Static pressure and displacement.

I have to look hard at her to see. She is different, but it is Ann. She is worn, worn out. She does not look healthy. She goes through the gate, up to the front door, and walks in. She looks around, just standing there in the entrance. I am looking at her. I am happy to see you, wife.

Are you, Lewis? Really? You sure you not just embarrassed your wife leave you? Maybe you embarrassed your wife prefer girls to you? Maybe you think, 'OK I make a promise to God when I marry her and now I must keep this promise?'

Ann, no one can know my heart but me. Not even you can do that. I cannot really know your heart. All we can do, is say what we say, and hope the other believes us. I tell you, that I love you. I tell you, I will not marry anyone here, except Noime, if you annul me and then I will have to wait many years for that to happen. I do not want you to annul this marriage. I accept that you want to lie down with girls. I do not argue and I am not embarrassed. I have many girls who are happy to lie down with me. My ego is not damaged. God does not have to shame me into wanting to stay married to you. I want to stay married without that. You and I have built a life together. I cherish that. Whatever we need to adjust to stay together, I say that we adjust that.

You, husband, are a very difficult man. You make things hard for me. How can I annul, when you say these things? No court will even listen to me! And they will tell me, it is me that is being difficult! So I am the one, in truth, who is difficult here. Because, if a priest ask me, to answer in God's name, do I love Lewis, I have to answer, I do. I just think we are not right for each other. But then you say, 'OK, find a way to be right, and I will do that!' Ha, I cannot find a way to leave you! Damn you, Lewis. How I leave you now? I try, and every love I have say, 'go back to him, Ann!' Even Belen, who says other things too! They all say, 'Ann, you belong there!' So what I do? I stay away for many months, but no difference, you do not change. What I do?

All this is being played out in front of most of my entire household. They are standing quietly around the periphery, but hearing every word. While they might not speak in as long or well-constructed sentences, they can and do understand all of it. Or at least most of them do.

And so, as I stand there not knowing what to say in response to my wife's question, which I am not sure, is not a rhetorical one, Angeli speaks up.

Ate Ann, please, you can and should stay with me. I need you.

Really? You really want me with you?

Yes, Ann. Yes!

Why, we enemies.

Then, not now. Now it is different. Please Ate.

Lewis, you make her say this?

No, and you can ask anyone in this room what I say to Angeli, when she ask me if the two of you should stay together?

What you tell her?

I tell her that she should decide what she wants and tell you the truth.

Angeli, that true? He say that to you?

Yes, Ate.

Joy2x, you agree? Lewis tell her that?

Two eyebrows go up.

Huh, Angeli, I accept. Lewis, you win. I am back. I will not go again. Now, before I go to my room, I want to meet the new ones. Who was the one who text with me yesterday?

Me Po.

What is your name, child?

Lyla, Po.

You like to lay in my husband's bed, Lyla.

This question freaks Lyla out. She panics and is tongue tied. I speak to Lyla, Just tell Ann the truth. It is OK.

Lyla looks at me and then at Angeli who gives her 'eyebrows up.'

Yes, Po, I want to be with Sir every time he allow it.

Ann is looking around the room at faces, Who text me before about if I am wife?

Maricris takes one step forward before speaking, That is me, Po. I text you.

What is your name, friend?

Maricris, Ate.

Well, Maricris, you take Angeli place in my husband's bed?

Oo, I with him at night now.

So friend, you and me, we need to talk and be team to run this house.

Bakit, Ate? This your house! I just here for you now!

Hindi friend, we will run it as a team, you and me. If we do otherwise, there will be problems. I know this from before. Lewis, this one is good, honest and smart?

All that, yes. And she is shy, Ann. She is afraid of you.

Why?

Because, wife, you are the “wife” and that is very important. But I do believe, if you want it, you will find her a good and valuable friend.

Good, well then Maricris, today I will not do anything except, take a shower, spend time in my room talking with Angeli, and rest. Tomorrow morning, let us have a morning together and get to know each other.

