CHAPTER 8: Gift

I was already in the house but I did not talk to Haria about what happened to me, surely she will be hysterical and tell me to stop working now. However, I can't do that. I still want to do this despite that incident. I wonder why I always get in trouble. The last time I checked, I didn't have any mark on my butt that got me in trouble everytime. I am actually sick of this.

I sighed as I sat in the sofa. Haria was still in the kitchen, çooking for our dinner. I told her that I already eaten but she refused to believe so I just let her cook since she doesn't want me to help her. She saw how haggard I became so she told me to rest. I actually did not feel this just because of my work but because of those men. After that man went away from me, I walked away too because barangay officers were already coming towards us, they were coming for those guys. I don't want to get involved as much as possible because I know for the fact that they will ask for someone who can accompany me with that situation and I am scared they might contact Haria or worse, my father whom I don't want to see this time. I will just ask for more pain if I do that.

But that man keeps on entering my mind, the one who saved me from those goons. I hope I can meet him again. I want to thank him for saving me. But how could I do that when he doesn't even want to look back that time to check on me? If he did, maybe I would see his face and remember it for the future.

"Hey, Ariadne?" My mind went back to the present when Haria waved her hands on me. I looked at her and smiled. "Are you okay? Do you want to sleep now? Oh, no. I know you are tired but eat first, I am done. Go to the kitchen now and have your dinner, I will just take a shower and will join you afterwards." She told me before going inside the bathroom. I sighed before getting up from my seat. I need to make myself calmer than before. I am trying my best to cope up with what's happening in my life right now.

After some minutes, Haria finally joined me. Her hair is still wet so her head looks like an egg since she covered her hair with the towel.

"I would like to know what happened on your first day, how is it going?" She asked me in the middle of our dinner.

I bit my lips and tried to posture myself before answering. I smiled at her after that. "It's great, the manager liked my performance and she told me I can go on for the next few days of my training and then I can be a regular employee," I said.

She smiled widely and clapped her hands. "Really? Then it's good! How's your co-workers? Are they kind to you? Did anyone try to scare you there? Or did you see a handsome one? Tell me." I already prepared myself for these kinds of questions because I know she will do this. That's why she told me to eat my dinner at home. She will not miss this opportunity to talk since we need to get up early tomorrow again for another day of work. However, I still need to be careful at what my mouth will tell her. I don't want to bother her anymore with so much drama in my life. I know she's also struggling with something.

"They are kind to me, they helped me so much. They even offered to accompany me here since it's already dark when we went home." Which maybe if I accepted, I think I could have gotten here safely without worrying about tomorrow again. "No one tried to scare me, they are all professionals there, mostly working students. And if you are asking for a handsome one, their guard has really great features but I think you can't be just interested in other men since you already have Gray by your side, right?" I tried to point the topic to her so I can avoid talking too much about myself.

I saw how her smiling face turned into a shocked one and she even pointed her fingers at herself. I can't help but laugh at her reaction.

"Hey! I am not asking for me?! I am asking for you!" She sounded so defensive at the way she talked to me right now. "And we are far better than before, though he is not with me all the time now. I still want him, and not some other guy out there who was always with their girl's side but still cheating on their backs. Come on girl, I am just trying to ask you if you will be planning to have a boyfriend so someone can protect you from harm. You know, I am just worried about your safety since you are now working, and you are coming home late, you need someone to fetch you every time you are going home. And for me to be calm too, you know I am always worried. It's literally driving me crazy. I just want to be sure you are safe," she said. I know that she's feeling that way as always. And I am happy that there is someone who truly cares for me. However, getting a boyfriend when you are not yet ready is not a good thing to do.

"You know I am not yet rea—" she did not let me continue what I was going to say and she already cut me off on that part.

"You are not yet ready? Girl, you will never be ready if you will not get in touch with someone. I know we are supposed to wait for the right one but waiting sometimes needs action too. How can you maintain your desires if you will just keep on waiting? Fish will not jump on your boat by themselves, you need to make a bait and catch them," Haira said before I could speak my mind up. I sighed and rolled my eyes at her. This girl will never let me win on these kinds of arguments.

"What I am trying to say is, how can I get a man if the universe is not letting me meet him yet? And I know it's not about waiting, but hoping that someday he will come and save me from this tragic life of mine." I told her, mostly joking since I am not into this kind of topic. I then stood up and cleaned the table. "And yeah, enough for this guy topic okay? I know you are happy right now and I am already contented being happy for you too, so let's just end this here since we both need to rest and be ready for tomorrow. Okay? Goodnight, Haria," I said and hugged her before going to my room. I saw her pouting since I am always ignoring that kind of topic, and once again, I did.

