CHAPTER V

Beautiful utensils that seem to be made of gold, an exquisite array of plates, glasses, and spoons. Candles and beautiful flower arrangements on the dining table, as if you're dining in a royal palace. Add to that is the cooking of Donya Carmen, in which I believe she prepared three types of dishes such as tinola, afrida, arroz caldo, and of course, fried rice was included, perfectly complemented by tomatoes and tuyo (salted dried fish), which I'm sure Hannah will enjoy tasting and trying it, knowing that she's not that picky with food unlike me. 

At first, I didn't like the tuyo because of its strong smell, but when I noticed that every morning it's a must-have on Filipino dining tables, especially for the workers here at home and the helpers of the family on the farm, I gave it a try. I realized that since it's nice trying new kind of food and it's because, first of all, I didn't have a choice but to eat what was prepared on the table that unlike before when I could have carbonara, lasagna, and diet coke in the morning with just a word from my Yaya's and they'd be there to provide it immediately.

"Oh, dear, everything seems to be just the way you like it," said Donya Carmen happily as she organized everything and helped set the table, even though I knew she'd still be teaching the children later. As time goes by, I'm starting to enjoy it because of the kindness she shows. Despite my bad attitude as Lily, maybe I was suddenly humbled by Donya Carmen because, of course, my mom passed away early, so I didn't have anyone to side with at home. So now, as time passes, maybe I'm just feeling the loneliness, that's why I'm also enjoying it. And because there's still no update on Hannah, I'm really making the most of these moments because for sure, if I return to the present, it will feel like just a dream. Donya Carmen taught me magburda (embroidery), household cleaning—things expected of an individual within the family—but she hasn't taught me about community involvement.

"Yes, mother. Thank you, I really appreciate it," I said as I double-checked the arrangement of spoons laid out on the table. And, voila! sobrang perfect na.

Before leaving for work, she kissed me on the forehead. Just like before, I'm alone again in the house, but it's fine because later Hannah and I will gossip about what happened to her and me while she was away. I miss her and Clyde Angela. It's sad to think that during these moments, we're separated from each other. Maybe if we were in the real world, we'd have scheduled an overnight or a soiree while wearing lingerie and doing skincare.

I'm excited for Don Felipe to arrive and for us to be together as a complete family, even though they're not my real parents, at least I get to fulfill the role of Margarita as their child. Somehow, I also feel the need to repay Margarita's kindness because without her, I would probably be dead or lost by now. It's like Margarita loaned me her life, so I can't ruin whatever she has or make decisions without knowing anything, especially since I'm not in her position. For now, I'll just go with the flow.

I've also decided to maybe talk to the General to sort things out and ask him what he has with Margarita. I'm just waiting for him to return because apparently, I'm not allowed to accompany him in and give his military uniform personaly since it's also forbidden due to conservatism. The helper said you can only go there if you're a spouse or if you have a chaperone like an older brother.

Speaking of him, it's been two weeks since I last saw him, and I can't help but wonder where he is or if he's finally left Marga because of what I did. I can't help but think of him, but maybe I should try to shift my focus to more important things, because if he wanted to pursue Marga, then we can apply saying "if he wanted to, he would." It's like a blessing in disguise if you think about it; I found out sooner that he's not worthy of Marga.

While I'm being groomed in front of the mirror, I can't help but be amazed at the skill of the servants attending to me. They're not personal makeup artists, but they're all-around since they can handle personal grooming, including makeup application, hairstyling, and wardrobe selection. For this look, I decided to keep my outfit super simple since Hannah and I aren't going out, and I don't have any plans to do so either. But I still want to beautify myself to avoid showing the stress that's affecting my appearance due to the events happening in my life during this time.

"Oh, look at you, miss. You look even more beautiful. Red really suits you because it complements your pearl-like skin," one of the crida (maids) said to me after applying the lipstick.

