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“Well, there’s only one way to find out,” I say in a sing-song tone, teasing my sister.
“Wait, st –!” I hang up on Lia, smiling smugly to myself as I know I’m about to surprise her and my family.
I quickly get my things together as we approach the final turn. Once the car makes a left, I would then see the house I’ve worked so hard to contribute to for the past few years. I can feel the car make a full stop as I finish fixing up my purse.
“Is… this it?” Leo’s voice kind of catches me off-guard. It’s not that he sounds disappointed. He just sounds confused.
“What do you mean?” My voice falters as I see exactly what he means. The house I grew up in is right in front of us.
Looking exactly the same as I left it.
Chapter 12
Leo
I’mgoingtobeman enough to come out and say that I’m completely uncomfortable. I’m pretty sure this rundown looking house is not the one that Isa has been raving about wanting to see. If she has been sending money for renovations for the past few years or so, then it’s logical for me to expect some newly-built structure.
Maybe the house could have at least been freshened up after getting a fresh coat of paint, but no, I’m definitely well aware that the house in front of us is probably around thirty to forty years old by now. I hate to say it, but something happened here, and it means that Isa’s money was mishandled one way or another. I can tell it’s not what Isa has been expecting this entire time. The moment we exit the vehicle, her cheery and bright face quickly morphs into something that borders between complete shock and devastation. It doesn't change even when her folks greet her so warmly in the driveway.
All of that would be enough to make me overwhelmed, but the mere fact that everyone here is cheering and speaking in another language I can’t understand makes me feel a bit awkward.
A much older woman who looks a bit like Isa pulls her in for a hug, and I assume she must be her mother. There’s an overjoyed expression on the older woman’s face as she hugs her daughter tightly and says a lot of words in quick succession toward her. Isa returns the gesture in a lukewarm way, and I can understand why. This must be a lot to process, and even then, she must have a million questions racing through her head. An older man who also kind of looks like Isa, I'll assume it's her father, also pulls her in for a tight hug, but again, she isn’t really feeling it right now.
By the door, there’s a younger girl leaning against it with a pained expression. She must have been the sister on the phone with Isa earlier, and it’s obvious that she’s been aware of what’s happening this whole time. A little while after that, a little little boy runs out the door with a booming voice, calling Isa’s name.
“Ate Isaaa!”the little boy bellows, running up to Isa’s arms, and this is the only time that she responds with the same energy.
“Oh, I missed you so much, my little Benji!” Isa coos, spinning around delightfully with the boy in her arms.
I have to say, it’s kind of nice to see Isa so happy finally. She’s been so sour after seeing the renovation project that didn’t happen, and I’m not going to pretend that I know what that feels like. I’m not going to pretend that I’ve grown up with the same upbringing as she did, and I’m not going to pretend that I’ve lived by cutting back and bunking in. I was lucky enough to not experience those things, but seeing someone who’s worked so hard by my side for such a long time not see the fruits of her labor is a different kind of sting. So, I’m just glad that there’s a sliver of joy in this situation for Isa.
“Who’s this guy?” Isa’s sister asks, catching everyone’s attention. Isa’s parents look at me with a mixture of confusion and wonder at the same time.
Isa herself looks at me a bit apologetically, signaling to me that she must have forgotten that I was here this whole time. And honestly, I’ve also kind of forgotten that we’re meant to tell them that we’re engaged during this time, but I’m… I’m just not sure this is the right time after what Isa just found out.
“Good morning, ma’am, sir,” I start, smiling politely at the two older people. The little boy looks at me like I’m a weird man, and I can’t really blame the little guy. “My name is Leo, and I’m Isa’s…” I shoot Isa a quick look, and she seems even more overwhelmed than she was a minute ago. I take a quick breath, knowing what I need to do for the time being. “... boss. I’m her boss doing a little field research on the Philippines.” I let out a wide grin to her folks once more, but they only really look at Isa, and she only gives them a sheepish smile.
“Ay! Welcome to the Philippines, Leo!” Isa’s mother shouts out, saying her words with a thick Filipino accent as she pulls me into their house by my wrist. “Please come in for some uh… some…” Her words stammer. I think she’s trying to think of her next word in English, but I have no idea what she’s trying to say, so I can’t really help her. “...Somemeryenda!Come! Come!”
Mer…yenda?I glance at Isa quickly, but she only gestures for me to go on. She seems really amused at seeing me utterly confused with the language barrier.
Apparently, the word means “light meal” or something along those lines. Isa’s mother brought out some stir-fried noodles that they callpancit. And honestly, it was very good.
“Thank you for the meal…” I stop as I realize that I never really was introduced to them with their names.
“Ah, my name is… Florentina. You can call me Flo. And this is my husband, Juan,” Isa’s mother introduces. “And this is my younger daughter, Lia, and my youngest, Benji.” Lia and Benji simply wave hello to me as they continue to eat theirpancit. The table is tiny, and it barely fits us, but it still feels cozy. I don’t know how they did it, but they instantly made me feel welcome. In most houses I’ve visited in the U.S., it takes a little while for people to warm up like these people have.
The entire time we were having ourmeryenda, Isa’s mother would not stop asking me about the films I’ve made, but more importantly, the actors and actresses I have or have not met in my time. She raves about the ones I’ve met and she also happens to be a fan of. I can tell she’s a big lover of movies. Isa’s father, however, is a bit more on the reserved side, and I don’t even think I’ve heard him say anything at all. Isa seems to be deliberately busying herself with her siblings instead. I think I even spotted a little argument between Isa and Lia while their mother was raving about Kira Nichols, but I’m sure it’s not my place to ask. Actually, Isa’s sour mood returned when we sat down a couple of minutes ago, and I’m not really sure how to tackle it at the moment.
The meal goes on, and eventually, everyone finishes theirpancit.
“Well, it’s been so nice visiting,ma, pa, but I need to get my boss to his hotel,” Isa stands up and excuses herself.
“Waitlang, Isa. We can –” Her mother is cut off by Isa fully exiting the room, leaving me alone with her family, and it’s the most awkward the room has been since we arrived.
I look at each of them one by one, before standing up. “Um… Thank you for the meal. It was so nice to meet all of you,” I say politely, shaking each of their hands with a warm smile.
“Of course. Thank you for taking care of our daughter,” Isa’s dad says to me, and it’s the first time I’ve heard him talk today, and he sounds… off. I can’t quite put my finger on it, so I simply nod before walking out of the house.
