Dream a Little Dream

I spent the whole day trying to catch up with work, it was near impossible to do anything the past two days, and continue the planning for the designs, I even managed to call up one of my best interior decorators to save my dad's condo from the utter tragedy it faced, but I still have no clue how to explain the shredded carpets along with the enormous burns on them, not to mention the broken cupboards, the cracked and scratched windows, and traces of blood here and there. I facepalmed myself with the sheer amount it would take to get things back to it's once pristine state. I began to dread the thought when Charles walk in this place tomorrow. After talking to him I returned the call of Danie who apparently called me five times in the past two days.

"Danie?" I said when I heard her on the other end

"Ms. Beth?" she responded, her usual upbeat voice made me feel a bit more relaxed, "Yes ma'am?"

"You called me yesterday, sorry I was too busy I wasn't able to pickup," I responded caressing my bruised body parts.

"Oh," her tone dropped, "about that..." a pause, this isn't good, Daniella always paused before delivering bad news.

"Yes..." I prepared for the worst

"Mr. Saldivar wants to talk to you, he said that you were avoiding him and he sent you like two dozen roses now, he wants that you two meet," she said meekly, I can imagine her dealing with Albert Saldivar.

"I see," I chewed on my cheek, "I'll call him later. Also Danie can you see me tomorrow, bring everything I need to sign," I heard her confirm and affirm I ended the call. I watched Ciel walked to the bathroom he was careful close the door gently.

I blinked in disbelief, I rubbed my eyes repeatedly, I was....awake, I thought. It was all a dream, I breathed a sigh of relief. Slowly I got out of bed, I walked over to the mirror and the basin and washed my face. I am still me, all of it was just a horrible dream. I looked up on the mirror, I watched my disheveled locks fall on my shoulders wet with the water after washing my face, an angular jaw with a little fat on my cheeks and a new pimple just a little below my cheekbones, I sighed... Tia Lorenza will be giving me an earful about sleeping late again causing this blemishes on my face. I placed my clenched hand on my chest, my heart was pounding, it all felt so real, I was somewhere else, somewhere far away, and I was in grave danger, there was a cast of characters that all looked familiar....

KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK!

My thoughts we interrupted by the loud knocks and one of the maids walking in the room telling me that my aunt is calling me for breakfast. It was only six in the morning, but I have lessons and I was expected to report to my tutor immediately after the meal.

"Hija, you're pale as a candle", the elderly Manang Susing said as she caught a glimpse of my reflection in the mirror, "are you sick?" she then rushed to my side to see if I had a fever, she let out a sigh of relief to know that I am well.

"Get dressed and be at the table, your aunt is in a rush, the Señorito seems to be coming back for a day, and in search for a bride". Manang Susing fought a fit of giggles, my cousin Damian is one of the most eligible bachelors in town - well educated with getting a degree in Literature from a prestigious university in Manila, then trained in Spain for management and business, he was known to single-handedly reclaim the almost lost wealth of the family that his good-for-nothing father squandered with gambling, women and liquor. Since he has returned to the Philippines women has been pining for his attention. He has moved away from Tia Lorenza for the last couple of years but he never fails to visit her every Saturday and take her to church during Sunday. But today is special, he has taken a day away from his dealings to discuss marriage.

"I'll be right down Manang." the maid left the room in a rush, I began to get dressed to something more acceptable.

As I walked down the stairs, my cousin was waiting at the bottom with my tutor, they seem to be discussing something important that they have not noticed me until two steps before them. They both looked up to me at the same time, I wanted to frown but my training taught me that a lady never shows an offending expression to a guest. I smiled at them and walked towards the comedor, they followed suit still discussing but not paying much attention to me. My Aunt was already sitting at the table with sipping her brewed coffee, she gestured that we take our seats to begin the meal. Breakfast today is a bit more special than most days, we have Tia's sinangag, tapas, eggs and tomatoes. Most days we have dried fish or something instead of tapa, and my aunt allows the house-helps to prepare breakfast, but today with Damian's visit Tia Lorenza would only want the best.

I sat beside my aunt and my cousin and my tutor on the other side of the table. I looked at my aunt, her face was beaming with the joy of seeing her only child. Tia Lorenza a small woman of no more than five feet, with her graying hair tied back in a tight bun. She is a fighter my father always say, she went through hell and back only to provide for her son. She was not the prettiest sister Papa has, but she is the one with the most charisma, grace, and intelligence, but she was rebellious and finds herself in trouble when she was young. In the absence of a husband she was taken back in by grandparents who were very much disappointed as she had lost her good-for-nothing husband to a querida along a large portion of their fortune. Her once porcelain smooth face are now etched with wrinkles from all the years that she spent fighting and working to get what is rightfully for her son. Today she is a proud woman who has broken the expectations for a separada.

