"Ate Prescilla, sabihin n'yo po sa amin kung masama po pakiramdam po ninyo at dalhin ka na po namin sa ospital kung kakailanganin" panimula ng katrabaho ko habang inaayos niya ang bedside ko.

"We already informed ma'am Alice about this. At pinayagan niya po kami na patulugin ka po muna rito at mag-take ng sick leave" dagdag pa ng isa ko pang katrabaho na nakaupo sa edge ng kama.

Good thing, pero tinatamaan pa rin ako ng ubo't sipon at ayoko pang mabawasan salary ko sa trabaho.

How could I find the cure am I looking for kung mac-cut off sweldo ko dahil lang sa sakit ko?

But the maids are telling me to take a rest kahit pa gustong gusto ko nang tumayo at magsimula sa trabaho.

"It's not like I have a fever!"

"Pero mahigpit po kasing ipinagbilin ni ma'am Alice na—"

"Kahit na! Aalagaan ko pa rin ang dalawa—"

The head maid turned around, mukhang kabababa lang niya ng telepono. "magpahinga ka, si ma'am Alice na ang mismong nagsabi"

Ugh!

Hindi ako nasasanay na walang gawain. I wasn't used to this ever since I became a worker and hid under the name of Simon, my butler who died of old age.

Hindi kagaya dati, when I live my life as a noble lady, when they found out that I can't age, pinalayas ako ng mga apo ko.

I was left wandering the streets and finding a job, I worked and worked hard. I even sneaked in the Siodonna mansion, only to find out that the hourglass is already broken and cannot be fixed.

Papalit-palit ang aking trabaho noon at somehow, may naipon rin.

But the value and design of currency change, and so, I decided to go to the Philippines to live a better life. But my daughter that I adopted died from Cholera in the early 20th century.

Ilang dekada na rin akong nagtrabaho sa Pilipinas, from the rigorous ones to simple ones. At ngayon ay nagtatrabaho ako bilang isang yaya sa pamamamahay ni ma'am Alice Doroteo.

Kahit bagsak na ang ekonomiya ng Pilipinas, the salary is fair, enough upang kumain ng tatlong beses sa isang araw.

But I save majority of my money sa bangko, both of the currencies, from British pounds to Philippine peso, nakalagak ang mga iyon sa ATM ko upang magamit ko upang hanapin ang gamot.

The blue hourglass can solve everything and end this.

"Ate... There's no need to pressure yourself po" aniya ni Mia at tinutulungan pa akong maglinis ng mga laruan nila. Kahit ang mga bata ay nahahalata ang pagkatamlay ko.

"There is no need, Mia. I can do this, maglaro nalang kayo ni Karin dyan" ani ko sabay nagpatuloy sa pagliligpit.

My persistence to work ended nang may isang yaya ang pinagsabihan na naman ako. Kahit bako bako ang English-speaking niya, I could totally tell that she's trying her best.

If speaking this international language isn't the definition of intelligence, then why do they think of this language as a measure of intelligence?

Filipinos really changed, especially their way of lifestyle.

I told the maid na tumulong nalang siya. She agreed and in a couple of seconds, tapos na ang pagliligpit namin ng mga kalat.

But the blue hourglass na kalaro at palaging dala ni Mia... It captivates me.

According to her, laruan lang iyon, maging ang laman n'on na sand ang nilalaman ay parte ng nasabing laruan.

I placed the blue hourglass in its place, sa center table kung saan maganda ang anggulo. The shadow is beautiful lalo pa't may blue shadow rin.

It reminds me of the ocean, but the colors snapped me back from reality.

But anyways, I decided to do work instead of minding something that is not from my main objective as a maid.

Nang matapos na akong maghugas ng pinagkainan, tumunog ang telepono. Muntikan na akong manlait muli when I realized that it's ma'am Alice after all.

"How's everything, Prescilla?" she asked. I heard background noises na siguro ay galing sa mga manggagawa na masipag magtrabaho.

In no time, the restaurant will be finished. Compared here sa Pilipinas na umaabot pa ng taon o halfway before the new year bago pa buksan ang isang enterprises.

"I'm doing well, but I'm still sick. But I can do much work and babysit the two" I responded. I heard her sigh in the other line. "I told you na magpahinga at huwag kang masyadong mag-expose sa gawain. Paano kung lumala 'yang sakit mo?"

Nanermon na naman siya. But she has a point though. I have coughs, colds, and fever yet I'm still working imbes na magpahinga ako.

Pero kasi ang sweldo... Mabubuhay ako para sa sweldo, para sa pera.

There are things I needed to do, and there are things that I must find.

Gaya nalang ng aking condition, but going back to UK would be hard unless if I have a lot of money. Mahal rin ang flight.

Hindi gaya noon na mura pa ang sakay ng barko tapos ilang buwan na aabutin bago ka makarating sa destination mo. That's why I had to buy rations of food, hindi gaya noon na kumakain ako sa cruise and isa pa, para naman 'yon sa mayayaman.

At hindi na ako o ang angkan namin. The Siodonna family no longer exist, if it does, it only exist on their fantasy.

I once got a chance to eat pero noon lang iyon at hindi na ako sumubok ulit. So that's why I packed rations upang sa susunod ay sa room ko nalang ako kakain.

But now that technology exists, flight is only 22 or 23 hours from Manila to London.

But the price is hella expensive. So I have to save up, find the cure, atone my family's sins...

And just like my descendants, I will also became a decaying body that contributes the nature.