SASHA ROSARIO'S POINT OF VIEW
What is that noise? Again? Some people are trying to sleep here.
My body stays heavy with sleep but my mind is wide awake, pulled from rest by voices rising and falling outside. I do not want to get up. Every muscle feels slow and cold, like fever is settling into my bones again. I pull the thin blanket tighter and press closer to the warmth beside me, letting myself sink into the solid heat of his body.
"Hey! That one's mine!"
"Come on! For heaven's sake, you took some already! What is wrong with you?!"
"Keep your voice down, Bekang! Be thankful the heavens sent this to us at all."
"Seriously—where did all this come from?! We can actually survive the storm now!"
My brow tightens. I hear crying out there too. For a second I think someone must have died.
I had no intention of getting up, but then something slams into our rickety door. Wood splinters and the whole thing crashes to the floor.
I sit bolt upright, vision blurry as I stare at the figure in the opening.
"Frenny! Hurry up! Stop dragging your feet!" The shout could only come from Andeng.
I rub my eyes and stretch, joints cracking with every movement. "What is it? Why are you so loud when it is still early?" I complain.
"You dummy! Get moving! Wake your husband up—there is aid coming!"
I furrow my brow deeper. "Aid? The municipality did not announce anything." I barely finish before she snaps, nearly throwing a slipper at my head. I scramble upright and reach for Angelo, still sleeping soundly beside me.
"Angelo…" I shake him gently.
"Mmm…" The low rumble of his voice makes my lips part without thinking, but I remember Andeng is still there.
"Angelooo!" I call louder and his eyes finally flutter open.
"Hmm?" He pushes himself up and I freeze, my jaw going slack as I stare.
Oh my god. The man is completely naked. His stomach is carved in sharp lines of muscle, like stone shaped by careful hands.
I whip my head toward the doorway but Andeng is already gone. Relief floods through me.
Probably ran off after seeing her husband's "yummy pandesal," right?
"What is with all the noise?" Angelo asks.
"I do not know—I mean…" I stop, then leap out of bed as Andeng's words register. "She said there is aid."
I beam at him. "Come on—you are coming with me. If it is rice per person, we will get enough to last a week easy."
He looks confused but stands anyway, following me toward the door. Wind howls past my ears, strong enough to make me squint when I step outside.
Light breaks over the horizon and stings my eyes. When I blink them clear, the sight in front of me stops me cold.
"W-What is going on here?!" I shout, shocked. My mouth hangs open wide enough to swallow a mango whole.
Good god almighty. What in the world is happening?
Half the neighboring village seems to have gathered outside our house. Every person carries something. Men and women and children all haul loads like they have found treasure.
My eyes widen with disbelief. Some men have sacks of rice slung over their shoulders. Others carry plywood and sheets of metal roofing. Women tote oversized duffel bags while kids run around with armfuls of biscuit boxes and milk cans.
"H-Hey Aling Minda! What is going on?!" I call to the older woman struggling with a bright red bag nearly as big as she is.
She grins as she hurries over. "Sasha! You better get moving—you have a house to fix up!"
I frown. "Fix up? Who gives aid that includes building supplies?" I ask, bewildered.
This has never happened before. It is hard to believe someone would spend so much on us. Last year we got five kilos of rice each, if we were lucky.
"Beats me! Marlo was heading out to fish earlier and saw all this stuff piled on the shore. When he got close—praise god—it was rice and materials for fixing houses! You better hurry before it is all gone. There is so much you cannot even see the sand anymore!" Aling Minda's words rush out, her breath coming fast.
She gives me one more wide smile and hurries off, leaving me staring in place.
"W-Wow! Whoever did this is so kind." I grin as I duck back inside to find Angelo getting dressed.
"Come on Angelo! God is good—someone left us aid! We can finally fix our house." My voice catches and tears well in my eyes.
He pauses, frozen where he stands. His gaze settles on my face and he looks almost as shocked as I feel.
"Are you crying?"
I laugh and brush tears from my cheeks. "No way! What are you talking about? Let us go already." I deny it quickly, suddenly self-conscious about my face.
I do not need him seeing me looking messy.
A few minutes later we reach the spot everyone is talking about, and the sight takes my breath away. I can barely see anything under the mountain of duffel bags stacked high on the beach.
"I-I take back what I said earlier! This has to be enough to last a month!" I shout, excited and tearful all at once.
I am still feverish and shivering but I do not care. Not when all this is in front of me.
