“Mom, I'm going down to see Myra,” I told my mother the next morning at ten o'clock. I had found her in her new garden, happily grubbing around and planning her orchidarium and rose garden. She said nothing, only nodded, so I started down the lane.
A woman was watering the flowers in the front yard of the Flores house when I passed. I stopped to admire the African daisies and babies' breath, all in full bloom. Three rosebushes adorned the center of this miniature garden, and a bougainvillea bush was off to one side with a small bench in its shade. A few pots of dendrobium orchids hung from a low railing and provided a sort of backdrop.
The woman looked to be about Mom's age, beautiful with unusually fair skin, thick long straight hair with no white strands caught up in a bun, and eyes like Michael's, only darker like Celia's. I supposed she was Michael's mother, and every negative thing I'd heard about her notwithstanding, she seemed to be a good gardener by the looks of her plants, all healthy and blooming profusely.
The woman looked up.
“Oh, good morning, Auntie,” I said, returning the smile. “I was just admiring your flowers. They are so pretty.”
She smiled back, though vaguely.
“Thank you, dear. I haven't seen you before, but you look familiar. Do you live near here?”
“Yes, Auntie, we moved here just a few days ago.”
“Where?”
“Up there, on the hill.”
“Ah, the old de los Santos place?”
“Yes, Auntie.”
“What did you say your name was, dear?”
“Adriel, Auntie. Adriel de los Santos.”
Her face clouded over briefly.
“Who's your father?” she asked.
“Alberto, Auntie.”
“Oh, Alberto!” She looked thoughtful. “When did Alberto get married? The last time I saw him, he was still in college. Whom did he marry? Arianna, I suppose, no one else. Why didn't Alfredo tell me about it? I must remember to ask him the next time he comes.”
It took a few moments for her words to penetrate my brain, but when it did, chills began running down my spine although it was a hot day. Especially when she added, “Imagine, not telling me about his own brother's wedding!”
My Uncle Alfredo was Dad's oldest brother and lookalike. But Uncle Freddie had been dead for seventeen years!
“Uh… Auntie… Uncle Freddie's already dead, isn't he?” I blurted out, which wasn't the most tactful thing I've ever said in my entire life.
Her face crumpled like a baby's.
“Freddie's dead? Oh, my God, yes, Freddie's dead.” She repeated this last to herself almost wonderingly. She stared at me with blank, unseeing eyes. “Freddie's dead, and he never knew, he never believed me, he never will… I didn't do it! I didn't do it! I didn't!!! It wasn't my fault! Freddie, forgive me, it wasn't my fault, please believe me…”
I could only stare at her, shocked. I wasn't even thinking straight. I didn't know what to do! I put out a hand.
“Auntie, are you okay? Please don't be upset…”
At that moment, Michael came around the side of the house, saw his mother, and rushed towards her.
“Nanay, are you all right?” he asked. “Hush now, hush, everything's okay, everything's fine, we're here,” he said soothingly, as if he was talking to a baby instead of his own mother. “Celia? Celia!” He gently removed the dipper his mother was still clutching, and steered her into his sister's arms. Without a backward glance, Celia guided their mother into the house.
Then he turned on me, his eyes flashing.
“What did you do to her now? Haven't you de los Santoses hurt her enough already?” he snapped.
Now more than ever I was totally bewildered. Hurt her? How? Why? To judge by her words, she thought she was the one who had done something wrong. My bewilderment must have shown on my face, because the next thing Michael said was, “Oh, for God's sake, Princess, stop acting like you don't know anything. It's not a big secret that Nanay was once engaged to your uncle!”
Princess! Oooh! I hated the way he made the word sound so--- so insulting!
“Well, then, excuse me for existing, because I really didn't know anything about that!” I retorted. “That wouldn't be strange, though, seeing I didn't even know Bagong Silang existed until fairly recently!”
Something flared in his eyes for just a second. I went on angrily.
“I'm sorry about your mother. Ignorance is no excuse, I know, but it's the only one I have. I didn't know that talking about my family would upset her. And why the hell am I apologizing to you anyway? I should be apologizing to her--- you don't deserve a civil word!” And with that I spun on my heel and marched on down the lane in the direction of Myra's house.
