Into Her Book 1: Clyde Hernandez

02

02

Looking outside the window, it’s actually great to be back in the city. There is no sense of uncomfort and unfamiliarity because I have been here before and even stayed here already back then. The only thought that gives me uncomfort is coming back here alone without lola and tito with me.

I peek at the tall buildings that remain the same. Four years in Ilocos but things back here in Manila stays the same. The buildings are still tall and they even keep on adding more and more buildings. The traffic is still so heavy as before that no one can really escape and there is no time chosen, it’s traffic every single hour. Probably, the people here are still the same. What will not be the same… is my life starting today.

The more we approach our destination, the more I feel nervous. I have met both mom and dad already for countless times now but still, I can’t stop feeling nervous because those times are just limited. Now, I will be in their territory and there won’t be any escape plan. In addition to that, I will be meeting my sister and brother already. I’m excited to meet them, but I’m just worried that they wouldn’t want me around.

My lips formed an ‘o’ when the car entered an exclusive village which I used to just pass by back then. I have always been curious on how these exclusive villages look inside but not that I am here, entering actually feels like I am in a different world. The houses are massive and even close to mansions. Unlike the subdivision we used to stay in here in Manila, the fences here are separated at least meters away from one another. It’s a peaceful neighborhood with wide roads and tall gates. I could even mistake this place as those buildings out there.

My eyes caught the big house that I think we will be heading to. I couldn’t help but let out a gasp as the tall gates opened automatically, letting the car inside the premises. I keep roaming my eyes around while looking outside the window as we pass by a fountain in the middle of the premises in front of the house.

Talking about wealthiness, privileges and comfortable lifestyle. They want me to live this kind of life now? How is that possible when I literally grow up and am used to a simple house, unlike this big fancy one? I do not use riding cars on daily routines and I much prefer riding bicycles instead of going somewhere. Most of all, I am used to serving other people and asking what they need, not being the one to be served!

“Is this?” I turned to dad’s lawyers as he gave me a nod.

“Welcome to Santiago's home, Arabella.” He told me with a warm smile. My mouth remained open as I looked outside until the car stopped in front of the two steps before it led to the main door. “Welcome to your new home.”

My new home. I’m not really sure if I can really call it one because… seeing the house itself right in front of my eyes and all of these services I am getting, I don’t feel comfortable already. Home should be the place where I would feel comfortable instead of being dodgy and careful but as for this one, I’m not really sure about this.

“Welcome home, Ms. Arabella.” A woman who looked older than mom greeted me right away after hopping off the car. I gave her an awkward smile, trying to hide my curiosity about her. She might have noticed it because of the smile in her lips. “I’m Julia, the one who is responsible for keeping things in order inside the house. You can call me Manang Julia.”

I stick my hand out for a handshake which she has taken. “It’s nice to meet you, Manang Julia. You already know my name but… you can call me Bella.” I told her politely since she is much older.

“I know that so well, dear.” She said in a soft tone that made me confused. “I was the one who took care of you with your mom when you were born. You don’t know how devastated I was as well when Helen and Royce lost you for so many years.”

“You… took care of me?” I repeated as she gladly nodded her head. Despite not remembering anything about her, I found myself slowly reaching out to gently give her a hug. I felt her flinch with my sudden action but I still proceeded. “Even though I can’t really remember anything, thank you… for taking care of me when I was young, Manang Julia.”

I heard her let out a shaky breath which made me let go in panic. When I looked at her, I saw her eyes watering that she tries to control. “I’m sorry.. It’s just, I have never felt appreciated like this by your sister so it’s all new to me.” She reaches for my hand, caressing the top of my palm gently. “Thank you, Bella.”

Without any hesitation, I put on a warm smile. I guess… it’s not really that bad coming here for now. Maybe I was just blinded with how fancy the house looks and all these servers, doing things for me that I can do for myself anyway. Maybe… just maybe, I will find my own comfort spot in this house and could later on call this my home without any doubts.

