The funeral of Don Artemio, the owner of the largest furniture company in the province, has just ended. Inside his mansion, his two children are having dinner: Stella (the eldest socialite) and Ricky (the youngest, who loves sports cars).

Nanay Ising, the 65-year-old maid who served Don Artemio for forty years, is serving food. She was the one who took care of Don when he had a stroke and was bedridden for five years.

Tired from tending to the hill, Nanay Ising was about to sit at the end of the long dining table to eat at least a little rice.

“Hep!” Stella shouted, while slicing the steak. “Where are you going to sit, Yaya?”

“I-I was just going to eat, Stella. I’m hungry,” the old man replied weakly.

“Excuse me,” Ricky snapped. “This is a family dinner. This is for the heirs. You eat in the dirty kitchen. You know your place, right? You’re just a helper.”

“Yes,” Stella added. “We might get infected by the smell of your uniform. You’re outside with the driver.”

Nanay Ising bowed her head. She held back tears. She was the one who changed Stella’s diaper when she was a baby. She was the one who taught Ricky to ride a bike. But now that Don is gone, she’s been treated like a rag.

Nanay Ising quietly picked up her plate and ate next to the kitchen sink, while hearing the laughter of the siblings in the dining room, already talking about what they would buy with the inheritance.

After a while, Attorney Galvez, the family lawyer, arrived.

“Good evening,” the lawyer greeted. “I’m here to read Don Artemio’s Last Will and Testament. He wants to read it right after the funeral.”

Stella and Ricky cheered up.

“Finally!” Stella said. “Attorney, sit down. Nanny! Give Attorney some water!”

Nanay Ising stood up to get some water, but the lawyer stopped her.

“Don’t, Nanay Ising. Sit down here,” Attorney Galvez’s nanny pointed to the chair at the dining table—the chair she had been denied earlier.

“Attorney, why is she sitting there?” Ricky complained. “This is a private matter.”

“She is required to sit here. She is in the will,” the lawyer replied seriously.

The siblings fell silent, looking at each other. Perhaps their father would just leave a small bonus for the nanny.

Attorney opened the brown envelope.

“To my daughter, Stella…” the lawyer read.

Stella smiled.

“…I leave you my collection of antique paintings and jewelry worth 5 Million Pesos.”

“5 Million? Not bad,” Stella whispered.

“To my son, Ricky…”

Ricky adjusted his seat.

“…I leave you my fleet of luxury cars and my golf membership shares worth 5 Million Pesos.”

“Yes! Ferrari!” Ricky shouted.

“And now…” the lawyer took a deep breath. “For the Main Estate—the Mansion, the 50 Hectare Hacienda, the Building in Makati, and the Bank Account with 100 Million Pesos…”

The siblings’ eyes widened. This is it. This is the jackpot.

“I’m giving ALL of this…”

Stella and Ricky’s world stopped.

“…to the only person who didn’t leave me when I smelled bad, when I couldn’t stand up, and when I was being fed while my children were in Europe on vacation.”

Attorney looked at Nanay Ising.

“I give everything to… NARCISA ‘ISING’ REYES.”

CLANG!

Stella’s fork dropped. Ricky almost fell off his chair.

“WHAT?!” they shouted at the same time.

“Is this a joke, Attorney?!” Ricky shouted. “To the maid?! Is Daddy crazy?!”

“Your Daddy is in the right mind,” Attorney replied. “He said this: ‘Family is not measured by blood, but by care. My children, they are just waiting for me to die to get my wealth. Ising, took care of me so that I could live.’”

Nanay Ising cried. “A-attorney… I can’t accept that. That’s too much. I just want to serve Sir.”

“This is yours, Mom,” the lawyer smiled. “You are the new owners of this mansion.”

The lawyer turned to Stella and Ricky who were pale and trembling with anger and shame.

“And according to the clause of the will,” the Attorney added. “Mother Ising has the right to decide who can live in this mansion starting tomorrow.”

The siblings looked at Mother Ising—the woman they had kicked out of the table a moment ago.

Now, Mother Ising was the one sitting in the capital.

Stella approached Mother Ising, her voice suddenly becoming gentle. “Y-Yaya Ising… you know that earlier was just a joke, right? We love you…”

Mother Ising looked at them. There was no anger in the old man’s eyes, but there was the dignity he had long hidden.

“I will not send you away,” said Nanay Ising calmly.

The siblings breathed a sigh of relief.

“But,” added Nanay Ising. “Starting tomorrow, you will be the ones cleaning the house, cooking, and washing. I will teach you how to be human. If you don’t want to, the gate is open. You can leave now.”

Stella and Ricky could do nothing but bow. The table they had coveted, now belonged to the person they considered a slave.

They learned the hard way that true wealth is not in the last name, but in the purity of the heart