It's been a long time

Minutes after Axel arrived, he had three boxes of pizza, burger and fries with him. He does know that I love eating those, don't he?

“How are you?” he sat beside me and rubbed my tummy gently.

Manang Flor is busy arranging Axel brought.

“We’re good, Axel, thank you, how’s your mom?”I said out of concern.

He told me that his mom rushed to the hospital due to severe pain she felt on her abdomen. She has been diagnosed with gallbladder inflammation, and she needs to undergo surgery as soon as possible before it may get worse. 

“She’s okay, it just that we need to monitor her every other minutes, we hired a private nurse to look after her specially when we are not around,”

His dad decided to bring tita Emily here to do her treatment here in the Philippines.

“I see, how ‘bout your dad? For sure he’s so worried and anxious about your mom’s condition,” I gently asked.

“Yeah, he is working from home now, he doesn’t want to leave mom even though we hired a personal nurse,” he answered.

I nodded as an answer, I understand his dad, maybe he doesn’t want to be far from tita Emily specially now that tita is suffering from her illness.

“Manang Fe, join us here, let’s eat,” I said to Manang. She just nodded and told us that she had a lot of things to do.

“Where’s Erin, by the way? I haven’t seen her since I came here,” Simon asked.

Erin is my personal nurse hired by mom and dad, she’s 21 years, and I’ve heard that’s why mom hired her. At her young age she has excellent records to the hospital she’s working in.

“It’s her off today, she told me that she’ll visit her grandparents in Pampanga,” I said, and eat a slice of pizza.

This pizza is delicious, maybe it’s from Axel’s restaurant.

Erin is living here in Manila on her own, she’s just going home when it’s her day off. Her both mom and dad died years ago due to old age.

“I see, how about tita?”

He looks at every side of the house to see mom but hasn't seen her.

After a couple of minutes Axel needs to leave because some troubles occurred at his restaurant.

Simon waved goodbye also when someone called him for an urgent meeting.

TWO YEARS AFTER

September 2017

Paris France

I took a deep breath as I saw the helicopter in front of me that dad ordered to fetch me, he assigned me to take good care of Samonte Airlines in the Philippines.

I guess it’s time for us to meet again.

A flight attendant welcomed me and guided me into the chopper.

I examined the chopper inside, it’s huge, it has a lot of seats, dad really is such an exaggerated person. It’s just me they’re going to fetch. 

I sitted of one of the seats for me to get comfortable, I didn’t bring lots of clothes, I still have lots of spare clothes left there in the Philippines.

I closed my eyes to take a short nap while on our way. Minutes after I fell asleep.

I woke up when I felt my phone vibrating, I looked at the screen to find out that it was my mom who’s calling, I checked the time on my wrist watch, It’s exactly 12 in the afternoon.

I answered the phone and it’s my mom’s sweet voice that greeted me.

She’s just asking me how’s my flight and if I already eat. She’s treating me like a child again. 

I just laughed when she reminded me that I should come back there with some good news, it’s not the typical good news she’s referring to.

After a couple of minutes we were talking, I hung up the phone.

The flight attendant approached me and served my food for lunch.

When I noticed that they didn’t serve water I attempted to stand but another flight attendant walked towards me holding a glass of water in her hands.

I looked at her intently but she never gave me a glance, not even a single look.

After she gave me the water I was supposed to ask for, she walked away like she didn’t recognize me. 

She looks more beautiful than before, she gained weight but it’s okay she’s still stunning as she is, she even got her hair short, that suits her small face justice.

Aemee Harlene Santiago. 

We met again…

But how come you didn’t recognize me..

----------------

All the tension leaves me once I shut the door. The atmosphere was so tense a while ago, I could hardly breathe. I never expected that we would meet again, I mean I expected it but not this early.

His gaze made me shiver. I didn’t know how I managed to act normal while he’s looking at me intently, I nearly melted the way he stares at me.

I gasped when someone held my hands, I breathed in relief when I saw Anna in front of me. She looks at me as if she's waiting for me to tell her something.

“Are you okay? You looked tense, Mr. Samonte wants to talk to you.” I felt like someone poured out a bucket of cold water all over my body. God! Did he recognize me?!

I acted like I didn’t hear anything and kept myself busy reading the book I have with me. I'm still gathering myself up and relaxing my system.

When she noticed that I didn’t pay attention to what she had said, he instead talked to Clifford.

I closed the book that I'm reading and closed my eyes intently.

When she comes back, she keeps on asking me what’s the problem.

I'm so sorry Anna... 

I cannot tell you.

I cannot tell you that me and Clifford know each other..

That Clifford and I had a one-night stand…