A Twist Of Time

six

"YOU DID WHAT?!"

Margaux's scream rang through my ears as I rushed to cover them. She was beyond mad—it was unexplainable and her fists were balled up. "HOW DUMB DID YOU HAVE TO BE?"

"I DON'T KNOW! IT JUST SOUNDED LIKE A GREAT IDEA AND HE'S GOING TO HELP ME!" I screamed back. She groaned.

"Look, I've lived here for nearly two thirds of my whole life; I have listened to many politicians, but all of their corrupt dumb minds added can't compare to the level of stupidity of what you just did. Do you want me to explain why?"

"Why?" I asked sarcastically and under my breath.

"One, he's busy. He doesn't know what he said. Two, Sergio will tell you how to behave again! It's frustrating how I'm always told to go to your room and tell you about what happened. Oh, and want to know a fact? He's called you for another meeting at lunch!"

"Wow, that seems new." My sarcasm wasn't fading. And so was her anger.

Margaux rolled her eyes. "He's going to keep you here, you know? If you keep acting like a mindless brick then going home will never be in your agenda!"

"As if it ever was." I drew patterns on the sheets while she scrambled through the papers on my table given by one of Osmeña's guards this morning. They were an outrageous 15-page survey.

"This. 'Are you content with the service of the vice president?' And you checked two over five. Two over five! He was helping you!"

"Look, Margaux, as much as I want to leave this place, I don't see the point in this conversation."

"My point is, you're acting so mean towards him. Manuel's his best friend and you're just putting a whole issue in the middle of them. My other point? You're acting like an idiot! Manuel's also busy. Sergio's going to talk to you about certain matters soon. I just—FINE. THE BORDERLINE IS THAT YOU DID SOMETHING THAT IS UNEXPLAINABLY DUMB AND USELESS AND UNNECESSARY."

I started slow clapping. "What a speech. Margaux Westfeld for President."

Margaux slammed the papers on the desk and left my room right after. I was still confused—what was her point? So what if Osmeña wanted to meet me? It's not like it was new. Manuel didn't even seem stressed when I asked him for help. And besides, what was Manuel going to tell Sergio? That he was supporting me? Wow, big issue.

I didn't mind it for the rest of the day; I stayed in my room the whole afternoon, reading books from a shelf I found atop my dresser. They were good as new and were interesting enough to distract me from my growing hunger and the fact that I could hear faint various screams of terror from the Filipinos. At one point, while my head was stuck in a book about Jose Rizal, Manuel and his troup of guards were walking quietly outside of the mansion. They were heading to Australia as told yesterday. The sounds of Jane and Barbara screaming at each other was also heard in the silence right after he left.

After finishing five books, I decided that it was time to stop starving myself and went down to the kitchen. I was walking to my place on the dining table when I remembered—oh shit, I was supposed to see Sergio today at lunch, and I didn't. But it did seem suspicious; he didn't call for Margaux to come fetch me like he usuallt does. Maybe he just let me off because he couldn't afford another headache.

"Hey, Jane, President Quezon left, right?" I asked aloud. Jane appeared out of a corner, holding a bag of groceries.

"Yes, and he left with Sergio." She put the bag down on the table and wiped her forehead on her sleeve. "He was looking for you, though. He was expecting to see you down here. He just looked sad to see your chair empty and left without telling Margaux."

I gasped slightly. "So that's why he didn't tell Margaux to get me. He didn't want her to know he was leaving."

"Yes, and Margaux was disappointed in him."

I hummed in response before I continued eating. I couldn't continue, though. It seemed as if I was already full because of the information fed to me by Jane. Or maybe it was because some other chef was screaming due to the fact that he accidentally set himself on fire and I wanted to get out of there so that my ears wouldn't break.

Later that day, a group of people, who were allegedly the Nacionalist party, visited the palace and had dinner together with some of Manuel's appointees. This was all according to Margaux who visited me again because she ended up getting bored. She had no one telling her orders which is why I understood her state. She didn't join them in having dinner and just spent the night in my room.

"One thing I really want to know more about is Sergio, even though I half despise him. He's really interesting, has he ever loved anyone?" I inquired Margaux, who was drinking a hot cup of cocoa brought to us by Jane.

She put her cup down. "Alright. Here goes. As far as I know, he's had a girlfriend in the past. I don't really remember her name but I just recall her meeting me as a child. So yes, he's loved someone besides his millions of books in his library."

"Oh, so he's a book worm."

"He is, a huge one to be specific. He collects books that Manuel gives him whenever he travels to America."

"Friendship goals," I muttered.

"Pardon?"

"Oh, I forgot. 'Friendship goals' means that you want a friendship just like theirs and you strive to reach a status somewhat like them."

She thought for a moment. "Is that a term from the future you apparently came from?"

"Yes, it is."

"I'm now calling Manuel and Sergio 'friendship goals,' thanks to you."

I chuckled lightly. "You're welcome. About Manuel and you though, when did he adopt you again?"

"He adopted me when I was eleven. My father's name was Ronald Westfeld, and in case you haven't noticed, Manuel and I's names both start with 'M.' Do you want to know why?"

"Why?" I curiously asked.

"Because he idolized Manuel though he was an American soldier who was in one of the troupes who was invading the Philippines."

"Just a question; did you consider Quezon as your father when he adopted you?"

"Yes. He raised me like his own child ever since I arrived here, and Aurora, his wife, has helped him. Sergio's like a brother to me. Though he's always stressed and busy, he's always been sincere and welcoming to me."

"He's sincere?" I nearly choked on a marshmallow in my drink in laughter. Sergio was anything but sincere.

"He is at times. I was basically Manuel's responsibility but he shared it. He loves kids."

"Wow, that—that's actually very nice of him to do."