Flowers, Facemasks, and Everything in Between

JOREL GABRIELLE MARI MAGISTRADO

Synopsis:

Sol is an ambitious witch, mastering nature-drawn magic under the guidance of her grandmother, Esther. While the pandemic has plunged the world in an uncertain state of isolation, Barangay Ylang-Ylang remains unaffected because of the charms the witches have placed. Sol was content within the safety and familiarity of their town. However, when the cases start rising, she begins to second-guess her devotion to magic. Set in a fictional town in the Philippines, the story follows Sol torn between protecting all she’s ever known and braving the unknown for the greater good.

Normally, they would do this spell in the forest, but it was cloudy that day, so they did it in their house. Watchful eyes would most likely mistake the beam for lightning. It was especially crucial they won’t miss a day, since those charms were the only things deflecting the town of any ailments or plagues. That includes the recent pandemic.

The flowers have been simmering for almost an hour now, almost ready. The pot had lavender, sampaguita, and sword lilies, all soaked in river water. The kitchen was filled with sweet fragrance, unrivaled by the scent of grill smoke outside. What Barangay YlangYlang lacked in fast food restaurants – aside from the lone McDonald’s branch near the city hall – they compensated for with roads filled with vendors selling street food.

Sol finished the rest of her barbecue just as the timer rang. Wearing her oven mitts, she took off the pot’s cover. Carefully, she strained the leftover water into another container – “Lola, the flowers are ready.”

A stout, old woman emerged from behind the curtains separating the kitchen from the rest of the house. She was wearing a woven scarf clad with a variety of rich, brown tones. Her small glasses were perched atop her plump nose. Behind her, a chubby black cat lazily followed. Bito yawned, pouncing on the counter to peer into the pot.

Lola Esther scrutinized the soaked petals. Eventually, she poked them with a mixing spoon, then procured a pouch from her duster. She gently took a crystal orb, no bigger than a pearl, and crushed it alongside the flowers. Sol stood beside her, eyes wide in awe. The petals shone under the light, emitting a bright beam towards the ceiling for a split-second.

Lola Esther stepped aside, letting Sol take over once more.

“You did great, hija,” Lola Esther cooed, watching Sol scoop small portions of the mixture into small pieces of cloth. “The ratios were all precise. You even managed to get the right flowers this time.”

Sol chuckled. “I learned from the best, lola.“

They finished the charms by bringing each corner of the cloth together, then tying them with twine. There were twelve, a pouch for each hour of the day. This was their routine each day – gathering and brewing. Sol was a fast-learner, mastering spell after spell her grandmother taught her. She was first introduced to witchcraft at the age of six, when she caught her grandmother reviving a withered sampaguita plant. She remembered clamping her hands over her mouth, careful not to make a sound behind the door. The moonlight made clear what was happening.

From what Sol was told, her grandmother has been doing this as a child. When Esther was a child, it was her mother who taught her. Their whole lineage was composed of witches, some of them even being among the most powerful.

Their magic was drawn from nature, the same energy surrounding the Grecian entities naiads and dryads. The industrialization which took over Manila during the 1900’s drove most witches out to the province, where nature still flourished. Sol was always thankful for where she ended up. Their town wasn’t the most modern nor the largest, but everyone knew everyone and treated each other with kindness.

“Okay Bito, we can go now,” Lola Esther smiled adoringly at the cat. Bito scampered in front of a door, meowing then tapping the wood with his paw. Sol glanced at her grandmother, getting a look of approval in return. Slowly, she stepped towards the door and pushed it open.

Sol peered outside, only to be met by foliage and a dirt path. The door leading to their back garden now opened into the entrance of Barangay Ylang-Ylang. Bito was certainly the best familiar out there. Though he could only open a doorway to places he’s been to, they didn’t really go anywhere outside town. Fortunately, opening doorways wasn’t too much of a hassle since the cat also served as a cloak for the magic.

“Iha, come on. We don’t have all day,” Lola Esther ushered Sol out the door. They followed the path before shortly reaching the welcome arch leading to their town. The structure had dirt in its grooves, its paint chipping off in large patches. The “Y” in the second part of “Ylang-Ylang” had already faded to an unreadable lightness.

Lola Esther motioned for Sol to go ahead and place the charm herself, to which the girl obliged. Uneven ground was starting to become too unbearable to walk on because of the elder’s arthritis. Wobbling a little, Lola Esther cautiously made her way to a tree stump to sit. Bito jumped on her lap, settling down for a short nap. Lola Esther took the opportunity to tie the remaining charms around Bito’s body using twine. He’ll be the one to place everything else around town. A witch only needs to activate the principal charm anyway in order to activate the rest.

