CHAPTER 178: VISITING THE HOUSE WITH MOTHER

August 18th, 2029

Forbes Park, Makati

9:15 AM

Timothy sat in the second row of the TG Horizon MPV, watching the high walls roll past the tinted window. His mother, Evelyn, sat beside him. She wore a simple blouse and jeans, handbag on her lap, hands folded. She looked out the window without saying much.

Angela wasn’t with them, she was in school. Timothy had insisted not to disrupt her classes. This wasn’t an urgent matter.

The Horizon MPV moved steadily through the village roads. No honking, no stop-and-go traffic. The electric motor made barely any noise. The driver kept a steady pace, checking the map on the built-in display.

"Is this still Makati?" Evelyn asked quietly.

"It is."

"It doesn’t feel like it."

He nodded.

"This is where the rich live, mama. The likes of politicians, celebrities, businessmen. Though I don’t know about the politicians, who knows how they got the money to buy a property here. For sure it’s from corruption."

"You still hate the politicians that bad, huh? Good thing Obredo won the election."

"Yeah."

They reached the same street where he had stood days ago, clean sidewalks, trimmed grass, no parked cars. The MPV slowed, turning toward the iron gate of the property.

The caretaker was already waiting. Gate sliding open. Quiet.

They got out.

No welcome banners, no staged furniture, no agents lined up for presentation. Just Karen, the consultant, holding a folder, and the same caretaker from last visit.

"Good morning, sir. Ma’am," Karen greeted.

"Morning," Timothy said.

Evelyn nodded back, not quite smiling yet. Her eyes were on the trees, not on the consultant, not on the house.

She didn’t ask anything.

They walked down the driveway. Evelyn didn’t hurry. She took in the space. She stopped once, bent slightly, and ran her hand over a low bush—small leaves, clipped clean.

She didn’t comment.

They continued.

When the house came into view, she stopped again. No words. No surprise. She looked for a long time before speaking.

"It’s... quiet," she said.

Timothy nodded. "That’s what I thought too."

They walked toward the front door. The caretaker opened it. No creaking. Just a smooth push.

Inside, the air was still. Not cold, not warm. Just consistent.

Evelyn didn’t look at the high ceilings or the staircase. She went straight to the living area, stood in the center, and listened.

She didn’t check the decor. She didn’t ask about price. She didn’t ask how many rooms.

She just listened.

"It’s so quiet here," she said.

Timothy stayed near the doorway, giving her space.

She walked to the glass doors facing the yard. She pushed one open. Warm air came in, but not too warm.

The grass outside was trimmed flat. Trees lined the fencing. The pool sat at one side, still.

Evelyn stepped outside. She didn’t rush. She didn’t act impressed. She just looked around slowly.

She moved to the left side of the garden, where there was shade. She sat on the edge of a stone step. She placed her hand flat on the surface. Felt the material. Smooth, not polished.

"I don’t like houses that look rich," she said. "I like houses that look lived in. This is too huge for us."

Timothy nodded again.

"Don’t worry about it mama, you’ll get accustomed to this. Remember, your son is a billionaire now, I can afford this easily."

She didn’t answer. She just kept looking around. Birds moved across the grass. The pool water reflected the trees without distortion.

"Do you remember Tondo?" she asked suddenly.

He did. And there were a lot of memories from it.

"I didn’t really expect that we would get at this point where we would live from a squatter place to Forbes Park."

"So do I mama, so do I."

They walked back inside.

She went upstairs this time. Timothy didn’t lead. She walked on her own. She checked each room, not opening drawers, not checking materials. Just standing inside, observing light, space, and temperature.

She stopped in the room facing the garden. The one with no furniture.

"This room," she said.

Timothy stepped beside her. The room faced the trees, wide windows, flat light, no direct sun glare.

"This could be a study," he said.

She nodded slowly.

"Or a music room." She paused. "Angela could practice here. No neighbors complaining. She had taken an interest in music."

"Really? I would like to hear it one day."

Then she turned to him.

"You’re sure?"

Timothy looked out the window one more time.

"Yes."

