1892 is the year when the Katipunan was founded… it is also the year when Dr. José Rizal was arrested and exiled to Dapitan… blah blah blah~
[ Translator's Note: Dr. José Rizal is the national hero of the Philippines. He is the author of two famous novels, Noli Me Tangere and El Filibusterismo, which sparked the Filipino revolution against the Spanish colonizers. He was executed on December 30, 1896. Dr. José Rizal was executed because the Spanish colonial government accused him of inspiring rebellion against Spain. ]
Our most boring professor is lecturing again right now. I've been bored out of my mind for a while now.
"Read and pass," Shae whispered to me, the biggest partygoer and flirty kikay in the entire campus. I opened the paper she handed to me and read it.
[ Note: Kikay is a Filipino slang word used to describe someone (usually a girl) who is very conscious about her appearance and enjoys things like make up, fashion, accessories, and self-care. ]
House party @ James tonight, 8 PM
I could only let out a sigh. Tsk James Gilbert, the fame-whore who thinks he's handsome and has the nerve to match. I just looked at Shae, raised an eyebrow, then tore the paper and threw it on the floor.
"What the fuck? What's your problem?!" she snapped back at me. Because of that, Prof. Hermios, our Philippine History teacher, looked over at us. Shae was about to lunge at me and pull my hair, but she didn't get the chance because Prof. Hermios suddenly spoke.
"If you're just going to pull each other's hair here, then take it to the Guidance Office," Prof. Hermios shouted.
I shot Shae another glare. She now looked like a witch who wanted to skin me alive. I just grabbed my bag, took the bubble gum I was chewing, and stuck it under her desk.
"I WILL KILL YOU, BITCH!" Shae screamed, now looking like an escapee from a mental ward as she was being held back by her other friends and our classmates. I just smiled at her and walked toward the door.
"Where are you going, Ms. Isabella?" I heard our professor call out.
"To the Guidance Office, as you command, sir," I replied. Prof. Hermios just shook his head as I continued walking out of the classroom.
I am Carmela Isabella, soon to be 20. I am a 4th-year Business Management student. I don't really like Business Management, but my dad is too persistent, he plans to open his own restaurant once he retires, and he needs me to manage it. I'm also a party girl, but it just so happens that Shae and I truly hate each other, ever since… well, never mind! It's just annoying that even here in college, at the University of Santo Tomas, we still have to see each other's faces.
And if you're wondering why Shae hates me that much, well, James Gilbert, who is now her boyfriend, has liked me for a long time.
I know they're just trying to make me jealous and envious at the party tonight at James's house. I don't really care! So annoying!
"Carmela! Why are you only getting home now?" Dad greeted me the moment I stepped inside the house. It was already 2 a.m. Damn it. I thought they were already asleep!
Dad's face was serious, his hands on his hips. The house was a bit messy, and there were a lot of suitcases around. OMG! What's going on?
"Uhmm… it was Shae's birthday and she celebrated, so… yeah," I lied with a smile. Of course, I immediately hugged Dad to cool his temper. Shae is the only friend—well, ex-friend—that Dad knows, so she was the first person that came to mind as an excuse. I didn't actually go to James's house party; I went to a battle of the bands event instead, huehue!
"What's going on here?" I asked.
Jenny, my second sibling, managed to stop herself. She's a K-pop addict and only 16 years old, still loyal to her obsession. Meanwhile, Emily, my youngest sibling, is a novel addict. She's only 12 years old, but she's the smartest and most reasonable among us. Jenny just glanced at me and went back to her iPad, while Emily was busy with the new book she was reading.
"Shae? Are you two friends again?" Dad asked curiously. I just smiled and nodded.
"According to Mrs. Falcon, you almost got into a hair-pulling fight with Shae earlier during your Philippine History class," Dad's face remained serious.
"Dad, you know, I would never ever fight with Shae again, like you've always told me."
"Okay. Okay. So then, how do you explain this?" Dad asked, handing me a white envelope with the school seal on it!
It was too late, Dad had already opened it and seen my grades from last semester. Shocks! What am I going to do now?
"Why are all your grades threes? Carmela, haven't you ever-" Dad didn't even finish his sentence. I know him, he's probably tired too because it's always the same line: Why can't you be like your cousins? Look at them now, they're all successful, and you're left behind.
Oh, right. I've memorized that already.
"Okay… fine," I said, then went upstairs to my room. Even if I told him that Business Management really isn't for me, nothing would change, Dad would still insist on it. I already want to give up, but I don't want Shae spreading rumors that I'm a college dropout. I'm just really unlucky because this semester, Shae and I are classmates in Philippine History, a subject we both didn't get before, and that was because of her.
