Chapter 4 Flashbacks

"Hi! Tita, "Jake greeted Jasmine's stepmother. 

"Come on, come inside,"  Andrea said kindly.

Andrea stared hard at Jasmine's  childhood friend. It was often at their Hacienda in their younger days.

“It's you, Jake. I didn't know you before you came here and asked where Jasmine was. 

"Yes Tita," he replied with a smile.

“Okay, I'll leave you and Jasmine."

Jasmine's stepmother already remembered Jake. She has been the only one to guide Jasmine since she attended elementary school. Goes to school every meeting. Her daddy can't do this because he has a first family and a very mischievous wife. Her husband knew about them. At first, they were kept secret from the public for their reputation but later all the people of Brgy. Kawayan knew about Andrea and the governor.

"Maybe they're already looking for you," Jasmine reminded the Jake. 

"I really can't last long either."

"Okay if you want we can talk to Mama Mary's grotto outside the gate. So you can see the road from afar," Jasmine added. 

“Have you only been here since then.” 

Jake begins to ask her as they sit in a chair in Mama Mary’s Grotto. 

"I'm already in Manila, I just thought of taking a vacation for Shen and also for Aunt Andrea's birthday in a week. I'll be leaving Manila in a few days. Shen often begs me to come home. So I just granted her and its her and Tita's important day too, their birthday,"Jasmine replied. 

"Oh okay, there will be an occasion next week here."

"Do you still remember this place Jake?" she asked.

"Yes, you are Queen Elena of Santa Cruzan." 

The feast of the Blessed Virgin Mary held annually in that grotto. From the chapel to there is the procession. Happy memories they had back then in the grotto. During the holidays in the month of May, her Aunt Andrea is still reading the bible to the elementary school children who want to listen to bible stories. There are catechists who teach them. They offer flowers every day to the image of Mother Mary. And there’s Santa Cruzan when it comes to their barrio festival. There in the barrio chapel the procession and the Blessed Queens of Santa Cruzan begin to the Grotto of Mama Mary.  Jake looked  at the foot of the hill. There he saw the stable of the horses the place that they used to play.

"Are those horses still there."

Jake pointed at the bright stable at the back at the bottom of the hill near the phosphate-mined land.

"Yes its still there . And my favorite horse is Pegasus," she answered quickly.

Jasmine also loves horseback riding. Pegasus was often the horse she rode to the other side of the cliff. She was passing by the  vast land of sugarcane plantation that they owned. Sometimes she also help roaming  with their caretaker around riding Pegasus. Even his Aunt Andrea is good at horseback rider too. It even taught her when she was little. 

"I can't forget how stubborn you were to insist on riding Pegasus even though you were not still a good horse rider" Jake said with a laugh. 

"Yes, I remember that it's good that you're in the old Acacia tree. I'm still really lucky. Jasmine also mentioned a dangerous experience she had before. That even caused a scar on her elbow.

"Pegasus wasn't used to in horse back riding back then. So that's how it was," Jasmine laughing.

"Haahh! Jasmine's command shout to Pegasus.

The horse ran slowly at first. Jasmine was even happier to tighten the tug on its reins."

"Jasmine, you are so stubborn. Why are you riding that horse again?" her Aunt Andrea shouted.

  It refers to Pegasus. And it was so late that Jasmine climbed up on Pegasus back. Fortunately, her Aunt Andrea was good at horse riding and quickly followed Pegasus. Mang Castor also quickly followed on board Stallion. Pegasus only follows Mang Castor's voice. Then it 

went down the hill, it was good for them to pass by the side of the vast land sugarcane plantation.

"Jasmine, loosen your grip on the reins a little," Mang Castor shouted.

Stallion was already close to Pegasus. Mang Castor was trying a good catch for Jasmine.

"Pegasus stopped!" Mang Castor's voice shouting. 

The horse's pace slowed. That little chances were the moment to save Jasmine.

"Hold on to my hand," Mang Castor shouted.

Cutting the pipe in those days, Jake happened to be playing. He  even climbed the old Acacia tree. Because Pegasus was running slow it caught Jasmine. But it's dangerous for Jake to hold her just by the hand. 

"Aunt Andrea, help me!"

Jasmine shouted in confusion. She was immediately helped by Mang Castor and her Aunt Andrea who were both close to her while still riding the horse. 

"Oh my God, Jasmine don't do that again." Not until you learn well horse riding. Don't be in a hurry to learn as well," her Aunt Andrea's voice was very worried.

From then on, his Aunt Andrea instructed Mang Castor to teach Pegasus having someone riding on its back. And don't let Jasmine to get close to that horse. Until Jasmine will learn horse back riding. Her Aunt Andrea was forced to train. That is also a reason that Jasmine gradually get closer to her stepmother. Jasmine was ashamed of the memories Jake had mentioned.

"Stop, stop flashing back there,"  she said laughing.

"Oh, it wasn't just the exam we had before that you cried all day," it added awkwardly. 

"Oh my! Jake, I hope you mention something different next time. Don't really come back to those flashbacks of my stubborness," Jasmine said angrily but joking.

Her childhood friend just smiled and choose to stop. But Jasmine's heart throbbed harder with Jake smiles. 

"I have to go back to the post. I will call you tomorrow morning before I will leave at the post."

"I wake up early. Before sunrise I went down to the guard house I to go jogging."

Its good. Could  it be possible to see you again before I'll leave there at the post," he said.

Jake said goodbye and went down the the road to return to his colleagues. Jake had a lot more to say but remained not telling what he has to reveal about his feeling to reveal.

Jasmine smiled to herself thinking that she just waiting for nothing. If it wasn't bad for a woman to be the first to flirt, Jasmine might have flirted with him but she still keeps the best aspects to be a nice woman.