Agnes woke up early, planning to visit the new marketplace she was funding. Even before returning to the island, she had coordinated with many people to renovate the market. There was still a lot to be done, but a significant portion was finished, so she wanted to see the progress today.
She had been receiving many invitations from the islanders who wanted to thank her. Most were people she had helped with house repairs, finding stable jobs, or providing scholarships for their children. She had visited a few, but there were so many invitations that she couldn't go to every home. In fact, due to the island's reconstruction, more tourists and residents had arrived, all of whom she welcomed warmly.
"Good morning, Big sis," Cholo greeted her with a wide smile just as she opened the door.
"Good morning. You're early."
"Well, you said I should go with you to the market."
"That's right. Come in first. I'll drink some milk before we head out."
"You still drink milk?!" he asked in shock, making her laugh.
"Of course. Is there a problem?"
"Nothing, it's just that you seem a bit old to be drinking milk."
"Milk is for everyone, and the one I'm drinking is for bone strength."
"Oh, so there's milk for old people?"
She simply smiled but sighed inwardly. Cholo was grown now, yet there was still so much he didn't know. She couldn't help but feel a pang of regret for leaving him behind when she fled years ago. She had been selfish then, but her selfishness hadn't gained her anything. She had spent all those years alone.
She shook her head to dispel the negative thoughts. That was over, there was still time to make amends. Now that she was here, she promised herself she would never neglect Cholo again.
"Of course. Besides, Cholo, I'm getting older. I need to drink this so I don't end up hobbling around too soon," she joked, which made him laugh.
But her happy smile quickly faded as she looked outside. Her eyes met the beautiful, calm waves of the sea. And there, she remembered the two people most special in her life.
"Big sis, are you okay?"
She sat down on an empty chair.
"I just thought about how I'm growing old with no one by my side. I know you won't leave me, Cholo, just like how you never left me and Islaw. But I can't deny that I'm afraid of growing old without my husband and son." Her eyes grew misty.
"Don't worry, Big sis." Cholo approached and hugged her. "We both know big brother. We've scolded him so many times and even drove him away before, but what happened? He just kept coming back, right? So just have faith, he'll come back here."
"Thank you," she said softly, hugging him back. She felt a sudden sense of relief.
"Alright, enough drama. I don't like seeing you like that, Big sis. Let's go." Cholo broke the hug and pulled her up. "Finish your milk so that when big brother returns, your spinal cord won't snap when you play basketball together."
"Cholo!" She glared at him, but he only laughed. She shook her head and finished her milk.
After getting ready, Agnes and Cholo headed to the market. Even at the entrance, they were immediately greeted by the locals. People were smiling, overflowing with gratitude. Agnes felt equally grateful for their trust in her. While she longed for Islaw and Silaw, these people lightened her heart. They were the ones who brought her joy and made her temporarily forget her yearning for her family.
"Ma'am Agnes, this is for you."
"Madame, please accept these fish. They are fresh and newly caught."
"Ma'am Agnes, some freshly picked fruits for you."
"Please accept this as thanks for sending my grandchildren to school. It's just a little rice cake, but I hope it fills your stomach."
"Please, just call me Agnes. I'm not used to being called Ma'am or Madame. I'm still Agnes, nothing has changed."
With every step, she was offered a small gift. Though she felt shy, she accepted them graciously, believing she shouldn't turn down a blessing. However, she never expected anything in return for the help she gave them. Her desire to help came truly from the heart.
"There's so much food, Big sis. Can I have some?"
"Sure, no problem. Take whatever you want. Give some to your mother, okay?"
"Thanks!"
Agnes turned to look at Cholo behind her.
"Oh! What's with that face?" She couldn't help but laugh at the distorted expression on his face.
"W-why? I'm still handsome, right, Big sis?" With all the bags Cholo was carrying, he looked like he was struggling to hold it in.
"Come here, let me help you. You should have told me they were getting heavy so I could've helped sooner," she scolded gently as she took some of the bags.
"I'm a gentlemen, that's why I didn't want you carrying anything."
"It's gentleman, Buncel."
"Cholo, Big sis. My name is Cholo."
"Alright, alright."
"Wait, maybe I should just take these home first and then come back for the rest? Rather than both of us struggling? You're bound to receive more from others. We'll end up looking like porters."
"There's nothing wrong with looking like a porter, it's an honest job. But you have a point, we can't carry all of this."
"So, can I go home now?"
"Good idea. Is it okay for you to head back to your house?"
"My house? You're not having me take these straight to your place, Big sis?"
