"Prescilla! Ang kaldero!" my boss screamed and I looked at the ugly sight of the pot.

Aksidente ko itong nasunog sa sobrang pag-iisip ko sa aking nakaraan. Parang kailan lang ay nakasuot ako ng makalumang damit at siyang nasusunod ng mga tagapagsilbi, ngayon, ako na ang sumusunod sa kanila.

But I already endured this, for I work for centuries already, and now I am in the year of 2000, I don't know what is my age now.

Maybe 400 or 500 plus? I don't know. And I'm not interested to know everything for sure.

Hindi ko alam saan ko hahanapin ang mga taong may bloodline ng Siodonna clan. Although maaari silang matagpuan mostly sa England, or United Kingdom sa modernong panahon, ay baka may iba rin na nandito lamang sa Pilipinas.

"Pinatay mo na ba ang kalan Prescilla?" tanong niya ulit. I nodded and put the pot in the plate. Too elegant, but far from elegance I used to live with.

The elegance on our era is what modern people call as "coquette" "dark academia" and "baroque" era. The history preserves in a way that people shoud remember.

Inilagay ko na ang banjado sa mesa, and the boss told me to eat with her. Although strict, her soft side is shown to me. Maybe because I'm something that they don't even know.

Kumuha ako ng kanin at beef brisket na aking prinito. Her name is Alice Doroteo and wala siyang asawa pero may inampon na anak. Her occupation is an architect at katulong niya sa paggawa ng kanyang bahay ang dati nitong crush na ni-reject siya for personal reasons.

I'm not into knowing it, ang misyon ko rito ay pagbayaran ang kasalanan ng aking pamilya at hanapin ang lunas sa aking sakit.

I am living for centuries, and yet I didn't find any cure. I've faced many wars yet I didn't find anything to consider as cure. Dumating ang rally para sa karapatan ng mga kababaihan upang bumoto yet nothing.

Days, weeks, months, years, decades, and centuries passes pero wala pa ring gamot para sa kondisyon ko.

"What do you think about this blueprint? It's the blueprint for the restaurant nearby Shinjuku station. It has the aristocratic designs and details that the you love" I observed the blueprint from the same engineer, the architect, and the design of choosing from the interior designer.

That engineer is still trying to woo her but it still didn't work. And now, they are workmates.

Natauhan siguro si Allan Jairo Analsito sa katarantaduhan niyang ginawa kay Alice kaya ganyan.

I got satisfied with the results. "I love the flowing design that the interior designer chose, especially the carvings of flowers and classy Japanese partition"

"The design you and mr. Analsito really made their dream of opening a classy restaurant came true. The glasses, the aristocratic designs and the columns are match to the designer's ideas"

"You are truly classical when you speak" papuri niya. "mamaya ay sunduin si Karin sa school. Aalis kasi ako papunta sa Japan mamayang gabi and I will put my trust in you in managing the house"

"Kasama ko sina Mielle at Allan papunta doon. Kaya don't worry about me" she said. Gustuhin ko mang sumama sa kanya sa Japan upang makahanap ng lunas doon ngunit maiiwan si Karin. At kung isasama ko man ito, hindi siya makaka-catch up sa mga lectures.

My worries got carried away by her smile— no Victoria! Your family raised you right! You shall fell in love with a man, not a woman!

Gosh! What's happening to me?

I nodded and when the time came, naghugas ako ng pinagkainan and prepared myself to fetch Karin later.

Walking distance lang ang school na pinapasukan niya mula sa bahay ni Alice kaya hindi na akong nag-abala pa na sumakay sa pedicab.

Looks like I made a right choice kasi traffic ngayon and I finally made it to school. I saw a young kid na naka-ponytail na nakasuot ng uniform ng pang-pre elem.

Karin Doroteo...

"Karin!" sigaw ko and the young girl turned to my direction. Her glee and happy yells soothes my aching heart with ease. I hugged her and tinanong ko ano ang nangyari sa araw niya.

"This day is better than the recent days" tugon niya, "why?" I asked habang naglalakad pabalik sa bahay. I noticed an ink to her hand na nakasulat ay very good.

"I got a very good stamp on my hand" I smiled. At her age, she's happy to learn anything for her age.

Her life as a kid is so far from my experience. At the age of 4, I have to learn etiquette, at read books about politics and business, albeit as a young girl, I need to know anything.

And when I forgot or didn't review something, I received a beating from my father. And if I fail a single etiquette, mother will pinch me to my ear, which it hurts.

Kaya maswerte si Karin na nabubuhay siya sa modernong panahon, na simpleng one two three ang aaralin, na mag-aaral ng ilang salita na kaya para sa kanyang edad. She's lucky for that unlike me na nakakaranas ng ilang abuse for a mistake.

Huli na nang ma-realize ko na nakalayo na kami sa bahay, bumalik kami and I shrugged off the awkwardness.

"I want those candies sa Puregold ate Prescilla!" naiiyak na saad ni Karin sabay hila sa akin.

"Ba't nagmamaktol?"

"Ma'am—"

"Alice. Stop the formalities. We're friends already"

I sighed, "I dozed off and got far away. Nakarating po kami sa Puregold but I got home—"

"HAHAHAHAHAHA" tawa niya. She fetch Karin and kissed her forehead. "when we land here in the Philippines after the meeting sa Japan, may pasalubong akong candies galing doon" she reassured and it soothes Karin down.

"And you" tingin niya sa akin. "what do you want? Baka mabili ko pa roon sa Japan"

Her stare spins my entire world. Hindi man ako nahihilo ngunit kakaiba ang nangyayari.

What do I want nga ba?

"A cure for my illness" sagot ko nang nakatingin sa ibang direksyon. I didn't know ano ang expression niya ngunit wala na akong pakealam doon.

I want to end my centuries old suffering I had, and this is the only way I can do.