I believe in love, indeed. But fairytales are not meant for me as there are so many witches praying for my tragic life to get worse day by day. I shook my head and forget about it.

I was laying in my bed after taking a shower and drying my hair, thinking about what I would do for tomorrow. I was in the middle of overthinking and it was already 11pm in the night when Haria knocked on the door. I opened the door for her and saw her ever smiling face, but this time, it feels like she's mocking something with me, her smile was teasing. She raised her hands that were holding a tulips flower and a keychain?

"Why?" I asked her when she just keeps on staring.

"What else do you want to say to me huh? You told me there is no any guy yet!" She yelled while stomping her feet on the floor. "You should have told me!"

And because of my curiosity of what she was saying, I looked at her with a questioning face but more on like a confused one. I don't understand what she was pointing out and why she suddenly knocked on my door at this time. "What are you talking about?" I asked her but she just raised her brows at me before her hands.

"Look at this, why does someone send this flower and uh, a key or what is it to our apartment? If it's not your suitor?" She asked me. I once again looked at the thing she was holding and took it from her to see if there's any letter but I did not see anything. "The delivery guy says it's for you, he says your name, he clearly freaking said it so don't you think I am just hallucinating or what. I asked who's the person who sent this but he also doesn't know so I guess you do."

I tried to recall the things that happened to me but I can't remember someone telling me that they will send me something. But then a thought came to me. What if it was from my father? What if he already knew where I was? And soon, he will come and take her out of here once again and push me to that old man who was trying to buy me. I bit my lips as I handed her back the flowers and that keychain thing to her. She was confused at first but seeing my reaction, maybe she already had a hint what's on my mind.

"Oh my goodness, don't tell me it's from your father?" She asked me, but I just shook my head. I don't know. She tried to look for something else in the flower, but her attention went to the keychain. "Wait, I don't think so," she said. I stare at that thing she was holding and I can't see anything suspicious in there.

"What is it?" I asked.

"It's not from him, I am sure of that, don't worry, but do you know someone who will send you some self defense keychain?" She asked me which made me more confused about what was happening.

"I don't know. Maybe just throw it away, I don't have someone to send me this kind of thing." I told her.

"No, I think this person was just trying to help you. This keychain is a self defense one, you can use it. Even though we don't know who sent you this, I think you can have this one with you. Let's just ask the delivery guy again for the person's face once we saw him again. Now, I will let you have a good night's sleep. Mwa." She then ran away from me, while I was still standing in front of the room door, holding these things in my hand. I am still confused, who will send me flowers and this thing in this hour? Whoever it is, I think he or she knows that I am always in trouble.

I just tried to forget about it after I put them on the side table and just let myself fall asleep.

My mind started getting awake at 6am, and I know I need to prepare now. I think Haria was already making breakfast so I will just join her later. I did my morning routine and dressed myself up before going out of the room. And then I saw her, she was with a red haired guy. I smiled, this man colored his hair again. And I think this one suits him, but I like it more with blonde or natural color black.

"Hey," I greeted as I reached the kitchen. Gray turned his head around and smiled as he saw me.

"Hey, Ariadne Gabriel. How are you? I already heard about what happened to you so I did what is right and planned to visit you here for a moment. I am sorry about that, I know he is my cousin but we are far from each other. I am not like him, I am very sorry. I don't know if he will do that to you. He grew up in a liberated country so maybe he thinks he can get all the girls he wants. What's up now? Are you okay now? Congratulations on your new job." He speaks fast. I can see that he is trying to talk to me since he doesn't know if I am mad at him or what after that incident.

"You are so loud," I said and chuckled, and that made him more calm. Perhaps, I don't blame him for anything. I know they are different, even though they are cousins.

"I told you, she is not mad." Haria told him while making coffee.

Gray sighed as he looked at me. "I thought you are, I am worried you might not want to see me again. Especially now that I painted it red," he joked and pointed at his hair.

"It's cool." I replied.

"I know, but Haria doesn't like it."

"Because you look like a red onion! How can I supposed to date a man with that kind of hair? I am in a relationship with a cosplayer?" Then here they are again with their non-stop fight, I guess I will just try to divert my attention onto something before they could mess up in my mind.

I went to the refrigerator and took the cake I saw, my favorite graham cake. I am craving this kind of food at the moment so I might take a bite. I just let them argue with nonsense things on the dining table while I enjoy this delicious graham cake that I have no idea where it came from.

"Ariadne," I looked back at them while the spoon was still in my mouth when Gray called my name. I gave him my questioning look but all he did was to smile.

"Hey, you are creepy. What is it you are trying to tell me?" I asked, impatient about what he would say.

"I think we already know who that man is, your suitor." Then he gave me his naughty look. I was about to get back to him but I realized something.

What did he say?