It's amazing how makeup works here, unlike in the real world where they just rely on rice flour as their all-around powder for a "no makeup makeup look" to appear natural, and they use beetroot as blush but very minimally, and of course, they apply lipstick made from rose petals.

"Aww, thank you so much, Manang Corazon. Why don't you both try it to see if it suits you?" I offered since I noticed that Margarita is fair-skinned. If I were to describe her face, she has thick eyebrows, round eyes, chubby cheeks, a straight nose, and lips of just the right thickness. And unlike Manang Corazon, she has the typical brown skin of a Filipino, which is morena. I'm not knowledgeable when it comes to undertones and such, so it's better if she tries it personally to find out since they're hygienic and there's an extra brush that can be used for her. 

"Why?" I asked curiously.

She didn't respond, so I turned to them as if surprised by what they said, not believing myself.

"Well, it's your first time offering, but thank you, Binibini. It's surprising because before you were hot-headed towards us as if you didn't want to be groomed. Thank you, and we appreciate the offer, but those kinds of amenities are only for the wealthy," she replied while looking down.

"I don't care; women's makeup shouldn't be limited to just a social class. We should all experience this equally regardless of which strata you belong to," I said while still offering the lipstick. She stared at my hand for about five minutes but eventually accepted it and started applying it.

"See! You look beautiful, Manang Corazon. You should try it often."

"Oh dear, I already have children and a husband."

"So?" I asked.

"Hmmm, perhaps the simplest explanation is that women during this time only beautify themselves for men," she explained, which immediately raised my eyebrows. This kind of conversation shocks me, considering in the modern world, I can do makeup for myself for any occasionspecially if I go to a bar in BGC without thinking that I'm beautifying myself for men. 

I just did a final retouch and left the two of them in my room. I told them not to bother attending to the guests anymore since there's nothing else needed there, and besides, I can handle it myself. It's a very simple task to take care of guests. I also said that if they leave, they can take my makeup with them to use for special occasions. Plus, I prefer wearing very light makeup lately and I want to take a break from it. I look good even without makeup, but I'm not saying that those who wear makeup aren't beautiful, you know. Regardless of whether a woman wears makeup or not, the point is we don't do it just to impress boys, but for ourselves.

As I descended the stairs, I hurried to the gate to meet Hannah and hugged her tightly because I missed her so much. Wow, she feels like home. It's as if she's a home and I'm finally coming back. 

"You're so overacting, it's like you've been gone for a year," she sarcastically said.

"Oh, come on! Just admit you missed me, no need to be sarcastic," I commented.

"Of course! I miss you so so so much," she replied. See, I told you she really misses me.

"Come on, hurry up, I've already prepared the food, it would be a waste if it gets cold. Your favorite dish is there, and you should also taste the salted dried fish," I said as I led her to the kitchen.

"Wow, just a few weeks away and you've learned so much. You're doing great," she said as she followed me to the kitchen.

"How are you, by the way? Any news about Angela? Or the mirror and necklace?" I asked one after another.

"First things first, I have three pieces of gossip for you. Donya Carmen, my theory about the necklace and mirror, and juicy gossip," she said, as if she were the type of neighbor who has nothing to do but gossip about other people's lives.

"Gossip number one, since apparently I'm staying at your house because I'm the one taking care of Margarita's role, of course, I can't leave Don Filipe alone, and secondly, until now, I still don't know which family I belong to and who they are," she explained. How thoughtful, she's still with my dad for now.

"Continue."

"And because I live there, I studied how and what people do during this time. And to my surprise, there's nothing new from what we have in the modern day; everything is political. When you're in a higher status, people favor you more, and it's very easy to manipulate common people," she said. I also realized this when I talked to Manang Corazon earlier; just from that conversation, it was already evident that one's status really matters during this time.

"What about my mother, I mean Donya Carmen?" I asked as I ate.

"Do you remember the time we found you with blood on your head and you couldn't remember anything? The maid told me that two days before that happened, you and Marga had a big fight to the point where she physically hurt you, so all we heard was how angry Marga was," she suddenly said, raising my eyebrows.

