CHAPTER 1
Aniah’s POV

“I’m home!” I shouted as I entered our house. It’s been a while. 

“Iah!” Manang Saling welcomed me with a warm embrace. She’s been our housemaid since I was a kid. She’s like a mom to me already.

“Why you did not call? So that I can ask someone to fetch you at the airport.” She asked me after the warm embrace.

“I will surprise my sister Manang. By the way, where is she? Where is Inah?” I asked. I am pulling my suitcases with me as I walk near our staircase. 

“She left earlier. She did not say where she will go. Maybe she’s with her friends.” Manang answered like it was the usual thing that my sister does.

“Is she always with her friends?” I asked curiously. 

“Lately, yes. Maybe she is getting bored here. She is always alone, your parents are always out of town and she’s always left with us.” She explained. I nodded and asked again.

“What time did she leave? Is she long gone before I came?” Maybe she will go home anytime soon.

“She left early in the morning darling,” Manang said hesitantly. 

“Oh! What a life she has!”  I exclaimed. But maybe she deserves that, she needs to unwind sometimes. Most teenagers nowadays are always drained from schoolwork.

Manang assisted me up until my room. “Thank you, Manang!” She just smiled at me.

“Manang, I will sleep first because I still have jetlag. Wake me up as soon as Inah arrives or just wake me up if it’s already dinner time.” I want to sleep so badly. I am tired from the trip. I just go home here in the Philippines to unwind. I want to have a vacation, away from my work, away from my business, away from the stress. I hope this vacation will be worth it. 

“Okay, I will just wake you up later. By the way, what do you want for dinner?” Manang never fails to ask me what I want for dinner. It’s been years but the care Manang has for me is incomparable. 

“I want pork adobo Manang. It’s been a long time since I last tasted it. And of course, it is special because you’re the one that will cook it for me!” I smiled after that. I really love Manang. I cannot imagine my life without Manang. I don’t think I will grow into who I am today if not because of Manang.

“Okay, pork adobo it is.” She smiled again before finally leaving me. I can still hear her footsteps when I closed the door.

I just put my suitcases inside my walk-in closet before finally jumping into my bed. “It’s been a while my beddy bed!” I just put my handbag on my bedside table before settling in. I feel exhausted, really.

……

“Iah, ija, wake up. It’s already dinner.”  I slowly open my eyes when I feel someone slightly tapping my legs. I want to close my eyes again and I feel like I don’t want to eat because I want to sleep. 

“Okay manang, I will just freshen up then I will go downstairs.” I am still wiping my eyes as I answer manang. I am still sleepy. I feel manang stand-up and after a few seconds, she walks toward the door to leave me alone.

As I comb my hair I am thinking about things, I am thinking about Inah, and I am thinking about what happened after I left. I have a lot of questions and I hope Aninah will be patient enough to answer me. I hope she was already downstairs and waiting for me but manang did not say anything about Inah’s presence. Where is she?

I will ask her about her studies. I know she’s doing well but still, I want to ask her. She’s always with the maids and I know she’s feeling alone inside this house sometimes. I don’t know how seldom our parents go here to bond with Inah or just to visit her. I know that they are busy but I hope they make time for Inah. I am already sorry for Inah because I leave for abroad right after I graduate. But I have my own reasons.

I walked directly to the dining area, no sign of Aninah. Is she still out? 

“Manang, is Inah still not around?” I asked manang. She’s the one who I always have a conversation with among the maids. Aside from she’s been around since I was a little kid, our other helpers are assigned to the dirty kitchen or outside.   

“She’s not yet home Iah.” She answered while pouring my glass with water. When I was in Inah’s age I cannot stay this late outside. My parents are very strict with me, maybe because I am naturally hard-headed and I am always prone to danger and chaos. But to be honest, I always obeyed them, and even when I am living alone in college I am still following my curfew. I am just scared that they will say hurtful words again. 
“Is she always like that?” I put some rice and adobo on my plate while waiting for manang to answer me. It’s nearing 8 o’clock in the evening and she’s still out there.

“Not really, but there is a time that she went home at around 4 am. I am not aware of where she went during that day. I did not ask her.” 4 am? I’m sure that our parents are not aware of that but Inah doesn’t need to worry because I will not tell our parents. 

“Okay manang, I will just talk to her later. Why don’t you eat with me manang?” I asked manang to eat with me, I am always eating alone abroad and now that I am here in the Philippines, I don’t want that. 

“Oh sorry, Iah but I can’t eat with you. I am not allowed to eat fatty foods, aside from that I can’t eat as much as I eat before. It’s bad for my health and I need to observe my blood pressure.” Oh! It seems like I don’t have a choice but to eat alone.

“Okay manang, no worries. Maybe next time? If the food is good for your body.” She laughed at me and leave me alone.

I missed being called ija and Iah. No one’s calling me that abroad. And only manang calls me ija. Never in my life have my mom called me ija or Iah. It’s always my full name, I don’t know why. 

I heard the doorbell ring so I asked one of our maids to look who is that. I wonder who’s that, it’s already late for visitors and I know manang did not order food online. We’re not expecting anyone tonight so I wonder who’s that? 

I became irritated as soon as I saw who is it. “What the?! Where did you go?!” I shouted at Inah, she was with her friends and she was drunk. Inah did not respond, maybe because of drunkness.

“Uhm, we went to the bar, Inah asked us to go with her. We are hesitant at first but she badly wanted it. We’re very sorry, we did not expect that she will be this drunk.”One of Inah’s friends explained. I don’t care if she badly wanted it. 

“Are you always out with her at the bar?” I don’t know what the hell is happening with my sister. She was not like this when I left. I am already twenty-five years old and I can count how many times I went to the bar and then now Inah is fucking drunk in front of me. She’s only eighteen for fuck’s sake!

“Uh, no. It’s just the second time around. We were at the bar last month and that’s the first time.” Her friend answered again. 

“It’s not because you’re already allowed to go to the bar you’ll abuse it. Now, you may go.  It’s already late. Thank you for taking care of my sister. By the way, I am Iah.” I got Inah from their hold and assisted her to the couch. 

“Manang please help Inah to clean herself. I’ll just talk to her tomorrow.” I am pissed right now, what a way to welcome me Aninah! Her welcome is very much appreciated!

Should I scold her? Tomorrow! 

It’s supposed to be a vacation, not stresscation.

…..