Chapter 10: Mariano delos Santos

Hermana Auring was inconsolable.

"I am so sorry, Son." she said in between sobs. "I should have come home last night. I promise to take care of you."

"It's alright now." Antoine comforted her. "This is just a minor wound."

"What are you doing on top of the roof anyway?" she inquired as tears and nasal mucous mixed flowed down her chin.

"I fixed...something..." he muttered, trying so hard to find a good excuse.

"A branch dropped and broke it." I told her mindlessly. "He slipped and rolled down!"

"Oh my God! You fell down!" she shrieked in hysteria. She went around him to check if he had other injuries such as broken bones and exposed flesh. He looked at me with a slight frown for making the situation look worse.

"The fall wasn't bad. Really." I assured her. "I already checked on him.

"You checked him out?" she blurted out with a naughty grin.

"No! What I meant is, I already treated his wound." I raised Antoine's shirt up to his chest for her to see. "Looked, it's in a bandage now."

"Bianca, please don't strip me." he said while immediately pulling his shirt down.

"Oops...sorry..." I apologized in a sarcastic way.

"Anyone here?" the girl we exorcised earlier called. She staggered as she wandered in the area. Her eyes widened upon seeing her instant crush. "Mister...oh...I forgot your name. What am I doing here?"

"W-What is that girl doing here?" Hermana Auring questioned with an eyebrow raised in impossibly heights. She turned to Antoine with her finger wagging at his face. "Don't tell me that you took home a woman while I'm away! You naughty, naughty kid! That is why I don't want you hanging around with Mariano!" she scolded her master. The latter just kept quiet, being the receiving end of her lectures.

She treats Antoine like her own child.

If nobody knows them, it is so easy to say that they are indeed mother and son.

"Oh. It is a misunderstanding, Hermana. It was me who let the girl inside." I interrupted her continuous sermon. I went to the young lady and held her shoulders. She smiled at me innocently and trustingly. "I saw you lost and disoriented last night. We will take you home later."

"I don't remember anything, Ma'am. I was just in the river and then I woke up here. I'm grateful that you did find me." she gratefully told me.

"What is your name?" I asked her.

"Narcisa."

"Narcisa, let's have lunch before you go home, alright?" I held her arm and we proceeded to the kitchen. She followed but kept turning her head to catch a glimpse of Antoine.

The girl turned out to be really friendly, calling me her "Ate*" in such a sweet manner. Since I had no sister, I greatly enjoyed her humorous stories and happy squeals. She even admitted, without any qualms, that the master of the house is now her crush.

(Filipino term for "Big Sister")

As much as I wanted to keep her pleasant company, I and Hermana Auring had to take her back home which was located a few kilometers away from the hacienda*.

(A vast land with a dwelling house)

Antoine's injury miraculously healed. After three days, he was back to his normal self who had the hobby of planting as much vegetables and other fruit-bearing trees possible.

That afternoon, as I was busy scrubbing the wooden floor, successive knocks were heard from the door.

"Wait. Coming!"

The knocks became more persistent.

I opened the door and peeked.

"Who's there?" I asked. "Y-You?" I stammered with a gulp, almost closing the door right in front of his face.

"Buenas tardes, Señorita*!" Mariano greeted with so much enthusiasm.

(Spanish term which means "Good afternoon, Miss!")

"Antoine is at the back. I think he's planting something."

"I did not come for him."

"Hermana Auring is busy in the kitchen."

He chuckled and stared at me with a hand on his chin.

"I came for you, my dear."

"D-Dear?" I stuttered. "We just knew each other a few days ago."

"Nah! I feel that we have met many lifetimes ago. Do you believe in soulmates?"

"Bianca, don't you have something to do inside? Antoine interrupted our awkward conversation.

"Yes! I remember." I clasped my hands together in delight and darted towards the living room. I hid behind a wooden statue of San Pedro in able to listen to them.

"Bianca...what a lovely name...such a beauty. " he muttered to himself with longing in his casanova eyes. "Won't you let me in?" Mariano asked Antoine while trying to get a glimpse of me. The latter was blocking his sight from the door.

"Why are you hindering me to see her? I thought you are my friend!"

"I don't want her to be one of your many exes."

"How hurtful! You make me sound like a good-for-nothing playboy!"

Antoine stood silently, listening to his friend's rants.

"Is she your novia*, tell me the truth?"

(Spanish word for "girlfriend")

He just stared at him with a stoic expression. Probably, he is already used to Mariano's tactlessness.

"Haven't you made any moves with a pretty lady like that? If I were you, I could have already courted her."

Antoine covered his mouth and yawned. He took off his eyeglasses and wiped it with his shirt, ignoring the "Drama King" in front of him.

"Impossible. Any man would fall for her...unless..unless..." he stopped as if realizing something in a snap. "Dios Mio*!"

(Spanish term for "My God!")

"Are you...how could I have not known! He put his hands on his head in desperation.

"We grew up together! I even changed clothes in front of you without knowing that you might have desired me! We even slept on the same bed together!"

He shook his head in disbelief.

"Together!" he even needed to repeat.

Antoine slammed the door at Mariano's face, greatly annoyed by the latter's claim.

"Open the door!"

"Go away."

"Antoinette! Sweet Antoinette!"

"Shoo!" he replied with closed eyes, obviously trying to regain his calm composure.

I covered my mouth with my hands as I was already giggling uncontrollably.

