moirai

her

Maine was ready for her morning jog. She was sitting on the step of the front of their main door, tying her shoelaces when Dean, her younger brother, came out of the door and closed it behind him.

"Nang." he said. "Let's go?"

This was their regular Saturday morning activity and bonding moment. Dean was 3 years younger than Maine and was quite close to her. They were 3 siblings but their older brother, Nico, was already married and lived away from the family home. Maine and Dean still lived with their parents. They owned several gas stations, her dad, Teddy, was a businessman while their mom, Mary Anne was a housewife.

They jogged around their neighbourhood clocking in about 5kms total after several rounds of their village perimeter.

"Ligo anay, then breakfast" (bath then breakfast) she told Dean as they made their way inside the house and up to their bedrooms.

It was just a little past 7am. Maine peeled off her sweaty clothes and dumped them into the sink before stepping into the shower. She enjoyed the cool spray of the water on her skin as she scrubbed off the grime and sweat off her body. After an hour, she stepped out of the bathroom, fresh and in her comfy house clothes. She gathered her sweaty clothes from the sink and brought them down with her as she made her way to the kitchen.

Dean was already at the dining table along with their parents. Maine went straight to their laundry area and gave her wet clothes to their laundry woman. She came back to the dining table and kissed her parents. She took her seat beside Dean and scooped rice on her plate along with some tapa and eggs.

"Inday, how's work?" her Dad asked.

"Maayo man (it's okay), Dad. The project I proposed was approved. Ma-start na kami sang production next week."

"Maayo!"

"Ma, Dad, makadto ko kanday Manong today. May bag-o sya kuno nga game sa Xbox nya na ipakita nya kuno sa akon...daw may moves na indi ya makuha e...tudlu-an ko kuno sya...."  (Mom, Dad, Manong wants me to go to his house today. He has a new game on the Xbox that he wants to show me...there are moves he can't quite figure out and he wants me to teach him)  Dean said, asking permission for the day.

"Didto ka the whole day?"  (you'll be there the whole day?) their Mom asked.

"Hu-o..." (yes)

"Okay. Ikaw ya, Inday, what are your plans tonight?" Dad Teddy asked Maine who was busy eating.

She chewed and swallowed her food before taking a sip of water and replied, "Uhmmm...ma-upod ko kay Pauleen tonight. May party sa Fort..."  (I'm going with Pauleen...there's a party at The Fort) she began.

"Party?"

"Party ni Ryan Agoncillo..." she was thinking of how to introduce this "new" person to her parents, who knew the names of most of her friends. "Friend sya ni Pauleen from college..." she "explained."

"Ahh..te, how are you going to the party?"

"Sugaton ko di ni Pau...may driver sya..." (She'll pick me up...she has a driver...)

"Basta puli timprano, okay? Don't let Yaya Maring stay up too late..."  (Don't stay out too late) her mom reminded.

Every time Maine out with her friends, Maring, her Yaya since childhood, stayed up and waited for her. But unknown to her parents, Yaya Maring just left the front door unbolted and gave Maine a set of house keys since she started working. The lady, who was like Maine's second mother, felt that Maine was already responsible enough to take care of herself.