One week later...

Gumaling na ako sa ubo't sipon ko, ngunit kahit ganon ay pinagpapahinga talaga ako ng mga maids.

Kahahatid ko lang sa dalawa. I opened my phone to see an unknown number sa taskbar. A text, I told myself.

Binasa ko ang message na nasa phone.

'Hi Prescilla! :) is everything doing alright? How was Mia? I hope that she won't be as naughty now that she's on another home.'

'Allan Analsito'

Ah, so siya pala ang behind sa unknown number.

'Binlock mo kasi ako sa isa kong number so I created one upang makausap ka :('

Siraulo. Pero buti nalang with sense ang message niya, not some whore one.

But I decided not to reply to his messages, dahil kilala ko siya na hindi nagseseryoso, at baka kung ano pang katarantaduhan ang mga ipagr-reply niya.

Umuwi na ako sa bahay na naglalakad. Maica, a co-worker of mine advised me na magpatirik naman ako sa arawan. Nagkakasakit ako dahil sa kakulangan ko sa bitaminang nakukuha sa araw.

Pero mangingitim naman ako nito. But yeah, mabuti nalang at hindi ko sila kasama, mga batak pa naman sa arawan ang mga 'yon.

As long as sapat na ang oras ko sa arawan, okay na iyon, kaysa sa literal na sunugin ako rito.

Pero when it talks about climate between Philippines and the United Kingdom, the latter has the hotter climate when it comes to summer, or spring... I don't know, hindi ko na rin na masyadong natatandaan

Nagbabago na ang panahon, maging ang klima ng bawat bansa. And I couldn't think if my speculation about my home country being hotter than here in the Philippines.

Bigla akong niyugyog ni Maica, na siyang kasama ko rin sa paghahatid-sundo sa dalawa. She's currently driving the car at baka makabangga raw ako sa sitwasyon ko.

As if mananagasa ako ng tao o makakabangga.

"There is something about Mia that I really need to know" untag ko sa driver. "about her father? May girlfriend na 'yon. Umiyak nga ng ilang linggo si ma'am Alice dahil doon—"

"I'm not talking about Analsito. I'm talking about Mia—"

"We're not talking about that engineer, pero alam kong may gusto siya sa'yo. He's asking for Alice's hand to court you. About Mia... There's nothing suspicious about her" saad niya. She turned the car to the left and stopped at an enterprise.

"Anong gagawin mo?" I asked her. Binuksan ko ang pintuan ng sasakyan at sinundan siya after I close it.

Kumuha siya ng cart, at ako ang kanyang taga-kuha ng mga kailangan.

"Is this all that you need?" I asked her dahil sa kaunting laman ng cart. She's not like this whenever she's buying goods in the supermarket.

Tumango siya, at inutusan niya akong pumila na sa cashier. Maica is playing with the car keys while I was seriously thinking about Mia's blue hourglass.

It looks so antique upang gawin niya itong laruan. Mukha ngang bawal paglaruan iyon ng bata eh.

'Maybe I should ask him about Mia's toy when they come back in the Philippines'

"Oh ano? Natirikan ka naman siguro ng araw, Prescilla" anas ng head namin si Alicia. Oh tamo, pwede nang maging kakambal ni ma'am Alice sa pangalan.

However, may katandaan na rin siya. Gustuhin man ng ibang maids na mag-retire na siya dahil sa katandaan ay ayaw niya.

Of course, that's what Filipinos are.

I nodded and ranted that it's too hot. Napasabi nalang ang matanda na ganito talaga pag nasa Pilipinas, kailangan indahin ang init.

Totoo, Philippines is so hot that you can cook an egg here if you don't want to use the stove.

Nakita ko sina Mia at Karin na nakain nang brunch. I smiled and hugged the two of them.

"Hi po ate Prescilla! How are you po?" galak na tanong ni Mia at inutusan ang isa sa mga maids na naka-assign sa kitchen na kuhanan ako ng plato.

"Don't do that dear, it's not like I'm going to die  without eating anything" tawa ko habang ginugulo ang buhok ng mga bata. Natawa ang dalawa at nagpatuloy sila sa kinakain.

Ngunit ang mga mata ko ay napatingin kay Mia, na tila inaalala ko ano ang kanyang itsura. Her eyes shows radiance and warmth, her skin is so pristine that only people in the same status as her has the rights to touch it. And her hair... So silky, it reminds me of my friend that I am longing for centuries.

We were childhood friends, but she died in childbirth with count Scots' son.

And I don't believe that reincarnation exists. But in Mia's situation... Parang kapani-paniwala eh.

She looks like her.

Napailing ako. Reincarnation doesn't exist. Stop thinking that Mia might be her.

"Prescilla?" tanong ni ma'am Alice sa kabilang linya after I told her about the medicine. "I didn't found any about that peculiar medicine that you need" I sighed.

"It's okay ma'am" I said. "wag na po kayong mag-abalang hanapin po 'yan" I breathed.

Then what was the solution to stop this? Pay for their sins? Die? I do not clearly know.

But I need this medicine so bad. Did it even became extinct kaya hindi na mahanap-hanap?

But I still have to try my best.

And alam ko saan ko ito hahanapin.

United Kingdom.

But I need a lot of money for the flight and accommodations like hotel, food, and ride.

I'll visit the house of Siodonna.

I'll visit there, and find the solution to this never-ending curse of me being immortal.

"But didn't you told me that you were cursed?" anang Alice sa telepono.

"Yeah" I answered. Napa-hmm ang kabilang linya.

"Then why are you looking for medicine?"

"That's the only way ma'am..." usal ko. "a concoction to end this curse within me"