『Beep! Beep! Beep! Beep!』

『Beep! Beep! Beep! Beep!』

『Beep! Beep! Beep! Beep!』

I lazily shut the alarm off.

“It's morning...”

「July 22, 2021 | Thu」

「05:21」

“Thank you lord for this new day you gave us. Amen.”

I need to wash the laundry today. T-shirts today, pants tomorrow. Washing machine will do for the colored clothes. I'll just hand wash the white clothes this Sunday.

“Mmrff...”

I rub the hair of the child sleeping beside me.

“Umm... Ate... Lu...cy...?”

“Good morning Binary. Let's start preparing now.”

“Uh... Mhm...” She nodded while rubbing her eyes with the back of her hands.

I stand up to open the curtains. It's still foggy outside. The sun isn't out yet.

“Um.. Ate (older sister)..?"

“Hmm?”

“I.. will.. tidy our bed.... Please leave it to me.”

“Oh alright. Thank you Binary. It helps ate lot. I will do the laundry then.”

“Mhm.”

I walk downstairs. The aroma of fried garlic wafts all over the room which is coming from the kitchen.

It's nanay. I told her not to push herself yet she did it again.

I hurriedly walk my way towards the kitchen. And there she is— my grandmother stirring the garlic and chopped footlong in the boiling oil.

“Nanay (mother), please stop that.”

“Oh. You're awake. Just wait a little longer. Breakfast will be ready.”

“No.”

“What?”

“You should still be sleeping.”

“Do you take me for a weak person?”

“Of course not but—”

“Hmmp. Groundless worry! Ever since I was a child, far more younger than Binary, I had been working my ass off— Waking up early in the morning to cook bibingka— And then I will walk around the city to sell it for few hours before going to school... It doesn't end just after that, after exhausting studying, I'll go home, cook, eat, then go out to sell balut until midnight. You should worry more about yourself.”

Nanay began telling me her story again.. I feel bad everytime because I can tell how hard her life was... But doesn't she understand it's precisely why she should now be taking things easy?

I can support all of us anyway. It would be much better if she just leave things to me. She's no longer young. Her health is at risk if she keeps this up.

“Stop underestimating me Lucy and just go and prepare for work.”

“But—”

“You're so stubborn! Just go.”

“...........”

She's getting mad... But... Arrgh..

She's really stubborn.

I should just go do the laundry then—

“Naaaaaaay!”

I come rushing back towards the kitchen.

“What?”

Nanay is setting up the dining table preparing for breakfast. Binary is also helping her.

“Ate Lucy are you okay...?”

“I am. But.. Nay! Why are you not listening to me?”

“What is it this time?” She sounds annoyed.

“What time did you wake up?”

“Why do you have so many questions?”

“P-Please just answer me...!”

“Around 02:40 or something. Just what is it?”

“Why?!”

“What do you mean by ‘Why?’? I woke up early simply because I need to do the laundry. What are you on about?”

“That's what I'm talking about. Why? It's chilly and too early for you to be getting soaked!”

“Ungrateful brat! Just be thankful.”

“I am but your health—”

“My health my ass... Sit dow— Cough! Cough!”

“!”

That doesn't sound good.

“See? Your cough gotten worse nay! That's why I told you to go for a check-up last time—”

“It's expensive. As if you have the cash for that. Stop worrying about me—”

“How can I not?! Your health is deteriorating— You're overworking yourself. I heard from our neighbor they saw you getting escorted by a boy last Tuesday. And you didn't even tell me—”

“Whose mouth did that came from..? How dare they gossip about me—”

“They're just worried— They care about your health but why do you not?!”

Nooo... I feel like crying..

“Shut up! Why do you know my body better than me—?!”

“I'm a nurse!”

“So what? I'm still the one experiencing myself.”

“Because you refuse to go to a doctor—”

“Shut uuuuup! I don't care. Just sit down and eat. You're making me angry. Do you want me to lose my appetite?”

“Naaaay!”

“Ate... Lucy.... sniff...”

Oh. I'm sorry I didn't notice.

“Alright... Don't cry. I'm sorry about that... I shouldn't have shouted..”

“Nooo.... I'm okay... But we... shouldn't fight...”

I bite my lips out of sudden guilt. I should have been more considerate. Binary is still young and she's a timid girl as well... So that must have been scary for her.

“I'm sorry...”

“Sniff...”

“Tsk. You two are really....”

I shouldn't have argued with nanay too. She just doesn't want to increase my load any further. My emotions got the better of me.

She is simply worried about me.. but I'm more worried about her though!

“I'm sorry po nanay...”

“...........”

“...........”

“Hmmp. I apologize as well. I know you care for me but I don't want to be burden.”

“You're not—”

“It's already hard enough for you. I know being a nurse is a hard job so... you should just leave the housework to me!”

“But—”

“No ‘buts’!”

“...........”

I can only lower my head. If I argue with nanay Maria, it may increase her blood pressure causing her to.. to...

I... I don't want that...

“...........”

“...........”

“Hayys~ Lucy.. I'm used to being active. In fact, doing nothing but lying down on bed will just make me ill.”

But...

“...........”

“I-I-I... I can help too... I'll do all the housework from now on... So please don't be sad.. anymore... ate... sniff...” Binary is bubbling.

That's not right. I can't burden you like that.

“I.. You're already doing well... Just focus on your studies..”

“Uh— uhm... En...” She looks like she has something to say but swallowed it down.

“...........”

“Sit down and eat... Stop crying Binary.”

I wipe Binary's eyes before sitting down.

“...........”

“...........”

“...........”

It's so silent...

“Fine.”

“?”

“I said I'll go for a check-up.”

“—! R-Really?!”

*Clang!*

I jerked up so some tableware fell onto the ground.

“Your manners...”

“Ah! Uhmm...”

That's great... She finally listened to me.

“But... There's a condition.”

“!”

Whatever it is. Just please have yourself a check-up.

“I'll go to the hospital only after we pay this month's bills.”

“Deal!”

“Don't act like as if you already have the money needed for that. I know our finances aren't enough.”

“I can loa—”

“No loaning! Do you know what you're getting into? You're just going to make your life harder for yourself in the long term.”

“But—”

“No ‘buts’!”

“...........”

“Get it?”

The sooner she gets a check-up the better so she should just go... But she finally agreed... It's a good thing. I just need to pay the bills.

I'll just eat once a day—

“And no skipping meals!”

“!”

“I know you. You tend to sacrifice yourself for others. How dare you worry about me when you can't even take care of yourself?!”

“...........”

“Don't stop taking care of yourself Lucy. That's my second condition.”

That's making me.... Feel warm.. I feel like crying.

“You too Binary. Hmmp! It's because you two are very fragile I just can't die and stop being a burde—”

“Nay! That's ominous. Don't say that!”

“You're still as superstitious as ever.”

“You raised me that way.”

“...........”

“Hehehehe..”

Binary is giggling. The mood finally lighten up huh.

“Ehem, anyway, if you want me to rest easy, you should find yourself a man soon. I'd like to scrutinized him myself. I'll never leave my dear granddaughter into the hands of someone undeserving. Hmmp!”

“N-Nanay... I don't need a husband...”

“You need someone to lean your head onto as well. You can't just do everything alone. Don't you feel tired living this way?”

“No way! I have you two... That's enough..”

“Hmmmm. Hmmp! Fine fine. I'm not rushing you anyway. Just hurry up and focus on yourself too.”

“I'll try...”

“Hmmp! Let's eat.”

“En..”

“Hehehehehe.”

We prayed and start eating...