Dried leaves crunched under Sol’s sandals. Small insects scurried from the long grass she crossed - the entrance to the town hasn’t been groomed ever since last election period. Sol placed it gently against the concrete base on one end of the arch. The small pouch was cushioned by a bed of makahiya buds, not yet fully grown. She clasped her hands together and bowed her head to pay respect.

Sol glanced at the main road stretching out to the horizon. She knew it led to another barangay, Sampaloc or Sineguelas or something. A sigh escaped her; she couldn’t help but think of the hundreds of other barangays void of magic. There are vulnerable communities in need of protection, and not every one of them has witches. This thought nagged at the back of her mind every time they stood at the edge of their own barangay.

Finally, her grandmother waved her over. “Hija, we have to be extra careful now. Do you remember the

news back in March?”

“The pandemic?” Sol was puzzled. Why would her grandmother bring this up? Surely the protective charms would keep it out. Plus, from what she has heard, it spread faster in large crowds. Their town didn’t have too many residents. It was an open-air area too. Not everyone wore masks faithfully, but so far, they seem to be doing well.

“Yes, that plague. It’s gotten worse in the cities. Some of the provinces have caught it too. Remember your Tita Celeste in Luisiana?” Sol nodded, remembering the jolly auntie with waist-length, white braided hair. She was the one that gave her a healing potion when she was nine.

“A lot of people there got infected too. Not everyone has the ingredients to make charms like we do, you know? It’s why you have to take extra care now. Who knows what’ll happen if it reaches us here,” Sol’s grandmother babbled on. However, her words just drifted through one ear of the girl and out the other. There was only one thing on her mind.

If things were bad in Ylang-Ylang, she couldn’t imagine how worse it was over at America. Come to think of it, her mom rarely called anymore. Calls once every evening lessened to calls every other night, which further dwindled into once every two weeks reaching up to a month. It was like she was slowly getting weaned off her mother.

Was the virus really spreading that fast? The first time news came around of it was about six months ago. The few cases have rattled Barangay YlangYlang enough for people to start adapting the mask protocols. A strict curfew was implemented, and for a while everyone followed it faithfully.

Then things changed. It was evident with the pair’s trip around town. People started coming out more. Though some still had masks on, others wore it skewed, barely covering their noses. Sol wrinkled her own nose in disgust, remembering when a man in Ylang-Ylang Park pulled his mask down to sneeze, spitting on the sidewalk afterwards.

“Lola,” she glanced at the elder lady. “Not every place has a witch living there, right?”

Esther’s eyes widened, a wrinkled finger pressing against her mouth to shush the child. “Not here, hija. Someone might hear.”

It was almost the afternoon. While Bito placed the remaining charms, Sol had accompanied Lola Esther to the market to buy their food for the following week. Their grocery shopping left Lola Esther too tired to cook at home, so they ate in a karenderia. Though the place was mostly vacant, there were a few teenage boys in the corner, fresh from playing basketball.

“No one’s paying attention anyway,” Sol pressed on.

Lola Esther sighed, “No. It wasn’t written into the sacred texts that witches had to be everywhere. There are some towns made entirely of witches. Others are barren of any of us.”

“How about the city?”

“Why should we care about the city, hija? You can’t survive there. Everything is artificial. Sometimes the people are artificial as well. Plus, they already have doctors there anyway. You’re better off minding your business here,” And just like that Sol knew the conversation had ended. Sol followed her grandmother diligently most of the time. It was true that Lola Esther’s intuition was unparalleled, but she also didn’t want to be cushioned by her protectiveness forever.

“And who helps the doctors?” Sol knew she was stepping on eggshells. Lola Esther raised an eyebrow.

“Other doctors. Look, I know where you’re getting to. Medicine is great! Who doesn’t love the field of medicine? But witches have tried to help them in the past. And they weren’t happy about it. What I’ve learned, iha, is that there’s a lot of people threatened by anything science can’t explain. Instead of a ‘thank you’ you’ll get a burnt house or a priest knocking on your door. It’s better that those two sides never meet

again.”

Pouting, Sol tried to finish the rest of her lugaw so they could go back home again. Without thinking carefully, she let a few words slip, “You won’t see how much things have changed if you don’t try.”