One of her aunts used to work here at the school in the registration office, and they sabotaged my enrollment. So when Dad complained and found out that the subjects given to me were incomplete, there you go. Her aunt got fired, and Shae wasn't allowed to take some subjects either.
I just locked my room and set my things down. I didn't even bother changing clothes, I jumped straight onto the bed. Ughh, if Mom were here, I think everything would be different.
I didn't realize that my eyes were slowly closing. I ended up dreaming about the last day we spent with Mommy…
She was cooking in the kitchen. I was only 8 years old at the time, Jenny was 4, and Mommy was still pregnant with Emily. Dad had just finished getting dressed for work, he was an executive manager at a five-star restaurant. Mommy used to be a teacher, but when she and Dad started living together, she became a housewife. Dad kissed Mommy on the cheek and they laughed together.
"Breakfast is ready," Mommy called out. Jenny and I immediately raced toward the dining table, I wanted to sit beside Mommy, but Jenny wanted to as well, so we really competed. But Mommy told me that I should be the one to give way because I was the older sister, so I just sat beside Daddy instead.
"How was your day, mahal?" Dad asked Mom, and then they laughed together. What was so funny about that? I also remembered how they called each other mahal. Pfft. So cheesy, haha.
"Mahal, I feel like we'll be meeting Johnny soon," Mom said as she gently rubbed her belly. We didn't know yet whether Mom was carrying a girl or a boy because they didn't want to find out, they said they wanted it to be a surprise.
[ Note: Mahal means 'love'. ]
Dad smiled. He looked so different back then compared to now, when he's almost completely buried in work.
"Carmela," I heard Mom call. I turned to her and stopped eating my cereal.
"You will understand all of this, maybe not now, but someday you will," she said. I just nodded.
Mom probably sensed that I was feeling a bit sulky because I always had to be the one to give way to Jenny. Hmp.
"Mama, I want more cereal!" Jenny shouted, eating all over the place. Mommy handed her the cereal, but we were all startled because she suddenly dropped the cereal box and screamed.
"I-I think I'm going into labor!" Mommy shouted. Dad immediately panicked and carried her to the car.
"Carmela, you take care of Jenny first," I heard Dad say before closing the door. Jenny and I were almost frozen, standing there hugging each other at the doorway. I looked at Mommy, who was now lying in the backseat.
She was sweating profusely and seemed to be in a lot of pain. For a moment, she looked at me, smiled, and suddenly a tear fell from her eye.
Jenny and I were left standing at the doorway, watching the car drive away. At that moment, I didn't realize it, but I was more nervous than excited because soon there would be a new member in the family.
But all that excitement, happiness, and hope vanished when Dad came home, holding a baby girl…
and Mommy was gone.
"Ate, wake up!" I was startled when someone suddenly tapped my face.
[ Note: Ate refers to an older sister or older girl. ]
"EMILY!" I shouted. But she immediately ran away, laughing loudly. I knew Emily had pulled some prank on me again because my face felt super sticky. I looked in the mirror—RIGHT! SHE PUT GLUE ON MY FACE!
Because of that, I immediately ran downstairs to chase her. Yep, beast mode activated, as they say, joke with a drunk person, fine, but never with a freshly awakened goddess!
"Ate, what's that? A facial mask? Hahaha," Jenny teased, lying comfortably on the sofa. Since she teased me too, I turned to her, chased her, and smeared glue on her face.
"What the—! Waaahh! Dad!!" she screamed. I also cornered Emily and smeared glue all over her face and hair.
"Enough! We need to leave early or we'll get caught by nightfall," Dad said. I just stood there, jaw dropped.
What? Where are we going? Why wasn't I informed? Am I not going? #FeelingBetrayed
"Dad? What's happening?" I asked, freezing in place while Jenny and Emily were still wrestling. I already looked like a zombie, everything was a mess, and even my brain felt like it was scrambled.
"Why? Didn't Jenny tell you last night?" Dad asked, glancing at Jenny. We both looked at her now, and she looked like she was trying to make an excuse.
"U'hh… She was already sleeping when I got to her room," she mumbled.
I glared at her, now we looked alike, both like glue-covered zombies. Dad just shrugged and scolded Jenny. Sometimes I wonder how Dad manages to handle the stress of taking care of three mischievous girls in his life.
"Forget it, go take a bath already. You're… so sticky," Dad said as he picked up his suitcases. Emily was about to hug him to smear glue on him too, but Dad stopped her. Jenny and I just stuck our tongues out at her.
When Dad stepped out, the war among the three of us started again. Jenny and Emily showered me with glue, looking like the two of them had teamed up. But of course, I wasn't about to lose, so I tickled them, because I know that's their biggest weakness. Ha ha!
In the end, they surrendered. I still had the last laugh. Bwahahaha!
"Carmela, take this for now," Dad said, handing me his bag. I looked at Jenny and passed it to her. She was about to complain, but she understood the unspoken rule in these situations: I'm the older sister, so I go first!
