The bus that Lisa and Nestie were riding seemed to belong to a repair shop rather than the road. Its metal body was in desperate need of paint, its wooden seats did not have cushions, and the windows were merely openings on the side of the bus, having no glass to protect the passengers from the elements. It was fortunate that the bus was traveling westward and the last of the sun's rays were disappearing on the horizon. Without air conditioning, raising the wooden boards that served as blinds would also prevent cool air from entering the bus turning it into a moving oven.The bus parked at the terminal near the Cardena public market. As the passengers alighted, they were assaulted by street vendors who were offering wares placed in bamboo baskets. There were a number of different products such as fiber slippers, wood carvings, and paper weight souvenirs, but most of the products being sold were local food delicacies and rice cakes wrapped in banana leaves. Lisa and Nestie found

Lisa opened the door to the guest room and switched on the lights. As she looked at the familiar furniture and the large windows at the opposite wall, memories of her childhood came flooding back. It was her own room that she shared with Celie when they were still very young. The two beds, placed on opposite sides of the room, were still there although the covers had been replaced with plain blue cloths instead of the seashell prints whose details Lisa could still remember. She walked towards the bed where she used to sleep and removed the covers. She knew that the blankets and pillowcases would be different but still half-expected to see the seashell prints underneath. Instead of seashells, there were modern floral patterns that, although still beautiful, lacked the cozy feel evoked by the seashells she remembered.She found her old wooden closet next to her bed and opened it. It was empty and there was the scent of air freshener that tried to smother the slight smell of

Although not the kind of ghosts that you’re thinking of, dear Nestie, Lisa completed the thought. She had not turned on the lights in her bedroom and she looked at the flickering shadows casted by the branches of the tree on the floor. The moon was bright, making the contrast between light and shadow more defined. Lisa looked at the small movements of the shadows as the breeze shook the branches and leaves of the tree outside her window. There were no distinct shapes and the movements were more or less random, but she gazed at the shadows for several minutes, remembering the time more than a decade ago when she was in the same room and watching the shadows from her bed.Her cousin Celie was sound asleep at the other side of the room while the young Lisa had just sat up in bed, holding the sheets to her neck as she listened to the wind blowing outside and seeing the moving patterns of shadows on the floor. She had awakened in the middle of the night after a frightening dre

With his full breakfast adding to his already heavy frame, Nestie found it difficult to follow Lisa as she left the dining room and to the courtyard. It was a cool morning after a light rain that fell just before sunrise and birds could be heard chirping as they played and on the branches of the tree overhead. The scent of the flowers was quite invigorating and gave sense of a beautiful day ahead.“Wait, Lisa,” called Nestie. “Don’t you know you shouldn’t run after a heavy meal?” he asked. Lisa had stopped to let Nestie catch up with her.“I’m not even running! That was just my normal walk,” replied Lisa, chuckling. “Maybe you need to lose some weight. You need to start burning all those fat,” she added.Nestie finally reached Lisa and said, “Dear, this is my natural form. You can’t make a square bubble, can you?” Nestie held his chin high as he took Lisa’s arm to prevent her fro

Nestie opened the door after hearing a polite knock. He expected to see Lisa on the other side, but was surprised to see her with lipstick and light make-up as well as an attire that was not really the type that she would wear.“Lisa! You look pretty with make-up on! And that attire!” Nestie made a soft whistle. “That would surely make the boys take notice!”Nestie then realized that Lisa was not alone. He knew Celeste de Luna after seeing her picture many times in magazines and in the occasional society news. “And you don’t need any introduction, my dear!” He then stepped out of his bedroom to come closer to Celie. “You are even more beautiful in person with impeccable fashion sense!”“This is Celie, my cousin!” Lisa said. “Celie, my program manager at the Institute, the one whom I told you would be coming with me.”Nestie offered to shake hands with Celie but was surprised when the la