"HERE WE are," said the taxi driver.

"We're already here?" Elle looked out at the window for a while before fishing out the payment out of her pocket. She handed over the crumpled bills to the taxi driver and then added some tips.

"Thank you, Manong," she said, then got off of the taxi.

Elle examines the gray with a combination of white stripes gate. It was high and wide, providing the three fourth coverage of the mansion. She heaved a deep sigh and looked for the doorbell, but what's on it was the gate intercom that looks like what she saw on television whenever she watched a drama, giving her the idea of using it. Elle pressed the button.

"Who is it?" the intercom answered after a few seconds.

"I'm Elle Villamor, the newly recommended nanny of Roy Marquez and Eros San Pablo."

"Okay, wait for me then,"

Elle took a deep breath, lowered her head slightly, uttered some quick prayers, and hoping that all things fall into place. A portion of the gate opened, and she looked up a tall and plumpy woman. She's wearing a black dress up to the knees. Her black hair neatly tides in a bun, and Elle thinks that the woman was in her senior years.

"Good evening, ma'am, I'm Elle Villamor, the one who sent—"

"You don't have to repeat what you have said before," the woman said in a resonant voice, interrupted her before she finished her words and glaring at her with a peevish expression on the face.

Elle swallowed as she suddenly got nervous.

The older woman opened the gate widely. "Come in so we can talk,"

Elle immediately entered the gate so that she would not be scolded. The pavement they're walking into was concrete gray with some combinations of colors of the brown and yellow stepping stone. To her left and right was the vast garden planted with bermudagrass and other kinds of plants; there were also trees with a series of lights coiled on them.

When they entered the main door, Elle could not help herself but admire the mansion. The neo-baroque stair was made of marbles, and a high-quality red carpet has covered the steps, up there on the left and right veranda are halls with doors, to the center was an alley leading to somewhere. A large chandelier hung at the top of the high ceiling, and she can almost see herself in the translucent marble flooring.

"By the way, I am Esther, the head servant of the house," the old woman smiled sparingly and held a hand to her.

Elle opened her mouth but shook the older woman's hand, thinking now that she was not as rude as she thought.

"How should I address you, Ma'am Esther?"

"You call me whatever you want,"

"How about Nanay? Can I call you Nanay Esther?"

The woman's smile widened. "I haven't been called Nanay for a very long time,"

Elle smiled shyly and scratched the side of her brow. She sounds nice now.

"Let's head to the kitchen. You should eat dinner first, and then we will talk about the house rule and your job," she said.

While eating rice and adobo in the small kitchen area (dirty kitchen), Nanay Esther explained the house's rules and regulations. There were only three masters of the mansion— Romano, a cardiologist, internist, a senior chemist, and a shareholder, Matthew— a physician and a junior chemist, and Mikey. She keeps a mind on that, and her only job was to look after Mr. Romano's youngest son, and that was Mikey, who happened to be Jonas. Nanay Esther told her that Mikey was already sleeping this early because he cried almost all day. After his father forgot to play basketball with him because he had a patient who needed an immediate operation. Elle felt pity for the boy, and she promised herself that they would play all he wants to make him happy.

Nanay Esther introduced her to two other maids and two houseboys who seemed friendly, and after that, the head servant took her to her room. She thought she was sleeping with other maids, but she had her separate room.

"Your work will start tomorrow. Head to Mikey's room and just introduced yourself because tomorrow early, I will attend the early worship service."

"Okay, Nanay Esther," she nodded.

"Also, you need to wear your uniform, and I think it will fit you. It is in the cabinet. So… Do you have any questions?"

"Ah, none, for now, Nanay Esther."

"Okay, then, have a good night's sleep, Elle," said Esther, and then she left and closed the door.

Elle took a long look at her small room. Well, this was way larger than her bedroom in the province. It has a single bed covered with white linen, a brown blanket, and one pillow. A closet was on a corner, electric fan and she has also table for two persons and her own comfort room. She put her bag at the end of the bed and fished out her cellphone from her pocket as she immediately remembered that she needed to call her Tita Rosanna, telling her that she was already there in Pasay. Her Tita said to her that her cousin was already missing her, and she, too, was missing them. After the long call ended, she decided to take a bath, change her clothes into a house dress, uttered some prayers, and immediately fell asleep.

ELLE felt excited the next morning when she woke up at two in the morning. No matter how tired she was, her body clock wakes her, and she was used to getting up that early. She reminds herself that she would not bake bread this early anymore, so she just fixed her clothes on the cabinet and headed back to bed, tossing and turning because there has nothing to do else at that time. 

