Farm
It was Friday morning when Greg decided to bring his sons in their farm. The sun was at it’s highest but the wind was cold that day. Greg figured that since Charles and Lance will inherit this farm someday, it would be nice if they would have some quality time with their workers so they’ll treat them as friends and not as mere farmers.
Lance and Charles was nowhere to be seen. Greg stayed at the farm and watched as the farmers work.
“Come on! I know you’re faster than that!” Lance said to his tired brother.
They were taking a walk in a small village beside the farm. All their farmers lived here. Some of them were born here, born in a family of farmers and soon enough became a farmer themselves. Most of the houses were made of bamboo; some though were already made of stones and cement. But there was a house that differs from all. The house was the only one with balcony and second floor. It was the most developed house of in the village.
“Whose house was that?” Lance asked his brother.
“It was the house of the former president of the farmer’s association,” Charles said. “I think his name was… uhm… Bern… Bernardo Vergara.”
“They sure have the nicest place here,” Lance said.
“I think it’s because they were the most loyal farmer to grand daddy so they’ve given him such a place,” Charles explained. “So come on. Dad’s waiting for us, it’s almost lunch.”
“You go ahead. I’ll just catch up,” Lance told his brother. “And don’t dare eat my share!”
“Just be fast okay!” Charles said and ran back towards the farm.
Lance walk in the huge house of the farmer Charles named as Bernardo Vergara. Lance has this feeling that he has to go and see whom this Bernardo is. Lance proceeded in the balcony and knocked at the door. He knocked three times but no one answered. He wet around the house and found an old man at the backyard.
The old man was making a chair from lumbers. The man was so old that you won’t believe that he’s still that strong to make furniture.
“Hello?” Lance approached.
The old man looked at him with wondering expression. The old man’s face was peaceful, but you will notice the sadness in his eyes and trace all the hard work in life. “Hi,” the man said. “May I know who you are?”
“I’m Lance,” Lance said. “Lance Vallejo.”
“Oh, so your Greg’s son,” the man said. The dropped his tools and washed his hands. “I believe it’s your first time here?”
“Well, yeah,” Lance scratched his nape. “Are you Bernardo Vergara?”
“Yes, indeed I am,” Bernardo said. “Let’s get inside our house shall we?”
Bernardo’s house was a nice place, it’s not that big or that precious than their mansion but Lance seemed to be comfortable in that house, like he’s at home, like there’s a memory here that tried to come out.
“Are you alone?” Lance asked. “I mean living here alone.”
“No,” Bernardo answered. “I live here with my wife Alicia.”
“What about your children?” Lance asked.
Bernardo didn’t answer. Then Lance realized it might be a stupid question. “If you don’t want to answer, it’s okay.”
“I have a daughter once,” Bernardo recalled. “But we don’t know where she is.”
“How come?”
“I don’t know,” Bernardo said. “No one knows what happened to her. The last time I saw her, she was 9 moths pregnant. But one night she just disappeared.”
Lance looked at the picture at the table by the living room. Bernardo was there and he’s so much younger then, and a woman that should be Alicia and a beautiful woman between them. Lance ran his fingers in the woman’s face and tried to make a sense out of it. The woman seemed to be familiar, like he knows her, but he’s sure that he never saw her.
“That’s her,” Bernardo said. “That’s my daughter, Elena.”
* * *
“What did you say?” Greg asked his son.
“I left him at the village, in front of that Bernardo’s house,” Charles explained while he eats.
Greg ran towards the Bernardo Vergara’s house and prayed that Bernardo wont find out that Lance is Elena’s daughter.
* * *
“Thank you for the food Ma’am Alicia,” Lance thank Bernardo’s wife.
“You can just call me Nay Alicia,” Alicia told him. “Your father used to come here when he –” Alicia was saying but Bernardo cut her off.
“Alicia!” Bernardo said. “May be you talked too much already.”
“Oh,” Alicia realized. “Sorry,”
“What do you mean?” Lance tried to ask. “Dad used to come here? When?”
“He comes here before with his father. Of course they need to see how their workers doing.” Bernardo lied.
“But that was a long time ago,” Alicia said.
Before Lance could say something, Greg suddenly opened the door and entered. He’s catching his breath and his face was beaded with cold sweat. Alicia and Bernardo stared at him like he’s a stranger.
“Greg,” Bernardo said. Lance look at Bernardo. Lance saw in Bernardo’s eyes like he’s angry, but happy, or like there’s something Lance can’t explain. “It’s good to see you.” Even if Lance heard Bernardo said it, Lance didn’t feel like he mean it.
“Lance, go back to the farm,” Greg said. “Tell Charles that the two of you should go home.”
“But Dad,” Lance tried to say something.
“No more buts! Just go!” Greg ordered.
Lance took a deep breath and took his way out of the house. He waved at Bernardo and his wife and ran back to the farm.
“Are you worried that we told him that he’s our grandson?” Alicia asked Greg. “Don’t worry. We gave you our word, we won’t tell him.”
“But when are you going to?” Bernardo asked him. “You are keeping things from him, you are keeping his true identity, you let him grew old knowing nothing about his mother!”
“I will tell him,” Greg said.
“When? When everything fall out of place?” Bernardo was already angry.
“When everything is settled.” Greg said.
“Settled for whom? For you?” Bernardo said. “For once will you please think of Lance’s sake and not just your family?”
Greg wasn’t able to answer. He knows that Bernardo was right. He’s doing this for his family, and Lance is a part of it. Greg turned his back at Bernardo and Alicia and followed Lance’s trail.
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