Chapter 20

Say could not understand why she could not immediately enter the office of the bank manager in San Agustin. The manager knew him because Mr. Alfonso was Drex’s family friend. One of the bank receptionist-teller and a guard was trying to hold her from entering the main office room.

She typically can go directly to Drex, the bank president, but she wants to go through the right channel to tell her request. She may not want to show the guards that she was friends with the bank owner but now, she has to. If she needs to beg Drex for help, she will do that as well.

"The Bank President, Mr. Drex Reyes knows me. So please let me talk to him."

"I apologize for the inconvenience, ma'am but there is already a new bank president and he is not around today. Mr. Reyes is still one of the board of directors, though. If you are friends with Sir Drex, I reckon you can call him because today, he's not around as well. If you still want to talk to the president as you wish, I can check his schedule for you."

****

Drex doesn’t own the bank anymore? Where will I go? How can I pay the bank?

These are the questions running through Say’s head as she walks out of the bank. She was waiting on the side of the road for a cab to bring her home when a car stopped in front of her and its windshield was lowered.

“Good morning Ms. De Plaza.”

She frowned when she saw the same lawyer she talked to the other day in front of her. “Atty. Serrano, it’s you again.”

“Well, today I was hoping you could make a decision about –“

“I told you I will not sell our ancestral home even if you pay me -- "

“What about selling half of the mansion, FOR THE SAME PRICE?”

Say’s head shot back up to the lawyer when she heard him. “H-half of the mansion? And you will pay me still the same...same price?”

“Yes. Do you have a couple of minutes to discuss the deal? If you have time, get in the car, we will go to one of the office buildings of my client, and let’s discuss this new offer.”

***

Say may have decided NOT to sell the house but what the lawyer was offering her was too good to be true not to accept it. But of course, the deal includes a codicil provision. The lawyer took her to an office building in the town of San Agustin. She saw the building was named after something else... something that caught her eyes. It was named... Queen’s.

The tall building was the highest one in their province. She had seen the building construction since last year every time she visits the town, and she wonders who would want to invest in a big commercial building in a small province like San Agustin, Bacolod. The lawyer said that this building is just one of the client's new investments in the country, but most of its business is abroad…

“So what you're saying is that you're offering me 400 Million Pesos to buy half of the mansion and its land, plus giving me the chance to buy back the house after 2 years if...if I will stay in the house with your client? ”

“...stay and serve my master. Serve him for his wishes and caprices...” added the lawyer.

“I’ll be a maid-servant?”

“My client didn’t specifically say it like that but he means if he needs whatever from you and he’s in the mansion, you have to provide it.”

“W-who is your master? Who is your client and –"

“My client is a wealthy man Ms. De Plaza. He doesn’t want to give names unless this is finalized. The only name I can say is that...you can call him Mr. Marciano... If you agree to the deal, you will sign the contract, and you will meet him face to face the next day after...”

Say bit her lip while processing the deal in her mind. She wonders if she can bear the thought of sharing co-ownership of her ancestral home and becoming a servant to a stranger. For ten years, she became independent by doing all the housework in the mansion. But can I do it for someone else?

“Think about how you want to keep the ancestral mansion, Ms. De Plaza. You don’t want to lose the mansion, so now you have the chance to pay back your loan from the bank, keep the rest of the money if you want to start a business for yourself or something, and then maybe you can buy the co-ownership after 2 years. My client won’t be here always in the Philippines anyway so if you will be serving him, that is only for a couple of weeks or days in a given period of time. You won’t get the same kind of deal with any other...”

"Nothing will be altered or reconstructed in the house?"

“Nope. Not even an inch of the house will be remodeled.”

I will be somebody’s servant...I will be living with a stranger...I will be--

“You only have 24 hours to decide and my client will pass up and find another place to –"

“I-I will accept the deal. Where do I sign?”

The lawyer smiled before replying, “Good decision. Now here’s the contract. Please sign each page.”

Her hands trembled as she signed the dotted lines in the contract. She pushed the papers back to the lawyer when she's done signing all the pages.

“There...It’s signed. When will I meet your client?”

“The next day after today. 1 O’clock sharp. Here.”

