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“Eh, ang kalat kasi ng bahay!” Stacey exclaimed. Jhoanna closed her eyes taking deep breaths. She wasn’t even sure who Stacey was screaming at.
The tension in the house had been on a high for hours now. Every single person seemed to be walking on eggshells. Everyone was sensitive, everyone’s buttons were easily pushed. Even something as simple as breathing the wrong way could earn you a side-eye.
It had been a long, grueling week filled with countless events, interviews, and filming. Everyone was exhausted. Fortunately, a two-week break was starting tomorrow. But that didn’t change the fact that Jhoanna was stressed as another small argument broke out. It didn't matter at all what fight was about, it probably wouldn’t even matter after 10 minutes.
They were sisters, they fought, it was normal but still the heavy workload from the week has gotten the best of her. Frustrated, she quietly got up from her seat. She needed to clear her head.
“Jho, saan ka pupunta?” Aiah asked, catching her on her way out.
“Papalamig lang,” Jhoanna replied.
“Okay, stay safe”
Jhoanna walked out into the night, taking in the fresh air to calm herself. She hadn’t gone far when she saw an elderly woman trip and drop her bag, its contents spilling everywhere. Without hesitation, Jhoanna rushed to help.
“Lola, okay ka lang po?” she asked, helping the woman up.
“Okay lang, iha. Ay, ang bait mo naman,” the old lady said with a grateful smile. As Jhoanna picked up the woman’s things, she noticed the woman watching her closely.
“Bakit parang malukon ka?” the woman asked softly.
“Okay lang po ako,” Jhoanna replied quickly. “Medyo pagod lang.”
The woman nodded. “Sige, aalis na ako.”
Before leaving, the woman pulled out a small flower and gently tucked it behind Jhoanna’s ear.
“Para sa ’yo, iha,” she said.
Jhoanna felt a little strange about it but thanked the woman and watched her walk away.
She continued to walk trying to calm herself down before returning back home when she saw kids playing on the street. She smiled remembering when she was kid, no problems in life, no stress.
“Sana maging bata ulit ako” She joked then she started to get dizzy and her vision blurred. Her legs wobbled, and she leaned against a wall for support. Then, everything went black.
Back at the house, Aiah was starting to worry. It had been over an hour since Jhoanna left, and she still hadn’t come back. The house was eerily quiet, too quiet. Everyone had retreated to their rooms, desperately needing space after such a long week. But Jhoanna’s absence made Aiah worry. Something felt wrong.
She decided to go out and look for her. As she walked through the streets, she spotted a small child crying alone on the sidewalk.
“Uhmm… hey, bata,” Aiah said hesitantly. “Okay ka lang?”
The child looked up, and for a moment, Aiah’s breath caught in her throat. The face staring back at her looked eerily familiar. The child shook her head, tears streaming down her face.
“Nasaan ang mga magulang mo?” Aiah asked gently.
The child sniffled and shook her head again, crying harder. Aiah crouched down, trying to comfort her. “Anong pangalan mo?”
“Jhoanna po,” the child answered softly.
“Talaga?”
“I have a friend named Jhoanna.” she said softly.
“Talaga?” the child said, tilting their head.
“Uh-huh. What’s your last name? Maybe it can help us find your parents” Aiah asked,
“Robles.”
Aiah froze. But she shook it off ‘must be a coincidence” She thought.
“Sigurado ka?” she asked, her voice shaking.
The child nodded.
“When’s your birthday?” She asks, almost scared to hear the answer.
“January 26, 2004. Po.”
Aiah laughed nervously, trying to steady herself. “Hahaha… wow…”
Back at the house, Mikha was struggling with the Wi-Fi. It had been cutting in and out for the past hour, and she was out of data. Annoyed, she was fiddling with the router when the front door opened. She glanced over to see Aiah walking in and carrying a small child.
She didn't pay mind till she did a second look, Cause why on earth is Ate Aiah bringing a random kid inside, hindi naman sya kidnapper as far as she knew.
“Ate Aiah?” Mikha called out, confused. “Did you… kidnap a kid?” She added jokingly.
“Not quite?” Aiah says almost like she was confused too.
Mikha's head slowly tilted and squinted her eyes, her confusion growing as she got a better look at the child. Recognition slowly dawned on her, and her jaw dropped.
“Jho?…Jhoanna?”
“Hi Ate” The kid jumps off and runs towards Mikha who is still confused and hugs her. Mikha bents down to study the girl's face.
“What the fuck”?” she whispered.
“Hoy Mikha Lim Language” Aiah scolds.
Mikha was still shock “What the fuck?”
“What the fuck” The Kid, echoed with a cheeky grin.
