“No way, August this is for the visitor” She said in a low and sweet voice.
“Visitor?” I think for a while.
“Yeah, like what you have said your partner will be here. I just like to serve a very delicious and unforgettable taste of sweetness of my inventories”. She meant her chocolate cake.
Oh? I almost forget. Yhanna will be here and I am the one who will pick her.
I commanded Joe to pick Yhanna on their house but Mammo insist on me.
“No! you should be the one to pick her from their house”.
“But Mammoo, I’m tired.”
“You’re not tired, I know you’re not, you are only lazy little man. Don’t you?”
“Okay for you Mammoo.” Period.
As I drive going to Yhanna’s house I wonder why it is too hot now. It should be cold it should be rain. January. Yes it is but I can imagine that it’s March.
And it’s summer when I arrived, I parked my car in front of their house. I walked going to the door and I knocked. Her mother opened the door.
“Hi August, I’m glad to see you. Wait I’ll call Yhanna”
She left the door open. As I remain standing for about a minute, Yhanna is in front of me now. She is so innocent in her purple dress. Though it is simple, she’s not wearing any make up or anything else to make herself attractive and beautiful. Hair is naturally black, lips as innocent as her porcelain skin. She is simple and I can tell you every simple thing makes you beautiful. And I remember what Mammoo said
“Simple persons can make us fall by heart.”
But I’m not falling in love to Yhannacause I am just playing her and planning to hurt her feelings.
“Mammoo, this is my partner in our examination performance. She’s Yhanna Rose.” I introduced Yhanna to Mammoo. Mammoo handed a warm hands and they shake hands together.
“Oh so you are Yhanna. The girl he always talks about.”
What? The girl I always talk about? Wow! What a nice joke Mammoo. You’re making a story.
“You are so beautiful” I know Mammoo was impressed by her simplicity. And that caused her beauty.
“Thank you…” Yhanna took a long paused.
“Ah..you can call me Mammoo.” Mammo said
I saw her smile. We walked into a piece of grassland it is located behind our house. It’s all green. For a while Mammoo went into the kitchen to refrigerate her homemade chocolate cake inventory as she wanted to call it and when she’s back we start the ballroom practice.
“First! Before we start. I want you to know that ballroom is a kind of dance for couples. So act as you’re a couple”
“Mammoo..?” I cut off her but she ignores me instead she continue speaking on us.
“Erase the awkwardness.”
Mammoo took my arms and taught me the right position on my arms. My arms are on Yhanna hips, gentle but I feel cold and now Mammoo took Yhanna arm and put it on my shoulder.
“Now. Look at each other’s eye together” She said.”
“Mammoo, let’s start the real practice” I groaned. But she ignores me again.
“Maybe it’s better if we should follow your Mammoo.” Yhanna whispered on me.
“Okay.” I whispered back.
I gaze into Yhanna’s eyes as she. I think we’re gazing at each other for more than five minutes, first I feel so awkward. But in every way, I think I want my eyes forever to stare on her.
The moment later, Mammoo clapped her hands. She’s counting for steps and we start the dance gently.
I slowly put my left foot forward and then Yhanna slowly puts her right foot backward. She moved her right foot forward and I put my foot backward we’re still looking at each other. Holding on gaze it’s what had Mammoo said. And then I quickly place my left foot at side and I move a bit forward. And at the same time she put her right foot at the side and moves it a bit backward. I closed my right foot to my left foot and Yhanna did the reverse.
After our practice, Mammoo went into kitchen again to get the chocolate cake she baked for Yhanna and an orange juice. While we wait for Mammoo I had a small talk with Yhanna.
“Can I ask you something?” I said we’re sitting in a cottage made up of bamboo wood. We’re a few inches far from each other.
“Yes”
“Why did you transfer here?”
She’s silence for a moment.
“Because we haven’t yet paid the house that was sold to us and the owner of the house wanted us to leave then my father decided to go here. We live in the house of my past grandparents.” She paused for a short moment. “and thank someone.”
