The Mysterious Woman

CHAPTER 1

PRESENT…

The Montefalco family woke up early and prepared themselves for their annual vacation. It is the time of year when the first day of vacation at school starts, and they were taking their usual out of the country trip. This was the time when the family had time for themselves to unwind. But their vacation this year was different. Don Francisco and Donya Esmeralda chose to spend their vacation day in the province where Donya Esmeralda grew up. It is her hometown and she wanted to visit her parents, as well as teach their children about living the province life.

The couple knew their children were disappointed in this vacation. They were used to always being in another country when their school vacation came. Proof of their frustration is the listless packing of their belongings.

“Oh, you kids! Why didn't you pack your things last night? You know you will be leaving early today?" said Nanay Ising, their only housekeeper and also served as a nanny to the two children.

“What's the hurry, Nay Ising? We're only going to the province anyway. If I'm the only one to choose, I won't go with Mommy and Daddy,” pouting, Francesca said. She was the youngest child of Don Francisco and Donya Esmeralda. In her thirteen years, she used to be out of the country during school vacations, like Paris or the U.S. It's no wonder that she wasn’t thrilled with the idea of being in the province today.

“Stop it, Chesca. Not because it’s a province, you won’t go with them. It's beautiful in the province. The air is fresh, the food is fresh, and your grandfather and grandmother are also there. It's time for you to spend time with your grandparents. It's been a long time since they visited you here.” Nanay Ising explained to Francesca, then she turned to France, who was comfortably lounging on the sofa and had a headset plugged into his ear, “Hey France Emerson,” Nanay Ising called out France’s full name. He was the oldest child of Don Francisco and Donya Esmeralda. He just turned twenty last May, and as his age added, his aloofness and coldness toward other people added also.

The young man didn't seem to hear anything. He remained lounging on the sofa, listening to his music while his eyes closed. Nanay Ising threw a pillow at him, to get his attention. The pillow hit him straight in the head, which startled him. He immediately got up from the sofa, taking one earplug out of his ear.

“What?!” he shouted, glaring at the old woman.

“Don't you dare raise your voice at me, young man! I didn't raise you like that!” Nanay Ising threateningly said, glaring back at France with a warning in her eyes. France just scratched his head because of Nanay Ising’s sermon, while Francesca was laughing beside the old lady.

“Have you got all the stuff that you will be taking with you, Emerson?” Nanay Ising asked France in a milder tone.

"Yes, Nay. I already packed last night. Only Chesca didn’t,” France answered, just barely in a whisper. He pointed at a hand-carried suitcase at the other end of the room.

“Is that all the things that you were supposed to carry?”Nanay Ising’s tone went an octave higher upon seeing France’s small suitcase.

“Yes, it's just a province, anyway. When I get bored there, I'll go home right away. I can drive myself alone, even Mommy or Daddy won’t agree. I will just go with them there, so they won't get angry with me for not coming. But I am not planning to stay there any longer. There’s no fun in the province,” France lazily stated. Then he plumped himself again on the sofa.

“Oh, you spoiled brats. Why don’t you try first to enjoy your vacation in the province? At least give the province's life a chance. Well, even if Santa Isabel is so far away, that place is very beautiful. Even the places that you went to visit abroad were nothing against the beauty of Santa Isabel,” Nanay Ising couldn’t help but shake her head at the stubbornness of the two. "Go ahead and get dressed, you two. Your Dad and Mom were ready, and they were waiting for both of you. I will finish packing for you two,” the old lady shooed the siblings away. She even patted France and pulled him to get up from the sofa.

“Go you two and hurry up,” Nanay Ising commanded the siblings.

The two of them immediately left the old lady in the living room. They each went to their rooms to get dressed and prepare for their trip. Their destination is Sitio Malaut in the town of Santa Isabel. The province where their mother, Esmeralda Montefalco, was born and raised.

It was a long journey from Manila to the town of Santa Isabel. The family left their house in the care of Nanay Ising, and together on their journey was their family driver Mang Jose. He was with the family for a long time, just like Nanay Ising. Mang Jose had been a driver from Donya Esmeralda since she was a maiden, and now that she was married and living in the capital, she brought him along with her. He was like a father to her and a grandfather too to her children. Mang Jose came from Santa Isabel too. Before, when the Montefalco family was going abroad on vacation, he filed a leave too and went on vacation with his family in Santa Isabel. Today was different. He would come back to his family with the whole of Montefalco, since he was the one that would drive them on this trip. It was an advantage to him because he would be free of fare and food while traveling back home.

