Eva looked up from her phone and stared at Eva. “What do you want me to do?” she asked, before gluing her eyes back to her handheld device. Her face was lit by the light coming from her cellphone.“You can stay here to load the dirty items or you can be at the laundry room to unload them from the dumbwaiter,” replied Flora as patiently as she could. Then, Flora waited for Eva to reply.Eva did not reply but tapped on her phone screen excitedly as if replying to a message. She smiled as she read the text on her phone. After a moment, Eva straightened her back and was about to lean on the wall when she noticed that Flora was still looking at her. It was then that she remembered that Flora had asked her a question.“Oh, you’re still waiting,” said Eva. “I didn’t realize that you’re waiting for me to answer. I thought you’ve already decided.” Eva went back to tapping on her phone and then asked
Flora was about to call out to Eva when she saw Emil. So, instead of calling out to the maid, Flora just watched them ascend the stairs to ground level. Just before they were out of view, Flora saw Emil place his arm over Eva’s shoulder. Eva turned to Emil and then wrapped her arm around Emil’s back.“I guess I’ll have to unload the dumbwaiter by myself,” Flora told herself and she sighed heavily. She hurriedly went next door to the laundry room and immediately opened the door to the dumbwaiter where she found the laundry bins sent by the maids already at her level. She quickly unloaded it and pressed the button that took the dumbwaiter upstairs to the other maids waiting there. Flora had to stay and keep pressing on the button until the dumbwaiter reached the top floor. It would have been faster if she were able to just leave the dumbwaiter after pressing it just one time, but there may be other reasons why the dumbwaiter was designed as such.
Flora could not believe what she just heard Eva say, but she stayed silent. It was not the first time that she found herself in a similar situation. It was frustrating to say the least, but Flora believed that speaking up for herself would just exacerbate matters. She could only hope that Rosa could see through Eva and know what to believe. In the past, Flora would cry when she experienced such injustice: co-workers taking credit for her work and spreading lies about Flora while flattering and praising their managers to make themselves look good. Flora would cry, however, because she could not believe that people could do such things. For someone who believed that people are intrinsically good, she could not believe that there are individuals who could knowingly and willfully spread lies in order to lift themselves up and make themselves good in front of their managers.Flora finished peeling the vegetables and left them on the table for Eva to slice and chop. She then found
Rosa got hold of the tea kettle and poured herself a cup of tea. She sat at the table and put her steaming cup of tea down. After a while, she took the teacup and blew on its contents before taking small sips. It was quiet in the kitchen as both women found time to calm down after the episode with Eva and the flurry of activity to take the slack after Rosa drove Eva out of her kitchen.The old cook seemed relatively at ease and calm after that violent storm of shouting words that she had unleashed at Eva. As Flora observed Rosa sipping her cup of tea, she wondered if there was something else about the old woman whom she had always seen as a tyrant in her own little domain. Flora recalled the advice that Rosa just gave her and wondered what she really meant by it. It was quite uncharacteristic for Rosa to give advice about Flora’s daughter when the old cook had ignored Nadi’s presence at the anteroom ever since they arrived.When Rosa said that it was not th
Back at the servants’ quarters, Flora and Nadi walked down the silent corridor. Flora knew that some of the other rooms were occupied by the maids while the other wing were the rooms for the manservants. Pablo, Maya and Rosa supposedly had their own rooms at the main house so that they could be easily summoned by Mr. Dante when needed.As they came to their room, Flora immediately unlocked the door to let Nadi in. Nadi as before immediately ran inside and jumped to her bed. Flora did not enter their room but gently closed it. She then crossed to the other side of the corridor to knock at Eva’s room.Flora made three knocks with her fist and waited for an answer.“Go away!” Flora heard Eva say.Concerned at how Eva was, Flora knocked again. “Eva, it’s me. I’ve brought you your dinner,” Flora said.At this, Eva opened her door. Her face looked more relaxed than at the kitchen earlier and she lost
Flora could not believe her eyes. There were people walking down the corridor. They were wearing white robes that were pulled over their heads, covering most of their faces. They were holding candles with two hands in front of them as they marched with their heads bowed. As Flora tried to recognize who they were, what she saw caused her to step backwards from the door. She got nervous recognizing someone walking with the crowd of robed figures. It was the mansion’s housekeeper, Maya.Flanked by two persons, Maya walked with a serious expression in her face. Her chin was raised, and she kept her eyes forward. She seemed like a prisoner being escorted to the gallows, but instead of fear in her eyes, she walked dignified and composed. Maya was the only one wearing a black robe and around her neck hung what appeared to be a gold amulet.In the darkness of her room, Flora was asking herself what it was that she saw. She was having a hard time knowing whether wha
