Colleen POV
"I already passed my resume in your email, brother" I said.
"Okay, I'll open it later. By the way, did you already buy your ticket back to the Philippines?" he asked.
"Yeah, I bought it yesterday. I just asked Stacey to buy it for me because I got my period and experience cramping in my stomach"
I lay down in bed and put a heat compress on my stomach. It's really hard when your period comes, I can't move and it feels sticky.
"So, what date did you book your flight for?"
"This upcoming friday and you have fetched me in the airport because I don't know Manila well and I might get lost"
"Okay just call me when you're already there" he hung up.
I used the landline here in London because I'm so lazy to open my social media account and contact my brother.
"Ms. Colleen, the food is ready" one of our maids called me.
"Can you bring me food in my room, my stomach hurts" I was pleased with our maid.
"Okay, I'll just bring it there" I just leaned back against the headboard of the bed and closed my eyes.
**
"Do you still have your period?" Stacey asked. We were at one of the famous coffee shops here in London.
"A little bit, but I'll be able to leave tomorrow" I said.
"Why are you excited, girl?" My eyebrows shot up at her question.
"Well, I need something else to keep me busy, and besides, I want to help my brother manage his company. You know we took the same course" I said evasively.
"Don't you need to take the licensure exam for engineering first?"
"Yes, but I already passed last year" I said.
She suddenly stopped drinking.
"You mean…"
"I took the exam with the help of my brother, so I was able to take it online and I pass" but her gaze suddenly changed towards me.
"But you still haven't gotten over the reason, my dear friend" I just sighed.
"Okay fine, of course, I want to forget about those annoying things in my life" I said.
"Yeah, you can't forget him right away because the witch posted pictures of herself with him on her IG" she said.
"Tss! Even if they post every day, I don't care" I said as I sipped the Iced Coffee I bought.
"By the way, why don't you just come with me to the Philippines? Your parents are Filipino, right?" She fell silent.
"They abandoned me and chose their adopted child over their own flesh and blood" she explained.
"Okay, I won't force you anymore" she smiled at me.
'I should have never asked her about that'
**
"Where are you, brother?" I was already in the Philippines and Mom called earlier asking if he were here, but I said he's not here yet. I called him now because I've been outside for an hour and it's incredibly hot, thankfully I took off my jacket earlier.
"I'm on my way, just caught in traffic" I rolled my eyes in annoyance and impatience.
"Why were you so late leaving? You know my flight time and how long it takes to land here" I lectured him.
"Sorry, okay, I'll explain when we arrived there" he said before I hung up and ended the call.
'He's so annoying.'
"Sorry lil sis" my brother got out of the car immediately.
"Wait, where's your car?" The person with him fell silent.
"Ahmm…" He nudged the person beside him.
"His car engine had a problem" I just nodded.
"By the way, I want you to meet my friend Pablo" I smiled.
"Hi, I'm Colleen" I introduced myself.
"Hello, nice to meet you" he said.
"So let's go, I know you've been sweating now" my brother took my luggage and we got into his friend's car.
"Welcome home Ma'am Colleen," I smiled back.
"It's a pleasure to meet you Manang Karol," I said.
"Kumain na ba kayo ng tanghalian?" I furrowed my brows at Manang Karol's question.
"Ahh Manang, di pa siya marunong makaintindi ng tagalog" my brother whispered to her.
"Ay ganun ba naku mukhang dudugo ang ilong natin dito Manang" I just smiled at them.
"Manang's asking if we've had lunch," he translated what Manang said for me.
"Ahh, not yet," I said.
"Okay, go up to your room first, it's clean, and I'll call you when it's time to eat," my brother said.
"Where's your friend, brother?" I asked him.
"He went back to the company, he still has meetings. I just interrupted him because one of my friends had a duty at the hospital and his clinic," he said.
"Why, don't you have meetings at your company, brother?"
"My secretary attends those because I need to pick you up, and you get impatient and angry easily," I pouted.