"How do they describe Marga? Is she a bad daughter?" I asked out of curiosity since, based on our conversation, I'm also described as hot-tempered and not fond of socializing with our helpers.

"She has some attitude because of her privilege just like you, hahaha. But of course, you can't really blame her because that's how she was raised by her parents. But overall, she's kind when she knows her stance in life. She's still somewhat reserved and very girly," Hannah said. I knew it, she's really girly because of all the makeup she has in her room.

"They also gossip that you're smart and good at household chores, skilled in arts, and above all, you're excellent at playing the piano, super talented indeed. See, that's where you two differ because you're not nice," she teased me, her nose crinkling.

"Anyways, han. Seriously speaking, what did they argue about?"

"They don't know either because the room was closed then. And at the time when we found you in the riverbank with a blood on your head, before that or like in the morning, Donya Carmen said you were with her to go on a picnic or to sort out your mess."

"But at that time, Marga seems disoriented and not in the mood," she added.

"But if it was a picnic, they should have returned. But the rumor is that they both disappeared. At first, Donya Carmen said she was sure you had returned because you said goodbye, so she came straight here to Vigan," she said.

"I mean, what's the relevance of your story?" I asked. If she wanted to imply that there was something bad about Donya Carmen that affected her daughter, we can see how kind she is towards me.

"Because her reason is what if you eloped with the General." she said, which made me choke on the drink I was having, causing her to quickly stand up and avoid eye contact. Then she raised her eyebrows at me.

"Omg, speaking of, huhu. I have something to tell you later, sorry, hahaha. Come back here quickly."

"Like, what if Donya Carmen had ill intentions towards Marga that day and she didn't come back?" Hannah theorized. It's indeed curious that Donya Carmen's initial interaction with the General seemed amicable, almost as if she wasn't angry. She even referred to him as "son," and if I recall correctly, the General also referred to her as "mother-in-law." Hmm.

"Maybe Donya Carmen's anger was valid because Marga was being too playful with the General. Like, what mother wouldn't be angry, right?" I returned the question. But I also assumed that maybe she was angry because if you come to think of it in this time, touching another woman's hair and seeing her body were not allowed, let them alone eloping?

And if I looked at how vulnerable Margarita was to the General, I could say I agree that Donya Carmen has a reason to be angry for her daughter. Because daughters like this, like Margarita, aren't just for eloping. She deserves to be married, you know.

I noticed that for a few minutes, she seemed somewhat disbelieving, as if she wanted me to believe that Donya Carmen had a bad character. Well, to see is to believe they say. I can see how kind my mother is. So I managed to convince her not to think about unnecessary things so we can proceed to the next gossip in my room.

"Okay, girly pop. But here's the next gossip. Which is my theory about the necklace and mirror, I mean about our time travel."

"Do you have something like a mission here in the world? Are you guilty of something? Is there something we need to resolve that you haven't told me?"

"What do you mean? Our only mission here is to get the necklace, find Angela, the mirror, and then we're done," I replied.

"Hmm. It's not possible to just time travel for nothing, like there has to be something else. What I mean is there should be a reason."

"What's your gossip anyway?" I asked to understand the context of her question as I prepared the dessert, bibingka, that the crida cooked for us. It's nice to have bibingka even if it's not Christmas because I used to pass by it at the church in Olympus in Quezon City where it's sold after mass, although I never tasted it, I'm familiar with the smell. But my favorite is puto bumbong. Hehe.

"I remembered your story about something with a temporal anomaly which is something connected to time travel. I remembered we had a subject, Contemporary Literature with Professor Manuel, in which we used literary criticism on the story, and Joshua, our classmate, got 'The Sound of Thunder' by Ray Bradbury. You know the concept of the butterfly effect?"

"Of course," I replied.

"The story says that everything you do in the past will have a domino effect, so I'm asking if we have a mission coming here? Or do we need to solve something because I'll also cite the grandfather paradox, for example, if you're in the present and you time travel to kill your grandfather but if you kill him, you won't be able to travel because your father will be born from your grandfather and then you will be born too. I don't know if you get it," she explained.