"Take them straight to your house. Your place is closer than mine. Besides, these will just go to waste if I take them home. I can't eat all of this, so everything you're holding is yours."
"Thank you, Big sis!" Cholo said excitedly.
"Go ahead, take those home. I'll just go visit the other vendors."
"Okay. I'll be right back," he said and left eagerly.
As she walked around, Agnes stopped when three young boys bumped into her. Instead of getting angry, she smiled at their appearance. They were sweaty, their faces tanned dark from the heat of the sun. Even so, the three seemed to be getting along perfectly. It was a lovely sight.
Perhaps her son would be like this if Silaw were with her now. She would let him play with others, she would let Silaw create his own childhood memories—something the Acostas had denied her when she was young. And after Silaw finished playing, she would greet him with a tight hug, not a scolding. She would bathe him and put powder on his cheeks, neck, and back. If Silaw were here, she would surely devote all her time and attention to him. If only.
"Hello, you three seem to be in a hurry."
"Yes, Ma'am. Have you seen a boy wearing a red shirt and black shorts?" one boy asked.
"Hmm. Can you describe what the boy looks like?"
"He looks about five years old, like us. A bit tall, tanned, with black hair, big eyes, small lips, and a pointed nose."
"Oh, I'm sorry, but I haven't noticed anyone like that," she replied, scratching her head. There were many children like that around.
"What a waste. We would've been rich, but he escaped," another boy said, sounding much older than his years.
"Mind if I join the gossip?" she joked.
"We saw a merman!" another one answered, which made her freeze.
She was stunned by their response.
"A... a merman?" She gripped the bags in her hands tightly.
"Yes! A mermaid, but he's a boy. Then his tail became legs and he came here. Then we followed him. Then we lost sight of him."
"Are you... are you sure what you saw was a merman?" she asked nervously. Was it true? Was this some kind of joke?
"Yes, it was a merman!"
"Oh, Ma'am Agnes. Don't believe these kids," a woman said, approaching her.
If she wasn't mistaken, this was Rosa, one of the coordinators for the upcoming island festival. Agnes straightened up. It seemed she was hoping for nothing again. She had thought she finally had a lead to find Islaw and Silaw.
"But it's true, there was a merman!"
"What you saw was just part of the festival prep. There are professional mermaids practicing in the sea," Rosa said, causing Agnes's hope to crumble completely.
"But the tail on the kid we saw was different. It looked real!"
"Now, don't be stubborn. My apologies for these kids, Ma'am Agnes."
"It... it's okay."
She smiled at them, said her goodbyes, and continued walking. She felt drained by the encounter until she noticed a commotion at the end of the market. She rushed toward the gathering crowd and pushed her way to the center, seeing a vendor about to hit a young boy in a red shirt with a dead fish.
"Wait, stop! What's happening here?" she asked, confused.
"Ma'am Agnes, this boy! He just took some of my bread and tried to leave without paying. Turns out he doesn't even have any money!" the woman shouted angrily.
Agnes didn't speak immediately. She looked at the boy, who had his head bowed in terror. She gently approached the child and comforted him. The boy looked up at her, and her eyes widened—it was the boy she had met a few weeks ago. Cholo's friend.
"You?" She couldn't help but smile widely.
"Oh, it's the big sis crybaby?" he asked in surprise, but then he immediately hugged her.
She was startled by the boy's gesture, but she was even more shocked when her heart began to pound fiercely, as if it sensed something. She didn't know what this feeling was, but it was wonderful.
"Big sis, I'm scared," the boy said, hugging her tighter.
"Ma'am Agnes, do you know this child?" the vendor asked.
"Ah, yes."
"Are you sure you know him? There are rumors that he's been pilfering bread from other stalls."
"I apologize for what this child did. He was probably just very hungry, which is why he did it. I'll pay for the bread he took."
"Well, thank you, Ma'am Agnes. This pest was holding two large loaves. I might've had bad luck if I tried to sell the bread he touched to someone else."
For an unknown reason, Agnes felt a sharp sting in her chest, as if she were the one being insulted. Why was this? She felt an overwhelming sensation every time she interacted with this child.
"I'm not a pest! Father said being a pest is bad. I'm not bad!" the boy shouted at the vendor, tears in his eyes.
"Then what are you doing in my stall? You're a nuisance!"
"Wait, Madame. Please don't speak to an innocent child that way," Agnes said politely, silencing them both. She couldn't stand what she was hearing.
"Madame, I know you're angry because you were just trying to sell your goods in peace, but please think before you speak. You are talking to a child, he was probably starving or didn't realize what he was doing."