The driver was the one who put my bag inside the house without even notifying me about it. I couldn’t do anything to stop him because Manang Julia had her attention fully on me. She stood by my side and was even the one who accompanied me inside this beautiful house. Although she keeps on saying things, my attention just went to the fancy decorations inside.

The ceiling is so high that even taking a leader is not enough to reach it. There is this fancy and big chandelier hanging on the ceiling as well right in the living room area which makes it even more spacious to look like with the white walls. The other side of the ground floor leads to the living room and other more things while the other side leads to the dining area. But if I go straight from the main door, I will head outside the backyard where I could already see the pool from here. This house is amazing.

“Bella, my daughter!” Mom's voice is clearly heard in the room as she walks out from the dining room, dressed in a beautiful black dress with floral patterns and looks really presentable. I formed a smile on my lips as she approached me for a hug which I returned the same. “How was your flight?”

“It was great, mom.” I answered simply.

They actually booked me in a two hour flight in the most comfortable seat, how can I say that it was bad? I don’t even know how to say that I was afraid when it first took off because it was my first time. The least I can do now is to complain about it.

“That’s great to hear, dear. Oh wait! Let me introduce you to your siblings.” She says excitedly which hyped me up as well.

Manang Julia left my side and went upstairs after mom asked her to call for them. I found myself fidgeting while trying to look around, calming myself down before meeting my siblings. I wonder what they look like? I’m sure my sister is as beautiful as mom and my brother is as handsome as dad. How about their personalities though? Will there be a huge difference from our personalities though?

My thoughts were interrupted when people from upstairs appeared slowly. Next to Manang Julia is a small boy who is up to her waist with a wide smile on and a bright face which made me smile widely as well. He is as adorable as mom describes him to be. But the girl behind them… is different.

She is dressed in a pink knitted short sleeve buttoned crop top and a patterned shirt that ends on her mid thigh. She has a white slippers as well which contradicts her prepared clothes to greet me today. My eyes also caught her light make up and properly styled hair as if she is going out somewhere today and not staying in instead.

Our eyes met shortly when she arrived downstairs, standing beside mom, but she kept her blank. She didn’t give me a smile nor even any kind of expression which is really weird. I’m not even sure if she is judging me in her mind right now while mom is introducing our brother to me. The only time she managed to put on an expression was when it’s already her time to be introduced… and it was so weird.

“And lastly, this is your sister that I was telling you about.” Mom excitedly says, putting both hands on my sister’s shoulder. My sister then put on a wide smile which is opposite to the one she had earlier. “Bella, I want you to meet your sister, this is Eloise Genevieve Santiago.”

Without any hesitation, she went forward with a wide smile that still seems so weird for me to see. She excitedly wrapped her arms around me, like an excited kid to see her parents back after hours of working. Somehow, I felt uncomfortable but glad at the same time because the way she hugs me has almost the same meaning as she wants me here.

“I’m so glad to finally meet you, ate!” She says after letting go. I blinked my eyes, staring at her eyes and seeing the opposite expression she had put on her lips. Maybe I shouldn’t just overthink too much about this. “Mom keeps telling me how beautiful you are and she was really right.”

“T-thank you… you are really beautiful too.” I said, trying to put on a smile that turns out to be an awkward one. My eyes went from her head to toe, eyeing her. “You dressed really pretty too.”

“Thank you, ate! I simply like dressing up so if you need help, just come to my room and ask me.” She winked at me which makes her really attractive in my eyes. “By the way, ate, you can call me Eli or Gen. It depends on you but mom and dad call me Gen while my friends call me Eli.”

“Y-you wouldn’t mind if I call you Gen then?” I asked carefully which she nodded excitedly.

“You can even call me anything you want and I’m cool with it.” She went for another short hug.