"Omg, so besides searching for things, do we have something else to fix?"

"I don't know? Perhaps?"

"Hmm. I don't know, but our conversation is kind of overwhelming with all this information, my brain is not braining anymore" I said, and we both laughed.

"Which leads to my third gossip," she said, as if the tone had a bombshell to reveal.

"Have you shown yourself to people here after we arrived?" she asked.

"No, but someone has already seen me," I said, omg, and it's the special someone who saw and saw something different in me. Hehe. When you know, you know. 

"Very good, because the wealthy families which are the Sangley (Chinese mestizos) will have the most lavish social gatherings, inviting their rich friends from Europe and some Asian countries. It's our chance to get to know the wealthy people here. That way, we'll find out who can afford expensive necklaces and mirrors," she said.

"How can we be sure of that when rich people… it will take time, you crazy. There are a lot of wealthy families in this place. How can we visit them one by one with limited time?" I asked.

"What are you saying?! De La Torre, Ong, Aurelio, Deogracias, those are like the top 4 wealthy families, but the others who will attend are somehow wealthy or from middle-class families. The foreigners don't really matter." The De La Torres must be really rich. At first, it didn't seem like a big deal to me as Liliane since I'm used to knowing how to be wealthy because we're also wealthy in a way. I'm just spoiled in terms of material things, privileged in my chosen program, and so on, but theirs is different. Their houses are different, they have a farm where their money circulates, lots of helpers, and they're a well-known family not just in the area but perhaps nationally.

"Okay, that's basic since we like to party anyway, count me in as long as you're with me."

"What do you mean basic? It's like the debut of 18-year-old girls. And besides, it's a big deal so we need to fix and raise your family's flag," she said. Oh yeah, I forgot I have a De La Torre last name.

"How does it work?" I asked as I enjoyed my bibingka.

"Yeah... it's called Los Bailes de Ayer, it's held once every 3 years in a rural town or hacienda where anyone can volunteer. People wear ball gowns, and the parents discreetly introduce their daughters to eligible bachelors, hoping to make a favorable match. Throughout the evening, conversations are exchanged, flirtations bloom, and connections are made," she explained, with excitement. I realized my earlier what-if: will Margarita's parents finally interact? I wonder if they'll be sweet or if Donya Carmen will be fierce?

"So what preparations do we need to make?" I asked.

"We have about two weeks to prepare again, basically we need to prepare clothes, makeup, and practice the dance." OMG!

"WHAT ARE YOU SAYING! I'VE BEEN LIVING IN THIS WORLD FOR SO LONG AND I DON'T KNOW HOW TO DANCE." I shouted at her, which made her laugh, probably because she already knew it would happen.

"Hello, practice makes you better," she said. Crazy, as if I would learn to dance in just two weeks, teaching me to dance is really difficult.

"It's easy because it's usually by partners," she said.

Is she serious? It would be even more difficult if I have a partner, it would be embarrassing. How do I avoid this event?

"What if I say I have a headache?" I suggested.

"Be quiet, we're going," she said, making me pout at her words.

"Okay, you contact our partners, then let's proceed immediately to practice so we won't cram," I said, as if it's a big deal and cramming is not allowed.

"Wait, let's read the newspaper first," she said, taking the newspaper from her bag, and we read it together because she only brought one copy. It's extravagant that they still have newspapers in this day and age. In the real world, I can't recall much if newspapers are still being produced since we have cellphones and TVs. The paper was beautiful, resembling a letter sent by a royal queen. It had a coffee-stained appearance, and it even had a wax seal, reminiscent of a letter to Harry Potter.

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________

 Los Bailes de Ayer el 5 de Mayo de 1898. Reserven la Fecha.