Yes, Ate.

Lewis, there are two other faces I do not know, here.

Yes. This one is Analyn and she rooms with Joy2x and Belen. You can say that they are a threesome.

Ganun?¹

Yes, and so, Analyn will not be in my room.

I see, and this little one?

This is Laarni. She is like our Gina, too small for my attentions. She rooms with Iay.

She, Analyn and Lyla are Maricris's?

Yes.

Lyla, what grade you in?

Wala na². I not go to school. I help in the house with Nanay³, Angeli and Belen.

Lewis, we have four maids? Oh my! This is why the house looks better than I ever have it!

And, with that, Ann comes to me, kisses my cheek, walks toward Angeli saying, Take me to our room!

The two disappear from sight, as they enter the extension and the main Sala erupts in a cacophony of voices. Each has a slightly different take on what was said. Each thinks some other point made was important. Maricris sidles up to me and reaches for a kiss. I look at her, Thank you, but was that for something specific?

Oo, Lewis. It is because everything you tell me more than true. It exactly true. It is true that you love that girl. I see it now and I believe it. I see she really loves you. She not want to love you, but she do it. I see she will be my friend. I not see that possible. Now I see it will be true. I like what you say about my Laarni and Analyn. You make me special. That all why I kiss you.

Ah, OK. I am pleased you feel as you do. Maricris, there is something wrong with Ann. She does not look healthy. I do not know if she just needs good food and rest, or if she is ill, but there is a problem. Help me find out.

OK, I do it.

Will we have a big supper?

I will add to it now. I will make it special!

And off Maricris goes, giving an opening to Joy2x who takes advantage of the access to me. Boss, did you hear what she said?

Which part?

About Belen.

I guess, not, other than she said Belen told her to come back to me.

Yes she say that, but Ann hint she say other things.

I am sure she said many things, they were lovers, Joy2x.

OK, maybe I am overreacting.

I suspect so. Do you think Ann looks OK?

No, Boss, I think she is ill.

I do too. I asked Maricris to try to find out.

Good. Boss, now that Ann is with Angeli, you want to move them to the other master bedroom?

No, there are three of you and just two of them.

But there will be a child.

Not for over five months. I may need to add on to the extension! We will see. We will see if Ann stays! I hope she does, but I am not sure.

Boss, I thought she had a lover. Why that one not here?

For whatever reason, I suspect it is over. My best guess it ended just moments before I got the texts yesterday.

You mean, she heard about Angeli before and texts only when she and her lover end it?

Since she came alone, yes, that is what I think.

You think she wants one of us, me or Belen back?

No, I wondered about that, but for some reason, I think she is going to make a life with Angeli. She wants to be close to the child, but I suspect there is something more that we are not seeing right now.

OK, well that will be good for me, I think. Belen has been acting weird. I was wondering if Belen would stay with me. I asked Belen and she insisted that it was over between Ann and her.

As we are talking, Belen is giving us furtive looks. Joy2x sees it and says she needs to go. Another opening for another female and I don't get two steps towards the water cooler before Noime is at my side. Uncle! There is something wrong with Tita.

I know, little one.

While we are talking, Lyla is hanging back, waiting her turn. I signal her to join Noime and me.

Noime asks me, You know what it is?

No.

How we find out?

I am working on it.

Good. I am worried.

Lyla is confused as she does not know what we are talking about.

Sir what is this problem? Maybe I help.

Sorry, Lyla, no there is nothing you can do. Noime and I were talking about Ann. We both think she looks ill.

She not normally look like she do today?

Correct. She does not look like we think she should look.

Little sister, is Ann good to you?

Oo, before she leave, she nice to me.

Will she be nice to me too? She scare me.

Ate, there is no need to worry. Relax. It is OK.

Sige, sige⁴. OK, I go help in the kitchen.

Noime also drifts off. I am actually working my way to the water cooler. So far I haven't made it very far and I move toward it again, only to be entangled in the arms of Moon and Rez.

