Cambiar Las Mareas: The Beginning

CHAPTER FOUR

CHAPTER FOUR:

January 13, 1872: First Operation – Convincing Felipe

It was a bright sunny day when the steamer that they have ridden on reached the coast of Manila. The trip from Cagayan de Misamis lasted almost a week, and although Jimena had enjoyed riding the vessel due to the adventures that she had done on deck – 'it's fascinating to see how steam engines work'! - Jimena had seen enough of the sea to last a lifetime.

In her other memory, Jimena can distinctly remember being in Manila a couple of times. From what she can remember, it was a crowded city, full of high-rising cemented buildings, noisy cars, and equally noisy people. In contrast, the Manila she was seeing now from the deck - although still noisy - was a lot less crowded, and instead of cheap cement, she can see that almost all of the buildings were made out of expensive sturdy, red bricks. There was even less smog too; with only kalesa and carabaos domineering the streets.

"It's exquisite, isn't it sister?" Leonardo said as he stood beside Jimena. "The city is alive and bustling – very much unlike our place back in Cagayan."

Even though she had remembered a much noisier and much more bustling Manila, she nodded. She quite agreed that there was just something attractive with how the sun hit the red bricks.

"Yes, I believe that is rather exquisite Kuya." She replied in a refined manner.

"See that?" Leonardo then pointed out to the imposing figure overhead.

Jimena followed what he was pointing out and squinted her eyes to see it better. It took her a moment to realize what it was and when she did so, her heart skipped a beat and her mouth opened wide.

"Is that?" She asked as she remembered another memory of that time when she visited the church.

Leonardo nodded.

"That's the Manila Cathedral." He confirmed. "It is currently being reconstructed as of the moment with the construction starting two years ago, but it still looks rather marvelous don't you think?" Leonardo smiled widely. "It even looks better now with the sun shining so bright. It looks like a colossal shining beacon."

Jimena smiled at the passionate description and was about to ask her Kuya Leonardo if he was going to accompany her to the church someday when her Kuya Felipe joined them.

"Is Kuya Leonardo describing the church as a shining beacon again?" He deadpanned to Jimena.

Jimena was about to laugh loudly at that but then she remembered her mother's reprimand when she did that before; so she grab hold of her fan first and hid her face behind it while laughing politely.

"Well, it is the truth!" Leonardo protested. "And I am entirely certain that if I'm going to bring Jimena to the church to see the whole thing, she's going to agree with me. After all, Jimena is smart and I'm smart – she is clearly becoming like me."

Felipe scoffed.

"That's total nonsense Kuya." He said. "Kuya Carlos even said that with her intelligence, Jimena is becoming like me instead of you."

Jimena let out a small laugh behind her fan once again as she saw Kuya Leonardo's face morphing into a rageful face.

"What are you saying I said?" Carlos then asked as he walked out of the cabin door holding the shoulders of a still-sleepy Hector. "I heard my name in your conversation."

Jimena chose this time to speak up.

"They were talking about that time when you said that I am turning into Kuya Felipe, Kuya Carlos." She answered.