting, she had no choice but to accept me since she cannot pay for the breach of contract. Her farms were struggling at the moment, and she had to save everything she can to bring their production back to normal.

I was really expecting that her attic would look messy and dusty, but I was completely wrong. It was well-maintained with proper lighting and a normal-sized bed that honestly looked comfortable beside a big trunk that served as its bedside table. The weary I didn’t know I have been keeping the whole day emanated the moment my back made contact with the bedsheets.

“God, I am so tired…” I whispered then proceeded to cover my eyes with my right forearm.

Just when I was about to doze off, I heard a knock on the door.

“Have you eaten, young man?” I heard Valen ask from the other side.

I have not taken anything for lunch and dinner. It was surprising how this place would remind me of a lot of simple things. I got up quickly to walk towards the door to open it for her, but she was already walking away when I did.

“Hurry up. We shouldn’t keep the food waiting,” she reminded me.

Of course, I have to follow her. I assumed I have to do something impressive to make her think that I am somehow deserving to have her place when the heavens decide to take her. It would be easy. I know it would be easy.

I stepped outside and closed the door behind me before following her down to her simple dining area. The round table had only three chairs. I sat on the seat that was facing her. She had prepared the Filipino staple food – the rice partnered with canned sardines. She started eating while I just stared unbelievably at the canned sardines. Valen seemed to notice the apprehension written all over my face.

“You don’t eat something like that?” she asked in a serious tone.

Of course, I lived in a hotel in the city. I don’t eat something like this, but it was hard to tell her that because as I have said, I have to impress her. If impressing her means fine-tuning my lifestyle to the provincial life, then I should do it.

I slowly shook my head in retort. “I just find it kind of jarring why you’re settling for this sort of food. You have many farms, and you own this huge piece of land. You can eat anything you want.”

She did not say anything. She just looked at me like she was seeing something through my very soul. Did my words turn her off? I hope not…

She put down her utensils before she intertwined her fingers as kept her gaze on me.

“I’m not the only one who keeps this land alive. There are a hundred people who are depending on it, too. My needs are just a small portion of a whole. Why do I have to live lavishly when a small amount is already enough for me?”

She gave me a long single gaze before finally returning her attention to the food she was previously eating. I just watched her, trying to study what kind of person she was and what kind of relationship we could share during my stay here. After a while, I gave up. She was that hard to read. Her façade seemed neutral, and there was something about her that I could not explain. Perhaps I could know more about her as our days together progressed.

I sighed and forced myself to just take what was on the table. She finished before me, so I lifted my eyes on her and noticed that she made the sign of the cross.

“Shouldn’t prayer happen before the meal?” I asked, confused.

“I forgot earlier,” she calmly retorted.

My lips pulled up for a teasing smirk. “Memory problems, eh?”

She did not answer. She did not want to admit it, I assumed. Or maybe because she still did not trust me enough.

“You know what, I may appear greedy to you for wanting to inherit your land, but I swear, I’m not a thief nor murderer. Why do you think I was the one assigned to be here among all of the employees of that dating agency?”

She did not answer again. It was honestly hard conversing with her because it really felt like talking to the wind. I let out a long weary sigh.

“Look, I’m Sebastian Paner, and you can me Baste for short. I worked in a hotel and I’m good at handling old women. I feel like I’m more connected with them compared to other people, so I cannot and I don’t want to hurt the likes of you.”

“Why?”

Her question was just simple, but it got me thinking hard for a reason. I honestly do not know what to tell her. Should I say that I slept with old women in exchange for some of their fortunes? I couldn’t because I knew and felt that was not just the reason.

We have been caught again in a staring contest. She was looking at me like she was studying my species, and I was staring at her, pondering about things.

Funny how everything turned out in just a short while that we were together. She reminded me of the basics which I most of the time forget and even made me question a lot of things about myself. How can she possibly do that? I could not help but think of the coming days with her. I thought it would be easy. I really do hope that it would be easy. This was my strongest suit, and the likes of her were my field of expertise.

“You didn’t answer my question about your memory problems. Now is my turn to keep that piece of me untold,” I responded and lowered my eyes into my plate.

The dinner ended just like that. I changed into some comfortable clothes before laying on my bed, thinking and strategizing on how to earn her trust. I want to own her land, and if she wants to have it in a fair and square means, then I do not mind trying. I just really want to have it. I am determined to prove my uncle wrong about everything he told and thought of me.

“You’ll forever remain as a manwhore!”

I smirked painfully when his words echoed again in my head. I know I am, but hearing it from him kind of hurt me. He was my only family after all. I thought he would understand me. I know that what I did was not something a family member would be proud of. It was horrible, but I also have my reasons that I think they would never understand because they chose not to listen.

I laid on my side and rested my head on my folded arm. I do not know what was waiting for me in this place tomorrow, but I have to be prepared.

I CURSED WHEN I checked the time on my phone. It was still quarter to four in the fucking morning, literally dawn, but Valentina knocked loudly and repeatedly on my bedroom door to wake me up. I was so shocked I jolted awake because I thought there was a fire and the whole house was burning.

I could not help but complain. “It’s still three forty-five for goodness sake!”

I was starting to lose my cool around her. This is not good. This is really bad. I felt like she was testing me.

“Exactly the time to wake up and work so we could finish early. It will be a long day, and we need an additional workforce to help the farms recover,” she replied from the other side.

I reached for my pillow to bury my face in there before shouting in annoyance. I just arrived and I needed rest.

“It’s either you move or go home. I don’t care if I will be sued for breaching the contract. I’m old and it will only take me a little time in the prison—”

I did not give her time to finish. I just forcibly opened the door and looked at her with annoyance etched on my face. I was already wearing my sweater and jogging pants. The Philippines was a tropical country, but Pitong Gatang was certainly one of its cold places. The weather was a bit gloomier here compared to others, and at this time, the fogs will make it hard for you to see the surrounding.

“We literally can’t see anything here!” I grumbled as we made our way to her vegetable plantation.

We were both holding a flashlight, but she immediately switched hers off when we finally reached the area. There were a few lampposts serving as the light source of the whole area. I saw some solar panels earlier, so I assumed their electricity stemmed from there. I noticed that there were already people working there. I even spotted Mang Bert and his son, Bart. So, it was true? They worked early here so they could finish early as well.

The people greeted Valen good morning and some even included me when they noticed me. She seemed well-respected by the people of Pitong Gatang. She asked someone about their harvest and other matters I could not quite get because of course, I was a former hotel employee and not a farmer. I got scraps of their conversation, so I found out that the vegetables they can harvest in an hour or more would be delivered and sold in the public market before the sun rises. She turned to me when she finished talking with that someone.

“You get a trowel and harvest some carrots over there,” she ordered me.

“I don’t know how to do it!” I protested before she can even leave me.

“Bart!” she called the guy who was the root cause of our every trouble.

Bart jogged his way towards us and asked, “Yes, Nay Valen? Do you have any instructions?”

“Go teach Baste how to harvest the carrots.”

“Aye, aye, Nay Valen!” Bart smilingly replied with a salute.

I could not help but roll my eyes heavenwards. God, he was annoying.

When Valen left, Bart spun around to face me. “City boy, get yourself ready to become a farm boy.”

Guess, I have to prolong my patience with him, with Valen, and to the farm life with them.

•|• Illinoisdewriter •|•

Vocabulary

• Mang - a title of respect before calling a man's name.