I suddenly felt that warmness and became less awkward with her presence. Maybe I was just being too judgmental and overthinking things out. What if she really is just that kind of person who is silent and mistaken as that kind of mean girl? Why did I even think that my own sister is mean when I don’t even know her yet fully?

She stood on my side without saying more again. I tried my best not to glance over at her but I just can’t help it because she can really get everyone’s attention in the room without any sweat needed. When our eyes met, I immediately looked away because she might think that I have things going on in my head.

“Ate Bella,” Our little brother, Kendrick Aziel, calls that made me look at him with arch brows. He stood in front of me so I had to bend to match his height since he is just around my lower waist. I put on a warm smile, matching his bright face. “Are you gonna stay with us for a long time now?”

Although nothing is really shocking about his question, it still gave me a different kind of feeling. He is making me feel like I am so welcome here every single time and he likes me being around him. I always knew having a sweet younger sibling is always an ideal.

I gave him a nod which made him smile really wide. “You don’t mind if ate Bella stays here, right?” I asked him.

“Yes! I want a new playmate.” He glances to my side, looking up, before looking at me again. I raised a brow when he leaned forward to my ear, whispering something I didn’t expect. “Ate Gen doesn’t wanna play with me and is always grumpy. That is why I don’t have any playmates here except for manang.”

That was… unexpected? As much as I don’t want to believe Azi’s words because Gen looks really sweet and I mistook her earlier but… elders say that kids don’t lie. But I don’t even know who to believe now since both of them are my sisters and I am both older than them. Gen is a year younger but we are on the same year level because she is an accelerated student back in her elementary days while Azi is 8 years old and currently in his 4th grade.

I only gave him a smile, trying to set aside any negativity in my head. It’s still too early to judge anything. Even if I have spent time with mom and dad already, I am not really sure if how they treated me back in Ilocos is how they really are. I am not putting negativity in my head but I just wanna be sure with the people I will be with 24/7 starting today.

“Well, your dad is still out for business. Let me call him so-”

“No need for any hassle! I’m here!” We all turned behind me when we heard dad’s voice. I couldn’t help but smile and somehow envy the way Azi and Gen comfortably run towards dad to hug him. Dad welcomed them in his arms as if he was so excited to see them every single day. “Did you two had a good sleep?”

“I had a good sleep!” Azi responded in the cutest way that made me wanna pinch his cheeks.

“Well, I don’t dad. I was working on a school paper and it takes me until midnight to finish it.” Gen complained, pouting her lips. Dad immediately gave her another hug, caressing her back in comfort.

“That’s all right, Genevieve, but don’t pressure yourself too much okay? Learn how to manage your time properly and if you need help, just ask mom and dad for it.” Dad let her go, keeping his hands on her shoulders. “You are doing a great job, Gen, always remember that.”

Those words… I always hear those from tatay, lola and tito as well. Whenever I think that my school papers are already too much to handle, they are always there to prepare some snacks for me to regain my energy even though we can’t really take the risk of spending too much. They would always remind me that I don’t need to pressure myself too much because I have been doing a very great job for the past few years already. Tito would even stay up with me the whole night to watch over me and make sure I won’t stay up too late.

“Bella?” I was brought back to my senses when I heard dad’s voice calling for me. I arch my brows in confusion, looking around only to see all of them looking at me. “Are you okay?”

“Y-yes, dad. I… uhhh... I was just thinking of something.” I said, giving him a small smile.

“Okay… but how about you? How was the flight?”

“It was great, dad. Thank you for giving me a good seat.” I politely answered, which made him smile in relief.

Now that everyone is here, I wasn’t sure how to react. Surely having everyone around is just normal for them but not to me. I am used to only having lola and tito around me as well as our neighbors back in Ilocos. I am used to having few people around but in this house, except for our family, we have more people around.

