This section is from Maria's perspective.
The sun had risen higher in the sky, casting a warm light through the windows of the kitchen as Tsu and I continued cleaning up after breakfast. I could hear Gabriela and Rosalina outside, their muffled conversation occasionally punctuated by the excited shouts of Sofia, Michel, and Emma as they played near the cabins.
"Maria, can you pass me that bowl?" Tsu asked, breaking my train of thought. I handed her the ceramic dish, watching as she carefully scrubbed it clean. Tsu was an efficient worker, but there was something on her mind; I could see it in the way her eyes flicked over to me every so often.
"Your sister," she finally said, not looking up from the dishes. "Rosalina, right? You two seem close."
"Very," I replied, smiling from the love filling my heart. "We've been through everything together." I hesitated, wondering if now was the time to share our family's history. Tsu seemed to sense my reluctance and quickly added, "I don't mean to pry. I just wanted to know about your family, husband, and kids."
"No, it's fine," I reassured her, deciding that the truth might help us connect better as friends. "My husband... he was killed in the line of duty as a police officer a few years ago. I raised my girls on my own with Rosalina's help and my Mami and worked for the Allens." remembering my Mami made my voice break and tears well in my eyes.
"Ah, I'm sorry to hear that," Tsu murmured, her eyes filled with sympathy.
"Thank you. My husband died a few years ago, but our mother died after the power outage, so it's very fresh." I said, feeling a pang of sadness at the memory of my late husband and Mami. It still hurt sometimes, but life had to go on – especially for the sake of my daughters.
"Ah, Tsu," I said, sniffling, taking the opportunity to distract myself and ask her about something I had been curious about. "I saw a photo of you with kids. Are those yours?"
"Ah, yes." She smiled warmly. "My oldest son is in a computer program on the East Coast. My middle daughter is in medical school in the Midwest." She laughed, adding, "Typical Asian family, right? My youngest rebelled by becoming an artist and writer with his girlfriend. He moved to Japan to learn to be a Mangaka."
I chuckled at her explanation, forgetting my pain.
Tsu's eyes narrowed slightly as she studied me for a moment before asking, "What's up with Rosalina? Especially, what's up with her love life?" Her question caught me off guard, and I felt uncomfortable discussing such a personal matter.
"Uh, I don't feel too comfortable sharing it," I said hesitantly, avoiding her gaze and focusing my eyes on Rosalina through the window. "You should ask Rosalina herself. Let's just say it wasn't a happy love life." I could see the sadness in her eyes as she rinsed the last dish in the basin and handed it to me to dry.
With a sigh, Tsu and I took a moment to appreciate the clean kitchen before calling Gabriela and Rosalina. She led me to the garage through the garage. "This is the first batch of freezers," she said, motioning to two large freezers leaking water from the corners. "The others are in the kitchen of the chapel."
"Chapel?" I asked, hopeful.
Tsu chuckled. "It's not an actual chapel. Ivan's uncle built it to rent out for weddings. We also have a kitchen and cater part-time for some of the events."
As a newly formed team, we began unloading the cool meat from the freezers. Each piece was colder than I expected but not safe temperatures, making it all the more important to process everything quickly. We carried the meat on trays to the back 4-season porch, where we sliced and seasoned it, placing it in mixing bowls.
As the four of us continued to work, we quickly got into a rhythm. The rhythmic sounds of slicing and seasoning were punctuated by our casual conversation.
"So, Gabriela," Tsu asked randomly. "What are kids into these days?"
"Um, well, I'm really into social media platforms," Gabriela replied, her eyes brightening as she spoke. "There's this app I use all the time. It's like a mix of messaging and photo and video sharing. You can add filters to make your pictures look cool and stuff."
"Interesting," I muttered, attempting to wrap my head around it. But the truth was, the concept felt foreign to me, an out-of-touch relic from a time gone by.
"Hey, Rosalina," Tsu continued, her voice taking on a more personal tone. "Do you have a special someone?"
I glanced over at Rosalina, who bit her lip, tears instantly welling in her eyes. I knew the pain she must be feeling.
"No," Rosalina croaked out, looking down at her hands as they continued to work.
"Bad break up?" Tsu asked gently, sensing the tension in her voice.
Rosalina laughed bitterly, wiping away a tear. "That's putting it very mildly. First got traded in for a younger model, then got cheated on in my own kitchen..." She glanced at Gabriela and me, whose mouth dropped open. "Sorry, but you're almost old enough to know anyway."
I couldn't help but feel annoyed at Rosalina's bluntness. I asked her to spare my kids until they reached at least 16. But then again, Gabriela was acting like an adult and had gone through her own trauma the last week.
"Wow, I didn't know," Gabriela whispered, her voice shaky. "I'm sorry, Auntie. I didn't know that's what happened and why you broke up."
