TWO
1086 Words
NELLIE
“Nellie, wake up. We’re already at the hacienda.”
I stirred awake at the sound of Mamang Ichi’s voice. I yawned and stretched my arms and back, my bones cracking just enough to remind me how tired I actually was. When I glanced outside, my lips instantly pressed into a flat line.
Back here again.
“Hep! Hep! Where do you think you’re going, young lady?” I was about to climb out when she stopped me with that scolding tone of hers.
I looked at her, completely bored, raising a brow. “Inside, obviously?” I deadpanned, dripping with sarcasm.
She burst into laughter before letting her eyes travel from head to toe. “Are you sure you want to step out wearing that? You planning to give your grandfather a heart attack?”
I let out a long sigh. Oh, right. I almost forgot.
“Where are my clothes?” I asked.
She nodded, grabbed a paper bag from the passenger seat, and handed it to me. I took it and peeked inside. And of course, I rolled my eyes.
“Fine, fine. I’ll get changed,” I muttered, and she only shrugged before stepping out of the car.
The moment she shut the door, I started undressing. My skimpy skirt and tank top were soon replaced by a white knee-length dress. I switched my heels for flat sandals. My hair was still down, a little messy, but I left it as it was. I rolled my eyes again.
I climbed out of the car and immediately heard Mamang Ichi clapping. I glared at her.
“Look at you,” she teased. “The little demon magically turns into a saint the moment we set foot in the province.”
My eyes widened and I smacked her shoulder. “Someone might hear you, Mamang Ichi!”
She only snickered, which made me glare harder. And when she wouldn’t stop laughing, I turned on my heel and marched toward the mansion.
“Next time, hire more workers so we can speed up the sugarcane transport.”
Lolo’s voice echoed from the living room all the way to the dining area. I smirked to myself and followed the sound. I found him seated at the dining table, a tobacco cigarette in his left hand and a spoon in his right.
“There’s my favorite granddaughter!” he exclaimed the moment he saw me. The workers he was just talking to immediately dispersed.
“Lolo, you’re still smoking even though the doctor told you to stop,” I scolded as I approached. I gently took the cigarette from his hand and handed it to a nearby maid.
“How was your vacation in Manila, Nellie?” he asked.
I groaned dramatically. “Lolo, calling it a ‘vacation’ is a stretch, I was only there for two days,” I joked.
I slid into my seat as a maid took the cigarette away.
“How was your two-day stay in Manila?” he asked again, emphasizing the two-day part.
I let out a small laugh and shook my head. “It was fine. Same as usual.”
“Didn’t you feel out of place? You’re not from there.”
I heard a soft laugh behind me from Mamang Ichi. I rolled my eyes discreetly. She was absolutely dead to me later when we weren’t in front of Lolo.
“I’m getting used to it, Lolo,” I lied smoothly. “I go to Manila almost every month.”
“Why don’t you try going with Isaac next time? Didn’t he study there? He could help you,” Lolo suggested as he took another spoonful of rice, which made him cough lightly. I quickly handed him water.
Lolo Protacio was already seventy-nine. Still strong, but the maintenance meds he needed could fill a whole drawer.
“Lolo, I don’t need Isaac—”
“Are you talking about me?”
Speak of the devil. I whipped my head toward the doorway and met Isaac’s eyes. He raised a brow at me. I rolled mine back at him, subtly, of course, so Lolo wouldn’t notice.
“There you are, Isaac hijo. Sit down and join us,” Lolo said warmly.
The bastard immediately obeyed and sat right across from me. I raised my brow at him again but he just rolled his. The audacity.
“What exactly were you saying about me, Don Protacio?” he asked Lolo.
I shook my head and poured myself water. Isaac was already scooping rice onto his plate, like the shameless creature he was, and my eyebrow climbed even higher.
“We were talking about you accompanying Nellie the next time she goes to Manila,” Lolo explained.
“Me? Why would Nellie need me?” he asked, giving me a pointed look.
“Maybe she still feels unfamiliar with Manila. It’s better if someone who lived there joins her,” Lolo answered while chewing.
“Lolo, I already have Mamang Ichi with me,” I argued, eyes still on him.
He paused eating and looked at me. “Ichi grew up here in Batangas too, Nellie. It’s different when you’re with someone who lived in Manila for a long time.”
I pressed my lips together and took a sip of water.
“Are you even sure Nellie feels unfamiliar in Manila, Don Protacio?” Isaac asked teasingly.
I kicked his leg hard under the table. He winced, glaring at me, but quickly pretended nothing happened when I shot him a murderous look.
“What do you mean by that, Isaac hijo?” Lolo asked.
He let out a nervous chuckle as I glared daggers at him. “Uh… I mean, maybe she doesn’t really need me. She can handle herself. She’s already twenty-nine. I’m sure she can manage alone.”
“What a waste,” Lolo sighed. “You two should start getting used to each other, because it will be difficult once the two of you get married.”
Isaac and I turned to Lolo at the same time, our eyes wide.
“W–What did you say, Lolo?” I stammered.
Lolo chuckled and lifted his gaze, meeting both of ours. He looked at us with a mischievous smile.
“Your parents and I have already decided. The two of you will get married.”
Isaac and I faced each other, both grimacing in pure horror, before snapping our heads back to Lolo.
“What?!”
- Writer