"Hijo," she called to Damian, he looked at her, "it's really nice that you get to visit us, you are far too busy with the plantation that I sometimes think you forgot about me," voicing her discontent with his rare visits, Tia wanted him to stay but he thinks otherwise.

"Ay! Mama!" Damian retorted, "Abuelo and Tio Santiago entrusted me the plantation, it be best that I work hard to keep it running, right Nina?" he turned to me looking for affirmation. I nodded vigorously.

"Si!" I responded, I shot him a look aiming to tell him not to drag me into it.

"But, your abuelo and Kuya Tiago will not like you overworking yourself", my aunt continued as she sipped her coffee.

My tutor sat silently watching the banter between mother and child, I continued eating my sinangag, tapa and eggs along with my chocolate tablea savoring each moment because tomorrow it's back to dried fish, tomatoes and eggs. I watched the happiness in Tia's face, she is really thrilled to be with him today especially he is aiming to find a wife. Tia Lorenza has not been able to contain her excitement when she received a telegram with the news, it's been more than a year since she has been trying to convince him to settle down but he always declined until a couple of days ago. After breakfast I was whisked away towards the study with my strict tutor, whom a handful of my friends are falling heads-over-heels for, I can't really understand why though.

I thought that this was supposed to be a normal day, and I was going about my usual lessons until my cousin waltzed inside the study. Señor De Leon raised an eyebrow at him, but Damian merely smiled and asked if he can take out for a walk in the gardens. I looked out the window and the sun was blazing outside and it was going to be too hot for a walk since in the next two hours it's going to be noon, what is this guy up to. Being the nephew of his employer Señor De Leon allowed it with an obvious distaste, he thanked him kindly and once again I was being directed to another place.

"May I get my abaniko (handfan)?" I asked as we walked on the hall

"But of course,'' he said and I rushed to my room and picked the fan on top of my dresser. I looked at the mirror for a moment, "wake up!" I heard a whisper I looked back, there was nothing. I shrugged it off and went back to my waiting cousin, who offered his arm to me that I took. We walked towards the gardens talking about our lives and how he visited me in Spain when he was still an apprentice, then a certain recent event had popped into the conversation, Ysabella Martine, the daughter of the Cabeza de Barangay of Sitio Azul, the barangay next to ours but very close to the plantation.

"I surmise that you are a friend to the younger sister of Señorita Martine, Clara?" he said as I raised an eyebrow.

"Yes", I responded in suspicion, "what of it?" but I am starting to be aware of the directions in which this conversation will go.

Damian smiled brightly that it almost compared to the sun, "well, I wish to meet Señorita Ysabella if it's a possibility.''

No! I thought, but looking at my cousin it must be a big deal, "Damian, why?" I wasn't able to bite my tongue. But the look on his face shows that he is greatly infatuated by the woman who is an awful human being since time immemorial, Clara hates her to the core and she is her sister.

This is when Damian had informed me of their accidental meeting in the plantation, where the carriage in which the girl and her friends were riding got stuck in the mud, and my cousin who was passing by saw it and helped them. It is then when he saw the charming Miss Martine and had been infatuated with her. My cousin was so animated as he told the tale that it was heartbreaking for myself, because not known to him he has zero chances with this girl as she has been arranged to marry a young british gentleman, Mr. Church whom her father has met in his travels in France, and they were having a party this weekend to celebrate the engagement.

"Damian," I began, I clutched his hand, that he looked me in the eye with sudden concern.

"What is wrong Nina?"

"YOu can't fall for her," I stated in a quivering voice.

"What!? Why?" he protested in controlled anger, his face was starting to get red, his brows furrowed.

"You see its...just...." but I wasn't able to finish that sentence as my aunt walked towards us carrying with her a letter that drove my point far better than what I can say. My aunt handed it over to myself and found an invitation inside it read:

You are cordially invited to the engagement party of

Señorita Ysabella Martine y Salcedo & Capt. Lucas Gregory Church

Casa Natividad

Saturday, 6:00 in the evening

My heart sank as I saw the face of Damian, he was devastated. How else can one feel knowing that his beloved is already engaged to be married to another man. My aunt stared at us in confusion, I gnawed on the inside of my cheeks, how can I explain to her why her son looked like he lost a fortune upon the reading of the invitation.

"We are expected to attend, shall I go ahead and confirm our attendance to the messenger?" declared Tia Lorenza

I forced a smile, "Yes, Tia, the messenger must have more places to visit and we must not make him late." My aunt brisked towards the house to get a pen and parchment to respond, I turned to my cousin who's livid with disappointment. I held his hand with an attempt to comfort him but all he did was hold my hand and sigh, we both did.