“See” Aiah says
“Ate I’m hungry” Jhoanna turns to look up at Aiah.
“Uhmm sure we have alot food” Aiah says as she held Jhoaana hands and guided her to the kitchen leaving a still shocked Mikha behind.
Colet reached the bottom of the stairs and saw that Aiah was infront of the fridge looking for something inside. Ok, normal. She then catches a glance of Mikha who was staring at nothing, Ok, not normal.
“Hoy!Ok ka lang jan” she asked as approached the younger girl.
“Ate Colet, can you pinch me?” Mikha asked, still trying to process.
Colet obliged. “Aray! Anoba?!”
“Sabi mo eh,” Colet muttered, shrugging.
Mikha ignored her and went straight towards the kitchen. Colet frowns ‘what the hell is going on with her members’ She thinks to herself. So she followed.
The moment they arrive, Aiah close the fridge door revealing a small child.
“Kanino bata yan?” Colet ask
“Hi?” the little girl waves.
Colet pauses and she looks at two other girls and back at the little girl who is staring at her. And then it clicked
“Kulang lang ako sa tulog ” Colet said to herself closing her eyes and taking a breath. “Kulang lang ako sa tulog” she Reprets.
Aiah was now busy making cereal for the kid and Mikha was still trying to wrap her head around this, while Colet closes her eyes hoping and praying that she was just hallucinating or dreaming.
Sheena then arrives at the kitchen “Oh hey girls, what’s happening here?” she asked, with her usual cheerful voice. But her smile drops when she sees the random kid sitting at the counter.
She was about to say something but for the first time in her life she was left speechless. She immediately knew who the kid was.
The three girls watch Aiah gave the little girl a cereal and she just eats it.
“What’s with the faces?” Aiah ask amuse by her members faces.
“Seryos? Si Jho talaga yan?” Colet asked?
“Baka Prank lang” Mikha adds immediately looking for a hidden camera around.
“No, I seriously think it's her, they have the same name, same birthday and the same birthmark” Aiah explained.
“Pwede naman coincidence lang” Mikha says.
“Ate” A small voice called out. Causing them all to look at her.
“Yes?” Aiah answers.
“Ate, Coke please” The girl pouts, giving her best puppy face.
“No” both Aiah and Colet say at the same time causing the child to pout even more. To which Mikha found amusing.
Colet was about to say something when Gwen walked past, probably still half asleep and went straight to the kitchen.
“Jhoanna yung charger ko pala hindi mo binalik” She said lazily as she opened the fridge while the other member waited for her reaction to their new guest.
As Gwen grabs a can of coke and turns around to see her members looking at her and a little kid which she immediately recognised. She closed her eyes, placed the can of coke on the counter and walked back to her room without a word.
Colet breathes out “Paano natin to aayoisin” she asks as she takes the can of coke away from the prying hands of little Jhoanna who just pouts more and huffs in frustration and crosses her arm.
“I…I don’t know” Aiah says.
“Ate Aiah, where did you even find Jho?” Mikha asks.
“Sa daan” Aiah anserwrd. “She was crying..” She added.
Sheena for the first time finally knew what to say now.
“Wow”
“Si Ate Jho talaga yan?” She added.
“Oyyy, bat may bata dito” Maloi voice entered the kitchen, It was obvious too that she also was half asleep. “Kamukha nya si Jhoanna” Maloi says as she gets closer.
“Si Jhoanna kasi yan” Aiah says
“No, mathakada si Jho,” Maloi says matter of fact.
Aiah gently grabs Jhoanna arms showing them a small birthmark and Maloi just froze when she saw it.
“Ate? Can I have coke?” Jhoanna now asks the new girl who had arrived, The new looks kind so maybe she’ll get what she wants from her.
“No” Aiah and Colet said at the same time. Maloi looks at the both of them with sad faces and looks and little Jhoanna who has an even sadder face.
“Kawawa naman, bigyan nyo na na coke” Maloi siad.
“Bawal nya na ka ilan coke na yan kanina” Colet says.
Suddenly, Sheena then let’s out a mischievous grin as if an evil though appear on her mind
A few seconds later, A loud cry echoed into the house.
Stacey, who had been peacefully asleep, was jolted awake by the loud noice. Annoyed, she went downstairs to check. What she saw stopped her in her tracks. As she saw, Sheena looking guilty with a can of coke in her hand, Colet and Aiah looking done with life, and Mikha and Maloi trying to comfort a crying child who looked exactly like Jhoanna when she was a kid. Weird? Where is Jhoanna?
Gwen Suddenly appeared beside her, sighing. “Oo. Si Jhoanna nga yan. Jhoanna natin.”
“What the—?!”
Fin