Chapter 7 - It Sold
By Thursday morning, Ate Patricia's friend had sent me the wedding invitation details.
By Thursday afternoon, she had paid the down payment.
By Friday—
she referred another person.
I stared at my messages.
Interesting.
One certificate order from Jane had turned into:
Jane.
Ate Patricia.
Ate Patricia's friend.
Then that friend's friend.
No ads.
No strategy.
No funnel.
No campaign.
Just—
Sino gumawa?
Si Lia.
Apparently word of mouth remained undefeated.
My part-time assistant was practicing layouts beside me.
I glanced over.
Stopped.
Looked again.
"Why are there four fonts?"
They froze.
"Four lang po."
"That was not a compliment."
They laughed nervously.
"Sorry."
"Two."
"Opo."
"Three if you have a very good reason."
"Okay po."
"And this shadow?"
They looked at the text.
"Cute po."
"No."
They laughed.
"Ma'am!"
"Remove."
"Ang plain."
"Clean."
"Plain."
"Professional."
They stared at me.
I stared back.
Then they deleted the shadow.
"Good."
"Parang sad."
"You'll survive."
I returned to my costing.
Five seconds later—
"Ma'am?"
"What?"
"Gradient?"
"No."
They started laughing.
I sighed.
Training was apparently mostly stopping people from discovering every Canva feature at the same time.
Around eleven, Mama called from downstairs.
"Lia!"
"Po?"
"Baba ka!"
"Why?"
"Basta!"
Excellent.
Very informative.
I went down.
Ate Bianca was at the dining table surrounded by small plastic bags, jewelry cards, and several pieces of stainless jewelry.
I stopped.
"Oh no."
She looked up.
"Ano oh no?"
"Nothing."
"Halika."
There it was.
The universal older-sister summons.
I sat.
"What?"
She pushed a packaging card toward me.
"Tingnan mo."
I looked.
White card.
Logo.
Small holes for earrings.
Basic.
"What?"
"Okay ba?"
"Okay."
"Okay lang?"
I looked at her.
"What do you want from me?"
"Opinion."
"You have my opinion."
She frowned.
"Parang ang plain."
I stared.
Apparently today was Make Things Unnecessarily Complicated Day.
"Plain is fine."
"Maybe lagyan design dito?"
She pointed at the corner.
"Why?"
"Para hindi empty."
"Empty space is allowed."
She made a face.
"Parang sayang."
"No."
Mama laughed from the kitchen.
"Pareho kayo nung tao mo?"
I slowly looked at her.
"How do you know?"
"Naririnig kita."
Great.
No confidentiality in this house.
Ate Bianca laughed.
"Anong tao?"
"Assistant niya. Ayaw daw ng maraming design."
I pointed at Mama.
"You are leaking internal operations."
"Ano?"
"Nothing."
Ate Bianca showed me another card.
"Pwede ka gumawa ganito?"
"Yes."
"How much?"
I stared.
She stared back.
Then—
"Ate."
"Ano?"
"Are you asking as my sister or as a customer?"
"Mas mura pag sister?"
"Obviously."
She smiled.
"Edi sister."
I laughed.
"Send quantity."
"Five hundred."
I stopped.
"Five hundred?"
"Madami naman order."
Of course.
Ramos Business Manual.
It sold.
Sell more.
I looked at the current packaging.
"How fast are these moving?"
She shrugged.
"Mabilis."
"That is not a number."
"Basta mabilis."
I closed my eyes.
There it was.
Vibes.
Pure vibes.
"How many per week?"
"Ewan."
"Ate."
"What?"
"You need to know."
"Basta nauubos."
Mama joined from the kitchen—
"Eh di ibig sabihin mabenta."
I looked at both of them.
I had no allies here.
"Okay. Fine."
Ate Bianca smiled.
"Five hundred."
"No."
Her smile disappeared.
"Why?"
"Start two hundred."
"Bakit?"
"Because you haven't tested the new packaging yet."
"Maganda naman."
"That's not the point."
"Mas mahal pag two hundred."
"Yes."
"Edi five hundred."
I stared.
This woman had been in business longer than current me.
And somehow—
I understood exactly where I got my tendencies.
"Ate, what if you change the logo next month?"
She paused.
"What if may better card size?"
Pause.
"What if your supplier changes the jewelry size and suddenly hindi kasya?"
Longer pause.
Then—
"Three hundred?"
I laughed.
"Fine."
"See? Negotiation."
"No. Fatigue."
She gave me the details.
I calculated.
Family rate.
Still profitable.
No free labor.
No charity.
Good.
Then Ate Bianca looked toward the stairs.
"May tao ka na daw?"
"Part-time."
"Pwede mo ba ko gawan labels?"
I stared.
"You literally just gave me packaging."
"Separate yun."
"Send details."
"Pwede rush?"
"Ate."
She laughed.
"Joke lang."
I narrowed my eyes.
She was absolutely not joking.
Around twelve-thirty, Kuya Nathan arrived.
Because apparently my house had become a business convention.
He was carrying food containers.
"Tikman niyo."
Mama immediately opened one.
"What?"
"New."
I walked over.
"What new?"
"Sauce."
I stared.
"That's the product description?"
"Tikman mo muna."
There.
Ramos RD.
No focus groups.
No market study.
Just feed your relatives.
I took a bite.
Good.
Actually—
very good.
"Okay."
Kuya Nathan frowned.
"Okay lang?"
I swallowed.
"Masarap."
"Ayan."
He looked satisfied.
Mama nodded.
"Masarap."
Ate Bianca took some.
"Masarap."
Kuya Nathan smiled.
"Edi ibenta."