Unintentionally, it came out more pointed than she intended it to be. Across her, the elderly lady gave her a sharp glare, but didn’t say anything further. They resumed to eating in silence; Sol trying to swallow her feelings of protest alongside the food.

Thankfully, the trip home felt shorter. Bito was already in their house, waiting for them. Lola Esther retreated back into her bedroom to tend to the many plants she was growing. Still shaken from the news, Sol washed her hands before sitting on the wooden bench and turning on the TV.

Because of their busy routine, the witches didn’t have much time to watch TV. Esther would turn it on to watch soap operas in the afternoon sometimes. Weirdly enough, Sol found herself flipping through the channels, looking for the latest news report.

She stopped when a pandemic update played. The numbers seemed so gigantic. All over the world, a lot of people were hoping for the best, doing what they can to scrape by until the worst is over. All those lives that became only on statistics on a page. Dread settled at the bottom of her stomach. Her throat felt dry, along with the feeling of something else.

It couldn’t have been anything else but guilt, perhaps even a spark of anger.

Sol remembered the carelessness their isolated, little town displayed. Having nestled in the care of charms, the people thought themselves invulnerable. As life went on within the boundaries of those twelve magic pouches, life stopped entirely elsewhere. And it was so unfair.

Maybe the town didn’t deserve their help anymore.

It sounded cruel, selfish even. But maybe they’ve babied everyone to the point of not caring. Maybe it’s her fault the townsfolk aren’t taking the pandemic as seriously as they should. Before she knew it, she was calling a person she wasn’t even sure would pick up.

It was a little over dinner in the Philippines, so she was expecting her mother to be awake on the other side of the world. She stared at the phone, hopeful that her mother would miraculously have just enough free time to say hello. Each unanswered ring made her confidence wane, until finally, she frustratedly hung up. Chucking the phone somewhere on the sofa, she resorted to seeking answers from her grandmother instead.

Lola Esther was hunched over some potted plants sitting on the edge of her windowsill. She carried a translucent, blue spray bottle, gently misting the leaves. Esther’s room always looked like something out of a fairytale. Aside from plants, the room was filled with various knick-knacks. Shelves were stocked with jars filled with various things – some looked like glitter, some had tiny chunks of silver gleaming in the light, one even had a toad. Though she could identify some of them as ingredients, others looked like pill bottles.

The shelf was lit up by strings of fairy lights. Her grandmother never used the lightbulb in the room. The brightness was often too harsh for her eyes and only worsened her sight. In the corner of her room, Sol could barely make out a cane. Sensing her, the elder spoke in a steely voice.

“What is it, hija? Do you need anything? Come sit.”

Sol shuffled closer, taking a seat on the bed. The mattress was as soft as the look in her grandmother’s eyes. She took one last glance around the room, feigning interest in the numerous picture frames that covered every inch of the walls. Their last conversation ended awkwardly, but it wasn’t just that which made her anxious.

“Lola, I was just wondering…”

Lola Esther hummed, signaling her to go on. She could tell that whatever Sol wanted to ask was not an easy question. Her granddaughter rarely got nervous about anything. She always took whatever came her way head-on. Yet she can’t even look her in the eyes now.

“The virus… is there anything we could do to help?” Sol’s voice was tiny, barely loud enough for Esther to hear.

“We are helping. We’re doing our routine. We’re staying inside. Isn’t that enough help?”

“It is! But… I mean in the city.” Sol was met with stunned silence. Her grandmother’s lips were pressed into a tight line.

“I told you. We don’t have any responsibility there. We’re doing our best here.” Esther had a specific tone before she lost her patience; it was low, yet full off warning.

There were only a few times Sol chose to be hard-headed. When she wanted to practice spells above her level, and when she wanted to fight for something she believed in. But this was the only time she didn’t second-guess herself, even faced with her grandmother’s blatant disapproval.

“But we know that they’re having trouble. And we know that we can help, so why aren’t we? If we’re using all this power for nothing, then what does that make us? If I can’t use my magic, then why can’t I at least try learning beyond that?”

“Because we don’t want to get discovered. Do you want us to undergo trial, huh? They wouldn’t understand – you don’t understand. Witches are dwindling in numbers because they’re getting rid of us!” White knuckles were straining against her lola’s wrinkly hands, the spray bottle clutched tightly against her side. Struggling to control her temper, she let out one final whisper, full of venom and command, “The only reason I gave your mom my blessing was because we had no choice. That’s where I’m drawing the line.”

