Before Nightfall

CHAPTER 1: Aurora

I wake up to the sound of a rooster hollering at the break of dawn.

In this small neighborhood where locals start their day at daybreak, it is a prerequisite for men to feed their livestock, while their wives prepare for breakfast. The children, however, get a few more sleep time than the adults. And when they wake, they bathe in cold water from beneath the Earth, dress up for school, eat breakfast served at the dining table and then walk their way to a nearby school.

I prepare myself for the day. The weather seems nice, the sun is just starting to show and the cold breeze from last night is still there. I go straight to the garden where I grow various kinds of vegetables to harvest for food. I stir-fried the string beans in minimal pork fat, added a little bit of soy and seasoning until it's cooked halfway and then I turn off the stove and let it simmer. While I let it cook, I gather some herbal leaves and put it in a kettle to boil, just enough water for two people.

After all the preparations, I call for Aurora. Sitting there on a wooden couch in her knitted sweater and plaid pajamas, her feet resting on the coffee table while her left hand supports the weight of her head and casually smoking tobacco on her right. She does this every morning on the veranda, staring straight across the street where an abandoned house stands. Some days I see her shedding a tear and sighs along with the smoke. Napping beside her is Felicia, her cat. I can tell Felicia has seen much of this world just like Aurora. I let her finish the remaining tobacco before I call her for breakfast. I stand there on the archway trying to figure out what she's been staring at.

"You see, Hernan used to live there. Right there on the leftmost window, that's his bedroom." Aurora utters, still looking forward. I let her speak. "He was a bright boy, a handsome one. The people loved him because Hernan helps them with random chores." She continues. Seeing the abandoned house I wondered where he is now, so I ask. To which she replies, "I don't know. It's been a while since his family left this place." I let out a sound of affirmation. As much as I want to hear her story, the food is getting cold. I tell her it's time for breakfast.

Every morning after breakfast, I prepare a bath for Aurora. I let it warm for a bit because, like most elderly people, she doesn't like the cold. Despite her old age, Aurora is still capable of bathing on her own, in fact, she insists on doing her own laundry and cleaning the house. But I tell her it's my job and that she should just rest. Every time we have such a conversation, she lets out a laugh and tells me I shouldn't worry too much because she's far from getting sick and dying. Despite her blissfulness, I can see the melancholy in her eyes. Who wouldn't be? Aurora has been living alone in this ancient house for years. That is why one of her children sent me to this place to take care of her.

It's been only three months since I started. So far, life with Aurora is going smoothly, it's different from what I imagined. When I heard about the job I thought I'd be changing dirty diapers or feeding her porridge in bed. But Aurora tries to be as independent as she can, so I let her.