It was a noisy day as the other days are and Sal fixed her thoughts on staying on the room and waiting for Ren as she ought to do. She’d loved to be alone for quite a while now for looking at Lea, she would only think of the woman’s brother.

Sal tried to shut the windows close but her gaze wandered off to the yard below where a girl came running. The girl stopped for breath just below the window. At Sal’s glance, the girl looked up at her and smiled before proceeding to scurry away. It was the child with muddy clothes.

The next thing she knew, three knocks sounded from the door accompanied by a high-pitched demand. Sal thought of barring the door with her body but thought it silly to let her in so she did. As soon as Sal let the child in, she slammed the door close. Between heaving breaths, the child demanded, “Hide me.” 

At a panic, Sal wrapped the child in the mattress like a lumpia roll and stuffed her into the underside of the bed. She then undid the edges of the bed mattress and let it dangle from the edges of the bed frame. Sal lay flat on the bed and dangled her head over, staring at the child under the bed for quite a while. 

“Hush!” The child snapped. 

Well, Sal straightened herself. It must be nice to ask for books, or even why she barges into the room of all places. Are all the caretakers that bad? Why is she always running from them. 

Suddenly, someone knocked on the door. “Hey, anyone inside?” 

Sal kept silent. A few clanks. 

“Ooops! Sorry. I broke the doorknob.” 

The constable strode inside nonchalantly and fanned himself and tugged at the collar of his shirt, exposing his collarbone. 

Sal stayed to stared at this man’s chest until the man gasped in surprise. 

“Man! Quite a hot day isn’t it? My pits are sweating. Anyway, did you see Marcia? She’s a small girl reaching up to here,” He motioned at his stomach. “Quite thin, and with you know, the cutest glare.” 

This must be the opportunity to lie like other people do. Sal tried to speak but found it unnatural, so she settled with jut shaking her head. 

“That’s too bad. I brought her goodies.” the man said. 

Sal felt a small rustle in the bed so she waited for the constable’s reaction. 

“She’s a good child. I’d be really sad and disappointed if she does not behave. After all, kuya’s not gonna come home for awhile after this.” 

The child burst out from under the bed and pounded her small fists on the man’s torso. She sobbed. “I don’t want to go. I don’t want to go away.” 

The constable wrapped his big arms around the child’s back, “You’re not going to go away. You’re meeting your family. They're good people, I saw to it myself. Also, they can help you with your health.”

“I don’t want to,”

The constable knelt to the child’s level and looked her in the eye, “Before anything else, you have to live. Live first. How can you uphold your promise otherwise?”

The child sobbed and hugged the constable tight as the constable softly patted the child’s back. 

Sal stayed on her spot. The display looked like something from the books, and she cannot help but try to hide from the sappiness of it all. But she cannot look away. She stared and observed the rhythm of the pats, the length of the embrace and their almost indistinguishable silhouette.

Then, as Marcia turned to go with the constable, her steps slowed until she stopped in her tracks. She slumped and turned pale. She sat still, her stare blank as she heaved ever so slightly. 

Lea burst in through the door. Without missing a beat, she brought back a paper bag and put it on the child’s face and instructed her to breathe through it. 

When the color came back to her face, Lea escorted the child out of the room. 

Sal shot a question at the constable.“Why will she leave?” 

The constable paused, “ Well, she’s getting adopted. It’s a happy day after all.” 

The child sobbed and almost trashed around at the thought.

 “Is that how happiness looks like?” 

“Well, for now, no? She does not want it, but it is what she needs.” The constable scratched his nape. “Well, it is kind of an open secret for everyone in the Hospicio. Her parents you see, have both worked for Mercantiles, in factories, hardworking people loyal to their boss. Both parents died in accidents in the factories and Marcia was pretty much abandoned after that. It was an accident so no one was faulted for what happened. There are no other relatives who she can be with.” The constables voice turned a bit grave. “She hates the Mercantile, she was not alone there. Either you just don’t care about them or you hate them.” 