I stare at her beautiful eyes.
“Thank someone?” I asked curiously.
“For saving my brother when he was drowned in the pool.”
I knew why Yhanna is familiar into my memory; I knew why her little brother is familiar to me. Cause I remember now.
I saved her little brother and I was so awful because I didn’t have any clothes to wear while I dry my clothes. I saw Yhanna Worrying about Michael if he was going to be alright and Mr. Ben said he was.
“Yes. I haven’t yet thanked you” She said.
There’s something that I am feeling now, I am one of the reasons why she transferred here. I don’t know if this is just a coincidence or something, SOMETHING.
“Chance” She pause and look up at the blue sky. “That’s all I know when I saw you in school, I prayed to see you again, I am the kind of girl who would feel bad of myself if I didn’t say thank you to someone who had helped me. And it seems that God had given me the chance”
She gazed on me.
Her eyes are on me. The moment seems to freeze. I cannot breathe. I do not know how many seconds we’re gazing at each other’s eye when Mammoo is back on us with KC, one of our chambermaids. Mammo is holding a tray of chocolate cake. I smell the sweetness again that makes me hungry honestly. She’s a perfect baker. Mammoo put the tray on the table that is also made of bamboo wood. The cottage didn’t have roof. But we don’t feel the burning heat of the shinning sun because of the shade of Narra, 3 meters away from the cottage where we sat KC put the glass with orange juice and left Yhanna. Mammoo says we have to practice every day to make the dance perfect. After the practice I Drove Yhanna home.
When were already in their house. I parked the car. She opened the door and went out. When I start turning on the engine, I’d hear her voice calling my name.
“August!” she shout a bit.
I looked at her over the open window of my car.
She whispered a word and smiles. Wind in her hair, I think I like the moment very well. And even though there’s no voice that comes out from her vocal to say the words, I did to hear it. I really did. It’s a precious “THANK YOU”.
Chapter Five: THE ROSE FAMILY
When I’m awake, it is Monday again; I did my daily routine when there’s a class. I took a shower, I brushed my teeth. I wore uniform, I combed my hair, I ate breakfast, I drove into school and had fun w/ my friends.
We’re sitting on the bleachers of the gymnasium. Carmeo, Breet, James, John, Emy, and Tiffany are my companion. Francis is absent today. I’d read his letter of excuse and it says that his not feeling well. We’re watching some of our classmates practicing the dance they had pick on our P.E. it’s only 4 days before the performance. Tiffany and Brett had pick the folk dance. Francis and Caithe had the waltz. James and Carmeo had the modern polka. John and Emy for the Tango Theater. I didn’t see them practicing but I know they always. And me? I don’t know what to say. A moment late, I see Yhanna coming for us with a sheaf of books in
her arm.
“She’s coming to us” Carmeo murmured.
“Hi August.” She paused a while and then smiled.
“I’m here to say that my mother is still sick so I think I can’t practice w/ you. I hope it’s fine.”
She continued.
My friend’s looking over me.
“Oh.Yeahit’s fine” I said w/ a nod.
“Thank you” she left us together w/ out letting her smile fade.
When she’s gone in our sights, John had put my shoulder.
“What?” I said.
They just smile and laugh like crazy. And I know what’s on their mind, I know what they think. It’s like the mind of Francis. You know it well.
“No.” I said
“What’s your plan about her?” said Carmeo.
I took a breath and then answered her.
“Well I know she had a feelings for me and I can’t blame her for that. I know 80% of the girls here in the campus had a crush on me or even like me” I paused for a seconds and let the silence pass by. “And like what I did to my girlfriends” they knew what I mean so I didn’t resume.
“Oh? I thought that is a part of your new year’s resolution” Tiffany said.
