ALEIA'S POV (ISLA DEL FUEGO)
I got up from bed and fixed it after. I opened the window of my room that's facing the ocean and the sound of the waves crashing on the shore greeted me. I closed my eyes to feel the cool breeze. A paradise I've always dreamed of spending my life with. My mother's favorite music, the sound of the ocean."What a beautiful morning!"I always wake up at this same time every morning to do my routine- grabbed my towel which is hung near my wooden closet and hurried to the bathroom.
I was tapping my foot on the floor while singing. One of my fave. Well, I can't just sing the whole song but still I loved that Blank Space.
I smiled facing in the mirror while singing that song from Taylor Swift, put my hair in a messy bun, and wore my denim jacket. Then I'm good to go.
"Ale!" I paused for a minute. Someone called me and later on I heard knocks on the door." Ale, are you still sleeping?" The knocks become louder.
"Coming!"I responded and then walked fast to the door. This girl is so demanding and I'm afraid she will break my door if I can't open it as soon as possible. "Morning, princess!" I greeted her while brushing my hands to her hair. She did try to avoid it.
"What took you so long? Mom is looking for you. She said the fishing boats will arrive soon. You need to be there before they arrive," said Cleofe, the 12-year-old daughter of my customer whom I run errands every morning.
"No problem, sweetie. I was about to leave when you came. Is the truck ready?"I said referring to the delivery truck which is used for delivery.
"Yupe," she answered and handed me the key. "by the way where's Ryder?" Ryder is my Kawasaki Ninja H2R motorbike. Not that expensive. I've been using it for ages and it became my partner in every journey. It was dad's gift to me at least her first and last gift before I decided to live on my own. We walked to the truck and headed off to the fishing port.
"Ryder? I hid it at the back of my house. We have important matters to attend to later on."
"So protective of that thing, ah! Ale, I heard you sing while I was waiting for you," she continued.
"So what can you say about my voice?" I asked her after clearing my throat, my eyes still on the road." Is it good?" She burst out laughing. Well, her laugh said it all. I smiled at the thought of that because honestly I know I'm not good at it.
"Not a chance, Ale. You suck in singing."
"You are mocking my God-given talent, little girl. You were judging me as if you can sing very well."
"Well, at least I'm better than you!" she said chuckling.
We buzzed off to the fishing port and waited for the boats to dock at the shore. When the ship docked, the people stumbled over to buy different kinds of fish. Others bought fish for personal consumption but most of them were vendors who will sell it in retail at a higher price. Fishing is the major means of living in Isla del Fuego. Well, aside from tourism of course. The island is gifted with many natural beauty spots that attract tourists.
I smiled while watching them. This is how simple their life is but still, you know that they are happy and contented because they are with their family. They love what they are doing. This is life to its simplest form.
"Cle." I usually called her this way to make her name shorter." Can I have the list? I'm going to finish it as soon as possible. There are some things that I need to do today." She snatched from her pocket the list of people for deliveries and gave it to me.
"Where are you going later? Can I come with you?" she said in a pleading voice.
"I'm going to visit someone special. Unfortunately, I can't bring you there," I said then tapped her shoulder. I can just tag her along with me but I don't want her to see my weak side. I started preparing the buckets to be delivered. I did not know that Cleofe was watching me the whole time, apologetically.
"Ale," she murmured. I stopped for a while to look at her. "Why are you doing this?"
"What do you mean, kiddo? You look so serious," I said and sat beside her, wiping the sweats on my forehead.
She looked at me and tried to wipe my face with my towel. "I mean all of these are a man's thing." I was speechless for a second. I never thought she would ask that. She was with me all these years but she never asked me that question before.
"Maybe, because I want to be strong as a man. I don't have any man to rely on." I chose to keep it to myself. She is too young to understand, matters like that.
"That was a hard one, dear!Maybe because I want to be strong," I said while flexing my muscles. She giggled until we burst out laughing.
"So sad, you don't have muscles to brag." This brat surely does not know how to please people. I stood up ready to start my job.
"Kiddo, I'll go ahead. I should finish this as early as possible. Ryder and I have a date," I joked then jumped to the driver's seat of the truck. "Bye, Cle. Tell your mom that I'm on my way already." I waved my hand and started the engine.