We all headed for lunch afterwards since it’s already lunch time as well. I haven’t looked around properly yet but the dining room is as big as the combination of our living room and dining room back in Ilocos. The foods are prepared beforehand and it’s like everything we need is really provided to us by the maids.

During lunch, we had a small talk but it’s mostly about catching up with one another. All I can do is just listen to them with how they talk and how they interact. It actually really feels like home by the way they talk with one another comfortably. The way Gen can complain about her stress and academics, the way both she and Azi can talk to our parents without any fear, it is somehow satisfying for me to witness.

“How about you, ate? How is your life in Ilocos?” Gen suddenly threw the question while we were eating the dessert. I looked at her in shock but she just gave me an innocent smile. “I’m curious because mom keeps telling us about you whenever they visit you.”

“Well, I have lived with my lola and tito since tatay left us. Compared to this house, we live in a smaller one with a craft shop downstairs that is owned by lola.” A smile suddenly forms my lips as I remember them. “Every day I will be the one who will be delivering the orders to us while riding my bike and many other things. I think moving to Ilocos is actually a good move from lola because I really enjoyed staying there.”

“Wait, ate you mean you are riding a bicycle under the heat?” She questions me in disbelief that made me confused. “Oh my God! Your skin!”

“W-what?”

“I mean, you should take care of your skin, ate! I should probably take you with me during my facial sessions. I think you really need it.” She exclaimed that I wasn’t sure whether I should take it as a compliment or not. She turned to mom while I just looked at her, watching her. “Is it fine if I book her at the same facial shop I visit for my treatment, mom?”

“If it’s okay with your sister then why not?” Mom exclaimed excitedly. Mom turned to me with excitement on her face. “What do you think, Bella? Do you want to join your sister?”

I remained silent, not knowing what to answer. I’m not really that bothered with my face because lola and tito keep on saying that I already look beautiful. I am also satisfied with how I look but I can’t really say no because it will be too rude and unfair for Gen’s side.

“I agree with your sister, Bella. You can both take it as your time to bond as well.” Dad butted in which I only ended up nodding at the end.

“Uhmm… Okay, sure.” I said, giving my sister a small smile.

After that, I just kept listening to them and somehow felt a little out of place. Maybe it’s because I am not used to having them around and to think that they even talk with so much class as if making a mistake is not even a thing in this table actually makes me uncomfortable. Their etiquette is so much different from the one that I grew up with so I’m not even sure how to act.

Dad assigned Gen to guide me to my room so we can have a small bond already and tak. She did it though but the silence is what greeted me and is killing me right now. We just kept on walking and walking upstairs until she stopped in one room. She didn’t say anything and just opened it without any hesitation then entered the room.

My mouth opened in awe when I entered the room that I will be sleeping in starting today. It is really just what I expected but I think even beyond my expectation. The ceiling is high and my bed is like twice bigger than I used to sleep in. There are two doors inside my room as well where one leads to the bathroom while the other leads to a walk-in closet that is now filled with so many clothes that I didn’t know when they even bought it. I don’t really need to bring anything with me.

“You don’t need anything anymore, right?” Gen suddenly said when I walked out of the walk-in closet. Before I could even say anything, she beat me into it and almost shut me down. “I’m sure you can do fine on your own now. I have much more important things to do.”

As much as it caught me off guard, I called for her name that made her turn to me with frustration plastered on her face. “Dad said that we should bond… are you really just going to leave?” I carefully asked.

“Look, I already reached my limit asking mom and dad if I can take you with me for facial treatment. That is beyond my limit already actually. I can’t keep pretending even in front of you that I am so into this whole thing.” She said in a rude tone that shocked me.

“W-what are you talking about?”

She let out a sigh before closing the door. She turns to face me again with her arms crossed to her chest, looking at me uninterestedly. What is going on? I wanna ask her but her next words… It gave me the whole idea of what Azi meant earlier.

“In case you haven’t got the idea,” She looks at me from head to toe. “I don’t like you here. I hate having you back here.”