"Hey, it's okay," Rosalina said softly, her hand reaching out to rub Gabriela's shoulder with the back of her hand. "We've all got our scars. Just make sure to choose a good guy when your time comes, alright?"
"Promise," Gabriela whispered, her voice thick with emotion.
Tsu finished the last batch of meat, "There, now we are done. I'll go check on the boys." She disappeared through the back door, leaving an uncomfortable silence in her wake.
Rosalina sniffled and got her composure back. Gabriela looked uncomfortable in her own skin, shifting from leg to leg.
The back door creaked open, and Tsu reappeared with a half-amused, half-frustrated expression on her face. "Well, the boys are nowhere near finished yet," she informed us, rolling her eyes. "But it looks like they're building something large enough to fit a ton more than we prepared already. Do you girls have the energy to see what we can do in the chapel?"
"Of course," I replied, wiping my hands on my apron. "But shouldn't we make lunch for everyone first?"
Tsu snorted, shaking her head. "I was thinking of just frying up this meat. The vegetables ran out in the store, and the local farms aren't up and running yet. Our garden may produce faster than the farms." She gestured to the trays of marinated meat waiting to be cooked. "Besides, the kids will be the ones we'll cook lunch for when it's time, and the boys can come in and make food when they're ready."
"Sounds like a plan," Rosalina nodded, her voice still a bit shaky.
Tsu nodded with a motherly smile. "Let's get this covered and walk over there."
With the meat now covered and waiting for "the boys" to finish their work, Tsu led us past the cabins and towards a building that looked like a church. A greenhouse space with chairs and tables was attached to its side, surrounded by a flower garden and a living hedge.
As we entered through the front door, I was drawn to a beautiful stained glass window depicting a young woman around Gabriela's age. She wore a red and gold skirt with a white blouse and had blond hair. At the bottom of the panel, the label read "Saint Cathy."
I paused, my curiosity piqued. "I don't recognize her. What is she a saint of? Or is your family Orthodox?" I asked Tsu, searching for answers.
Tsu looked at the stained glass with solemn reverence before answering. "No, we're not Orthodox. But she's the patron saint of Ivan. She was his uncle's daughter. She shielded Ivan when he was a boy from people trying to kill him and died in the process." She sighed, her voice heavy with emotion. "Uncle Boris made this stained glass from a photo. People seem to think she's a patron saint of newlyweds. We don't usually tell the story to people renting the chapel for weddings."
The revelation caught me off guard. I glanced at Rosalina and Gabriela, who both wore expressions of surprise and empathy.
"Wow," I murmured, taken aback by the weight of the moment. "That's incredibly powerful."
She nodded, her eyes filled with sadness but also pride. "You're welcome. We all have our stories, don't we?"
We continued to explore the chapel, taking in the details of the place that had become so important to Ivan's family. The air was tense with unspoken emotions – fear, hope, sorrow – all mingling together as we navigated our uncertain future.
"Know, let's check this out," Tsu said quietly, urging us forward.
My thoughts lingered on the stained glass image of Saint Cathy as we followed Tsu into the chapel's kitchen. It was dim, with the only light coming in from the window. Various tools, pots, pans, and cutting boards were neatly organized on metal racks on wheels. Three giant stove tops, a pair of oversized ovens, and 4 regular stove ovens stood along the walls. There were several metal tables.
"Alright," Tsu said, bringing me back to the moment. "Here's the walk-in freezer. We need to be quick, so try to grab what we need and get out." We nodded in agreement, bracing ourselves for the cold.
As she swung the door open, an icy blast of air hit us full force. I shivered involuntarily, goosebumps forming on my skin. To my surprise, the inside was still frozen solid.
"Get the veggies and dough!" Tsu spoke quickly with authority, moving with purpose. She grabbed a bag of frozen vegetables and what looked like frozen dough, gesturing for us to follow her out. We wasted no time in exiting, the door sealing shut behind us with a satisfying thud.
"Uncle Borris did such a good job insulating this walk-in freezer that it's still frozen a week later," Tsu explained, rubbing warmth back into her arms. I shivered in agreement, grateful to be free of the bitter cold.
"Maybe we should leave it for now, then," I suggested. "At least until we've finished everything else."
Tsu nodded thoughtfully. "You're probably right. There's still so much to do, and we don't want to risk losing the food if the power doesn't come back soon."
I nodded, glancing around again. I noticed a pantry with the door open full of spices, bags of stuff, rice beans, and many more things I didn't recognize. Ivan and Tsu were very well stocked, and that was going to be useful to my family.
Tsu led us around the property, showing different projects that she wanted to get going. I voiced my opinion that the two gardens were going to be the top priority.