So, it seemed valid to hate the Mercantile. It seemed valid to hate the Signor, but somehow detestable to see herself as one of these people, as a victim like them.

Lea burst into the room. With her raised, metallic voice and how she seemed like always running. No one would think that she lost someone dear. Nothing screamed to Sal of a sadness that she thought people would feel. Sal sat on the side and calculated all the minute expressions and the gestures that to her, would scream of grief. 

Lea leveled a glare at the constable. “I thought you care for Marcia.”

“Hey, Mom! You’re hungry. Angry. Hangry, am I right?. “ 

“Are the people who wanted to adopt her Mercantile?” 

The constable laughed a little“Well, I will be concerned for the parents.” At Lea’s silence, he continued. “She’d need people like them to be of good health. You know, bigshots who can afford the best doctors. A big estate she can wander in. Hey! I’ve heard they got some Casa up in Bulaoan. I am sure they will love her nonetheless.” 

“They’re not her real parents.”

 Lea grabbed the doorknob when the constable stopped her, holding her by the wrist.

“Hey! You think this over through, okay?” 

“I’m not dumb.” 

“But you’re reckless” 

At that, Lea stomped on the constables feet, slamming the door behind her. 

“Mommy!” the constable hollered. Lea yelled from the hallway, “ I hate you!”

__________

THERE should be no reason for Sal to fear Nay Rosa for she has seen her many times throughout her stay in the hospicio. The older woman has spoken to her a few and far between but all of them were performed either in the communal dining table or by her room. Never once has Sal been asked to come to ‘Nay Rosa’s office herself. 

It seems that Lea has been summoned too. That sister who grieves. 

Upon arrival, ‘Nay Rosa asked to speak with Sal first, leaving Lea out by the hallway for a while. She trudged in a few steps inside the room. It was a far smaller yet far neater but less elegant than the one in the Casa. 

‘Nay Rosa approached by a few steps before stopping a familiar distance from her. “Why! How are you feeling?” 

Sal stepped back a little then repeated the standard answer for this out-of-the-blue question, “I’m alright.”

 “Why didn’t you tell me you were Signor Ren’s ward?” 

Sal stuttered an answer but settled on silence

“I see, Alicia, am I right? You were so lucky to meet the Signor Ren. Such a good kid he is” 

Alicia? When Sal looked up, the older woman was staring at her when she repeated the name. “ 

Anyway, Alicia. Don’t hesitate to come to me when you have trouble.” 

Sal stood there dumbfounded, nodding her head at the words. She exited the room and told Lea it was her turn to come and talk with the madam. As soon as Lea came in, Sal released a long, heavy breath. Ren does really know she is there in the hospicio. All she has to do is wait and lie low. 

Sal prepared herself to leave but caught herself standing just outside the door left ajar. 

“Say, what do you think of a family, Lea?” ‘Nay Rosa asked. 

“I have one back home so I don’t need to be adopted out like the other kids.”

 Lie low. Do not engage in other’s conversations. See nothing. Hear nothing. Sal sighed. Her downfall really is her curiosity. Just quietly close the door out of their earshot and it will be fine. 

“So let’s look at this from a practical standpoint. I know you pride yourself in being one. Being adopted will bring you more benefits, financially and in many other aspects. Anyway, all this talk must’ve sound so boring to you, but my offer still stands. It is best that you be adopted-” 

“I’m turning sixteen in a few months. Ro told me that I can be able to work independently by then. “

 “ Azalea, you listen to me-” 

“ I have a family. I am a Lehmann!” 

Sal flinched.

 “Then, can you tell me where your other relatives are in the city so we can contact them?” 

Lea walked out of the room and past Sal. 

This was bad. It was bad enough that she was possibly spotted eavesdropping but that she considers not hearing Lea’s answer a bigger misfortune.