09/06/2026
"Good day to all of you. By the way, I'm Lorena, 39 years old. Married to Aries for 20 years. It's a shame that I spent almost a month on the ship and only two months back home. Our life is good. It's not luxurious, but it's good. We have a house in town and I have a small shop in front.
I have a son who is now in college in Manila. But despite all this, there are moments when I feel lonely. It's very quiet. Without Aries, I feel like each day is so long. I feel like time passes so slowly. And no matter what I do, there's always something missing. And the hard part is that for several years he had to go back and forth to the ship.
Now that I'm older, I still feel guilty. One day, my neighbor Aling Nena recommended a trustworthy young man to help me in the shop as well as around the house. I immediately agreed. Lito arrived when he was still 24 years old only. Thin but with a strong body. The face is bold but smiling. This is from the other barangay. He said that he had just finished working at the market as a porter, so he was very used to heavy work.
Good morning, ma'am Lorena. He greeted me politely when we first met. Just Lorena. Don't call me ma'am anymore. I feel like I'm too old. I was joking. His cheeks were a little red with embarrassment but he still smiled. I immediately trusted Lito because besides being kind, he was also quick to act.
Every morning he comes early to water, clean, and open boxes of merchandise in my small sari-sari store. He has never complained for a single day. He is always quiet but always smiles when spoken to. Once, while I was arranging the merchandise inside, I heard his voice shouting. Sister Lorena, someone is waiting for you in the store.
I immediately went and saw him standing at the edge of the shelf. Sweaty. I noticed his simple appearance. He was wearing a white t-shirt, faded shorts, and socks with holes in the toes. But I don't know why I felt so strange that day. Thank you, I was confused. I said, ""It's nothing, sister."" Anya smiled.
That smile was mixed with shyness and tenderness. I see her every day. When the sun rises, she just continues with her work. Sometimes I even tell her, ""Lito, take a rest for now."" ""You might faint later."" ""It's okay,"" she replied, always smiling. We ate lunch together because there was no one else in the house but me.
It seemed like we both became comfortable. She doesn't like to talk, but when I started talking about Aries, my son, and the store, she always listened. ""You're really quiet, aren't you?"" I joked with her sometimes. Well, that's exactly how I am, ma'am, but I just wanted to listen. She answered directly while looking at me. It was as if something suddenly moved in my chest.
I didn't know if it was because Aries hadn't been here for a long time or because of the young man's kindness. But since then, it seems my quiet days have become happier. One afternoon it was raining lightly. I was inside the store. Lito was busy arranging things, he was outside, come in, you can read here, I said. Come, I said a little softly but seriously....
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