Love at the Nth Time

Oath to Marriage Part Two

Chapter 55

"Sis Seth!!" Carla screamed and ran to hug her leg.

"M-mom," Michael stuttered softly, nervous as he could hardly react to seeing Seth.

"Mike, help us," I asked, and the adorable boy moved back first before handing the other bags of presents which Seth carefully passed to him.

"Careful, Mike," Seth warned, smiling. Told her to stay seated in the living area, Carla, who woke up Rocky in the bedroom, entertained Seth with their ceaseless chatter about the food, toys, and cartoons they watched. Sheila's feet slid through the cemented floor and ran outside the backyard.

"Shiela!" I called her, and the wide eyes of Nathan met mine as he entered the house behind mom, carrying a box of packed juice.

Seth stood up and reached mom's hand, tapping her forehead on the back of her palm, knowing the basic tradition of the Filipinos. I mentioned to mom last night over dinner that Seth would visit today as she wanted to give Christmas presents to the kids.

"Have you eaten already? Ceng, prepared her rice cake," mom ordered, which I obliged, signing Seth to sit down on the dining table.

"Do you like juice, Seth?" The box was put on the table by Nathan, and he offered it to her.

"Seth? She's older than you," I reminded him. He might forget it, which, perhaps, wouldn't be the reason.

"It's fine. I told him to call me just by my name," Seth stated and carried Carla, who tugged her shirt. She sat Carla down on her lap.

"Carla, go to your brother and play. She's gonna eat," mom said gently. I smiled at Seth, letting mom take Carla away. I put the rice cakes on the table in front of her.

"I wanna eat with Seth," Carla whined and ended up wailing as mom scolded her in the living area.

"It's fine if I carry her," Seth mumbled as I sat down beside her.

"She's not gonna stop bothering you," I whispered while eating the snack with her.

"Mm, this is good." Seth nodded, savouring the balance of sweet and salty because of the peanut and butter.

"It's mom," I acknowledged, normally behaving like we're merely friends, which Seth didn't seem to get a clue about.

"Ma, Uncle Roy wanna talk to you," said Jericho, halting, and Seth turned around to look at him. Uncle Roy was the brother of our father. He lived near the house with his family. We were somewhat close, mainly because of exchanging food whenever there were occasions. Even though my uncle was a loyal husband and a father to his family, he couldn't convince or change our father's decisions in life.

"Hi," Seth greeted. I gazed at Shiela, who took a peek at us again, and her weird behaviour turned Jericho awkward not to enter the house.

"Why are you hiding, this stupid," he mumbled and sauntered straight to the bedroom.

"Jericho, come here," I called to him.

"What?" he answered inside.

"Come here. I said," I ordered lightly. Jericho gripped the doorframe and took a gander at me. "This is Seth. Seth, this is Jericho, the brother after me." I looked over at Shiela standing in the doorway with crossed arms and bothered eyes looking at us. "That's Sheila, next to Jericho," I added.

Seth nodded. "I didn't see them on my first visit. Hi there," she greeted Sheila. The girl nodded once and looked down on her feet.

"We slept in her condo. It smelled wonderful, rather than the pigs," mumbled Nathan, putting the styro plate stored with food in a big plastic bag. Mike, who was quietly standing near us, helped Nathan. Seth looked at me. Strands on my face, I put it away. She was clueless about the packs of food.

"The church will have an early Christmas party tonight, and that is if you would like to join us." I gazed up in mom's direction and ate the snack.

"Why would someone like her come to a crowd with smelly and noisy people?" stated Shiela, exaggerating the introduction of the neighbours. Seth's arm rested on the rail of the chair and eyes over her shoulder to face Shiela.

"Are you coming too?" Seth usually inquired, although there was no hint of liking the behaviour of my younger sister. Sheila nodded hesitantly. "If you do, I'll go then." My brows creased as I watched Seth continue eating.

Due to the event, I was occupied helping prepare the things we would bring to the church, and Seth offered her auto to take us there. She kept the two youngest kids distracted by the toys she bought for them. I, too, took the time to answer the sudden question of Sheila, who blurted it out once I entered the bedroom.

"Why did she say that?? Do I smell??" she muttered in annoyance.

"No, she just wanna be friends with you," I excused myself, with mind and body busy searching for the misplaced cutter mom asked.

"As if." She scoffed and stood still behind me. "Is that really her? Who likes you?" I smirked. "No way, she's blind," she mumbled, which gave me a long wave of sarcastic laughter. I turned around to look at her.

"No one could ignore her charm. You can have a crush on her," I jested scornfully back at her. Sheila scoffed a short breath.

"You're crazy."

Seth closed her auto door and walked her way into the house again. She had just arrived from the venue, driving mom and the other kids first. I smiled at her. "Are the guys ready?" she asked. I glanced at Shiela, who was sitting silently on the sofa.

"Jeric went ahead first," I said, beckoning Carla to come now. Seth nodded and carried the small girl who hadn't stopped asking her to. They both walked ahead first, and we drove to the venue.

"Are you in high school now?" questioned Seth, glancing at Shiela in the backseat.

"She stopped. We're gonna continue it after Nathan gets to sixth grade at least," answered I, as the rebel didn't respond. Seth glanced at me with furrowed brows wanting to say something, yet she didn't.

"I don't like to go to school. I'll just find a rich man to marry," Shiela muttered, making Seth chortle. I rolled over the embarrassment I felt on behalf of my sister.

"Is that right? I knew boys similar to your age that fit the title, though they aren't quite rich," Seth said, smiling with eyes on the road. Shiela asked me, as she didn't understand. I became a translator of a few.

"Really? It doesn't matter so long as they're capable of taking care of me," Sheila imposed. Seth's mouth opened a little, showing her little smile and nodding.

"Uh-huh, yeah, well, they have standards too, though."

"What is it? I'm not rich," Sheila affirmed.

"Nah, they won't mind a girl of her status as long as she's well-educated and well-mannered." Seth turned the steering wheel to the road left. I paraphrased the statement, Sheila grunted at it.

"Is she insulting me?? She just told me she knew some boys to insult me, right??" She spoke in our dialect, which Seth did not know.

"No, she's not insulting you. She wanna help you," I stated clearly that Seth and Sheila would understand.

Sheila didn't speak afterward, and the last hour to prepare for the evening to come occurred fast. Seth could easily mingle with people and added that our hospitality towards foreigners made it easier to welcome her warmly.

The event started with a prayer held by the priest. Then the program was run by the mothers with the aid of ministry members. Watching Carla and Rocky playing with other kids, Nathan and Mike sitting on the chairs near us, Shiela with mom at the food table, and Jeric nowhere around. Seth and I sat idly, joining the others.

Seth leaned closer to say, "You looked exactly like her."

"Hm?" She gazed at Shiela on the left row of chairs gathered. I nodded and replied, "People said that too."

"When's the next school admission? Wanna support her."

"What, no, it's okay." She leaned closer to my ear.

"Can't ignore someone you're related to who especially resembles you." I took a deep breath and smiled back at her.

The party went on and ended with a prayer. I stood still together with other people, next to Seth, who glanced at me a second, then her eyes viewed the group of people. I had the instincts she refused to get along with.

Driving the family home, I stayed in her auto before leaving.

"Call me next Saturday. I'll be busy often," Seth reminded me. I couldn't utter any topic regarding what happened tonight, and Seth pulled the gearshift and left.

The next thing I remembered was my reservation of the reasons, whereas holding onto the following years of being with her would eventually die about the preceding underlying problems that I concealed.