Catherine entered their rented home, she saw her siblings Jacob and Lily watching a television show, while her mother was washing dishes in the kitchen.
"I'm home, Mother!" she said.
Her siblings didn't even bother to look in her direction, they were busy watching cartoons on TV.
She kissed her mother cheek.
"Have you already eaten your dinner?" asked Thelma.
"Yes Mother, I had already eaten in the hotel before I went home."
She left her mother and went inside her room. She changes her clothes. Tonight she will explain to her mother about her upcoming marriage to John, although she was adult enough to decide for herself still she needs her mother's approval and blessing since she was the only living parent she had. If her father is alive until now, he would be happy that his daughter had chosen a good man to marry.
When she exited her room, she sits down beside her siblings on the wooden bench and watched the cartoon show. She hugged Lily while she runs her fingers on Jacob's messy hair.
"Who wants ice cream?" she said all of a sudden.
"Me!" screamed Lily.
"Me too!" shouted Jacob.
She pinched her siblings' cheeks one by one and then went inside her room to get some money to buy one gallon of ice cream.
"Mother, I will buy ice cream in the nearest store outside. I'll be back!" she said.
Thelma smiled broadly in anticipation since she loves ice cream too. "Okay, I will prepare the glasses and the spoon, be quick!"
Catherine smiled at her mother. "Don't worry Mother, I will be quick!"
She wore her outdoor slippers and exited their house, she walked towards the nearest store humming a tune. While she was perusing the variety of ice cream flavors in the fridge, out of the corner of her eye she saw Jerome buying pork barbecue grilled by the street vendor nearby.
He happened to glance at her direction, she waves at him and smiled.
Catherine chooses Choco Almond and Nutty Milky Way, 2 in 1 flavor in one gallon of ice cream, she gave her money to the store owner, while she waited for her change, she glanced at Jerome. He was now walking towards her holding the pork barbecue wrapped inside the plastic bag.
"Catherine, I brought some pork barbecue for your mother and siblings, I know it's their favorite. Can you please give it to them and tell them I say hello...," Jerome said and extended the plastic bag that contains the barbecue to her.
"I just brought one gallon of ice cream, Jerome. Why don't you join us? Come with me to our house. Let's enjoy your barbecue and the ice cream," she decided to invite him because her mother and her siblings were very fond of Jerome.
Jerome hesitated at first, but he will jump in every chance he got just to see her smile again and enjoy Catherine's presence while she was still single. He will start forgetting her after her wedding. For now, he needs to be close to her to continue his illusion.
"Is it okay for you? Your boyfriend won't get angry if he sees us inside your house?" he asked, hesitation in his eyes.
Catherine shook her head. "He won't, besides we are not doing anything wrong, let just say that you visit our house because you want to visit my mother and my siblings."
She already got the change and slid it into the pocket of her shorts.
"Let's go!"
They walked together towards Catherine's house in the corner.
While they were walking, a pair of eyes were following them from afar.
After a few minutes of walking Catherine and Jerome reached the house, they entered the main door.
Thelma and the kids smiled broadly when they saw Jerome.
"Uncle Jerome!" the kids greeted Jerome in unison.
He smiled at them, dug into his pocket and gave each of them some loose change.
The kids screamed in delight. "Thank you Uncle!" they said.
Jerome grinned at their happy faces.
"Jerome, how are you?" asked Thelma.
"Good evening Auntie Thelma! I brought some pork barbecue for you guys," he gave the pork barbecue to the older woman.
"Thank you, Jerome!" Thelma accepted the pork barbecue and put it in the platter.
Right away they started eating the pork barbecue while watching TV.
"I will buy cola first..." said Jerome. He exited the main door to buy cola in the nearest store.
Thelma looked at Catherine. "You know Jerome is a good husband material," she said to her daughter all of a sudden.
Catherine almost chokes on the piece of pork barbecue that she was chewing. She didn't reply to her mother's remarks instead she continues eating in silence. Later, I will tell you mother who am going to marry, she said to herself.