"Take care, Ale."
While on the trip, I couldn't help but think of Cleofe's questions. Why is that? Why do I work so hard when I can live like a princess? Maybe it's because I prefer a quiet life without people looking down on me. I just want to be happy even if it means that I will be all myself. Alone. With no one to hang on to.
It was late that afternoon, when I went to the memorial park to visit my mother's grave. The moment that I have read her name, my eyes began to water. I tried enough to suppress a cry but it was still useless.
I cried like a baby who was lost in the crowd.
Tears kept on rolling in my eyes as I began to catch my breath. I missed my mom so much. She was the only one I have but she was not destined to live longer and today is her death anniversary. The exact date many years ago when she left me in this beautiful but sometimes cruel world.
I knelt to put the bunch of roses on her grave. "Mom, I wanted to ask you if you're okay. But I'm afraid you'll say you're not that you might even think of going back here. Uh! that would be creepy though!" I laughed while wiping my tears. "Do not worry about me. I am very much okay. Sorry if I cried, I know that you don't want to see me crying, but how can't I when I wanted to hug you but all I see is your name engraved on a stone?"
I stayed for a while with mom and told her stories about me as if she was in front of me listening to them. I was startled when my phone beeped. I was not expecting any call since network connection is very rare on the island.
I checked my inbox and was taken aback because of the message that I received. It was from my friend who lived in the city where I used to live, too.From: Chelo [ Lei, I've been trying to call you several times but you were out of reach. I hope this message will reach you. Zach and Nathalie will be engaged soon. Hope you will be okay after reading this. See you soon.]
"What a great news! Good for them!" That's all I can do for now. As my eyes began to water again. Zach is the only man I love and I will love in this lifetime...
Secretly.
MATTHEWHearing the news from David made me uneasy the whole day. After the last business meeting that I attended, I rushed home immediately to confront my father about it. But when I reached home, I was surprised to see a car parked in our garage that was not ours. My heart began to pound heavily, and my instinct told me that something was going on inside our house. Something fishy.I even thought of running away but not this time, and I think facing this could end my misery, so with my head held high, I went to the living room."Matt?" What the heck! I saw the smiling face of Nathalie coming on my way. "Hi! Good evening." Acting calm and modest as if I do not know her true colors. A certified spoiled brat. "Good evening!" I replied and walked to the kitchen, and there, I saw my father and Nathalie's parents on the dining table. Maybe discussing something. Probably, our engagement."Oh! My son is here already. Come on, son, join us." I sat in the chair beside my father, ready to l
ALEIAIt was seven in the morning when I finished the delivery. I only have one hour left to prepare for school. I increased my speed in driving when suddenly someone crossed the road, so I slowed down again and stopped later. I was about to confront him for his carelessness when I noticed that he was busy dialing his phone. He is a tourist, maybe. "Sir, excuse me! There is no stable connection on this island," I said, trying to get his attention. But I was so shocked when he looked at me. I was speechless for a moment, and my heart was beating so fast. How can I not recognize him? He was the man I had been dreaming of since I was ten. His eye that hid thousands of stories. I can stare in his eyes all day long and get mezmerized by them. I tried to remain in composure. Why is he here? What is he doing here? He is supposed to be busy preparing for his engagement. "I really can't find any signal. I need to contact someone," he said in despair. "Are there no areas where we can find
MATTHEW As I was staring outside, watching the crashing of the waves, I couldn't help but think of my family. Dad must be so mad right now, if only he listened to me, but the aspiration of getting more wealth blinded him.Yana and David must be so worried too, especially that I could not reach them. I hope that when I come back, everything is still in the right place, and Nathalie will give up on her obsession with me. But how long should I hide here, and can I even survive their way of living? That woman who drove me here looked familiar, but I couldn't remember when and where I met her. It was impossible to meet her in the business world; she looked plain and rugged with her plain shirt paired with ripped jeans and a sneaker. But one thing that made me confused was her motorbike. How can someone as plain as her afford to buy that kind? Though it's not the most expensive one, it still costs a million.But as I was looking at her now as she is talking with that bubbly little girl.