Plywood is stacked in neat piles. Metal roofing sheets line up beside them, and tools are laid out like someone planned every detail. God! I must not be dreaming. This feels too good to be real.
No wonder people were crying earlier. How rich must whoever did this be? They have to be a billionaire. More generous than the government ever was.
"J-Jeez. How much money does someone need to give all this away?" I turn to Angelo. "What do you think? They seem really kind, right? No one knows who they are—and they do not look like they are running for office."
Angelo has his hands in his pockets, strands of hair blowing across his face in the wind. I find myself staring, mesmerized. He looks like a movie star on set, and the world slows until all I see is him. Then slowly, he turns to look at me.
"Hm. Maybe yes. Maybe not."
I make a face and playfully punch his arm. His muscles are rock hard under my knuckles. Good god, those biceps are something else. So nice to touch.
"Really? You are going to keep me guessing? Either way, we are all thankful to whoever did this. I hope God blesses them more." I beam at him before taking off ahead.
"Hurry up! You have to help carry stuff." I laugh as I go. "Put that strong body to good use!"
He chuckles behind me. "Yeah sure. I will work you until you faint again."
I furrow my brow. "What? Did you say something?"
He just shakes his head. "Nothing." I thought he was saying wild things. Good grief.
Like everyone else, Angelo and I start hauling supplies back to our house. We carry duffel bags stuffed with groceries first, then make trips for the building materials we need.
It still does not feel real—that someone this generous exists. I thought all donors wanted to use people, especially when elections come and votes are bought.
Angelo chats with some villagers, and Aling Minda nearly swats me when she finds out I kept him to myself. According to her, I was too selfish to introduce my "yummy husband" to everyone.
Can you believe that? Even older ladies are drawn to his charm. I stand off to the side, blushing and beaming with pride at every compliment. Angelo takes it all in stride, just smiling and carrying the heaviest loads.
The day is still long when we start working on the house. It was supposed to be just me and Angelo, but Junior and Andeng show up to help. They know more about construction than we do. I take charge of snacks and drinks instead.
Thanks to extra hands we cannot explain, the house is transformed by sunset. The floor is raised high and solid now, with more space than before. We have actual rooms and a small living area. The kitchen is set up properly, and there is an outbuilding with proper seating so we do not have to sit on stools anymore. The roof has no more holes or leaks. Every bit of work is finished in one day.
Perfect timing. Rain is definitely coming tomorrow.
"Thank you so much, Junior. Andeng." I hug the couple as they pack up to leave. They are both grinning and give me a thumbs up.
"Always happy to help, Sasha! Alright then—we are heading home. It is about time your house was in good shape after all these years!" Andeng steps closer, lowering her voice to a whisper by my ear. "Now you and Angelo can really let loose at night."
I swat her arm, my face burning bright red.
"Y-You are crazy!" I stammer.
She sticks her tongue out at me, laughing as she links arms with her husband and heads down the path to their place.
I go inside, still blushing, and do a double take at the small set of steps leading up to our raised floor. Everything feels new.
A smile spreads across my face when I see food laid out on the table. Angelo is already sitting there, wearing clothes I have never seen before.
I frown at him. "Where did you get those clothes?" I ask, confused.
They fit perfectly and look brand new. Did one of his "fans" give them to him earlier?
"Found them in one of the duffel bags. It was full of clothes."
"Wow." I cannot help but say it. I am more impressed every minute. Clothes too? Unbelievable.
I sit on the floor—old habits die hard—say a quick prayer, and reach for my plate when he holds something out that makes my eyes nearly pop out of my head.
"W-What is that?! Where did you get this?" I gasp.
He is holding a thick bundle of cash.
My lips tremble. I never thought I would see this much money in one place.
"I just found it inside one of the rice sacks."
I nearly pass out right then. Food, plywood, roofing, clothes, groceries—and now cash too?
I let out a long breath. "Thank you so much, Lord! My fever is already gone from all these blessings." That is all I can manage to say.
I am not worried about the storm anymore. Instead I feel excitement flutter through me as I remember what Andeng said earlier.
Heat rushes to my head, making me dizzy.
"T-The rainy weather is perfect… for warming each other up."
"Yeah. I will get you so hot you cannot walk straight."
My eyes go wide and I clap a hand over my mouth, staring at the smirk on his lips.
I did it again. I said exactly what I was thinking out loud.
Good god, Sasha! You absolute fool!