“So that’s it?” Sol scoffed, laughing bitterly after. “You’re going to do nothing unless you’re the one suffering? Well, I’m not like you. And if being a witch means choosing this path, I refuse to follow it anymore.”

With a huff, Sol stomped out of the room, her lola calling after her. The girl shut herself in her room, quickly coating the doorframe with a mix of oil and dried flowers. Soon enough, the smeared mixture glowed, sealing the room shut. The faint, red glow spilled out into the other side, met by Lola Esther’s grimace. After what felt like hours, soft footsteps padded away. Sol couldn’t help but feel a twinge of sadness when it seemed like her grandmother gave up on her.

The next few hours consisted of Sol falling in and out of sleep. During those times, Bito dragged himself from underneath Sol’s bed and laid next to the disheartened girl. He purred comfortingly, as if he could feel her pain.

“Silly cat,” Sol mumbled, half-asleep. “You’re going to give me a heart attack one day.”

It was during the early hours of the morning when she got woken up by a soft, but firm, knock. She rolled over the opposite side of Bito, the carpet softening the ‘thump’ of her feet. Rubbing the sleep out of her eyes, she gently approached the door. The red glow was still there, but wavered when she spoke, “What is it, lola?”

“Hi, Sol,” It wasn’t her grandmother’s voice calling back to her. Even through the haziness of her halfawake mind and the muffled noises behind the door, that voice was unmistakable. “’Nak, can you open the door for me?”

Sol hesitated for a moment, until finally tracing the remnants of the potion on her door, tapping the hardwood on the center. With one final breath, the spell vanished, and her door swung open freely. Outside, Lola Esther stood silently, holding the small phone. The bags under her eyes looked darker, wrinkles cutting deeper into her face. She huffed,

feigning anger, when she handed Sol the phone. Her thin lips twitched for a moment, as if she wanted to say something; but instead, she turned on her heel and disappeared into her own room.

When Sol had shut the door again, she turned her attention towards her mother. The signal made her look pixelated, but Sol could still make out the layers of face masks and goggles covering her face. Her hair was caught in a hairnet, some disheveled strands clinging onto her cheeks. “What happened, hm? You aren’t usually like this.”

There were a few things she remembered about her mom. She smelled like sampaguitas and she used to treat Sol to a burger whenever she had extra money – which became less and less with inflation. Finally, it got to a point where her salary could no longer keep up with their everyday expenses, even in a small town. Sol was about three or four when she left.

At that time, Sol didn’t understand why her mom left. She didn’t understand why her grandmother let her leave. And now she doesn’t understand why she can’t do the same thing. But all her frustrations washed away the moment she saw her mom again.

Sol let out all her pent-up anger, her sadness, her longing for something more. Through hot, streaky tears and loud sniffles, her mom comforted her – assuring her that it will all be okay. Just hearing her already felt like she was actually there, like Sol could feel her warmth through the phone’s cold metal. A ghost of her embrace wrapped around Sol’s curled up frame.

“I just want — “ Sol managed to let out before getting interrupted by another barrage of sobs. As the tears left her, her mind slowly cleared. Her cries trailed into hushed whimpers, which then turned into deep breathes. She cleared her throat. Sunlight was slowly spilling into her room, but through the phone camera, her mother’s view of her still looked dim. “I thought I just wanted to be like you.”

“And you are,” her mother paused. “But you’re also you. And there’s nothing wrong with that. You are the bravest, kindest person I know.”

When met with no response, Sol’s mother continued, “I’m sorry I’m not there —”

“But you are, right now.”

“No. I meant there. I’m sorry I can’t hold you. Every day, all I think about is you and your lola. I wonder if you’ve eaten, if school has been treating you well, if you’ve been advancing in your spells. It always pains me to think that I’m missing all these small moments with you. I am so sorry, Sol. But you don’t have to prove anything to me, or to anyone. I am so proud of who you are becoming.”

“You’re here for me when it counts, and that’s what’s most important to me,” Sol started shakily. “I know it sounds silly, but I genuinely think I could make a difference. I have something only I can do. A lot of people need help.”

Her mother smiled sadly.

“Like you said, what’s most important is to be there when it counts. You may not be able to help everyone in the world, but you would’ve made the biggest difference for even just a handful of people. If you really want to try getting into med school, I’ll talk to you lola about it. College is still a long way down the road, but I’ll plant the seed in her mind.”