"Okay, I'll go upstairs now, brother," I grabbed my jacket and bag and went up to my room to rest for a bit.
**
"How are you doing? Are you alright there?"
"Yeah, even though it's a bit boring because I don't know the whole area, even in my brother's subdivision."
"Have your parents called?" I nodded.
"Just last night, and they gave my brother a lecture about his car which is still at the casa. They said it's embarrassing if he rides with his friends who have their own cars" I explained.
"So, when can you start working there?"
"I haven't asked my brother yet. He said he's going to the casa to check his car if it's already fixed," I replied.
"So, what will your position be at the company then?"
"I don't know yet," she looked at the clock.
"Go to sleep now, you have work tomorrow."
"Okay, good night girl" I smiled and she hung up.
'So, what am I going to do today?'
**
"Brother, when do I start work?" I asked him.
"Work already? Can't you just relax for a bit?"
"Brother, you know why I came back to the Philippines, to work, not relax," I replied.
"Well, Mom said you've barely had any rest, you don't even eat on time, and most importantly, you're keeping yourself busy to forget about the guy who cheated on you," I glared at my brother and he just smirked.
"You know, lil sis, you're just like my doctor friend," I furrowed my brows.
"How did you know that?"
"Well, you're both the same. He was also cheated on by his ex-girlfriend, and he kept himself busy to forget about what she did to him. But his family called me because they were worried about him, so I know what you've been through," I just looked down at his words.
"But this is my way of forgetting what he did to me," I said.
"But there are other ways to forget him, and by the way, from now on call me Kuya, not brother," I furrowed my brows.
"Why?"
"Because you might mistake me for a priest, so practice calling me Kuya," I sighed.
"Fine, Kuya," he smiled at me.
"So what now, Kuya, what am I going to do today?"
"We're going out."
"Where?"
"Just come on, go upstairs and change your clothes," I followed him.
**
"What are we doing here, Kuya?" We stopped at a beautiful mansion. It was even nicer than the houses in London.
"Well, we're at one of my friend's houses," I furrowed my brows because I still didn't understand why we were here.
"What am I going to do here?"
"You need to learn some basic Tagalog words for work, especially since your words have an accent, it might make their noses bleed because of your accent when you speak. It's okay to use basic English, but I also have employees who aren't fluent in English," I didn't say anything because I needed to understand what they were saying, especially at home. They were having trouble communicating with me because I didn't understand what they were trying to say.
"Ay, kayo po pala Sir Charles" she looked at me.
"Si Farrah nandito ba?"
"Opo sir pasok po kayo" we went inside and I was amazed because this was nothing like the things my clients in London had me do.
"Did you build this, Kuya?" He shook his head.
"It's been passed down from my friend's grandparents, but he renovated it when he got married," he said.
"You mean, Kuya, the Farrah you're talking about is your friend's wife?" He nodded.
"Yes, it's her," I looked and there was a beautiful woman walking towards us.
"Oh anong masamang hangin at napunta ka rito" my brother frowned.
"Grabe ka naman sa akin Farrah" she laughed at my brother. She looked at me.
"Oy, baka kung ano isipin mo ah, she's my sister, Colleen," I smiled.
"Hi," I greeted.
"Oww ito ba yung sinasabi mo na uuwi?" he nodded.
"So, bakit nga kayo nandito?" she asked.
"Alam ko na medyo naiinip ka dahil di ka pinapalabas ng kaibigan ko" she frowned.
"Oo ayaw niya akong palabasin baka raw magkita kami ni Harry" she said
"Pero bakit may ipapagawa ka ba para mawala yung pagkainip ko?" she asked.
"Meron, gusto ko sana na ikaw ang magturo sa kapatid ko kahit basic tagalog words lang para naman di siya maout of place kapag nag-umpisa na siyang magtrabaho sa kumpanya" he said.
"Even though I can only understand Tagalog, I don't want our house staff to have a hard time just talking to me," I added.