As Antoine approached nearer, I pretended to be very busy with dusting and wiping anything visible.

"Would you like to have coffee with me? he asked upon seeing me.

"Uh...no...heeheehee!"

"Are you...laughing?"

"No...I...uhmm...haha...I don't drink coffee."

"Hot chocolate, then." he suggested. "I'll make one for you. Come."

"Alright."

As we were quietly sipping chocolate, Hermana sat and joined us.

"I'm getting a bit old." she started while taking bread from the plate. "Antoine needs another woman to take care of him."

She then leaned on the table towards me with her hands on her chin. "Aren't you two supposed to get married soon?"

"Her..ma...na!" I stammered, almost splashing the hot chocolate I just drank on her face." I...I...just got here two months ago!"

"Nonsense. With the way I looked at you two, I sense that you met a long time ago."

She then turned to Antoine.

"How I wish I could have a lot of little boys and girls in this house. Aren't the Sta. Maria men quick to have children? Not much kids, but really fast! Like weeks after marriage, their wives conceive so soon? You are a bunch of wicked men!"

I choked with the bread I had and coughed profusely. He stroked my back gently to comfort me.

"That is embarrassing, Hermana." he said while looking away from me. "Not that fast. Father said my mother had me two months after."

"That's what I am talking about!" she was quick to say with a mischievous twinkle in her eyes.

Matchmaker Hermana's bantering was disturbed by a creak behind the kitchen's door. She stood up and gestured for us to remain seated. She took a broom with her.

"Ouch! Stop it, Hermana! It's just me Mariano." She kept on hitting him with the broom. He ran towards me and hid behind my back.

"You are a trespasser!" she screamed at him.

"No, I'm their friend. And besides, I've been a constant visitor here even before you were hired.""

"Is he our friend?" Antoine inquired me.

As I already pitied poor Mariano, I just nodded.

Hermana pointed the broom at him with a threatening stance. "I don't want any trouble." she warned him before leaving.

"She's one scary lady." Mariano muttered fearfully. He immediately pulled a chair and sat beside me. He took out a rice cake from his bag and handed it to me. "Dearest, for you."

"For me?" I took the cake that was carefully covered with banana leaves. "Wow. It smells really good."

"I asked my mother to make it for you."

"Thank you."

"You're welcome." he shyly replied while uncomfortably tapping the table with his fingers. "Can we talk?"

"Sure."

"With only the two of us?" he said with his eyes squinting at Antoine. "If your eyes could burn me, you would. Are you her bodyguard?"

"You may say anything you like but I won't allow her to be alone with you."

"Are you jealous, Antoinette? I am so sorry but my heart belongs to Bianca now."

He poured more chocolate on his cup and mine, completely ignoring Mariano's taunts. He seemed to have no plans of leaving us.

"Ah, Antoine, maybe he and I could just talk in the living room?" I recommended as these two men with me are already becoming hostile with each other for unknown reasons.

"Why?"

"He is just being friendly. Please?" I held his arm while showing him my most pleading eyes. His cold expression was quick to soften up.

"Stay here. I'm going." He stood up and told me with a tone of caution. "Call me when he does something unpleasant."

"Unpleasant? You make me sound like a pervert! I hate you!" Mariano spat out while throwing a piece of bread at his friend's back. When he was sure that we are alone in the dining room, he shifted his attention back to me. "Don't mind us. That's just the way we treat each other. Love and hate relationship." he said with a laugh.

"I can tell."

"I am sorry for sounding a little rude on the first day we've met." His voice was really apologetic. "Most of the time, my mouth seemed to have a life of its own."

Hermana came inside the room and began  cleaning the table.

"I don't know if you will believe me but I've been thinking about you for days. Don't you feel like we've met-" he was not able to finish what he was about to say when he noticed that we are being spied on.

As she exited, Antoine came with a broom and began sweeping around us.

"I may sound crazy but I really want to know you. Would you like to go to a party with me? My papá is throwing one next week to celebrate his birthday."

(Spanish term for "father")

"It's not right to be with a man I barely knew..." I hesitated to accept his invitation so I thought of a good excuse. "...or any other man who is not my boyfriend or husband. The elderly might think of me badly. They are very conservative."

"You can have Antoine as your chaperone." he suggested in a whim but was quick to take back what he just said. "Wait...he's also a man...well sort of. I'm not so sure."

Antoine stopped sweeping.

He glared at Mariano.

"Bianca, can we throw him out of the window, please?" he begged with clenched fists.

"Alright! Alright! you can take grumpy Antoine and stingy Hermana Auring with you!" he uttered in surrender. "So...I'll see you on Tuesday?" He smiled so nicely as he waited for my affirmation.

"Let's meet on Tuesday but I want to be home early as I don't like parties that much." I finally obliged because he is just so persistent.

"Sure! I'll take you home before dark." To my bewilderment, he took my hand and kissed it again. "You made me so happy.

"Ugh. Would you please stop kissing my hand too?" I told him with a shudder.

"Oh. Forgive me. Was it impolite?" He placed his hand on his nape, bowed a little and whispered to me with a chuckle, "Would you like me to kiss your cheek instead?"

"Mariano!" I cringed with the words that came out of his mischievous lips.

Because of his extreme naughtiness, I began to question myself if going out with him is a good decision.

Or, a disastrous one!

Antoine, save me!