Aleia(Aged 4)I was excited to let mommy and daddy see my five stars after reciting in class. I got the highest mark. We were asked to describe our family, and later we were asked what we wanted someday. I told them that I wanted to be someone like my dad, who helped many people. How can I not get a high mark when I have a perfect family? My mom is one of the best. She used to bake some cookies for dad and me. Dad, on the other hand, is a businessman, and he has a lot of people around him. According to mom, Dad is their boss, and he gave them jobs. That was why I wanted to be like him. For me, he is a hero without a cape. He can't fly, but he can still help others in his way.I was standing near the gate of the school, waiting for mom to fetch me up. She used to fetch me every after class. But it was getting late, and mom was still out of reach. My classmates went home one by one until I was left alone. I felt tired and hungry. I scanned to look for foods in my bag. And I saw a cand
Aleia( Aged 10)Years had passed, but still, there were no signs of daddy. He broke his promise to us. Mommy said that he was just so busy, maybe he could not visit us anymore. Though, I knew he was supporting us financially. Granny died due to a heart attack two years ago, leaving mommy and me on the island since mommy is her only daughter. Since Granny died, mom was so silent and lonely. She was in deep thought most of the time. During those times, I sat with her to make her feel that she was not alone. I'm with her. Though, she tried to hide it away from me, it still reflected in her eyes. I also noticed that she was weaker than before. She even went to the doctor for checkups, but still, she did not tell me. Until one day, I have read her hospital record. I did not understand what it meant. The terms were profound, but my attention was caught by one word that gave me goosebumps and butterflies in my stomach. It ignited my biggest fear. And that is losing mom. I happened to rea
Aleia(Aged 10)The day that I feared most eventually came. Months later, after I discovered mom was sick, she became worst. She was bedridden already and refused to get any medical help.She would say the medication could not save her. She'd rather spend her remaining days watching her favorite scenery; the sunset. She would like to listen to the crashing of waves now and then near the shore. Seeing her in that heartbreaking situation tore my heart, but what else can I possibly do? I was praying for miracles, but there were none. I cried every night. I may be young, but I'm not dumb. I knew what was happening. Mom is seriously ill.It was late after dinner when Aunt Cristy and I were cleaning up, when the doorbell rang. I looked at her, and we both looked at the door. "Ale, please open it," she said as she went to the kitchen sink to bring the utensils we used. I slowly walked to the door. When I opened it, someone I never expected came into view. I was stuck to where I stood. I f
ALEIA (Aged 10)The inevitable did happen. A few days after dad came, mom passed away peacefully. She spent the last day of her life reminiscing how much she loved dad. Dad took care of her and brought her to the beach. They spent hours talking and being with each other. Only then did I know that it was mom who asked for a divorce when she was diagnosed with cancer. Dad did not agree at first, but mom was persistent. She wanted him to move on and get away from the pain while she was still alive. At first, I didn't get it. But who am I to question their decision. I was so broken after losing mom. Few days after her funeral, Dad brought me home. To our old home. The home where everything started. It was still the old house that we had. Though, some parts were renovated. But to my dismay, a woman who I thought was younger than mom for a few years welcomed us. Beside her is a little girl, maybe five or six years old. She was petite and tall, and she looked so cute and pretty in her pi
Aleia ( Present Time) "Teacher!" A voice from one of my pupils made me go back to the present. Two years ago, I volunteered to teach pre-schoolers because I saw their need to be nurtured. I saw myself in them when I was their age. They crave attention and love. And I love being with them. It gives me the feeling that I was needed and have a purpose in this life of mine. When I looked at them, they looked at me with such worried faces until they came to me one by one. "Teacher Ale, Are you okay?" Vienna said. I tapped her head and nodded. I smiled at them, assuring them that I was okay. Viena is one of my most intelligent and well-mannered pupils. "I'm fine. I just remembered something. Are you done with your seatwork?""Yes, teacher." They answered in chorus and handed their papers to me. "Okay, see you tomorrow then." They left the room one by one. I fixed my things and headed to go. But I was nailed to where I was standing as I was watching Zach near the door. He was leaning o