CHAPTER 3

Chapter 3

inéng - [noun] girl; young girl; nickname for a young girl.

Little by little, I slowly opened my eyes when I felt a severe pain in my head. It was as if I was being beaten there and because of that, I could barely open my eyes properly.

I even felt some parts of my body aching when I started to move my body slowly.

I also quickly felt the dryness of my throat, my hot breath, the blockage in my nose, and even my very heavy feeling. Because of the heavy feeling, I can feel like I am going to die right now.

I tried to open my eyes properly and when I finally did that, a large long and clean mirror with a fireplace at the bottom appeared before my eyes.

It was placed right in front of the soft and I think expensive bed I was lying on right now so that is why I saw it with my eyes right away.

I immediately toured my eyesight all around. This whole room is huge and a very beautiful one and all the furnishings look even more expensive.

Even the design throughout the ceiling looks like that can only be afforded by rich people and it also looks expensive as well as the variety of lighting that is also I think expensive, especially the chandeliers.

There is also an aircon here which I think is at low temperature and when I looked to my right side, I was greeted by a large window covered with an expensive brown and beautiful curtain.

And from my position in the bed, I could hear the blowing of the strong wind and even the heavy pouring of the rain from the outside.

It was not until a few moments later that I realized where I really was because this room is so unfamiliar to me. And also from that very moment, I noticed that the clothes I am wearing were already different and not familiar to me.

I am now wearing a dark green silk pajamas that fit my body perfectly. Not like when Auntie Cecille kicked me out in our house that I am only wearing a bra and a black slacks. I also noticed that I already had a bandage on both of my palms caused by the broken glasses on the floor of the eatery and there is also a bandage on my forehead already caused by the locker when Madam Baby pushed me into it that made me bang my whole face there.

How does this happen? Who helped me? Where am I? I am still alive? Did I not end up banging against the oncoming vehicle on the road? But . . . why?

Tears immediately slipped down into my eyes as I remembered the incident that happened in the eatery as well as the incident at home, and the way Madam Baby and Auntie Cecille hurt me physically and hurt me with their words that really hurt me to the bone so much. They did all of that as if I am just an animal to them.

"I-I am sorry, Mom, Dad, and Mother Myrna ..." I said in my mind, hoping that my sincere apology to them for my suicide attempt would reach them up there and hope that they will also hear and understand it, as well as they will forgive me of what I almost did.

I know that suicide and even suicide attempts are a sin to God but I just only did that because I am too tired to live already. I can no longer stand what they are doing to me badly. But I will try ... I will try my very best to be more strong from now on and I will consider this incident as a sign that I should not pursue ending my life anymore and just continue my life even if I am already alone and even if I have no one to hold on to now.

And at that very moment, I noticed that there was no one in the big and beautiful room where I was, except me. The whole room was quiet and only the noise outside could be heard here inside from the strong gusts of the wind and from the heavy downpour.

I suddenly glanced at the tray lying on the table next to the side of the bed where I was lying that has a different kind of medicine and a fairly large glass with water. Even those trays and glasses look expensive too so I would not be surprised anymore if the owner of this house is a billionaire and a famous one. Every corner of this whole room really looks so amazing and very expensive that will really make you adore all of it.

Even though my head was still hammering in pain, I still slowly tried to get up out from the bed to look for some people here in the house and also to ask for help but I was stopped with my motion when suddenly the large door from my right side which looked like it was also made of expensive wood suddenly opened. And when the door was already wide open widely, a pretty fat woman in a maid uniform appeared in my vision while carrying a tray in her hands with different kinds of foods as well as a cup of milk.

The delicious smell of those foods quickly spread throughout the whole room so unexpectedly, my stomach suddenly made a sound and I think that sound was heard by the woman at the door because of the way she smiled at me now so I could not help my cheeks but blush due to the extreme embarrassment.

Gosh, Deandra! Your stomach is wrong timing! It is so embarrassing!

I just averted my eyes from her and went back lying down on the soft bed. I can still feel my face getting red because of what just happened. I also felt like my heavy feeling earlier just disappeared because of that.

I heard her steps approaching towards my direction so I tightened my grip on the white blanket because I am still embarrassed. I do not know her and I am not really comfortable with that kind of incident if someone just a stranger were going to witness it.

