My husband d/i/e/d, and I chose to stay and raise his three brothers to go to school. But when the day came when they were successful, they left the village one by one and disappeared completely.

Life has not been easy.

There are nights when it rains heavily and the roof leaks, but she makes sure the kids get a good night’s sleep before she gets back to sewing until the early hours of the morning.

Some days the dish is just rice and dried fish, and she gives the better part to the three kids.

But once upon a time… He didn’t complain.

Until the day comes…

They finished one by one.

One of them worked in the city.

One of them went out of business to do business.

One of them went abroad.

At first, they were calling.

But gradually… Calls have been reduced.

Messages have become rare.

until they were completely gone.

No one came back.

Walang nangamusta.

No one remembers the woman who dedicated her entire youth to them.

The whole ship nodded again:

— “Oh, right? He’s been abandoned.”

— “It is better to raise a non-blood than a wife’s brother.”

— “Tanga talaga siya.”

Ngumiti lang si Maribel.

A sad smile… But there was no anger.

She stayed in the old house, continued to sewing, continued to live on her own.