She just rolled her eyes at me, glanced at Emily, and passed Dad's bag to her. Tsk. Emily knows the rules of our family too: THE OLDER SISTER GOES FIRST! No wonder she's always at a disadvantage, haha.
We're now in Mommy's hometown in San Alfonso. Grandma Carmina, Mommy's mom, requested that I celebrate my birthday here on Monday, February 29, 2016. It's only Saturday, so I still have two days to endure here. Well, it's better than celebrating my birthday at school. No way! That would probably start World War III between Shae and me.
[ Note: It is very common here in the Philippines to celebrate our birthdays at school. Most esp in elementary and high school, but rarely in College. ]
The trip from Manila took almost 8 hours, so my body was aching from the long ride.
"Wow, Lola's house has new paint!" Emily said, following Dad into the house.
"Is there wifi here?" Jenny complained. I looked around the house. Lola Carmina's house is huge, almost like a mansion, but it's hundreds of years old, from the Spanish era. The house is old and… gosh! It's really scary, I swear!
[ Note: Lola means grandma. ]
Mommy used to tell stories about this place. She really pushed me to study in Manila when she was in college because there was something about this house she couldn't understand. And I can kind of understand her, too, every time we visit Lola's house, I feel something… unusual.
"Come in, my grandchildren!" Lola Carmina greeted, standing at the door. She hugged and kissed us one by one. It had been almost 12 years since I last saw her. I remembered celebrating my 7th birthday here too.
"My grandchildren are so beautiful… Emily, Jenny, and… Carmela," Lola said with a smile. She stopped when she saw me and stared at me for almost 10 seconds.
Seriously! 10 seconds! Gosh! What's going on?
It was so awkward.
"Ma, we brought some gifts for you," Dad said, and that finally broke Lola Carmina's stare at me. Whew!
Wow! I don't know why, but I felt something strange when Lola Carmina stared at me, like she wanted to say something… or make me understand something.
"Ate, I think Lola said you're ugly," Jenny teased, running into the house. I didn't retaliate this time because we were in someone else's house, I didn't want to break any of Lola's things. Everything was antique and on display.
Hmm… but to be fair, Lola's house looks great. It's been renovated, though I'm still not a fan of old-fashioned things. Plates, statues, paintings… there's something displayed in every corner. I feel like we're in a museum.
Lola Carmina prepared her specialty, Caldereta, which we were now eating at the dining table. Dad and Lola talked a lot, and she shared many stories about Mommy when she was still alive. Emily was excited because she had never met Mommy. Sometimes I think Jenny and I were a bit luckier than Emily because, at least for a short time, we got to experience Mommy's love.
The night we found out that Mommy had passed away, and that she was carrying a baby girl, Dad mourned in his room. For several days, our youngest sibling didn't have a name, so Jenny and I brainstormed ideas. It just so happened that we saw a new perfume commercial on TV called Emily's Perfume, and from that moment on, that's the name we gave her.
"You should learn how to cook Caldereta, the Montecarlos-style. This is one of the family's prides," Lola Carmina said. Even though her last name isn't actually Montecarlos, she always reminded us of this, especially when Jenny and I were kids, and Emily wasn't even born yet. She insisted that we should always remember the Montecarlos family, the origin of our lineage, even though almost four generations have passed.
Lola Carmina repeated over and over that we should learn to cook Caldereta. She even looked at me in a way that seemed to say, especially you, Carmela, you really need to learn this.
Honestly, I'm starting to get weirded out by Lola's behavior. Wait, what if Jenny is right? What if Lola thinks I'm ugly? Nooooo!
I'm looking at myself in the mirror now. I'm already in the room Lola prepared for me. This mansion of hers has almost ten rooms, so we really each got our own. To be honest, I wanted to share a room with Jenny or Emily, but then again, I'm the ATE, and I'm scared? My gosh! I can't handle this anymore, huhu!
Still, the room is kind of nice, with a classic design. But I keep thinking that ghosts might suddenly come out of the walls and throw me out the window because this isn't really my room. My gosh!
I've been sitting in front of the mirror for about half a minute now, just staring at myself. I mean, how could I not feel insecure after what Jenny said, that maybe Lola thinks I'm ugly. Ughh. I'm not ugly, okay? People even say I look like Marimar, lels haha!
Why is Lola Carmina so weird? I understand that we're not really close, but why am I so affected by the way she's acting? Ugh.
I was startled when someone suddenly knocked on the door. Oh my gosh! What if this place really is haunted?! Ghosts from the olden days who never found peace!
I jumped off the bed and hid under the blanket. A moment later, the door slowly creaked open, I could hear the sound of it just like in horror movies set in old houses!
