Touch of Time

Chapter 12: A Surprise Visit

It's 9:00 in the morning and the sun is shining brightly on a clear blue sky.  Ersha and Andro are the only ones left in the house for everyone is out to do their daily tasks.  Andro is in his room, still recuperating.  Ersha, on the other hand, decides to wash her clothes on a nearby artesian well since the weather is fine and at the same time Mrs. Dulce isn't around.  Andro's mother always tell her not to do her own laundry for they're going to hire a lavandera but Ersha doesn't like to add financial burden to them.  Although the rate of a laundry woman is only 3 pesos per hundred pieces of clothing yet it's still expensive in year 1896.  Also, the manner of washing at that time is quite meticulous compared to 2017 for they don't have that usual laundry detergents.  The process usually takes several steps depending on the kind of fabric that is being washed like soaking them in  a boiled nettle leaves solution along with soap and water.  But for Ersha, since no ones watching her, she just place the clothes in a basin filled with water, put a cup of vinegar and started scrubbing the clothes with a soft cloth. She also looked around to check if no one's watching and then smiled to herself for she got amused of what she did.  

Suddenly, a woman's voice is calling her name in a whispering manner from a distance.  "Hey, Ersha! Ersha!" So Ersha stared towards the direction of the sound and saw Mario who is crouching to hide himself on the bushes.

"What are you here for?" asks Ersha in a quite snob tone.

"I just want to talk to you."

"For what?  Of not divulging your identity?"

"Yes, partly like that but I also have other reasons why I'm impersonating as male?" replied Mario in a friendly manner.

"Why would I trust you? and Why would you trust me also?  You didn't even know me."  Ersha still being sarcastic.

I know that you are a good person and the only thing that the two of us share in common is intuition.  To tell you the truth, I disguised myself as male for I'm running away from my family.  My parents wanted me to marry that big headed Spanish boy on which I don't like so I ran away.

Then how were you been involved in Andro's group?

It's a long story but I was still able to convince them that I don't have a family anymore and then became a vagabond." Mario explained.

"But anyways, you're quite good in concealing yourself.  So what's your real name?" 

I'm Maria Alferez. How about you?  You seem like a very educated woman.

Unfortunately, Ersha isn't that confident yet in sharing personal life to Maria.  She still have that mistrust and suspicion that Maria might just been setting her up just to make her talk.  So, she just answered, "I think it's not the best time to talk about that here."

Maria then nodded and didn't force Ersha to tell more.  Then, she asks Ersha with a pleading face, can we be friends now? 

"That won't be a problem, and smiled.

Maria gave Ersha a thumbs up response and said, "Thank you" then went away and vanished in the bushes.

Ersha felt like a burden has lifted from her.  Maria acting as Mario was a nuisance to her stay with the Bandres's and now, she became her friend who is undergoing a great challenge in life.  Whether her circumstances may be true or not, she pitied her.  She cannot foresee what would become of Mario when everyone would find out that she is a Maria.  Now, Ersha also began to realize that she now owes Andro, his family plus Maria of what she truly is.