A Virgin for the CEO

28

It turned out they did not need to ask for help. There were people already in their house. As soon as they made the turn, she could see them in the short distance.

Someone was removing their curtains from the windows. Someone was also lowering their bamboo sofa down the small porch's stairs. And some of their stuff was already inside a truck.

"Why? What is that? What's happening?"

"Because I'm supposedly working in the hacienda, we need to move to a house closer to the fishery," Tommy told her in a casual voice while his face said differently. He wasn't buying the excuse of the century.

He also looked as confused as she was. His mind could not keep up with what was happening, but he was willing to wait for it to catch up.

Meaning, that he was waiting for someone to explain further.

That would be her. She turned towards Eric. He remained silent, not looking back at her. But Tommy wasn't finished.

"They also said it was timely because... the Señor has plans. The land is needed," Tommy added.

She turned back to Eric. "What does he mean? Why didn't you say this earlier?"

"I already told you."

"Yes, but I meant that people are taking our stuff. I didn't want to move. We haven't talked about it as a family."

"What's to discuss? As Tommy said, it's near the fisheries where he worked. He is basically a worker now, so he is entitled to better accommodations like the others. And it would benefit your mother to have neighbors to talk with that would relieve some of her stress and sadness. She didn't want to be sick. Give her some slack."

"How do you even know she was sad?" she asked. He did say he'd been observing them since he found out she lived there inside the hacienda.

But their mother wasn't someone who would easily succumb to sadness or hopelessness. She always had ways to distract herself, and she'd always preached to them it wouldn't solve anything, as there was always something to be grateful about even if you happened to be an ant.

Yes, that's their mother.

"Well, it isn't hard to guess. She loves both of you and she didn't want you to carry the burden of taking care of her. She wanted you both at school, not working your asses off for the small compensation that you get. She wouldn't want her son to earn unjustly for decent full-time work and I was told she was happy to learn about the move. Did you think your mother would not approve of this?"

She stared at him. He was right. But their mother didn't know about everything so he was, technically, also wrong.

"And Tommy was told the truth, too. My father does need to use this part of the hacienda. He has new specimens of hardwood that can no longer fit in our plantation in Davao, so the excess that needs to go to the ground will be moved here. It's killing two birds with one stone. Tommy's supervisor had plans to train him for more responsibilities, and it would help if he lived near because most of his everyday routine would include always being close to the ponds."

"What more responsibilities?" she asked, torn between being happy for Tommy and remaining suspicious of Eric. "He is young and he needs to go back to school. This isn't going to be long-term—"

"Ate!" Tommy butted in, his voice clear even when he was still paddling.

At the periphery of her vision, she could see the others in the house stopping and looking over at them, which reminded her how Eric must look in his garb—semi-nakedness—and the shirt he was holding behind his head.