"I ask for your patience. I will take care of the trouble here." she added.
"I'm sorry, Ma'am Agnes. I lost my temper."
"You don't need to apologize to me."
"Wait a moment," Agnes said, pulling the boy to one side. "Little one." She knelt in front of the boy to match his height. "Why did you do that? Are you hungry?"
"Yes. Big brother Cholo said there was lots of food to eat here."
"You've seen your big brother?"
"Not yet. But he told me a long time ago that there was lots of food here."
"I suppose your big brother didn't explain that the food here isn't free," she whispered, mostly to herself. "Don't worry. These are yours now."
With a smile, she handed him two bags of fruit, which the boy accepted happily. Just seeing the boy's joy made her own heart swell with happiness. Perhaps she just really loved children, or maybe she simply saw her own son in him.
"These are for me?"
"Yes, they're yours." She smiled and ruffled his hair. "But little one, why don't you say sorry to the vendor first?"
"Sorry? Why should I say sorry? She was saying all those mean things to me," he said, sounding like he was reporting a grievance. He even pouted. Cute!
"Just be patient with the Madame. I know the words she said were hurtful, I apologize on her behalf. She only said those things because she didn't like what you did."
She gently took his small hand.
"Do you know that what you did was wrong? Next time, if you don't have money or anything to offer in exchange, ask permission first. Okay? Because they worked hard for what they're selling. We can't just take them."
"Okay."
"Good. Come on, apologize."
"Okay."
The cute boy approached the vendor with a smile and immediately apologized. But Agnes didn't expect what happened next. The vendor didn't respond. Instead, she gave the boy a spiteful look, causing his brow and eyes to turn red from fear and shame.
He looked just like Islaw when he was about to cry.
"If you don't want my sorry, then fine!" the boy shouted through tears and ran away, clutching his bags.
Agnes couldn't chase after him because of the crowd surrounding them. She stood frozen, staring at something that had fallen to the floor from the boy's tearful eyes. She knelt down and picked up the small object.
A pearl?
She stared at the tiny, shimmering orb in her hand, her mind racing with questions she wasn't yet brave enough to ask. The market noise faded into a dull hum as she tucked the pearl deep into her pocket. Her heart felt heavy, burdened by a strange mixture of hope and fear that she couldn't quite name. Seeking solace and a quiet place to think, she left the bustling crowd behind and headed toward the one place where she always felt she could speak her truth.
Agnes's palm gently brushed against the tomb of her mother and father. In her daily visits to the cemetery, not a speck of dirt could be seen on her parents' resting place. She made sure to keep it clean constantly. Aside from her hut and the seashore, her parents' grave had become her place of refuge.
"Mother, father. I have a story to tell you," she began with a smile.
"I met a child whom I can't seem to get out of my mind. I don't know exactly what this feeling is, but I feel so drawn to him."
"Maybe this longing I feel for my own son is just too much. Even with other children, my heart leaps."
"I don't understand myself anymore," she said with a soft laugh, followed by a long sigh.
"Please help me. I keep telling myself I can do this, that I will keep waiting. But on the other hand, I'm losing hope. I'm afraid that maybe I'm waiting for nothing." Her eyes slowly grew dim.
"What if they didn't survive? What if my husband and child passed away a long time ago?"
"What if they are alive, but..."
"But it's no longer me," she whispered, her tears finally falling.
"What if it's no longer me? What if Islaw loves someone else now? What if he has another partner? What if he has introduced someone else as the mother of our child? What if Silaw recognizes another woman as his mother?"
"What about me? What about me?"
She could no longer stop the tears that flowed as if from an endless spring. She couldn't stop herself from sobbing uncontrollably until she eventually drifted off to sleep. When she woke up, it was already late afternoon, and the sky was turning a deep orange.
"I slept too soundly," she remarked with a faint laugh as she gathered the blanket she had spread on the grass.
While she was tidying up, a small object fell from her pocket. She paused, staring at it for a moment. It was the pearl she had picked up earlier. She took the pearl and scrutinized it, and suddenly, a thought flashed through her mind.
She suddenly remembered the scene with the three boys who claimed they saw a boy merman. And then, she remembered the cute little boy who was Cholo's friend. His appearance matched exactly how the three boys described the merman they saw.
It only occurred to her now that the boy had been crying before he ran away, and she had picked up the pearl from the exact spot where he had been standing. Slowly, an idea began to take shape in her mind. Was it possible that her suspicion was right?
"C-could it be... is that child a merman?"