Bakit?⁵

Because Father, you make everything good for Rez's mother. We feel safe now.

Ah, I see. Rez, you were always safe.

Hindi Po, mother make a big mistake. I know you say she stay but she is really alone. You do not bed her. The others, they stay away from her. They clean the house, cook the food and she is given the laundry to do alone with no one to talk to. If she leave, she take me next time. I know this. Not you throw me out, but mother take me with her. But now she is with Ann. I am safe.

Father, I was scared for Rez, because Angeli was so stupid. She deserve to go. But I not want Rez to go.

OK, and now there are no worries?

Correct, Po!

And with that comes more hugs and kisses. As these two slide away, I finally get to the cooler and get my drink of water. In all, the only ones I did not get cornered by were Laarni, Analyn and Belen. The first two would have no reason to do so. However, something was brewing with Belen and it has been ever since Angeli came back into the house a little more than a week ago.

I was with Lyla last night and as per my agreement to increase Lyla's time with me, she will be in my bed again tonight. We will have supper first and I am pondering the seating chart. The table has two 'ends' and we have only been using one. In the past, Ann had always sat on the side, right next to me. That is the place that is occupied by Maricris now and I do not see a reason to change that. I think we should put Ann at the far end with Angeli next to her. Angeli will move from next to Maricris to the other side of the table, but be sitting next to the wife of the house. That is not a demotion. That will mimic the sleeping arrangement, acknowledge that while Ann is the wife and has a special place in the house, we are not physically close. I hope it does not offend her. I will keep Maricris next to me. These things are symbols and symbols are important.

I get to sit down, with my long tall glass of water, at my desk and ruminate on all this. It is one strange thing atop another. It feels like the beginning of a game of pick up sticks. You remember that, right? Oh, maybe you're too young and you have never seen it. Well, good luck with that. There are too many things that have disappeared from the world since I was young. I can't spend all my time explaining all of it.

I see Ann again before supper is served. She has showered and rested for an hour. She is in some of the clothing she left behind, many months ago. It is hanging on her. She looks drawn. So, while she looks better than when she arrived, it is even more clear that there is a problem.

Ann, I am happy to see you, but I am also worried. It is clear wife, you are not well.

I am fine husband. I was ill for a month and it shows, but I am fine now.

I am sorry to hear you were that ill, but am relieved you are better. Listen tonight, I was wondering if the supper seating arrangement is one you will like or if I should change it.

Let me guess, Lewis. Let me see if I know you as well as I think I do. OK?

Sure, go ahead.

Am I correct that there are thirteen of us now?

Yes, that is right.

OK so that means, someone probably is going to sit on the far end, di ba⁶?

Yes, that's right.

So you sit on your end. You put Maricris, that's her name, di ba?, next to you on my old side, Noime sits where she always sits. I sit on the far end and you put Angeli next to me on one side and Rez, maybe on the other?

Damn, you are good. I had not thought of Rez being there, so you have it better than I have it. Is that OK with you?

Oh, Lewis, it is how I would do it. It is best that way. We are the heads of the house and that make it clear. It is both respectful of me and not threatening to Maricris, who Angeli tells me is the best girl you could ever find. I am happy for you.

Thank you, but your coming home has made me happier than you know.

Lewis! You are truly impossible! I am not good to you!

Maybe Ann, but I can't stop loving you.

Oh, you are so bobo!⁷

Ka rin⁸, ka rin.

Supper goes off as planed and there is laughter in great draughts. There is a sense that whatever tension had existed, has now been drained away and the pressure on us has been relieved. It is on all faces, save one. She sits, fidgeting and uncomfortable.

With thirteen at the table we are pretty well maxed out. We can squeeze in one more on one side. But things are pretty well bursting at the seams. I have to think about that.

