The Ideal Brew

Chapter 6

It was less than a year before the elections and the tottering pile of papers grew larger and larger that it was a miracle if I was able to go home with the sun still shining outside. Sometimes, if it did, I'd still be carrying a leather bag case full of these papers for my perusal before I lull myself to sleep.

The past few weeks deprived me of sleep and the ghastly results showed on my face. I cringed when I saw how dull it looked on my compact mirror. Sally, who was leaning on the divider of my cubicle, gave me an I-told-you-so expression and I slumped my back on the chair.

"You need to take a day off," Sally said firmly. She had been going on and on about how I managed to age five years older in a span of few weeks. "Sleep and rest is essential for the soul."

"Yeah, I'd sleep better once the Twin Towers on my desk become as plain as the fields of Central Luzon," I retorted.

She was about say something when our new co-worker, Jane, approached my desk. "Ma'am, here is the latest report on the Development Assistance Fund," she said timidly before hurrying away.

I quickly scanned the file and my untrimmed eyebrows knitted together.

"What's wrong now?" Sally asked, noticing how I looked.

I was about to answer when Colbie Caillat's voice rang in the air, singing a feel good song that calmed me a bit. I grabbed my phone and looked at an unknown number calling me.

"Hello?"

"Hello!" a woman's voice shouted and I pulled the phone several inches from my ear. I could here someone else speaking on the background. "Jasmine! Are you Jasmine? The daughter of Lena?"

I raised an eyebrow even though I know the caller woudn't see me. Sally did the same. "May I know who's on the line?"

"It's me, you're Auntie Hanning. You know, you're mother's second cousin. You went to my house last summer with your Mama." I mouthed the word 'excuse me' to Sally while covering the mouthpiece and she strode back to her cubicle. "You remember? You played volleyball at the plaza with Ruby and Jella. Then you had to borrow Ninay's shorts because you got your period and-"

"Oh yes! Auntie Hanning! Of course I remember you," I interrupted. Gosh, of course I remember her. She was nice enough to lend me her daughter's pair of shorts. The problem was, she told everyone why I needed a change of clothing. She even told the cute guys watching us, what actually happened!

"Good, good, good. How is Maynila?" Auntie Hanning asked in a friendly tone.

"It's okay. A lot of traffic, more humid than Sigayan but it's nothing I can't handle," I answered off-handedly.

"Good, good, good."

Why was she calling me? She never called me before. I'm pretty sure she didn't just miss me because just before I left Sigayan, I remember seeing her at the town plaza with Ninay and when I greeted them, they turned away as if they haven't seen me.