Right after breakfast, Yna prepped the kitchen for cooking. She wasn't worried about her mother because the hacienda staff who brought her to the hospital promised to take care of her and bring her home after they finished with her last test results. She wanted to get everything ready for lunch so she could have time for her mother when she arrived.She had just finished clearing up when someone came with a clean sack of whole plucked chickens and slabs of pork ribs. Another neighbor brought large pots and pans that she said the former cook used for cooking. That cook left to work abroad just a month ago. Other neighbors came to help her on her first day, and soon enough, the kitchen and backyard were busy with women peeling and cutting vegetables and parting meat for the boiling water in the big pot or oil in a big pan.Before she knew it, the steaming chicken tinola was being transferred to lunch containers and kangkong (water spinach) with pork ribs and rice to bilaos layered with

They kissed for what felt like forever before he let her go, but because she insisted on cleaning up and getting herself in order. And even then, after he’d fixed his pants, he embraced her from behind and continued to kiss her down her shoulders until he could turn her around to kiss her fully in the mouth. “You have to leave,” she whispered to him as soon as he allowed her lips freedom to speak. “My mother will be up soon, and I don’t want her to see you.”A strong hand cupped her jaw as he smiled. “I know. One look at you and anyone would know you’ve been ravished.”She took a long, deep breath. “Right. Please…”Something in her voice might have told him what she was thinking, and he frowned. “What is it, Yna?”She shook her head. “Tell me,” he insisted. She forced a smile at him. “Nothing. Please, go. I can’t explain. She mustn’t know. It’s going to break her heart if she finds out about this and—”“What if she finds out? There’s nothing wrong about this.”Her eyes closed invol

Arianna knew exactly who’d arrived just by the kind of noise she could hear from outside the house. She closed her eyes and took a few deep breaths to calm herself, and then she stepped out the front door.And she sighed again when she saw her ‘boyfriend’ standing there, with a smile on his handsome face, talking to Chairman Castro in his soft, modulated, and manly voice that seemed always private and intimate to her ears, his eyes focused on the door where she just came out.Even if she knew it was all an act, her heart still melted at the way his aristocratic face seemed to light up when he saw her. As if she was a favorite sight those eyes wanted to see. As if all his worries and problems melted away. And he was so convincing.The workers were grinning at their lunch plates while they sat at the two long tables set up under the shade of the trees that protected them from the direct hit of the midday sun. Meanwhile, her servers (the neighbors) were giggling their delight as they

It was the second day that Eric was in the hacienda.Again, he came for the lunch and ate there while chatting casually with the workers. He had a denim shirt on and ripped jeans, boots for mud on his feet, and a farmer’s hat on his head. He had dirt on his arm when he arrived with some of the men and a bit of dried mud on one cheek.And he never looked more handsome.She was told they repaired one of the water canals that came out of a spring brook inside one of the woody parts of the hacienda. It was at the foot of one of the hills dotting the north side of the land and the señorito helped with his own hands.This seemed to make the workers feel good about it because even though they remained polite, there was no shortage of smiles and laughter since they arrived as they teased the younger man about a few misconceptions and mistakes he did as they ate.After serving the dessert, which was just plain gelatin with raisins and milk, she went back inside the house. She was going to wash

The Señor stayed for almost an hour and had an enjoyable conversation with them about so many things while drinking coffee that came from sachets. When he left, Eric asked for her mother’s permission to take her for a ride. Her poor mother nodded before he even finished talking. She looked satisfied but tired and needed a nap.Tommy, too, looked dazed as he left for the fish ponds. He only stayed because of the visitors, of course.So, no one really cared what she did for her afternoon as the two members of her family were both overwhelmingly occupied. All of her neighbors had left after dishwashing and cleaning up were done for their siesta, but they would surely be back in the afternoon to gossip with their mother about the visit and whatever was talked about. It was good, she thought, that her mother would have her long-time friends as a sounding board.She felt a little faint as they walked towards Eric’s jeep. “Where are we going?” she asked. “You look like you needed a break y