I stared.
There.
The manual.
In real time.
Taste good.
Sell.
I started laughing.
Three people looked at me.
"Ano?"
"Nothing."
Kuya Nathan pointed at me.
"May kailangan ako sayo."
I immediately stopped laughing.
"No."
"Hindi mo pa alam."
"I know where this is going."
"Sticker."
Of course.
"What sticker?"
"Label."
"Ate Bianca already has me making cards and labels."
Kuya Nathan shrugged.
"Edi isabay."
I looked at Mama.
She was happily eating sauce.
No help.
Sofia walked in carrying her school bag.
She stopped.
Looked at the table.
Jewelry.
Food.
Packaging.
Me.
Then—
"Family meeting?"
"No," I said.
Kuya Nathan:
"Business."
Ate Bianca:
"Printing."
Mama:
"Lunch."
Sofia nodded.
"Okay."
Perfect summary.
She sat beside me.
Kuya Nathan showed her the sauce.
"Tikman mo."
Sofia tried it.
"Masarap."
"Ayan. Apat na."
I stared.
"Four-person market validation."
Sofia looked at me.
"You're weird."
"I'm correct."
She looked at Kuya Nathan.
"Magkano cost?"
Silence.
I slowly turned toward her.
Beautiful.
My one formally educated sibling.
Kuya Nathan frowned.
"Cost?"
"Per bottle."
"Hindi ko pa na-compute exact."
Sofia looked at me.
I looked at her.
For one beautiful second, we understood each other.
I nearly cried.
"Thank you," I whispered.
"For what?"
"Nothing."
Kuya Nathan made a face.
"Compute ko mamaya."
Sofia nodded.
"Before price."
"Yes!" I said.
Everyone looked at me.
I sat back.
"Sorry."
Maybe BSBA was useful after all.
Good for her.
By afternoon, I had:
one wedding invitation order,
one corporate inquiry,
three hundred jewelry packaging cards,
jewelry labels,
and a probable food-label order.
I looked at my order tracker.
Then at my family.
Then at my tiny workspace.
"This is how it happens."
My assistant looked up.
"What po?"
"Nothing."
Because this was exactly how businesses grew in our family.
Not through grand strategy.
Someone needed something.
Someone else could make it.
It sold.
Then—
more.
The difference now was that I knew where uncontrolled more eventually led.
So before accepting Kuya Nathan's labels, I checked capacity.
Current orders.
Material stock.
Production hours.
Assistant schedule.
Then gave him a realistic date.
He replied:
Tagal naman
I typed:
Then find another supplier.
Three dots.
Sige na nga
I smiled.
Boundaries.
Even with siblings.
Especially with siblings.
Friday night, Jane messaged.
May ginagawa ka Sunday?
I looked at the calendar.
Nothing.
Papa would be home.
Sunday was his rest day.
No production scheduled.
My assistant was off.
Wala. Why?
Dito daw kayo sabi ni Mama.
I laughed.
Ako ba invited o summoned
Same thing ??
Then:
Chloe pupunta.
Okay.
A few seconds later—
Lunch.
Of course.
12
Sure.
Jane:
Wow no negotiation
Free food.
User
Accurate.
Sunday morning, Papa was sitting in the living room watching TV.
Rare sight on weekdays.
Normal on Sunday.
I came downstairs already dressed.
Papa looked at me.
"Saan ka?"
"Kala Jane."
He nodded.
"Friends?"
"Yeah."
"Chloe?"
"Yeah."
Mama came from the kitchen.
"Kala Jane na naman?"
"Ma, last time lang ako pumunta."
"O."
She looked at what I was wearing.
"Yan suot mo?"
I looked down.
"Yes?"
"Okay."
I narrowed my eyes.
"What does that mean?"
"Okay nga."
"That sounded judgmental."
"Wala."
Sofia walked past.
Looked at me.
Then at Mama.
Then at me again.
??
I stared.
She immediately looked away.
Coward.
Mama handed me a container.
"Dalhin mo."
I looked.
"What is it?"
"Kakanin."
"Why?"
"Bigay mo kala Jane."
"Ma, I'm going there to eat. Why am I bringing food?"
"Eh ano ngayon?"
I looked at Papa.
He shrugged.
"Dalhin mo."
Excellent.
Two against one.
"Fine."
Mama smiled.
"Sabihin mo kay Mama ni Jane hello."
"Yes."
Papa:
"Kay Papa din."
"Yes."
"And mano."
I stared.
"Pa. I've been doing mano there since high school."
"Edi good."
Fair.
When I arrived, Chloe was already inside.
Her slippers were near the door.
Of course.
I entered.
"Bless po, Tita."
Jane's mother smiled.
"Ay Lia, halika."
Mano.
Then Tito.
"Bless po."
"O, Lia."
I handed Tita the container.
"Bigay daw po ni Mama."
"Ay, salamat. Sabihin mo salamat din."
"Opo."
Then she looked at me properly.
"Ang ganda naman ng batang 'to."
I laughed.
Again.
"Tita."
"Ano?"
Jane appeared from the hallway.
"Ma, lagi mo nalang sinasabi."
"Eh maganda naman."
I looked at Jane.
"See?"
She stared.
"Don't encourage her."
I smiled.
"Too late."
Tita asked—
"Kamusta business?"
"Okay po."
"Dami ginagawa?"
"Medyo."
"Wag puro work."
I sighed dramatically.
"Tita, pati po kayo."
She laughed.
"Eh lagi ka nawawala."
Jane pointed.
"Exactly."
I looked at her.
"Whose side are you on?"
"Mine."
Reasonable.
Chloe was in the dining area eating something already.