By the time supper is over and I get up from the table, six females are cleaning up. There simply is not enough room for them. Everything, but the dishes, are dealt with in under three minutes. The pile of dishes in the sink can only accommodate one female. That won't do and so a third are carried out to the sink in the dirty kitchen and another third are carried to the sink in the clothing wash room! The dishes are all done in another five minutes. Done! Thirteen at the table and all clean and done in under ten minutes. I am thinking back to when it was just Ann, Noime and me. When we sent our maid away, she struggled.

This evening is also interesting, as Ann is in some ways the old Ann. She does not have her nose in the air, expecting the maids to clean while she relaxes. She works with the other females, joking and sharing the load. That is the Ann I have always loved. It is fun to watch Lyla and Maricris discover Ann in this way. She loses the scariness for them and becomes one of them. Every once in a while I catch Maricris just looking at Ann, as if drinking the information in.

I am a few steps away from going to my bedroom, where Lyla and Maricris await me, when Joy2x grabs my arm and pulls me out to the lanai.

Boss, I think something has happen you need to know.

What, Joy2x? What can't wait until tomorrow?

It's Belen, and I think Iay.

OK, what?

They are gone.

Joy2x, please, what do you mean gone? Gone as visiting someone, missing and you can't find them? What?

Gone, Boss. Packed up and left. Their clothing and personal items are missing.

When did this happen?

In the last hour. I was visiting with Ann and Angeli. I go back to the bedroom and all sorts of things are gone. I look for Belen, and I cannot find her. I go to Iay's room to see if she knows what has happened, but she is gone. Laarni says, Belen and Iay packed up her stuff in a big plastic bag and left. Laarni is scared. She is in my room with Analyn now.

Go ask Angeli and Ann if they have any ideas. I will ask Maricris.

I am in my bedroom just discussing this with Maricris, when Joy2x, Ann and Angeli come to the bedroom door. Boss, you need to hear this.

Ann, tell Boss what Belen did. Why she leave now.

Lewis, I am sorry but I don't want to say, it was my fault, not hers.

No! No it wasn't! She do it to you and then she do it to me and I be stupid and lose much with Lewis because I listen to her.

What are you two talking about? Angeli, what did Belen do to you?

She tell me that if I tell you I am pregnant, you will make me give up the baby. She say you do not really want a baby, that why you not have one now. She say this to me all day long. She tell me many wrong things. She make me scared of Lyla. She tell me that when I am not there, Lyla is working to get out to get rid of me so that she can have you all for herself. If she know I am pregnant, then she will tell you and then you will hate me. That why I do the stupid things. But she do the same type of things to Ann about me! She make Ann afraid of me!

Boss, that last part is true, I heard part of it, but believed Belen then.

Wife, is what Angeli just said true?

Lewis, I don't want to blame Belen for what I do.

Ann I do not think Belen wanted you out, she wanted Angeli out at that point, if what I am being told is true. The plan must have backfired if that is what happened. So is what she said true?

Yes.

All the pieces are falling together for the first time in almost a year. Wow. I had no idea. Ann do you understand now that none of what Belen told you is true?

Yes, Angeli and I have been talking about it since I got here. I think Belen might have worried about that. Especially since I asked to be with Angeli.

Holy shit. OK. Well, there is nothing to be done about this tonight. But Ann, now that you and Angeli have patched things up, whose bedroom do you really want to be in?

Right where I am, Lewis. I am staying with Angeli.

Joy2x, tomorrow I will send Laarni to Rez. Are you going to be OK? Or go we need another search?

Boss! I have Analyn. I do not need anyone else. I love my little Analyn. I hope that is OK with you, Maricris.

Two eyebrows go up.

I look at my Lyla, Lyla, you have your own bedroom. And I get a big smile.

Boss, now that it is just me and Analyn, since Ann and Angeli will stay together, and Angeli will have a baby, we should all switch! I will take Lyla's bedroom with Analyn in the main house, Ann and Angeli get the main master bedroom and Lyla moves in here by you where Angeli was.

Musical beds, huh? Anyone have a better plan? … none?... OK we will do it tomorrow, now please, go to bed!

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Chapter 39