"Carmela, apo?" I heard a familiar voice. Whew! It was just Grandma Carmina, I thought it was someone else. I got up from the bed and pretended nothing happened. Go, Carmela! You got this! Be brave!
[ Note: Apo is an endearment term which refers to a grandson or a granddaughter. ]
"You're not asleep yet, apo? Can't you sleep here?" Grandma asked softly, holding a flashlight. I glanced at the clock, it was only 7:30 PM. Do I really need to go to sleep already?
"I'm fine," I replied. Over the years, Grandma Carmina's appearance had changed a lot, she probably became really depressed after Mommy passed away, losing her only child. I remembered the last time I saw her at Mommy's funeral, she cried so much, she almost fainted.
"Hija, I want to show you something. Follow me," she said. I wanted to ask what it was, but she had already left my room, so I just followed. Of course, I was curious. Hmm… maybe she's taking me to a room full of gold to leave it all to me. Oh my gosh!
"You've grown so much. Forgive me, apo, if I don't contact you often. You know, your grandma's old and doesn't understand these new… gadgets nowadays," Grandma said. I smiled. I'm not upset with her, after all, she calls us, especially during Christmas and on our birthdays.
We entered a room full of old books. Whoah! I didn't even know a library like this existed in the mansion. Wow! It felt like we were in the National Library, so many books!
Grandma climbed up to the second floor of the library and pulled a black book, but it just tilted, and suddenly, two of the library shelves split apart. Whoa! It was just like the secret rooms in Sherlock Holmes! Wow!
She turned on her flashlight and nodded at me to follow. There was a narrow staircase behind the books. Oh my gosh! A secret room! How amazing!
I couldn't help but smile triumphantly. Of course, what else would be in a secret room? TREASURE! Waaahh!
As we descended the stairs, the door closed on its own, and I suddenly felt nervous, what if we couldn't get out?
"Don't worry, Carmela, we'll be able to get out," she said.
The moment Grandma said my name, something felt strange. Her voice… it didn't sound familiar, especially when she said my name.
Wait! How did she know I was nervous just now, worrying that we might not get out? God!
It got darker and darker as we descended the stairs. I instinctively held onto Grandma's shoulder, just in case she disappeared from my sight.
"We're here," she said. She pressed something on the wall, and suddenly the entire area lit up. Huh, there's a light here after all. Why is the switch at the bottom of the stairs? Ugh… so people have to fall down the stairs before reaching the switch? My goodness.
I hadn't even processed the switch when Grandma Carmina slowly turned to look at me.
"Go ahead, Carmela. Don't be shy in your own home," she said, smiling.
What the—? I just gawked at the size of the secret room. There were expensive paintings and vases lining every wall. OMG! Maybe she really is going to leave this to me. I even imagined turning it into a hotel and getting insanely rich, haha!
I couldn't help but smile at the luck that seemed to be heading my way. I looked at Grandma, who was now grinning wildly. I'll admit, her smile was a bit creepy, but I didn't care. There were so many valuable things here! I wonder how much I could sell all of this for? Hahaha!
"Uhmm… Lola, why did you bring me here?" I asked. Why me, of all people? Emily and Dad would have been way happier seeing all these things, they're so beautiful and obviously expensive. Maybe she's hiding them here to keep them safe from thieves. I looked at Grandma Carmina and tried to make my face cute, like a little monkey, while waiting for her to say the magic words: "Carmela, I'm leaving all of this to you." My gosh!
"I want to introduce someone to you," Grandma Carmina said, and just like that, my smile disappeared. What? #JawDropped.
She turned around and walked toward a wall covered with a large red curtain. I don't know why, but my heart suddenly started beating faster. I felt nervous, and even my hair stood on end. Oh my gosh! What if there's an old hermit hiding here, trapped for years, and Lola wants me to befriend him? Waahh!
She pulled the curtain, and it suddenly fell down. Thick dust spread everywhere, making me cough and sneeze. I couldn't believe Lola was making me inhale all this dust! Gosh!
"Sorry, apo. It's been years since this place was last cleaned," Lola said. That meant this room hadn't seen proper cleaning in years. She probably cleaned it herself because she didn't trust anyone else to do it.
When the thick dust finally settled, I rubbed my eyes. Good thing I don't have asthma or I would've collapsed by now.
In front of me stood a large, old painting of a beautiful young woman wearing a red kimona.
My eyes widened as the realization slowly sank in.
The woman in the painting…
was me.
—
Binibining Mia's (the author) Note:
This story is purely fictional. All names, characters, places, and events are products of the author's imagination. The setting and time period take place during the Spanish colonization of the Philippines. Some historical locations are mentioned to reflect places that are part of our history. However, the events, incidents, and tragedies in this story have no connection to real historical records and are not written in Philippine history.
Thank you very much!