Flora felt something heavy press against her body and she found it hard to breathe. Then, she heard the shrill trill of a bird close to her head as a pair of claws seemed to touch her face.“Mommy, wake up!” Flora heard the small voice of her daughter. Flora pushed her eyes open and realized that Nadi lay on top of her chest, making it hard for her to breathe . The claws that she thought were touching her face were actually Nadi’s small hands trying to wake her up. The bird call was the alarm clock sounding near her head.“I’m awake, Nadi. You can get off me now,” said Flora, squeezing her eyes shut before fluttering them open. She then covered her face with her hands before picking up her alarm clock to turn off its incessant beeping.“I woke up first,” said Nadi as she climbed down Flora’s bed.“Yes, you did,” replied Flora as she replaced the alarm clock on the bedside table
Flora entered the kitchen after leaving Nadi in the anteroom. She had changed her slippers and wore her hairnet. She found Rosa at the table listing the ingredients for the day’s meals while keeping note of the kitchen’s inventory.As Flora tied her apron around her waist, she found Rosa staring at her. She immediately turned to face Rosa who seemed to be looking at her curiously.“You came in alone,” said Rosa.“Yes, Ma’am. I knocked on Eva’s door before coming here, but she said that she’s not feeling well. It was probably the cold, it was extremely cold this morning,” said Flora, tightening the knot of her apron. She was worried at what Rosa might say, concerned about bearing the brunt of Rosa’s anger on Eva’s absence, but also afraid for Eva that Rosa might decide on something that could endanger the sick maid’s employment.“Makes sense,” Rosa said without any em
The water was clear and Lisa had no trouble seeing the cave opening just ahead. Before swimming through the opening, she took a quick look behind her and saw Nestie just behind her. Lisa gave Nestie a quick wave and shot through the opening of the cave with broad strokes of her arms and legs. Lisa swam to the surface and was quickly amazed at what she saw. The sun shining through the opening of the grotto made the water luminous, turning it from emerald to a glowing neon. She looked at her hands from under the water and saw the fine bubbles on her skin turning her hands into silver. She looked up at the ceiling and saw the ripples in the water reflected on the high dome of the grotto, giving the cavern an otherworldly appearance. The stalactites hanging from the ceiling glinted in the green light and looked like numerous fingers reaching for the water below. Nestie’s head bobbed out of the water and he quickly wiped the water from his face with his hands. Lisa watched his friend’s re
The boat glided over the water, leaving ripples in its wake. The boatman jumped aboard and started the engine, steering the boat towards one of the many islets that dotted the sea. Nestie turned his head and looked at the cliff that they had just descended. He swallowed hard before saying to Lisa. “I can’t believe we descended from that,” he said. “Are we going back the same way?” Lisa smiled as she saw the expression on Nestie’s face. Her friend took the front seat on the boat while she sat behind him. “Do you want to?” Lisa asked. “I don’t know if I can make it,” Nestie replied. Then, he added. “Maybe I can, but you will have to pull me up.” Lisa laughed at Nestie and pinched his back. “Ow! What was that for?” asked Nestie, rubbing his back which Lisa had just pinched. “For being so adorable!” Lisa answered. “Look ahead of you and enjoy the scenery. Don’t you think the islets and the rock formations look stunning?” Nestie loo
Upon alighting from the tricycle, Nestie saw the ocean and the tall cliffs that surrounded a wide beach. They were a short distance from the sandy coast where several boats were docked. Out on the sea were numerous islets that rose from the water like the backs of turtles or upturned boats. Several of the islands were connected to each other like a pearl necklace, the sea between them becoming labyrinthine for boats to navigate through. Fortunately, the islets also served a purpose in protecting the moored boats on the small beach where Lisa and Nestie were standing as well as the inner islets in the archipelago from the strong currents and big waves coming from the open ocean. “Do you like what you’re seeing so far, Nestie?” asked Lisa who had just paid the tricycle driver and stood beside Nestie to admire the scenery. “I’ve seen so many coasts in my life, but this is still breathtaking!” remarked Nestie, drinking in the scene before him. They were on top of a cliff
Lisa woke up from the sound of birds outside the window. She slowly opened her eyes and saw the room flooded with golden light. She stretched her arms and rubbed her eyes before sitting up in bed. It looked like it was going to be a good day, she thought as she looked around the brightly-lit room. Celie was still sleeping soundly so Lisa silently got off her bed and prepared to take her morning shower. It was good that Celie was able to sleep without any incident. Her cousin needed to have a good night’s rest if she were to look great for her birthday party. After taking her shower and putting on her usual comfortable clothes of jeans and a cotton shirt, Lisa noiselessly left the room. She then walked to Nestie’s room and knocked on the door. “Come in, Lisa,” came Nestie’s voice and Lisa twisted the door knob. “How was your sleep last night, Nes?” asked Lisa. Nestie had already changed and was combing his hair. “Very well. Thank you,” replied Nestie.