Jerome returned with two big bottles of cold cola.
After done eating with the pork barbecue and drinking the cola, they rested for a while watching some soap opera show on the TV.
Twenty minutes later...they started eating the ice cream.
After two hours at exactly 9:00 PM in the evening, Jerome bid goodbye to Catherine's family.
"Visit us again, Jerome!" Thelma said to him.
Jerome looked at Catherine for confirmation and permission, but she only stared at her feet.
"Okay Auntie, I will drop by sometime if am not busy at the restaurant. Bye bye kids!" he waved goodbye to all of them.
"Bye Uncle Jerome! Thank you for the barbecue!" the kids replied in unison.
When Jerome was already out of sight, Catherine closed the main door and continue watching TV shows with her siblings.
One hour later...
"Kids, time for bed! Brush your teeth first," said Thelma.
Catherine turns off the TV and waited for her siblings to finish brushing their teeth and go to sleep. Using the broom she sweeps the floor first, afterward, she spreads the tarpaulin in the floor area and then spreads the 3 inches thick sleeping mattress above it.
At exactly 11:00 PM in the evening the children were already sleeping.
Catherine walked towards her mother who was now preparing to sleep on the mattress. "Mother, I need to talk with you in my room," she whispered into her ear.
Thelma rose to her feet and followed her daughter into her room.
They sat on the bed facing each other.
Catherine took a deep breath.
"Mother I will ask for your blessing, I am going to marry my boyfriend in a civil wedding ceremony within this month," she said.
Thelma's eyes widen. "You and Jerome are going to marry?"
She shook her head vigorously. "No Mother, it's not Jerome. He and I are not into a romantic relationship. We are just friends."
Thelma was more confused than ever. "I don't remember you introduce your boyfriend to me or any guy beside Jerome!? If not Jerome then who is he---?"
"You remember the boyfriend I told you in the village the one with the expensive car?"
Thelma brows knitted together trying to remember...
"Ah, okay I remember now. How old is he? And what is his line of work?"
"His name is John Anthony James Fuentes, he is 27 years old. He is a businessman who manages their family business."
Thelma just nodded with her daughter's sudden revelation. "You are going to marry too young? What will happen to me and your siblings? You are the breadwinner of this family. We will not survive in the city without your financial support, we will just return to the village after your wedding," sadness and worries start appearing on the older woman's face.
"Don't worry Mother. I will bring you along with me, John has a large house, he promised me that he will also take care of you and the kids," she was trying to ease her mother's worries.
"Catherine to be honest, I like Jerome for you. He is a very good guy. I have no objection if Jerome is the guy you will marry," said Thelma.
She sighed.
"Mother, I met John first in the village. Our relationship has run deeper, it can't be broken by anyone else. If I meet Jerome first, he might have a chance with me. But I can only love one person and that is John. I am sorry Mother, I know how much you like Jerome to be your future son in law," she said.
Thelma stared at Catherine's face. "How come you didn't introduce this guy to me? Then suddenly you are going to tell me that you two are getting married? Is it b-because he already got you p-pregnant?"
Catherine shook her head smiling. "No Mother, am not pregnant yet," she assures her.
"Introduce me to that boyfriend of yours! I want to talk to him before I will give my blessings to your wedding."
Catherine smiled and hugged her mother. "Thank you Mother, you will meet him soon enough. I will arrange a meeting for him and our entire family as soon as possible," she said excitedly.
"Okay, you do that. I want to meet him, ASAP!" Thelma demanded.
"Yes Mother, don't worry about it. Let's go to sleep now," she said.
Done with their mother and daughter conversation. Thelma exited her daughter's room and went to the kids' side and sleep in the mattress by their side. Still bothered by her daughter's sudden news of her wedding she wasn't able to sleep right away. It's only past 1:00 AM that her mind and body finally succumbs to sleep.