Naughty Boss Nanny

ELLE was in a perfect mood as she made her way home using her bicycle. At the back of it attached medium-size styrofoam where she puts the bread she sells every day. Fortunately, it was only six-thirty in the morning when the pandesal was already sold out; that's why a broad smile was plastered on her face.

Elle was a small-time baker in a small and humble town of San Vicente, Camarines Sur, Philippines. She does everything by herself: from purchasing the necessary ingredients, mixing, kneading, baking, and selling bread around the town, her source of livelihood and inspiration to work harder because she dreams of having her bakery but has not saved enough money for the investment yet.

"Looks like the bread was already sold out again this early. Am I right, Elle?" Said Mang Tasyo. The old man is a farmer and one of her loyal customers. He bought pandesal earlier before she reached the heart of the town.

Elle slowed down the bike and looked at the old man. "How did you know, Mang Tasyo?" she said jokingly.

"Because you're heading home now!" the man laughed and removed his hat. "Be careful, Elle. You might run over to a dog again."

It was Elle's turn to laugh. "Thanks for reminding me, Mang Tasyo!" she waved her hand and refocused her attention at the front. She sniffed the fresh morning breeze that touches her skin.

Elle learned how to make bread from her mother, Janna. Ever since she was a child, she already experienced the hardship of life. Her mother dived into a variety of jobs. She worked as a laundrywoman, maid and sold vegetables to the market so that they have something to put on the table. Elle's father died of prostate cancer when she was only three years old.

When Elle was eleven years old, Janna ventured out of Metro-Manila to look for a job where she, fortunately, got hired in a bakery as a cleaner and worked there for three years. She returned to their hometown with the knowledge in baking different kinds of bread that she learned from her baker friend. And since then, Elle has been inspired to become a baker, too. But with Janna's return, they didn't expect her mother was pregnant with her second child. Elle didn't know who the baby's father was because her mother doesn't want to talk about it. But one thing is for sure; she was happy to have a baby brother!

Elle stopped her bicycle as she reached the riverside. She does two things every time she passes there— to stop and look at the river or look straight at the road. She did the former, and suddenly she felt the familiar sting in her heart, ruining her good mood.

Four years ago, when she was sixteen, they used to live there with their other relatives. Their lives were hard, but the nightmare they had was even more challenging. One night, they didn't expect that the heavy rain they've been experiencing turns out to be a super typhoon, causing severe damage to their town, especially to the people living on the riverside. Many lost their lives, including the life of Elle's mother, and as her relative told her, her two-year-old brother was not an exception, but she didn't believe in them. She knew that Jonas was still alive.

As time passed, due to government assistance, they were able to recover from the plunge of poverty. They moved to a place where the flood would not reach them on rainy days, built houses, and got their respective jobs. But she will never forget the nightmare caused by the storm.

Elle shook her head and forcefully discarded thinking about the bitter past in her mind. She continued cycling until she reached her house, but she wondered why her cousins were gathering outside the yard.

"What are we got here?" Elle asked her male cousins. She got off the bike and leaned it to the wooden fence.

They all looked at her, and the thirteen-year-old Toto answered her. "Ate Elle, Dante is free," he said in dismay.

 "What?" she exclaimed. Elle looked at where her cousins were looking. Not far from them, at the side of a parked car, was Dante. He was speaking to a man.

"How could that bastard got out of jail?" she growled, totally forgotten that she was in a good mood a while ago.

 "He was given a parole," the sixteen-year-old Justine answered without looking at her.

Dante used to be a live-in partner of her Tita Rosanna— her mother's younger sister. He also used to live with them in the riverside till they move to their new house. As far as she could remember, there were no days or nights that he didn't hurt her Tita Rosanna with his bare hands when he gets drunk. Their relatives advise her that she needs to be separated from the man, but Rosanna was in love with him. Until two years ago, a drunken Dante beat her, and as she could remember, he even tried to kiss her! But fortunately, the neighbors heard her cry. Many thought that he was just beaten her because she was feeling degraded and ashamed. When Tita Rosanna saw what he did to her, all her love for him was blown away by the wind. So they filed a lawsuit against Dante that caused him to imprison.

For Elle, Dante was a nightmare. She never wanted to see him again; even hear and mention his name made her goosebumps, how she wishes that he would stay in jail for a lifetime!

"He was released yesterday afternoon. He went to your house to get the rest of his belongings. Tita Rosanna was so furious and told him that she had already thrown his things away a long time ago. But we doubt that he came here for his belongings. We have strong feelings that he just wanted to show us that he is finally free," Justin said.

"We heard that he is leaving the town today, and we don't know where he is going, but I wish that he would go back to hell!" fourteen-year-old Emsi said furiously.

Elle looked at Dante again. She felt hatred when he looked in her direction and grin like a devil. She averted her gaze from him and decided to go inside the house.

Elle's house was small and made of fine woods, the living room and dining room were in the same area, there were two doors at her right— Rosanna and her room respectively, at the end was a doorway with a curtain was the kitchen.

"Tita Rosan," Elle said as she went straight to the kitchen. 

She found her Tita Rosanna, angrily arranging the plate but suddenly stooped when she heard her. Rosanna looked over her shoulder.

"Auntie Rosanna, Dante was free," she said with a heavy heart.

Rosanna turned to her and hugged her. She hugged her back, too. Since the passing away of her mother, Her Tita Rosanna was the one who looked after her.

"I'm sorry, Elle," she whimpered.

"You have nothing to apologize. Dante is to blame for everything."

Rosanna touched her cheeks, and her tearful eyes were looking at her. "I don't know what kind of trauma you went through with him."

She smiled sadly and held the hand of her Tita Rosanna. "I forgot everything he did to me," she lied so that her Tita would not have to worry. "Even he is free now, he will leave the town, and I don't think he'll ever come back," she hopefully said.

Once again, her 

Tita Rosanna hugged her.

"Hey, girls! What's with the drama? The devil was already gone! There's nothing to cry about!" from the kitchen door, Tita Stella appeared. She is her youngest Auntie and the mother of Justin, Totoy, and Emsi. Their house was just next to theirs.

"Tita Stella,"

"Oh, what are you doing, you two! Instead of crying, why don't we have to celebrate because the devil just left the town!" she said in a lively voice. She approached and hugged them. The woman was full of positivity. Even at the time when they experienced a severe storm, she was the one who encouraged them when they seemed to lose hope.

"You're right, Stella. From now on, we must forget everything about Dante," Tita Rosanna sniffed.

"Elle, do you still have pandesal?"

"Ah, I left some at the oven," she nodded.

"So, what are we waiting for? Let's celebrate Dante's departure by eating breakfast together!" said Tita Stella.

Elle, Rosanna, Stella, and her cousins with their father eat breakfast together in the backyard. Even if Dante is free, the important thing is that he left their place. She's just hoping that he will never come back again.

Note:

Filipino terms:

TITA- A sister of either parent

TITO- A brother of either parent

KUYA- An older male brother or cousin.

ATE- An An older female sister or cousin.

NANAY- A female parent, but can be used to address politely an elderly woman

MANG or MANONG- To politely address an older man (not relative)