Lisa lay in bed with her blankets to her neck. Celie was right. It was a cold night. Lisa, however, could not figure out why Celie insisted on having the windows open despite the cold. Her cousin’s actions had been a bit erratic and illogical these past days, thought Lisa. She knew that her cousin tended to be unpredictable at times even when they were young. Back then, it could just be attributed to their youth; Lisa, herself, remembered doing some wild things with Celie. However, they were now grown women and very much in control of their actions. Lisa could understand Celie’s predicament of having to live under public scrutiny and always acting as a model figure for her father’s citizens, but Celie’s sudden disappearances and escape from her security detail were quite irresponsible. There was a quick snort coming from Celie’s bed and Celie moved restlessly to one side. Lisa looked at her cousin and wondered where she had gone after her photo shoot at the Home for the Elde
“Is that you, Lisa love?” came Celie’s drowsy voice as Lisa entered the guest room. The lights were off and Lisa could only tell from the dark shape over the bed that her cousin was already lying down as if ready to sleep. “Yes, Celie,” said Lisa, looking at her cousin. “It seems too early for you to be sleeping. Would you mind if I turn on the lights?” Lisa switched on the lights and saw that her cousin was in bed with her blankets drawn up to her neck. There was a soft moan from Celie. “Oh, sorry. Is the light too bright?” asked Lisa. “N-no,” came Celie’s reply. “Keep the lights on.” Lisa was about to walk towards her bed when she noticed Celie’s face. Celie’s face was ashen and her lips were pale. “You look pale, Celie. Are you sick?” asked Lisa worriedly. “No. I’m alright, Lisa. Don’t mind me. I just feel tired, that’s all,” came Celie’s reply. “Sorry to hear that,” said Lisa. She nevertheless went towards Celie and
The gates to the Adobe House opened slowly to allow the van to enter the grounds. There were soft knocks on the van’s window that made Lisa look at the person making the sound. She saw a young woman outside the van offering her garlands of sanaria. After a short pause, Lisa decided to lower the window and bought several garlands from the young woman. The young woman beamed, briefly showing her white but misaligned teeth. She thanked Lisa before walking off to find other buyers of her sanaria garlands. The sweet smell of the fresh garlands filled the van as it drove inside the Adobe House grounds. Lisa took a deep breath and was quickly reminded of her time as a young girl in Cardena. She remembered that there used to be plenty of sanaria growing wildly in nearby vacant lots and she and Celie would compete on who could pick the most. The flowers were brought to the kitchen were the kitchen maids would take some of their time to turn them into garlands. Sanaria leaves that did
The rain fell just too heavily and too sudden that Lisa could not tell if she did see what she thought she saw. She remembered seeing banners pinned on the trees outside as they entered the building earlier and knew that she could have imagined those to be something else. There was another flash of lightning followed by thunder and Lisa knew that it could be another one of the freak weather disturbances that she and Nestie had been seeing more frequently lately. “Toto, you have to stay calm,” said the nurse to the old man. She had come to the old man’s assistance when she found him to be distressed. “It’s just the rain. It will be over soon.” Lisa walked over to Nestie who was looking at the nurse as she tried to calm Toto. The two friends wanted to help the old man, but knew that the nurse would be able to do a better job. The nurse turned to Lisa and Nestie and gave them a smile. “He’s always like this during thunderstorms. Crying like a child.” “Ju
Toto placed his wrinkled hands on top of his notebook. He took off his glasses and looked at his audience around the table. They had all finished lunch and were listening to him as he read from his notebook. "Why did you stop?" said an old lady. "Go on. I want to know what happens next." "Yes, I want to know what happened between you and Clara," asked another bright-eyed old lady. "You had me talking for almost an hour. I think I deserve some breather," said Toto. He coughed, prompting Nestie to grab the pitcher and pour cold water onto Toto’s glass. “Thank you,” said Toto to Nestie after taking a few gulps of water. Lisa was amused. "You mentioned the Devil's Sea. Is that a real place?" Toto gave another cough and set down his glass on the table. "It's real alright. You don't hear a lot of stories about it now, but in those days, there were a lot of boats that went missing in that area." "You mean like the Bermuda triangle?" a