From Manila, the trip home to Santa Isabel will take about twelve hours. No other modes of transportation could enter the town of Santa Isabel except by land. It was so far from the edge of the country that no airport or shipping port could access it. Mang Jose estimated their arrival at the Town of Santa Isabel by late afternoon. Even if they leave early in Manila, with all the stops that they are going to make, the trip will last for almost a day.

During the length of their road trip, only Don Francisco and Donya Esmeralda were talking. From time to time, they included Mang Jose in the conversation. The two children were silent and doing their own thing in the back of their van. Their unenthusiastic energy filled the car. Their boredom was obvious. Francesca resorted to tweets and posts on social media a lot. If she's not posting, she's video chatting with her friends that they left behind in Manila or the ones on vacation in another country, and telling them how bored she felt right now.

France Emerson, on the other hand, had a headset on his ear while playing on his cellphone. You couldn’t see any emotion on his face, except boredom. He didn’t even utter any words since they left home. Don Francisco and Donya Esmeralda couldn’t help but shake their heads in dismay at the children’s attitude.

During the duration of the trip, they stopped over several times to eat and rest. Until they finally reached the town of Santa Isabel. As Mang Jose predicted, they reached the town late in the afternoon. The road was starting to get dark.

“Honey, I think we should find some lodging here first in the town. Sitio Malaut is still far from the town. The road is getting dark, and it is unsafe for Mang Jose to drive, especially when he was already tired from the whole day of driving. The children seemed tired too. Why don’t we just spend the night here first and continue our trip tomorrow? Do you know any place where we could spend the night?” Don Francisco asked his wife.

“Yeah, I think we should, Hon. I haven't been home here in Santa Isabel for a long time, so I didn't know if there was a lodging house where we could rest. But I think our town is developing. The last time I came home, I still hadn't seen that building over there,” Donya Esmeralda answered her husband. At the same time, she pointed to the tallest building in the center of the town. It is in the center of the town and the only five-story building. The other establishments were a shack compared to it. Compared to the other towns that they passed by, Santa Isabel was late in development. Even though there was a cellphone signal and electricity in the town, one could see it was still underdeveloped.

“Are we still in the Philippines, Mom?” Francesca suddenly asked her mother.

“Yes, Iha, we are now in the town of your Lolo and Lola. But as your Dad suggested, we should spend the night here first at the town before continuing on the journey tomorrow, since Sitio Malaut is still far from here,” Donya Esmeralda explained, smiling at her daughter.

“Great, as if we can find a five-star hotel in this God-forsaken town,” Francesca said, rolling her eyes.

“Francesca! Watch your mouth!” Don Francisco scolded his daughter.

“Sorry, Dad,” Francesca said without sincerity. She grumpily folded her arms and went back to her seat. When she turned to France, she saw he was glaring at her. But France didn’t say anything to her, then he returned to playing on his phone.

"I know a resort house that you can rent for the night, Don Francisco, Madam Esme..." Mang Jose interjected.

“Oh yes, you're from here too, Mang Jose, right?" Don Francisco asked his driver.

“Yes Sir, the Sitio where Madam Esme and I live is almost next to each other. But I have relatives here in town. I could spend the night with them after I take you to the resort,” Mang Jose answered.

“That's great! Thank you so much for the help, Tay Jose," Donya Esmeralda thanked their driver, whom she used to call Tatay.

“Señorita,” Mang Jose called out to Francesca, “Don't worry, because even though the resort is not the same as the five-star hotel. I promised that you would enjoy your stay there since the scenery there was great and their cottages are great. It's almost like you were in the other country too,” Mang Jose promised to a girl, hoping that he could lighten up her mood.

“Whatever…” Francesca sassily answered the driver, then she rolled her eyes at him. Mang Jose couldn’t help but scratch his head at the girl's behavior, but still, he continued to drive with a smile.

“Manners, Chesca,” Donya Esmeralda reprimanded Francesca when she noticed how she behaved towards Mang Jose. “Tatay, I'm sorry for Chesca’s manners,” she said to Mang Jose apologetically.

