Start the Chase

Chapter 5

Enjoy Reading!

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"Ate Lorna! Anong niluluto mo?" Umagang umaga ay ito na agad ang bungad ko kay ate Lorna. After waking up 6 in the morning I decided to stroll around the mansion and help with some chores, since it's too early to visit Dom, dito muna ako sa bahay magbusy-busyhan.

"Kare-Kare pero mamaya pa itong tanghalian, nagugutom kana ba?" Tanong saakin ni ate Lorna pagkapasok ko sa kusina. "Meron diyang carbonara dahil pinaluto ni Don Leandro kay mama kaninang umaga"

Binuksan ko ang takip ng pagkain na nasa lamesa at naamoy agad ang masarap na amoy ng nakahain doon. Buttered bread at carbonara with shrimp iyon. I'm actually salivating pero tinitiis ko since I plan on eating with Dom.

"Ate Lorna pwede mo po ba akong balutan ng tigdalawa serving ng mga ito?"

"Huh? Para saan ija?"

"Dadalhin ko po mamaya sa kaibigan ko, I want to surprise him with these" I just want to give him something in return for entertaining me everyday, and I thought a packed lunch would be nice, kahit dati ko pa to napagisipan ngayon lang natuloy.

"Sus, kaibigan. Magpipicnic date kayo no?" Ate Lorna tease me again with malice look on her face. I scoffed and ignore her teasing since hindi maganda ang dulot ng mga iyon saakin at anu anong fantasies nalang ang pumapasok sa isip ko. Darn.

"No ate, it's a friendly offering"

"Hay nako, bahala ka. Sige aayusin ko nalang ang basket na dadalhin mo pati narin ang inumin niyo"

"Thank you so much Ate!"

"Ano kaba? Wala yun! Basta ba updated ako sa love-life mo!" She laughs as I roll my eyes and turn my back to continue on strolling around the mansion to buy some time before I go.

I end up standing outside a Garden pavilion at the back of the mansion, its metal is rusty and some roots are everywhere.

I approach the pavilion and touch its rusty metal as I admire its antique beauty. Maybe it's from Lolo's time, back when he's still young. There is no way something like this came from the year I'm in now.

Mas lumapit pa ako at hinawakan every details na madadaanan ng pointing fingers ko, and then something feels a little curvy. I stop and stare at it trying to focus my vision and examine the meaning of the cursive thing, and then slowly I realize what it was! It's a word in a cursive writing!

'Alcantara, brilla dentro de ti"

What does it means? What language is this? It says Alcantara, so it's confirmed this belongs to our family. But what does the next words means? Is it related to our family name? Some sayings? It made  me dizzy just by thinking of some possible meaning of the engraved words.

I enter the pavilion and sat on a chair, walang kalawang or anything ang upuan na makakadumi sa pants ko. Pinalibot ko ang paningin magkabilaan at pinagmasdan ang design ng pavilion. It's simple, but attractive. Some drawings or sculpture are everywhere. Ang napansin ko lang, hindi rin mahilig sila lolo sa sculptures noh? Pati sa loob ng bahay kulang nalang sculptures ang tumira.

"Oh iha, anong ginagawa mo diyan" a bit startled lumingon ako sa likod kung saan nanggagaling ang pangbabaeng boses.

"Ah. Ate Julia!" Tumayo ako at akmang lalabas na ng pavilion pero bigla siyang nagsalita.

"Wag kana lumabas, magrelax muna tayo dito" she enters the pavilion so I go back to my seat and looks at ate Julia who is sitting opposite to mine.

"Anong ginagawa mo dito? Bakit nandito ka sa labas? Malamok pa dito dahil hindi pa masyadong linis"

"Ah, nagpapahangin lang ate. Ikaw po?"