CHAPTER 3
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Mir got out of the pickup. The first thing that greeted her was a beautiful two-story house painted white. It was old – not because it was run-down, but because its facade still bore the marks of colonial design despite several renovations she had heard the house had already undergone to modernize it.
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“You’re finally here!”
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Ate Ena, Uncle Lito’s eldest, waddled toward them in her pastel pink maternity dress. At twenty-eight, married and four months pregnant, she carried herself with a glow that made Vina squeal in delight as she and Mir rushed to hug her.
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“It’s so good to see you, Ate!” Vina gushed before looking down and exclaimed, “You’re already showing!”
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Ate Ena laughed heartily. “Of course, I’m four months pregnant.”
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“Ehem, we’re also here,” someone said behind Ate Ena.
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The youngest child, Ella, and Auntie Josie were standing there with wide smiles. Mir and Vina went over and queued to ask for Auntie Josie’s blessing.
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“Mano po.”
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They both took turns holding Auntie Josie’s hand and pressing it to their foreheads.
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“Bless you, mga anak,” Auntie Josie said before hugging them both in welcome.
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They then went over to squeeze Ella tightly between the two of them.
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“OW!” she complained, but tried to hug back as tightly as she could.
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“Hey, wait a minute,” Uncle Lito suddenly piped in as he walked over to them. “Where’s my ‘mano po’?”
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“Mine was lost in the deadly bear hug you gave me,” Vina deadpanned.
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Uncle pouted and turned his eyes to Mir, who simply shrugged.
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“Sorry, I forgot.”
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“Nobody respects me in this house,” Uncle cried out sadly, but was promptly ignored by everyone. They all knew he was just being funny and actually didn’t mind the lack of ‘mano po’. In fact, he would take any opportunity to be considered a youngster.
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The ladies all gathered together and chatted among themselves.
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“How are you? It’s been so long! Ooh, I’ve missed both of you so much!” Ate Ena gushed.
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“Your husband won’t be coming at all?” Vina asked.
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“It depends on how things go on his business trip,” she answered before her eyes landed on Mir.
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“Ate Mir has gotten so pretty,” Ella said before Ena could say anything.
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“I was thinking the same thing!” Ate Ena laughed. “I mean, it was already obvious since you were a child, but I didn’t expect you to bloom this much.”
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“You’re exaggerating,” Mir said, unimpressed.
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“Don’t worry, she’s happy inside,” Vina deadpanned.
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“Why are we even talking out here?” Auntie Josie said as she pulled Mir and Vina’s arms to lead them into the house. “Let’s get inside. Boys, bring the luggage in!”
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“Aye, aye, captain!” Uncle Lito answered with a salute while Enzo started unloading the luggage from the pickup.
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The interior of the Bituin family’s house was just as expected – a perfectly curated mixture of vintage and modern. The common rooms were all large and had high ceilings, but they were equipped with the conveniences of present-day technology.
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The floors were not tiled or cemented like most houses today, but instead made of quality wood, perfectly polished to a shine. The windows were massive too, fitted with screens and metal grills.
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It looked perfect in its entirety, but one could never hide age.
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This house will probably be scary at night, Mir thought to herself as she shuddered. It just screams horror.
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Auntie Josie led them to the guest room on the second floor. Uncle Lito and Enzo had gone in first to deposit their luggage and swiftly came out.
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“What are you waiting for?” Auntie Josie said. “Go prepare some snacks.”
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Both father and son grinned sheepishly as they went to do just as Auntie Josie ordered.
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“Is Ate Ena sharing a room with us?” Vina asked as she dragged her luggage to the side of the room.
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“No, she always uses her old room when she’s back home,” Auntie Josie said, pointing a finger at the wall on the right. “Her room is just next door.”
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“Oh, cool,” Vina smirked. “Late-night chats!”
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Mir, who was listening to all this, arched an eyebrow and said, “Don’t tire out a pregnant woman.”
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Vina just chuckled before saying, as she looked around with glittering eyes, “Auntie, is it really okay for us to stay here? I feel like everything in this room is valuable.”
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Mir also studied the room they would be occupying for the next few days. It was spacious, so much so that their voices echoed faintly. Large windows of translucent capiz shells lined the walls. A fandelier hung from the high ceiling, while intricate latticework decorated the corners. Two four-poster beds stood side by side, each with a wooden chest at its foot. Between them sat a night table with a vintage lamp. A cabinet filled one corner, a dresser another, and smaller drawers lined the wall—all antique, all hardwood. Yet in contrast, an air conditioner hummed quietly, and a wide flat screen faced the beds.
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“Here’s the password for the WiFi, by the way,” Auntie Josie chirped as she handed Mir a piece of paper.
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“Auntie, have you ever thought of renting this place out?” Vina asked.
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“No,” she replied, amused. “Why do you ask?”
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“I’m sure you don’t need the money, but you’d make a killing. You could rent this out for so much.”
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Auntie Josie just laughed, shaking her head. “Feel free to explore. Some parts of the wall are actually hidden compartments. There’s a small fridge there somewhere, so feel free to use it.” She then walked toward the door and, before stepping out and closing it, said, “Come down for some snacks once you’ve freshened up.”
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“Okay!”
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“Thank you.”
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Once she was gone, Vina turned to Mir with her eyes wide in amazement.
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“I never thought I would one day sleep in a four-poster bed.”
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Mir didn’t respond and simply looked around the room. She opened each chest at the foot of the beds and saw nothing inside. She next went over to the wall and looked closer for signs of hidden nooks.
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“Are you exploring already?” Vina asked, as she sat on the floor opening her luggage.
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“Yep.”
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After a few minutes, Mir found the small fridge Auntie Josie had mentioned. She also discovered a narrow space near the flat screen. It was empty, but based on the velvet lining, it must have been a secret spot for valuable jewelry. She found a few more similar narrow spaces like that.
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“We should probably head down,” Vina, who had changed to more comfortable clothes, said.
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Mir was about to back away and leave the walls alone when she noticed one spot that looked like it was hiding something. Although curious, she decided to be patient and leave it for later.
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They spent the rest of the day catching up, reminiscing about the past, and talking about the future. When it was time for dinner, Auntie Josie and Ate Ena took charge of the cooking while Mir, Vina, and Ella helped. Uncle Lito and Enzo were tasked with finding some good desserts.
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As they gathered for dinner, they talked some more, laughed some more, and ate to their fill.
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For Mir, who had distanced herself from everyone – including her own family – it was a strange thing. There were no intense emotions stirring, but her discomfort at sitting at a table with people who weren’t even related to her... It was disconcerting.
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Guilt – that was the source of it, wasn’t it? She was here, sitting and dining with people who were not her family. Back home, she ate her meals in her room. She barely talked to her own family. Her mother hadn’t even known about this trip until she caught Mir packing. That distance weighed on her now, turning warmth into unease.
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Guilt – it’s a nasty thing.
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Mir was already missing her room.
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NOTES:
1) “mano po” - a Filipino phrase and cultural gesture of respect where a younger person takes an elder's hand and presses it to their forehead
2) “mga anak” – literally means “my children”, using the English translation just didn’t bring out the same sentiment so I decided to leave it as it is; since Mir is close to the family, especially since childhood, Auntie Josie is basically considering her part of her brood
and then Add to home screen.