Gather ye all, fair maidens and gallant youths, for a splendid evening of revelry and merriment awaits. By the gracious patronage of the La Sociedad de Escritores del Mentor, we cordially extend to you an invitation to partake in the enchanting affair known as Los Bailes de Ayer.

Picture, if you will, a scene of elegance and splendor, where young women, adorned in the finest baro't saya or terno dresses, shall gather with their families. Meanwhile, from neighboring villages, shall come forth young men, clad in crisp barongs or camisas de chino, their hearts aflutter with anticipation.

As the golden orb of the sun gracefully descends, casting its amber glow upon the verdant landscape, the baile shall commence in earnest. Music shall fill the air, mingling with laughter and joyous chatter, as couples twirl and sway in harmonious cadence.

Sayaw sa Bangko

Esperanza & Isagani

Pantomina

Margarita & General Miguel

Subli

Clemencia & Alejandro

Join us, dear friends, beneath the resplendent canopy of stars, as we journey back to a time of grace and gentility. Let us create memories that shall linger in the annals of time, forever cherished.

With great anticipation and warm regards,

La Sociedad de Escritores del Mentor

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Hannah and I stopped in our tracks and slowly looked at each other. "Oh shoot, what are we going to do?" we both said to each other.

I suddenly rubbed my eyes in disbelief, unable to believe that we might actually be partnered with the guy who's been on my mind for more than two weeks. And now, we're going to see each other at that event, is the universe really playing a joke on the two of us?

My heart suddenly raced, as if I couldn't explain what I was feeling. It's like I'm nervous again about thinking of seeing him, what face will I show him?

Beauty.

Kidding.

"What am I going to do? Lord, help..." I said.

We both sat down, feeling discouraged because what we thought was not such a big deal turned out to be the subject of newspapers, and now we felt pressure from society and whoever might see us.

"Is it possible for us not to practice, I mean can I just be the one to teach dancing?" I asked. Because it would be so awkward if that's the case, for this time it's like I'm not ready yet.

"I mean, I feel like it might be possible. They don't really have a choice if we don't, right? What's the issue, why don't you want to?" Hannah asked. Suddenly, I felt nervous about whether to tell her or not.

"Uhmmm. B-because there was something going on with General Miguel and Margarita, and then I suddenly ignored him, but—" I didn't finish what I was going to say because Hannah suddenly hit me on the shoulder. Ouch!

"What are you doing! I told you to be careful with your actions here, you're so annoying." she said, with a hint of disappointment, I already anticipated that she would be angry.

"Well, then you need to go there even more for closure, you can still take back what you said to him, the only problem is how and by what means can we contact him?" she asked.

"I don't know."

"Then if that's the case, we really need to go to that event, find Clyde, the mirror, and the necklace, and leave. I'm getting tired of this, bestie. I want to be here because it feels like I'm inside a character in a time travel movie, but somehow I'm struggling because the process is so slow." she said. Aww, poor Hannah. Our earlier joy was replaced by sadness when I realized that my problem of thinking about General Miguel of our unintentional interaction was actually quite small, but she's also troubled because, in a way, her service is rendered so much because of my fault that we time-traveled here.

"Okay, we'll definitely go there, and it's time for us to act. There's no time to rest, I need to act alone as Margarita and not rely on the information from you anymore. I need to know who and what Margarita's role is in our lives if there's even a reason why the universe brought us here." I said confidently to Hannah, as if I'm so sure, well in fact I'm really nervous because it's like I'm not myself anymore after Clyde came into my life, I somewhat relied on them especially on Clyde who acts as the mom of the group, who am I without him?

"Aww, so proud of you... okay, let's not waste any more time." Hannah said.

At times like this, we need to cheer each other up because we're all we have for each other, so what I'm going to do now is the usual Liliane, surprise surprise; the bitch named Liliane is back but just in the body of Margarita.

Beauty. 

Talented. 

Rich.  

These are the usual descriptions that come to mind when one hears the name of Margarita De La Torre.

"I had to play this role, blend in with this unfamiliar world, all while trying to unravel the mystery of how I ended up here."