Sol reciprocated the smile, wiping at her tear-stained cheeks once more. She whispered, “You really are the best. Magic is still a part of my life; my world won’t just revolve around it anymore.”

The pair chatted until the sun kissed almost her entire bedroom. She knew it must’ve been late at night where her mother was, so with a begrudging heart, she chose to end their conversation for now. They exchanged longing ‘I love you’s,’ and after a moment, Sol ended their call. She had to for she knew her mother would’ve stubbornly stayed on the line.

Mustering enough courage, she made her way into her lola’s fairytale-like haven. The elder lady was

sitting on the bed, her back turned towards Sol. Her head was tilted up, sunbeams enveloping her frame. Testing the waters, Sol knocked lightly on the door post. Wordlessly, her grandmother shifted in her seat, gesturing towards the spot next to her. Sol obliged.

“She’s already out there doing her best to help. She did it for us too. When she was little, she wanted to be a witch just like you,” Lola Esther spoke after a few minutes of sitting in silence. She reached out to her night stand and retrieved a hair tie. She motioned for Sol to sit on her lap – though the child had outgrown her – then started braiding her hair. “And it’s not that magic didn’t work out for her. She was good. She mastered a lot of techniques and spells. But you can’t really live on magic alone, right? We talked one night as a family. We needed to plan what will happen after your lolo’s retirement. And I remember your mom – you see menudo were her favorite food, but she didn’t touch her plate at all that night. The next day, she told me she’ll continue on to college and take up nursing.”

Sol never realized how ridiculous she has been acting. All the hurt she felt the day her mother left was let out in the worst way possible. All those years, she spent upset at her, all because her mother wanted to provide for them. Sol would always give one-worded answers or excuses to leave the call early. Now, they were lucky if her mother got to say ‘hi.’

“You remind me so much of her,” Esther tied the ends of her hair snugly, patting her shoulder. The corner of her lips twitched into a smile. She can barely make out Sol’s figure through her misty eyes.

Sol turned around, letting her grandmother’s arms envelop her. “I just wanted to do more.”

“You already are,” Esther mumbled onto her hair.

“I’m never going to leave you, lola. But I know I can do more for others, at least even for those in the town across ours,” Sol twirled the end of her braid. She added wistfully, “I’ll make sure to keep in touch with you. I’ll… I’ll keep in touch with mama too.”

“We’ll talk about it tomorrow. Let’s have breakfast for now, hija.” Sol stood up first, assisting Esther next. They made their way to the kitchen to cook some food, Esther trying to ease the conversation by ranting about the market’s price hike. Bito nuzzled comfortingly against Sol’s legs, his purrs calming her down.

The following days consisted of Sol insisting and bargaining with Esther. Though the old woman saw her point in not wanting to be suffocated in one place for her entire life, she didn’t want Sol to go someplace too far. After all, travel was very risky, and it would be too difficult for them to go to Manila even if they wanted to.

Esther sought advice from everyone around their town under the guise that Sol wanted to get a side-job for a ‘head start’ in work experience. Finally, a vendor from the marketplace overheard her problems.

“What work is she looking for anyway?” Aling Dana divided her focus between filleting a fish and talking to Esther.

“Something about medicine,” Esther answered. “I think she wants to be a doctor.”

“Ah, like her mom? Aren’t you such a nice girl,” Sol politely smiled, secretly intimidated by the rugged lady. She didn’t bother correcting her. “You can take a tricycle from here up to the main road. After, take another tricycle to Barangay Sampaguita. It’s about an hour away, but jeeps are difficult to get a hold of these days.”

Lola Esther tensed, reminded of the would-be distance between her and Sol. However, Aling Dana didn’t seem to notice this.

“From what my pamangkin says, it’s great there! It looks like an actual town now, even bigger too. I’d say they even out-developed us. They have two hospitals! Our only hospital barely gets cleaned, but they have two. Sol will like it there.”

They paid for the fish, thanking Aling Dana after.

Sol felt like she was buzzing all around. She was a bit anxious of the town, however, hope sparked in her heart. She tried to hide her excitement with nonchalance, but her grandmother saw right through her.

“Are you really sure you want to go? If transportation is that bad, then you’d have to stay there for a while. You’d get too tired if you tried to come home every night.” Lola Esther prepared to cook their dinner.

“I can handle myself, lola. I’m a big girl now. But ah…” Sol trailed off. “Are you okay with it?”

