When A Heart Gets Broken

Part 41: The Visitor

It was the best sleep that Rae had for so many years. The farm was so quiet that not even the crickets did not chirp at all. Except for the ocassional sound from the wind that rustled the leaves of the starfruit by the cottage's window, everything in the farm seemed to be in a standstill. It was like Nature has asked all her creatures to allow her visitor's tired body and mind to rest. To rest and be ready for her days in the Philippines.

Lee on the other hand was listless in the hotel. Despite that these visits are requirements for the farm and his current livelihhod, Lee resents these trips. It was almost 2 in the morning when he stopped counting the sheep in the ceiling of the hotel. Four hours later, he was ready for day 2 of the conference.

Back in Benguet, Rae was slightly startled by the opening of the wooden gate.

" It must be Virgie, the housekeeper," Rae thought. She peeped into her window slightly ajar and saw a matronly lady carrying a bottle of white liquid.

Rae smiled as she realized it must be fresh milk from a cow or wild buffalo or carabao, as they call it in the Philippines. She hurriedly put on her tan robe and on her socks opened the cottage's door hurriedly.

Virgie noticed the opening of the door and stopped walking. She smiled when she saw Rae "Good morning Mam! My name is Virgie!"

Rae extended her hand and introduced herself as well.

"Breakfast will be ready in an hour Mam,"the housekeeper said as she realized that her guests might be hungry now.

" Just call me Rae Virgie, and I can speak Filipino, too."

" Ay pero napaka slang nyo po. Marunong po pala kayo." ( Oh but your accent. I'm really surprised that you speak the language."

" Sa UST ako nagtapos ng nursing bago kami napunta sa Amerika. Ngayon lang ako umuwi after ten years, ( I finished my nursing degree in UST then left for US. I haven't gone home in ten years.)

"Halos hindi po kayo nagkakalayo ng edad ni Lee, " Virgie uttered as she surveyed Rae's still youthful face.

" Lee?"

" Ah siya pong may ari nitong farm. May conference lang po sya sa Manila ngayon." (He owns this farm. He 's currently attending a conference in Manila.)