A Rose With Its Thorns Cut Off

3. Big Bad Monster Part 1

When I arrived at Auntie Veronica's doorstep, I never thought she'd be as welcoming as ever. She was a brilliant woman. Fool of sunshine and rainbows. The complete opposite of my mommy's usual cool, quiet, and mysterious demeanor. They were twins so it wasn't a surprise that they looked so much like each other. They say twins usually have polar attitudes and I guess I could say the same for the two of them yet they both have something in common besides their appearance. They were both very warm, cozy, and homely in smell and feeling.

Whenever mommy embraces me in her arms, it would feel like spring and the sweet scent of blooming flowers fill my nostrils. It was so warm and sweet that any bad day from school becomes great from just her embrace. And when Auntie Veronica embraced me as I step into her house, I felt just as warm and sweet. Their scents are definitely distinct from each other. Auntie Veronica feels like a warm summer night under the blanket of the night sky dotted with stars. It may seem cold by the surface but she's as warm as a big campfire filled with people bursting with joy and laughter. They both feel like home to me.

I knew then and there that Auntie Veronica is someone to be protected. I would burn a garden of roses for her.

"Hi, dear. Welcome home. From now on, you can call me mama Veronica."

"Yes, mama."

But as mama Veronica is as warm us a summer night by a campfire, Sir Gabriel Buendia is as cold as ice. He smells like rusted metal and diesel downplayed by the scent of soap. According to mama Veronica, he is a factory manager. Maybe that's why I didn't like his oily industrial scent. I commend myself for my sense of smell. I always seem to know a person's character through the smell they emit. For example, Mrs. Rodriguez's "freshly baked from the oven" aroma. She smelled like cookies, cakes, brownies, and as warm as an oven. She was a very bright, warm, and kind old woman.

Although, I don't feel comfortable with Gabriel even besides the smell. When he looked at me the first time he saw me, his eyes didn't look as welcoming as mama Veronica's. Her eyes were filled with warmth, love, compassion, and adoration. Gabriel's eyes held more of a pity and coldness. I didn't like him one bit. But since he's mama Veronica's husband and she seems to love him so much... I decided I'll try to get to know him before I judge his character.

My first week in their house was nice and warm. Gabriel would often be at work and it would just be me and mama Veronica left at home. I didn't complain because I love mama Veronica and I didn't like Gabriel too much. We would cook and shop for most of the time we spent together. She taught me how to properly make pancit malabon, and sopas. Those were her specialties and I totally get as to why.

"You know they say the way to a man's heart is through their stomach. So, it's best if you learn how to cook early. That way no man can ever say no to you."

I highly doubt I'd ever use these skills in looking for a man, mama Veronica. But I didn't say that out loud. I just hummed in response as I keep stirring the sopas. I don't think I can trust mama Veronica for relationship advice... Her partner choices aren't exactly comforting. Or maybe it's just me.

In that first week, mama Veronica would bring me to the park and tour me around the neighborhood. It was a pleasantly peaceful neighborhood, one I was quiet fond of. Especially an elderly woman living with her grandchildren beside our home. Lola Gloria was a 67 year old woman who was taking care of her grandchildren. They were twins. What a coincidence. The twins' names were Dwight and Nancy.

They were very cheerful bright children. They immediately resorted to calling me Ate Rose and would often include me when they play tag or hide-and-seek. Both of their parents are rarely home because of work. I thought at first that the twins must be lonely because of this. But a few days later, I found that they'd rather have their parents at work than at home. The two would fight almost every night. They fight loudly, screaming down each others' throats, no wonder the children don't really call them mom and dad. They don't exactly act like parents in front of their children.

After that week, I spent the rest of my summer vacation by settling in. I became a daughter to mama Veronica, a granddaughter to Lola Gloria, and an older sister to Dwight and Nancy. Gabriel was more of a guy who lives with us and eats breakfast and dinner at home. But other than that he's just a generally tired, grumpy man. He didn't try to address me anymore than he did the first time I arrived. I had a feeling he thinks I'm just a burden or some extra mouth to feed...

There was an apartment building several blocks away and saw that a lot of the residents were looking for pet-walkers. I just need to take out their dogs for two hours a day and walk them around the neighborhood for the sweet sweet price of 250 pesos per dog everyday. After applying for the job, they immediately hired me. I ended up taking care of five pet dogs of different breeds with someone else. There were two shih tzu named Princess and Prince, one pug named Andrew, one doberman named George, and a beagle named King. All of them were typically small dogs except for George who seemed more like the guard dog of the pack. They we're all so cute and silly. It feels more like a reward than a job to be honest. I even brought the twins with me when I walked the dogs. We all had fun playing at the park. Because of this, I was earning 1,500 everyday.

I kept 1000 pesos hidden under my mattresses and I use the rest to either buy garden supplies for mama Veronica, Lola Gloria's crochet supplies, or sweets for me and the twins' merienda. Mama Veronica loves flowers but with the lack of garden, she can't really plant them even if she wanted to. I buy her seeds, some plastic pots, and other small gardening materials for her to use. She liked taking care of plants. According to her, they were very therapeutic. The twins loved the sweets I bought from the bakery nearby. Sometimes I buy cake slices, cookies, brownies, and other types of pastries. I revel in their sunny, warm, and messy smiles as they gush over the food they eat. I treated them like siblings. I felt the need to protect them. The twins and Lola Gloria.

I need to become stronger now. I have more people to protect. Mommy, mama Veronica, Mrs. Rodriguez (I hope I see her again), Lola Gloria, and the twins.

I thought my two months of summer would be nothing but filled with warmth and laughter. But I guess that's impossible for someone like me.