Lola Esther sighed. “I have been thinking about it. Back then, your mother got an internship in a hospital there. I gave her a charm that had similar properties to Bito’s cloaking effect. But it’s been a while since I’ve duplicated that specific spell… “

She hummed, deep in thought, “But it won’t be impossible. I’m sure I’ll know what to do by instinct.”

This wasn’t how Sol expected things to turn out, but she was more than grateful to receive the pleasant surprise. She knew she had a long way to go before she could get her chance in the city, if she’d still want that in the future. She still had to learn from the medical field since magic cannot be a crutch for her – as her grandmother said.

During the first few times of their travels to Barangay Sampaguita, Lola Esther accompanied Sol. Cane in hand, she braved the fissured roads and narrow sidewalks. Sol was lucky enough to get picked up by a newly-opened pharmacy. The shop owner, Ms. Kath, thought she was good enough to serve as her assistant. Sol didn’t handle the medicine firsthand since she needed a degree for it, but Ms. Kath was willing to pass her knowledge on to the young witch. Her job consisted mainly of keeping the shelves tidy and counting their supplies. During the shop’s dead hours, Ms. Kath taught her more about different medicines and their effects.

Compared to Ylang-Ylang, the adjacent town had more health-centered facilities. Since the charms have been blocking their town of any ailments, the medical sector of their town was left behind. It was true that magic was often a double-edged sword. What served as protection may weaken the very thing it is shielding.

Sol came to gain more thoughts like these because of her time over at the other town. After a while, Esther let her travel alone, only coming back during the weekends, under the condition that Sol would always wear the agimat Esther made for her.

It was a pure white stone firmly wrapped with twine, connected to a small chain which hooked together at the end. It was so beautiful that it could easily be passed off as an ordinary necklace. It served as Sol’s own protective circle, a painstaking labor of love. Whenever Sol held the stone, she could see through her grandmother’s eyes, clear as day. Lola Esther made a ring with the same function so she could also watch over Sol.

Life settled again after a while. Though they were separated at times, they never lost touch with each other. At the end of the week, Sol would always come back.

Sol hummed, packing some clothes and a couple of frozen meals in her bags. The smell of fried rice graced the morning. She woke up early to make sure all the charms were set and safe in a box. Most importantly, the agimat hung from her neck.

“Lola, I’ll be going so I can place these –“ she shook the charm-filled box, “– early.”

Lola Esther teasingly waved a spatula at her. “Hija! Don’t treat the charms like that. You’ll get bad luck you know.”

She chuckled, hugging the older lady. She had already gotten taller than her grandmother in the last year.

Sol glanced at the phone screen propped next to the salt jar on the counter. Her mom’s eyes crinkled

from behind her mask, and even though Sol can’t see her whole face, she knew her mom was smiling. She returned with a shy smile before moving out of view.

Everything wasn’t as perfect as it used to be, or as perfect as it could be. Perfection was impossible to achieve, and Sol had learnt to be content with having what she had.

Bito had grown fatter than ever, but he could still deliver the charms. Without Sol, Lola Esther had been feeding him more than usual. Thankfully, the weight gain didn’t affect his abilities. Though sometimes haughty, Bito provided Lola Esther company while Sol was away.

Barangay Sampaguita was kind to her. Though she was intimidated at first, strangers turned into acquaintances, and acquaintances turned into friends. Of course, she still feels jittery when she leaves her hometown. The thought of her grandmother alone in their house made her worry.

Giving Lola Esther one last kiss on the cheek, Sol carried her luggage and headed out. Bito trod next to her, meowing loudly. He’d walk with her until the welcome arch, carrying on with his charm routine after. Lola Esther looked on, proud of the lady her little girl has become. There are times she forgets that Sol is away for the week. She’d cook an extra portion of rice, knock on Sol’s bedroom door to wake her up in the morning. She isn’t used to her granddaughter being away, but she’s learning to let the bird leave the nest.

At the welcome arch, Sol set the first charm down. It sank amidst the grown makahiya, hidden from the world by crumpling, tiny leaves and petals. She rubbed Bito’s head gently, thanking him for escorting her. Re-adjusting her mask, she got on her bike to set off to the neighboring town.

She pedaled harder, the wind blowing past her face. The air was fresh and smelled of grass, full of life just like she felt. In that moment, everything was in its place. It was a new day for her, and although she couldn’t change the world overnight, it was okay. Sol was going through life on her own pace, savoring each second she had. The wind, her bike, her bags full of trinkets, they were more than enough. In her own little way, Sol felt enough.