I had to, I don't want Alice to experience what I have been experienced.

Being immortal is no fun, especially when you have to witness your loved ones dying from oldness, accidents, and illnesses that would exist in future times.

I don’t want her to question anything why she's not getting old while her loved ones does.

Natahimik ako habang pinagmamasdan ang kapaligiran. She's still playing with her barbie and I touch and stare at the hourglass.

"Tell me, Karin. How much do you value this antique thing?" I asked in a soft but cold voice. A usual voice that I had when I still live in my time.

Napatingin sa akin ang bata. "I'm sorry, can you repeat the question again?"

"How much do you value the hourglass?" I asked again, this time, the wind is blowing and swirling my hair, gayon din sa batang babae na nasa harapan ko.

"How?"

"I said, how much do you value the hourglass that is in front of you" I asked again. She sighed.

"Actually, I don't really know. But only papa knows how much we truly valud this hourglass"

'I value the hourglass than my own life.' That's what I want to answer. Pero iba iba tayo ng perspective ukol sa isang bagay o pangyayari kaya I'm not sure on how much this kid values this antique thing.

"I see, I see—"

"Papa likes you" my eyebrows furrowed at her words. Ngayong tapos na niyang kalaruin ang barbie doll, she's drawing something on the paper.

A man and a woman with hearts on top of their head, with a kid on the middle.

"Papa loves you, Prescilla. He told me a day ago" she smiled and showed me her drawing.

Ako na naman ang paglalaruan ng hayop na 'yon.

"Yaya?" she asked tenderly. I shook my head. She didn't know what kind of a person her father is.

"Why? Don't you want your life to be better? Like papa is an engineer" ngiti pa niya.

I don’t want to be with someone, only to witness them dying slowly in my arms. I hate that feeling.

It started when my adopted daughter died from cholera that I don't want to be attached to anyone.

There are men who tried to court me, of course, and gave me everything I wanted to, but sadly, I turned them down.

Ayokong magtaka sila sa akin, at ayoko silang makitang mamatay. Although I'm used to it, masakit pa rin sa akin na makita sila na mawala sa isang iglap sa mga kamay ko.

Life is like a petal who fell from the flower, once stepped, they'll be dirty, once you didn't take care of it, they'll die.

I am the flower, and they are the petals that I don't want to lose.

A week later...

"Yes ma'am Alice?" I asked her na tumawag sa akin kanina. I heard her sigh and hindi pa rin siya nasagot.

"Ah! I'm sorry Prescilla if I didn't answer your question yet, I-I was busy. But it'll be a month and we'll go home" she informed. It makes me happy lalo pa't makakatanggap pa ang mga bata ng souvenirs galing sa kanilang mga parents.

"Anyways, my friend didn't found anything, but she'll try her best upang gumawa ng sinasabi mong liquid na 'yon to cure your friend's illness" she said. I am also glad to hear that news as well.

In this situation, almost everything is helpful. Through the help of science and technology, everything is possible.

But are they going to find a solution about immortality? No one knows until now.

"Thank you" I only muttered. "thank you for helping me"

"Your welcome, Prescilla. You were not a burden to me" she said in a warm tone that makes me feel like I'm in her arms.

I'm not a burden to her... I'm not...

But I don't want her to do it solely by herself. Gusto ko kasama ako.

Ibinaba na niya ang telepono at agad akong nagpunta sa banko upang mag-withdraw ng sweldo. Napatingin ako sa bank ko and realized na marami na pala itong laman.

But it is still not enough to find an apartment or hotel to UK. Mawawalan ako ng pera if gagawin ko na ito.

It will be enough kung gagawin kong milyon ang pera sa banko, but I have to withdraw this all once it happened.

Hihintayin ko muna ang mga pangyayari sa Japan, I'll do my job first as a maid for at least a year or two.

"Ate Prescilla?" Karin called me sa pintuan ng kwarto ni ma'am Alice. "I almost got sus po. I forget that you have the karapatan to go and stay to her roon po" conyo niyang sabi.

Grabe, ang conyo sa age na 5. I don't even understand the fusion of both English and Tagalog.

"I know. She called me" I smiled and gently pat her head. Her hair is so smooth, maybe because of the shampoo that she's using? The shampoo is great for her hair especially that she's so young and her hair is flourishing from numerous nutrients and helpful chemicals that she got from it.

She nodded and hugged me. She's so precious, naaamoy ko rito ang baby powder at baby cologne sa kanya.

"Where's Mia anyways?" I asked her while patting her head.

"She's still sleeping" she answered diligently. Kumalas na ito mula sa pagkakayakap and she got out of the bedroom.

"I see, I see" I whispered. I sat on the bed, turning on the humidifier.

The scent of eucalyptus filling the room makes me calm.

Mabango, katulad ng pamahid na vicks, ang amoy ng kwarto. Although there might be people who don't like the smell of eucalyptus on their room dahil para bang mukha silang nasa pahilutan, but Alice loved the smell of it because she's always stressed.

I'm stressed often as well. But I didn't realized that I also need something pleasant to smell and relieve the stress that both of us are into.

I lay down on her bed. Malapit nang mag-bagong taon, but I still don't have any progress as of now.

Maybe I should try to consult to a faith healer, baka sakali, doon ako makahanap sa kanila ng lunas.