“Oh, That’s fine Madam. Señorito France and Señorita Chesca are like my grandchildren. They grew up with me, so I'm used to their behavior,” Mang Jose said to Donya Esmeralda with a smile. Assuring her that the girl’s action wasn’t a big issue.

Finally, they reached the resort that Mang Jose recommended to the Montefalcos. What he said to Chesca was true, even though it's not a five-star hotel, it's very nice. The resort was located on the outskirts of the town. It was an under-developed resort, surrounded by the mountains on the other side and the sea on the other. There’s a bungalow house standing in the middle of the resort, and in the seaside area of the resort, there were three cottages that were made of bamboo and nipa. Because the sun had set already when they reached the place, the family didn’t see the real beauty of the resort. They could hear only the splashing of waves nearby and the chirping of birds, the sounds of crickets, and other night creatures.

Since the town of Santa Isabel rarely has visitors, there is no one currently occupying the resort. The owner of the resort was very glad to have the Montefalco family spend the night in their resort tonight, at least for the day they wouldn’t have zero income.

“We'll occupy the three cottages tonight,” Don Francisco said to the owner, who also serves as the receptionist there.

“Alright, Sir. I'll just get the cottages ready,” the owner said with a wide grin plastered on his face. He immediately called his wife and daughter to prepare the cottages for the Montefalco family.

“I would like us to have dinner tonight and breakfast the next morning. There is no problem with money. I will pay for the extra service you will provide us in addition to the rent of the cottages,” Don Francisco said to the owner in a businesslike manner.

“Okay sir, there’s no problem with your request. What do you want for dinner tonight? Shall I just have all your food delivered to Malaking Cottage?” the owner asked Don Francisco.

“If it's possible, we are not picky eaters. We'll eat what's available that you can serve us,” Don Francisco said.

“But Dad, I want to eat steak,” Francesca suddenly chirped in. She remained glued to her phone while asking what she wanted to eat.

“Ahm,” the resort owner scratched his head. He did not know how to respond to the girl's request.

“Señorita, there is no steak in this place, but if you want, they will give you a pork tapa. It is even better than the steak you want,” Mang Jose suddenly answered the girl. The resort owner secretly thanked the old man for saving him.

“Argh, that's why I don't like the province,” Francesca said, whining.

“Francesca!” Donya Esmeralda reprimanded her daughter.

“Sorry,” Francesca apologized to her mom dramatically. Rolling her eyes at everyone there, she went back to poking at her cell phone.

“Is my room ready? I want to lie down now. I'm dead tired. Don't disturb me even if you want to eat. I just want to rest,” suddenly France spoke from somewhere. This is the first time he has spoken since their entire trip. His tone was full of authority, and he was firm in saying goodnight to his family and just left him alone. Fortunately, the resort's owner’s wife and daughter came back with the news that their cottages were ready. The owner gladly escorted them to their respective cottages. After he ensured they were comfortable, he bid goodbyes to Don Francisco and Donya Esmeralda, promising to return later tonight to serve their dinner.

The resort owner returned to the bungalow house with a big grin on his face. Although the children of their guest’s family were kind of rude, he couldn’t ignore the fact that he hit big-time for tonight’s service. He was greeted by his wife and daughter.

“Let's prepare dinner for that family. It looks like we're lucky today. It seems that we hit a big-time client tonight. We should serve them well,” the resort owner reminded his wife and daughter.

“Yes, Dad, they look like they came from Manila. Their skins are smooth. Obviously, they are not poor,” the resort owner's daughter stated.

“Oh my God, what are we going to feed them? They might be spoiled because they were rich,” the old woman worriedly said to her husband.

“Let's butcher our native chicken and let's grill some fish. We have many fresh vegetables there that we could add to their dish. We still have pork tapa to be served to the girl. I think that will do for tonight, since the father said they are not picky eaters. Let's just go shopping tomorrow, so we can prepare a delicious breakfast for them,” the old man instructed the two. His wife and daughter both nodded and followed the instructions of the man. They each started to do their tasks to prepare the meal for their rich visitors.