"You are already awake, ineng," the woman greeted me happily so I slowly turned my head to look in her direction even though I am still shy and I gave her a small smile.

She was wearing a housemaid uniform, a black long dress with a white apron. She has a long hair and she already has grey hair. She also has a beautiful smile that will definitely make you smile too and I think she is already in her forties. And just by looking at her, you can definitely and immediately feel that she is a good person.

"Here are your foods, ineng, you must be hungry so you need to eat first. I am Nineth and I am a maid here but you can call me Mother Nineth if you want," she said happily as she removed the food from the tray, transferring it to the bedside table. "Wait a minute and I will just arrange these so you can eat already."

"G-Good morning. T-Thank you so much," I said softly to her and I was still embarrassed and I was about to get up from lying down from the bed to get close to the bedside table when she just stopped me from moving.

"You are welcome, ineng. Wait a minute, do not move yet. You do not have to leave the bed. I am just going to get something." She said and quickly walked towards the bed and she leaned and grabbed something at the top of the headboard. I looked back at her and she was now holding a relatively small white remote.

I was just watching her as she pressed something on that remote and I was almost surprised when all of a sudden a long table appeared in front of me that I think was attached right to this bed that would automatically appear when you pressed something on the remote that Mother Nineth was holding.

Mother Nineth laughed at my reaction and quickly moved the food to the good quality brown table in front of me.

"Here, eat first, ineng. You have not eaten last night and it is morning already so I know you are very hungry," she said calmly to me.

I was shocked by what she said.

So since last night, I was here in this house? Why? And How?

I was about to start asking questions to her when she stopped me when I was about to speak.

"Just ask me questions later, ineng. You need to eat first now so that you can take your medicines already," she told me with a smile on her face that made me agree.

I slowly moved to go near the table to finally see the foods she just prepared for me.

I suddenly felt sad when I thought about Mother Myrna. She was the only one who always cooked food for me and I missed her every day so bad especially now that someone cooked for me for the second time.

There were so many different kinds of foods that were prepared for me by Mother Nineth. There are fried rice, tocino, hotdogs, eggs, bacon, scrambled eggs, toasted bread, milk, pancakes, spam, and sliced ​​fruits such as apples and oranges.

I quickly felt hungry because of the delicious food in front of me. This is the first time I will eat some foods just like spam and pancakes. I can only see some of these in pictures inside a book, and here they are right now in front of me and I can not believe it.

I could feel that Mother Nineth was staring at me so I turned to her again and smiled.

"L-Let's eat, M-Mother Nineth," I whispered to her, inviting her to join me. Her smile widened even more because of what I just called her.

"Do not worry about me anymore, ineng. Go, eat now and I will just stay here."

"A-All right. Thank you." I said and smiled at her again.

I faced the delicious foods again in front of me and before I started eating them, I prayed first with my palms clasped and my eyes closed.

In the name of the father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, Amen.

Lord, thank you so much for the foods that are served in front of me right now. May everyone in the world experience this as well. Please continue to bless us and continue to guide us even more. Amen.

After I prayed, I looked at Mother Nineth again.

"I-I am going to eat now, Mother Nineth," I said, letting her to know.

"All right, ineng and just enjoy. They are delicious and I cooked them just for you."

"It really looks delicious and just by smelling at them, I think I am going to be full already."

Soon after I said those words, my stomachs rumbled again because of hunger, and instead of being ashamed of Mother Nineth again, we just laughed together at what had just happened.

"Enough for this talk for the meantime, ineng. Eat now. Eat all of that because otherwise, I will be mad at you," she said and pretended to be serious but I could clearly see that she was just only joking.

I smiled at her but this time, comfortably.

"Yes, I will finish these all. Thank you so much again, Mother Nineth," I sincerely thanked her while smiling.

I started with a spoonful of fried rice and when I tasted it, I suddenly closed my eyes because of its taste, super delicious. This is the first time I have tasted something like this so I have grabbed spam, bacon, tocino, hotdog, scrambled eggs, and toasted bread first. And even though the wounds on my palms were a bit aching, I still continued eating while happily enjoying it.

I had a great appetite for the foods and I really tasted everything. Mother Nineth was just watching me from my side. I do not know but I can no longer feel being awkward to her right now because maybe I am already comfortable being with her and I am no longer afraid of where I am right now or whose house is this.

