16 – Señorita Almira
Tammy woke up inside an unfamiliar room.
“Hija, how are you?”
Aling Simang who was sitting beside her, was the one who asked. Opposite her stood Doña Elena and Señorita Almira, similarly guarding at the foot of the bed. From their faces, worry could be made out.
Tammy tried to bring herself up but Aling Simang stopped her. “Don’t push yourself if you can’t.”
“How else would I come back home?” She said while feeling herself weakened.
“She may temporarily stay here,” offered Señorita Almira. “Just have her go back tomorrow. I will have our carriage driver send her. What do you think, Miss?”
Señorita looks kind-hearted. Tammy felt that Señorita Almira’s concern for her was genuine.
“Only my daughter and I live here right now with our housemaids. She will be fine with us,” Doña Elena added.
“Thank you po,” Tammy courteously responded.
Aling Simang rose to her feet. “I have confidence in the both of you so I will leave Tammy in your care. “ She turned to Tammy. “Nurse your health. Tomorrow you may come back to the dormitory.”
“Aling Simang, farewell.”
The madam only smiled at her and then left.
Doña Elena stood up. “I will get you sopas so you can have something to eat.”
“It’s embarrassing po – “
“Heavens, hija. It’s nothing. You must eat up because you’re feeble right now.”
Doña Elena flashed a smile at her. The Doña left and came back with a cup of hot sopas. Tammy got up with the help of Señorita Almira, and then started having her dinner.
By the time she finished, she finally gained strength to leave the bed. Almira helped her fix herself. The young lady gave her clothes to wear on her sleep.
Tammy was currently sitting before a mirror while admiring her white nightgown. “This is so beautiful. It’s probably expensive. I feel ashamed, I’m being a bother.”
“Sigh, you’ve been feeling embarrassed since forever! This is in no way bothersome to us! The nightgown really suits you.” Almira grinned at her from behind. “Let me comb your hair.”
Almira gently picked up a hair comb from atop the drawer. Then she did begin combing Tammy’s hair.
“My mama had been doing this to me when I was still small.” Almira laughed. “It’s such a surprise that your hair is also long and vibrant.”
“Thick hair is really annoying!” Tammy also laughed.
“It’s a blessing. The same way how it’s a blessing that we met each other. It’s like I have a sister, especially with how we appear to share the same face!” Almira didn’t disguise her liking to Tammy.
“Why do you think we look alike?” Tammy wondered.
She thought, ‘Is she the one in the La Señorita painting? This is too much, I really suspect that it’s her! And is it possible that Señorita Almira is actually one of my ancestors? I’m totally clueless about my family history.’
“They said, you have seven look-alikes in the whole world,” responded Señorita Almira. “It seems I was quite lucky to meet you!”
“It really seems so,” Tammy flashed a small smile.
“Finally, it’s finished! Your hair now is much straighter than before!” Almira laid both of her hands on Tammy’s shoulders. “Your innate beauty has been revealed.”
“Thank you, I’m merely as beautiful as you.”
They both laughed.
“Anyway, where do you live?” asked Almira.
Tammy went to narrate again what she has always been telling to people ever since she arrived to this world of the past. By the time she finished, Almira pulled the small chair next to the drawer and sat beside Tammy.
“What happened to you is really disheartening. But you’re fortunate to encounter Manuel, and Aling Simang who was my former nursemaid. She’s nice, albeit slightly fierce.”
“Why did she leave this place?” Tammy asked.
“Actually, she was greatly saddened by her spouse, Señor Caloy’s, death. To forget the pain and sadness, she converted her former huge residence into a dormitory. Especially since it was also when her son married someone from Spain and left her alone. By the way, we’re good friends with Señor Caloy’s family, and that was how we met Señora Simang,” narrated Almira.
“Ah…” Tammy nodded. “I first learned about you from Manuel, that we looked alike.”
“May I tell you a story? But please, without you telling this later to Mama.” asked Senorita Almira.
“Go ahead po, I will listen.”
“Manuel’s older brother, Julian, is my lover. We first met when I once role-played Queen Helena in a local Santacruzan before. Since then, we became pen pals. Occasionally, we meet up, but we do so in secret because I’m already fated to marry my childhood friend, Sebastian Carreon.”
“Wait, how did that happen?”
Tammy was now slowly learning the truth of it all.
“I first had fallen for Sebastian when we were still young. We were always together. But time came when he needed to go to Spain to further his studies. After that, we still exchange letters, but a long period of time went by. And then I met Julian.”
“What’s going to happen to your wedding with Sebastian? Ay, please forgive my impulsiveness, I learned of this from Aling Simang.”
“If only declining is that easy. But things are already arranged. I can’t possibly tell Sebastian I no longer feel anything for him. If I were to disagree, our family businesses would be involved.”
Gosh, rich girl problems. My family also has modest wealth, but I’ve never been pressured due to business, thought Tammy.
“Have you seen the painting of the woman with her back turned? Sebastian was the one who painted it. He made me do that pose because he loves having my back turned on him. He knows it’s me, that if were to turn my head back at him, a smile will also be there. A smile of love, which has now dimmed out.”
“How complicated. I heard Manuel and Julian arguing about you before in the dormitory,” Tammy commented.
“We can find ways, even though everything’s already hard,” said Almira.
Tammy wanted to advice the Señorita to not rush things up. That she may try loving Sebastian again for the welfare of her and her family. However, Tammy was aware, the Señorita’s reaction might end up similar to Julian’s.
This Humanities assignment really made my life messy. I’ve finally discovered the mystery of La Señorita, but at the same time it seems only the tip of the iceberg has shown itself to me.
“Looks to me that you’re already feeling drowsy.” Almira noticed Tammy having closed her eyes. In reality, she was just pondering deeply over the matter of her assignment and the present-day life she has left behind.
“Perhaps. I want to sleep.” Tammy let out a yawn.
“Very well, let’s take a nice sleep.”
They both went to the bed, and lied down side by side. The room was dark, and only the lamppost’s light from beyond the window was giving them small illumination.
“Sleep, my dear sister,” Almira gently whispered. “From now on, I will treat you as my sister.”
Tammy smiled and closed her eyes.
So this is how it feels to have a sister. Like her, I’m also an only child.
I wish everything to be alright for Señorita Almira and Señor Julian.
That was the last thing in her mind before she fell asleep.
TN: Sorry for the long disappearance. But don’t worry, this time I’ll make sure to finish translating all the remaining chapters within the month.
Hija – daughter, young girl, or young miss
Doña – a Spanish woman of rank, an aristocratic lady or madam
Señorita – an unmarried woman, a miss
Señora – Mrs. or madam
Señor – Mr. or sir
po – added to sentences in order to show respect to someone
sopas – a macaroni soup
Santacruzan – meaning ‘holy cross’, is the ritual procession held on the last day of the Flores de Mayo (‘Flowers of May’ – a festival in the Philippines). It honors the finding of the true cross by Helena of Constantinople (known as Queen Helena) and Constantine the Great.
Queen Helena – always the last member of the procession, she represents Saint Helena herself, whose Invention of the True Cross is symbolized by the cross or crucifix that she carries in her arms. This considerably prestigious role is usually awarded to the most beautiful girl or important matron in the pageant.
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SHARRAMYCATS TRANSLATIONS 