Chapter Text
The twins, Jane and Jared, were playing outside running, happy, loud. While the eldest, Paul and Jasmine, were preparing food for dinner, the smell of the utan bisaya brought a kind of lightness to the house. The sizzling of sardines in the pan. Jane used a ladle to mix the pot of utan bisaya and scoop a little bit and had her brother taste the food.
“Ughhh, ate, it taste horibe” Paul said, in exaggerating way.
“My God, o.a.?” Jasmine said, rolling her eyes, she knew that her brother was joking.
“I swear it tasted horrible,” Paul said, again.
Jasmine rolled her eyes, “then do not eat… Go call the twins, time for dinner” she said to him.
“HILASS, I'm not your servant!” Paul said, as he laughed but still went to call Jane and Jared.
…
They all sat at the table, and they all had a lovely and fun conversation. They ate until they were full. Everyone finally went to bed except for Jasmine who had to wash dishes.
Jasmine was washing the dishes, her hands tired, when suddenly the door opened. Their father came in, very drunk. He looked at the table and saw only the leftover utan bisaya, the sardines, and rice.
“This is all the food?” he said, his voice sharp. “Where is all the money your mother is sending from Dubai?”
Jasmine froze, the plate in her hand shaking. She looked at him straight. “You spend it all on alcohol, pa,” she said.
Father got mad at her “You think you can talk to me like that?!” he said, loud.
Jasmine did not move. “It’s the truth.”
He slammed his hand on the table, the utan bisaya spilling, the sound loud in the small house. “Ungrateful! Always answering back!”
Paul came out from the room, the twins behind him, their eyes wide. “Pa, please,” Paul said.
Father pointed at Jasmine. “This one. this mouth. no respect.” He tried to stand but stumbled, then dropped into the chair, his head falling forward. Then he fell asleep.
The twins clung to Jasmine. Paul stood beside her.
...
The next day, morning
Early in the morning father was nowhere to be found, he already left before the sibling wake up.
Jasmine sat on a chair while holding her coffee. Along with her siblings she never wonder where her father go early in the morning, to which they all have gotten use to their father's routine. Jasmine finger fidgeting while thinking about the things that happened last night. She stared through the void wondering what to do now, she remembered father was not like this before, angry, alcoholic, drunkard, and an asshole. Jasmine looked at her siblings Jane, Jared, and Paul, they were watching a show.
"Hello anyone home?" A man voice came outside of their door. Jane went to check and it was the delivery man.