The next one I ate was pancakes and I also drank the milk and it was so delicious as well so when I finished eating and drinking it, only the chopped fruits were left. I can already feel the fullness of my stomach and this is also the first time I have experienced something like this because I and Mother Myrna just always ate one dish that is good for only one day until our dinner.

"Here, ineng, drink your medicine now. Your fever went up again when I came to visit you here earlier while you were sleeping." Mother Nineth said when I finished eating all the foods and she immediately handed me the medicines for my fever and for the cold, and also a glass of water.

"Thank you, Mother Nineth" I told her after she took the glass away from me and put it back on the bedside table.

"What really happened to you, ineng? Did you let yourself pour with rain outside yesterday? Because your whole body was all wet and you also had a high fever when you were brought here," she asked me and I can see from her eyes right now that she is really concerned about me.

My heart immediately felt so happy because this is the second time that someone showed me that she has a care for me.

I quickly became lonely and I lower my head when I just remembered my suicide attempt yesterday.

"Yes, Mother Nineth, I just let myself yesterday be poured by the rain outside and I get sick really really fast and easily whenever I play with the rain," I politely replied to her. "And Mother Nineth, my name is Deandra but you can call me Andra," I said and looked at her again.

"Oh, all right, Andra. How old are you?"

"I am already seventeen years old, Mother Myrna."

I saw the quick widen of Mother Nineth's eyes because maybe I made her shocked by what I just said.

"Really, Andra?! You are already seventeen years old already?!" She asked, still shocked. "But you look more like thirteen or fourteen years old right now for me. And you are also gorgeous by the way, Andra." She continued.

My cheeks quickly turned red because of what she said.

"T-Thank you, Mother Nineth. You are also pretty."

"I also noticed and felt right away that you are a very kind child and you have a beautiful heart even though we have only just met."

I smiled at her again beautifully, appreciating all the words she said to me.

"Thank you so much, Mother Nineth. Same as you, I also noticed and felt right away that you are a very kind person too." I said to her, ''Anyway, where am I right now, Mother Nineth? Whose house is this? And who saved me?" I asked her rapidly.

"You are at the Del Mundo family's house right now but do not worry, they are all kind and have a beautiful and good heart just like you. Doña Amanda will be the one who will tell you everything that happened and she will arrive here shortly."

I nodded at her as a response to what she said.

"How about you, Mother Nineth, how old are you?"

"I am already forty-one years old, Andra."

"Are you already married, Mother Nineth?"

"Yes, Andra, I am happily married. I and my husband and I have been married for 20 years now. We are childhood sweethearts and we love each other so much," she lovingly said and I can really see in her eyes right now that she is really happy with their marriage and she is really in love with her husband and I am so happy for her.

"I am glad to know that, Mother Nineth, but where is he? Is he also here?"

"My husband is not here right now, Andra. He just accompanied our son, Dexter, last week going to our province to help our son fix some things there. But after a week or two, they will be back again here and I will introduce them to you if you are just going to continue staying here for the meantime."

Mother Nineth and I continued our conversation. She said that she is the butler of this house and she has been working here for thirty years now.

She said that she started working here when she was ten years old because of the hardships of their life and by the mercy of God, she stayed here for a long time and even became a butler because of the kindness of the Del Mundo's.

She also said that she had a son who was just my age and she would like to introduce him to me when he went there again.

Talking to Mother Nineth made me so happy and I feel love because I can feel from her the vibes of Mother Myrna.

I was just listening to what Mother Nineth was saying when suddenly we just heard something loud sounds of open and close things from the outside.

Mother Nineth moved quickly and started to arrange the plates, bowls, and glasses on the tray. She does not want me to help her but I still insist and did it because the wounds on my palms now were no longer so painful.

"It looks like Doña Amanda is already here, Andra. Will you be okay here if I am going to leave you first?" she asked, being concerned about me.

"Yes, Mother Nineth, I will just be okay here alone. Do not mind me."

"Okay, if you say so. Just stay here for a while, okay? I will just be going to talk to Doña Amanda and I will come back here immediately with her so just wait a minute here and wait for us."

"Copy that, Mother Nineth. Thank you so much."