"Okay sige kaysa naman mainip na ako ng tuluyan" I smiled.
"Paano iwan ko muna siya rito" we both furrowed our brows.
"Saan ka naman pupunta?/ Where are you going, Kuya?" we asked in unison.
"Papasok sa kumpanya" he replied.
"Papasok or magiging stalker ka na naman doon sa bagong school na pinagtatrabuhan ni Ate Gia" I furrowed my brows at her statement.
"What do you mean? He's a stalker?" My brother didn't answer immediately.
"Aalis na ako ikaw na ang bahala kay Colleen susunduin ko na lang siya later" and he quickly left.
"Wait! Kuya!" He was already out the gate and then sped off.
"He's so annoying," she laughed at me.
"That's just how he is, that's why my husband sometimes gets annoyed from their noise and constant nagging" she said and I pouted.
"Are you ready to learn now?" I nodded.
"Yes, so I can at least know a bit of Tagalog," she smiled at me and invited me to go upstairs because that's where she would teach me.
**
"Your so bwisit, Kuya" My brother turned to me.
"Your Tagalog seems to have turned out differently," he suddenly looked at Ate Farrah. She's two years older than me, so I have to call her Ate.
"Well, at least she knows some Tagalog words, right Colleen?" I nodded.
"Alright, we're going home now," she nodded and we said goodbye to her.
"I'm so happy that I know at least a little bit of Tagalog words," I said.
"But it sounds like you're speaking conyo," I just rolled my eyes at him.
"I still can't forget what you did earlier. Really, Kuya, when did you become a stalker?"
"It's none of your business" I just glared at him.
"Let's go, dinner is ready," I kept quiet and focused my attention on each establishment here in Manila, even though it was dark.
**
"Kuya, can you ask Ate Farrah's husband to let us go out?"
"Why?"
"I want to go around and buy some stuff," he sighed.
"Please, Kuya" I begged.
"Okay, fine, I'll call him later" I smiled and took a bite of my food.
"What now, Kuya, did he agree?" I asked.
"Yes, Farrah already spoke to him. At first, he didn't agree, but when I called him and said you were with them, he agreed" he said.
"Thanks, Kuya" he smiled at me.
"Just wear comfortable clothes tomorrow so you don't get disrespectful" he said.
"Alright, Kuya" then I went to my room to rest.
The next day, I woke up early to do yoga. This was the only exercise I did when I was still in London.
"You're up early" I saw Kuya already dressed for work.
"You too, why are you going to the company so early?" I asked.
"I still have some things to finish" I just narrowed my eyes at him.
'I don't believe him, I think he's going to be a stalker again.'
"I'm leaving now, like I said to you" I nodded and he took his coat and bag. I continued what I was doing.
**
"Who is Kuya's always stalking?" she stopped drinking her iced tea.
"Ate Gianna, their high school classmate," she said.
"Ate Gia has liked Kuya Charles for a long time, but he's rejected her several times because he said he only sees her as a sister. But when she stopped trying to get his attention and focused on teaching, things reversed," I furrowed my brows at her last statement.
"Reversed?"
"Kuya Charles started chasing Ate Gia because he found out from Kuya Tristan that someone was making a move on Ate Gia, so he became a stalker," she explained.
"Is there anywhere else you want to go?" I thought for a moment.
"To buy some stuff for my room and of course, clothes," she laughed.
"Okay, we'll go there after we finish here," I smiled at her.
"Kuya came home early," I said as I got out of the car and saw three parked cars.
"Why are there so many cars?" I asked.
"I think their friends are here," Ate Farrah opened the gate and we went inside. As we entered, I looked at their guests and saw my brother.
"Did you buy clothes?" I nodded.
"All my clothes are for winter" I said.
"What did you pay with?"
"Of course, my money, hello, I converted my pound money before I left the airport. I didn't know the exchange rate was so high here in the Philippines, so when my mom's credit card is fixed, I'll use that," I looked at a man who was staring at us. I just raised my eyebrows.