***

De Plaza Mausoleum, St. Agustin Gardens…

The deal was struck. And on that very day, Say didn't know how it would feel, now that she has a new housemate who legally co-owns her ancestral house. She promised she would make sure to buy the whole ownership back before 2 years contract ends. The next morning, Say visited the mausoleum in the cemetery to tell her father of her plan…

Dad... I'm sorry if I have to sell half of our home. I didn’t know what to do already, but this is way better than letting the bank take the whole mansion. I miss you so much... I miss you and your advice…

After visiting her father's mausoleum, she chose to pass by Nay Sabina's grave who was a simple burial ground on the other side of the memorial park. She has become accustomed to doing this because Nay Sabina has been kind to her family and to her since she served them.

Plus...she was the mother of... Nick, the guy she hurt a decade ago.

Say felt a fresh stab of pain and guilt at the memory of Nick again and a flood of recollection comes back to the thought of the first man she has ever loved. She thought that he might have relocated somewhere since he had no family in town anymore. There is no going back for him... there is no reason.

Her thoughts were interrupted when she saw some fresh flowers on Nick's mother's grave. The flowers seem to be of the expensive kind. There was also a melted candle on the side, and it looked like someone just visited the grave.

Fresh flowers and a newly melted candle? Who could visit Nay Sabina today?

***

“Are you ready Say to meet the new owner? It's almost 1 o'clock."

“I can do nothing but prepare myself, Aling Maring. All I know is that after our meeting today, someone will move and stay in the house."

“So my son and I can no longer come here to visit you or sleep in the house if we wanted to since there is already a new owner. I think that'll be embarrassing, right?"

“That is only for the meantime...but...you know I think it's okay. You are my friend, Aling Maring, and I am still the co-owner of the house - so that client can't tell me anything if someone visits my house. Whoever he or she is. ”

“Right…” Aling Maring nodded.

***

And so the hour comes. Say arrived early in Queen's building - the same building she and Atty. Serrano struck the deal yesterday. But she was confused and curious as to when she steps in the door of the commercial building, it seems everyone knows who she is and what her purpose is.

Nobody even asked who and what is her appointment for.

Well, ten years ago, she could say everyone knows her...as a Governor’s Daughter... But that was ages ago…

“Good afternoon. Is Atty Serrano around and –“

“He’s back in the States Ms. De Plaza. He took the early flight this morning. The job given to him by our boss is over. ”

“Ahh...so who will I talk to? I was hoping to talk to—“

“Mr. Nicholas Marciano will now see you...”

Nicholas? Nicholas Marciano? Say shot back her head to the receptionist when she heard the name. “N-Nicholas Marciano, that is the name of your --"

“The CEO is now ready to see you in the loft. Please follow me.”

She wanted to ask the receptionist more because the name of what she said was very familiar...But the receptionist was busy looking at some paper works while they walk.

Nicholas Marciano? It’s like the name of…

Say shook her head. She doesn’t have time to think of somebody’s name now that she will be meeting the man who will own half of her ancestral mansion. The receptionist guided her to an elevator. Numbers of passing floor flashes in the elevator and a couple of minutes after, they stopped at the topmost floor of the building. As the elevator opened, Say could see the whole part of the hall was made of glass, as if there were eyes watching her every move.

And then they stopped at a huge door. The receptionist opened it and she saw a gigantic office. The long wall in front of her was glass from floor to ceiling, providing an uninterrupted view of Bacolod town in all its fantastic, glittering splendor as it fanned out for endless miles in the distance below. Acres of thick cream carpeting covered the floor, and a splendid rosewood desk was off to her far right, facing the room.

Her thoughts were interrupted when the receptionist talk and that’s when she realized on the other side of the glass wall, someone is standing on his back, wearing a tailored suit, watching the skyline from the top floor of the building.

“Mr. Marciano, she is here. I will be leaving both of you now.” The receptionist's last words before the door were closed behind her.

Say cleared her throat before she talks to the man who is still on his back.

“Good afternoon Mr. Marciano...”

The man turned to face her and that’s when she saw a pair of penetrating chocolate brown eyes- eyes Say knew intimately. She stopped cold with the pounding of her heart as she looked at the face of the first man she had ever loved - and maybe the last.

“Hello Samantha Yvette De Plaza...”

N-Nick...