On the other hand, Mang Jose said goodbye to Don Francisco and Donya Esmeralda. He said he would leave the car with them, and he would just rent a tricycle to go to his relative's house in the town. The couple tried stopping him and told him to have dinner first, but Mang Jose politely refused. He said there was a time limit for public transport here in the province, and he was afraid that he couldn’t take the last trip on the tricycle if he did not leave soon. Unlike in Manila, where the service of the public vehicle was twenty-four hours, here at Santa Isabel the drivers rest early. The couple understood Mang Jose, so they didn’t stop him anymore, they just reminded him to be back at nine in the morning.

The couple were left alone in the Malaking cottage after Mang Jose left for the night. Their children, France Emerson and Francesca occupied the other two smaller cottages near their own. Donya Esmeralda looked out of the cottage with a sigh, her eyes staring at the vast deep ocean in front of their cottage. Only the stars and the moon illuminate the scene. It was surreal and peaceful, the place was magical. She inhaled the fresh sea air and listened to the silent lapping of waves on the beach. Don Francisco came and hugged her from behind. She leaned on her husband’s strong chest.

“What are you thinking, Honey?” Don Francisco asked his wife.

“I’m wondering if we made the right decision in bringing the children here. They were not used to this kind of environment. To this kind of living, maybe we just want them to experience a different life. But is it the right thing to do? They are not used to this lifestyle,” Donya Esmeralda said with a sigh.

“I think, Mahal, we did the right thing. You see how much we spoiled Chesca. She was rude and didn't have any manners. She became a snob and bratty. And France, we hardly even feel him. He was cold and aloof the entire drive here. He was a snob and arrogant. It's a good time to teach them some of the realities of life, Dear. We both grew up in hardship, and because of it, we both struggled to become successful and never let our children experience the same hardship that we endure. It's time for our children to experience some of that hardship, so they can value the simple things that they already have. This will be their life's most valuable lesson,” Don Francisco consoled his wife.

Donya Esmeralda thought that her husband was right. Although she had a more abundant life than other people in Sitio Malaut before, they were not rich like they are today. She still had to experience cultivating their fields and gathering firewood in the mountains. She even experienced taking a bath in the stream near their house and fetching and taking good care of their farm animals. She and Don Francisco met in Manila, in the same company that they were working at. When they became boyfriend and girlfriend until they got married, their life was just simpler. When they returned home to Sitio Malaut, their life was not that luxurious.

Until they both got lucky when they entered the business field. They started buying barren land and developed it into a commercial area, then sold it at a higher price. Being in the real-estate business was their break until they became famous in this industry. When they finally rose in life, their blessings poured in, until they reached the status of their lives now. After a decade of being far away from her hometown, Doña Esmeralda has only now returned to Santa Isabel. One of the reasons for their return was still connected to their business, aside from the fact that they wanted their children to be attached to provincial life. They were planning to find a place that they need to develop. And they both agreed that Santa Isabel is a great opportunity for them, because of its natural beauty.

The couple were quietly enjoying the silence of the place when they suddenly heard a high-pitched scream coming from the other cottage occupied by Francesca. They were alarmed and immediately ran to her cottage. They went straight inside to find out what happened. Francesca was standing at one side of the bed, still screaming her lungs out. Tears were flowing down her cheeks.

“Why? What happened?” Don Francisco worriedly asked. His eyes were scanning the entire cottage checking for anything that might cause his daughter distress.

“T-there is a bug on my bed Dad!” Francesca screamed as she pointed to a beetle that was walking quietly in the middle of her bed. Don Francisco and Donya Esmeralda couldn’t help exchanging looks at their daughter’s reaction. Donya Esmeralda tried her best to stifle her laugh, while Don Francisco couldn't stop himself. He chuckled as he caught the beetle and let it walk in his hand.

“Baby, it's just a harmless beetle, your Mom and I used to play with it when we were little,” Don Francisco said, chuckling. Then he showed her the beetle he was holding.

“Ewww Dad, gross…” Francesca said in a trembling voice and she shivered. But the Don just laughed at her reaction.

“Tss, always a scene-maker,” France snorted. They didn't realize that he was there too. He looks annoyed at his sister’s antics. When he saw it was just a beetle that created all that commotion, he just glared at his sister and then walked his way back to the cottage that he occupied. He didn’t give time for his parents to react to what he said to his sister.

Don Francisco and Donya Esmeralda were stunned by their son’s behavior. They couldn’t help but exchange a meaningful look at one another, again. Both are hoping that this trip could help the development of their children’s behavior, especially their son, France Emerson.