She didn’t nod immediately. But she didn’t hesitate for long.

"Then get it, I know that even if I told you not to buy such expensive properties, you’d still insist," she said.

Timothy chuckled. "Now you know me."

They went back downstairs.

In the living room, the caretaker offered water. They accepted.

Karen approached with the folder. Timothy didn’t sit. He took the folder, opened it, and signed where he needed to sign. No ceremony. No special pen.

He handed it back.

She checked.

"We’ll prepare the deed papers next week," she said. "Ownership transfer will take around a month, depending on clearance documents."

"Okay."

The caretaker asked if they wanted to see the property one more time before leaving.

Evelyn glanced around the room briefly. Then at the yard.

"No need," she said. "It’s good."

They walked back to the MPV.

Before getting in, Timothy looked back at the house once.

It looked the same as before.

He didn’t expect anything different.

Inside the MPV, they closed the doors. Another insulated thud.

The driver started the engine.

As they pulled away, Evelyn spoke, eyes forward.

"Your sister will like it," she said. "Especially the garden."

Timothy nodded.

"We’ll bring her next time."

His mother looked at him.

"You don’t buy this to impress anyone, right?"

"Of course not. I bought this so that we can have a proper house. Condominiums are just for convenience."

"Condominiums have their own beauty, you get to see the city from your windows. But the community is insular and I don’t really like it. Compared to Tondo you can mingle with your neighbors. But I wonder in this place, Timothy. You said our neighbors here are politicians, celebrities, and businessman. Will we be able to interact with them?"

"Of course, mama, we will."

The MPV exited Forbes Park. The streets changed gradually—wide private roads became public roads; trimmed hedges became median strips with ornamental palms; and then finally the usual Manila scenery—billboards, fuel stations, motorcycle lanes, sari-sari stores, sidewalk vendors.

Evelyn looked out the window, quiet again. Not thinking about Forbes Park anymore. Just watching the city.

After fifteen minutes, the MPV turned right into a commercial compound.

It wasn’t a typical supermarket façade.

No neon signage. No giant posters of canned goods. Just a clean concrete exterior with neutral colors, glass panels, and the name:

Horizon Market – Manila Central

Timothy stepped out. His mother followed, slower.

A security guard stepped forward, greeted them politely—not in the way guards greet VIPs, just professionally.

They walked through the sliding glass doors.

Inside, it didn’t feel like a typical supermarket either.

No loud speakers shouting "rice sale." No aggressive flyers. No cluttered aisles.

Clean lines. Organized shelves. Local produce in crates. Imported items placed neatly. Wide aisles. Lighting that didn’t strain the eyes. Everything labeled. Everything arranged.

Two staff recognized Timothy and nodded respectfully, but didn’t approach. A few shoppers glanced but didn’t interrupt. His mother walked slowly, looking around, trying to process it.

She stopped at the produce section.

Bananas, tomatoes, lettuce, carrots. Locally sourced. Labels marked with farm names—not just "Product of Philippines," but actual places. Nueva Ecija. Benguet. Laguna.

She ran her fingers lightly across a bag of vegetables.

Timothy watched. He didn’t say anything.

She looked at him.

"You said... this was just an idea before."

"It was," he said.

"You said this was just so I wouldn’t get bored in the condo."

"I don’t remember the exact details but the reason I gave this to you so that you can continue working right?"

"Yes that’s right...I didn’t expect it to be a huge supermarket. At first I didn’t know how to run one."

"But it turns out it was profiting and you managed this supermarket well mama. I think you are a good businessman. You just didn’t have an opportunity."

"You could say that, Timothy. I did excel in managing this store. But it’s all thanks to you. This job is so important to me, it’s so uplifting."

Timothy chuckled as he heard those words from his mother. "I told you I would give the life that you deserve. And this is it, mama. This is the life that you deserved, both you and Angela. I will make sure it stays that way."

Evelyn could feel the tears coming out from her eyes but she discreetly wiped it off.

"Thank you son, I love you!"

"I love you too, mama. I love you."

"So...when are you going to give me a grandson or a granddaughter?"

"Ehh?"