At five in the morning, Elle immediately took a quick bath, fixed herself, and wear her pink nanny dress up to the knees and topped with white lace at the chest. She headed to the third room on the second floor right alley before six. It was Mikey's room, as Nanay Esther told her.

Elle knocked at the door three times.

"Who is that?" said a sweet and calm voice of a little boy behind the door.

Elle bit her lower lip as her heart leap. Just his voice, she already knew that it was her brother.

"Can I come in?" she said. There was no response, so Elle just opened the door slowly. Upon entering the room, she can't contain her excitement. "Little boy, are you here?" she said in a soft voice. The room was painted of baby blue and white combination. Drawings are posted on the walls, and toys are scattered everywhere. At the center was a twin-size bed with a messy cover and blanket printed with planets, a cabinet and study table on the right side of the wall, and a door was on the left side.

"Why did you enter my room without asking for my permission first?"

Elle turned where the voice of the child came from. He was hiding at the side of the cabinet and peeking at her. Immediately, she headed to where he was. She stopped for a moment.

A six-year-old little boy in his blue pajama was staring at her shyly and confusedly. He has crew cut hair, chubby cheeks a pair of big brown eyes just like her. Elle knelt and lifted the little boy's top dress. She immediately saw the heart-shaped red mark on his right lower part of his chest.

"Jonas, it's you!" She exclaimed as she unintentionally tugged him hard for a tight hug.

"Hey! What are you doing!"

"I finally found you, my little brother!"

"I can't breathe!" Mikey protested.

Elle's loosen her hug to her bother. She looked at him as if memorizing every corner of the boy's face.

"Why did you hug me?" Mikey said, frowning and pouting his lips.

She bit her lower lip as she could not help but cry. She was certain that this was Jonas, her little brother, who lost at the storm. "N-nothing, I am just happy to see you."

The frown on the child's face vanished. It was replaced by a questioning look. "Are you crying? Did I do something wrong?"

"No! no…" she shook her head. "I'm just happy that I finally see you, Jonas."

"I'm Mikey," he winced. "Can you please not cry? It's so awkward," he pouted and bowed his head.

Elle laughed shortly, then stood up, wiped away her tears, and ruffled his hair. "Okay, Mikey, from now on, I will be your Nanny, sounds good, right?"

The boy just averted his gaze.

Mikey took a bath that morning by himself. Elle helped him dry and got dressed, then go downstairs for breakfast. They were the only two who had breakfast since Mr. Romano was still sleeping from the late-night work, and the oldest son was nowhere to be seen. The two maids and two houseboys had their breakfast at their designated place, while Elle and Mikey eat fried hotdog, eggs, and rice in the kitchen. She made warm milk for him. Hers was hot coffee.

At first, Mikey was shy talking to Elle. But later on, he opened up little by little, which made Elle glad because her brother starting to get comfortable with her in just a short period.

"And that's it. I'm sad because Daddy is always busy with his works as a doctor. He promised yesterday that we are going to play basketball."

"Your Daddy is a doctor, right?" she gently strokes Mikey's hair. They were at the back garden, sitting at the bermuda grass. "There are a lot of people that need his help, and I think your Daddy thinks that you can understand his situation."

"But he promised me so many times," Mikey pouted as he continued to play with his Iron man toy. "They are just the same, my Kuya Matt and Daddy. Daddy is busy at work, and so is Kuya Matt; that's why I'm always playing by myself since Yaya Esther and others are so busy with their respective works, too."

Elle adjusted her position. She lifted his brother's chin. "But you have me now; we will play all you want,"

"Really?! Whatever I want?"

"Yes!" she nodded.

"But can you play basketball? It's a boy's game."

Elle laughed and gently laid her hand on his shoulder. "Way back in our home in the province, I often play basketball with my male as well as female cousins."

"Oh! That's sounds interesting! You have so many playmates!"

"I hope that you can come home with me," her face became serious as she strokes his brother's cheek.

"I'd love to! Someday, I will tell Daddy to visit your hometown some time!"

"Mikey! You're here, little boy!" a voice of a man came not far away from them.

Mikey immediately stood up and shout. "Kuya Matt! You're here!" he ran towards the man.

Elle stood up, shook the dirt off her dress, and looked at Mikey and his brother. Upon welcoming Mikey, the big man knelt and ruffled the little boy's hair.

"Hey, Kuya Matt. Did you know I've got a new nanny?"

"Oh, really?" the man looked in Elle's direction.

Elle's eyebrows furrowed, eyes squinted as she peered on the man's face. The man stood up and stared at her for a moment. And suddenly, her eyes widened upon recognizing who he was!

"It's you!" they said in unison.

Disclaimer:

Yaya is a Filipino term for Nanny.

Manong is to address an older man (not relative) politely.