“To have girlfriends more than thirteen or above. Yes, but playing girls and hurting them, No.” I stood and I left them sitting on the bleachers
Mr. Roezlithberg our English subject teacher says goodbye to us. he’s our last subject teacher in every afternoon class. When everyone’s out of the classroom I saw Yhanna still sitting on her chair. I think something is going wrong on her so I speak to her.
“Is there something wrong Yhanna?” I asked her.
When she looks up at me I saw her crying.
“Why?” I worried. I sat beside her to make her clam.
“Mom is so sick and getting worst” she sobbed.“I am worried about her.”
“Don’t worry she’ll be okay” I whispered to her.
I decided to drive her home to see if there is something that I can do to help her. When we arrived I parked my car in a space lot as always.
When we’re inside their house we directly went her mother’s room. When Yhanna open the door I saw Micheal he’s on her mother’s warmth. Unawake the moment her mother notice us, she slowly opened her eyes.
“You’re already home.” Her mother whispered.
“Hey” Yhanna says w/ a smile on her face. She kisses her mother’s check. “August is with me, mom”
Her mother looked at me.
“Hi August how are you?” she looked me w/ her low tone voice.
“Hello Auntie. I saw your daughter cried because of too much worried about you. So I decided to went here w/ her. And to see if I have something to help you” I said.
Yhanna embraced her mother.
“I will be fine” her mother says. And a few moment her eyes is closed again something is happening
I called Dr. West our personal doctor. and I pleased him to check my friend’s mother and he did he said that everything’s going to be fine. He says Annie’s Fever will be no more for four weeks. All she need is a rest Dr. west gave them a medicine and vitamins to help Annie feel good in a short period of time. I thanked Dr. West for helping Yhanna’s mother. I thanked him for going personally to my friend’s house and giving them medicines.
It was fine in the afternoon when we left Annie and Micheal. I am w/ Yhanna we’ve gone to the market and then buy Annie some fruits. She insists about what I am doing but I just ignore her. After marketing we went into the mall. I bought Annie Beautiful clothes so that I can make her smile somehow. I also bought Micheal a pair of shoes and clothes, finally I bought Yhanna an elegant purple dress w/ silver dust that shines when there’s light, I know this really fits her. She’s still insisting but I still didn’t care.
“No August I still have a nice dress” she insisted.
“No. I want you to wear this one on our performance” I grin gently.
She remained hush for a while and then finally thanked me.
TUESDAY
This day Yhanna and I still didn’t have practice. I can’t find her in school. She’s absent I wanted to go to ther house but my friends planned to hang out tonight so I go out w/ them.
WEDNESDAY
Yhanna is still absent in the class. After my class I decided to go to their house.
I knocked the door but it seems that didn’t hear it. There’s no one who opened it. I knocked the door again and there finally it had open.
“August” she whispered “You’re here.”
“Yes. You’re two days absent and I am… worried”.
“You don’t need to worry about me”
“No. not you. You’re mother”
She smiled and let me inside. I sat in a wooden chair.
“So how’s your mother? Is she fine?” I asked her.
“She’s,,,” her words were cut when her mother personally answered my question.
“I’m already fine, August” She comes toward us with a glass of a combination of strawberry and apple. Then she sat w/ us.
“Thank you for everything August” Annie said.
“You are very welcome Auntie”
Yhanna stood up and excuse him. For she will cook their dinner. We are left. Her mother and i.
“You know. Your parents should be proud of you”
“Why should they?”
“Because you are a good person”
“No, I’m not”.
She put her palm on my arms. I can feel the warmth.
“You are” She whispered.
“If I are, they don’t need to have and stay a hundred or a thousand miles away from me.. I stayed silent for a moment.
“And I am a good person why my mother had left me” in that moment I didn’t knew that I was already Crying. “She didn’t give me my name before she was gone.” I was sobbed.
I breathe and then apologize to Annie.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t help myself” I said
“It’s Okay” She whispered. I still feel her warm palm into my arms.
“Yhanna and Michael are lucky because they had a beautiful and caring mother. If God will give me a chance to choose the kind of mother I wanted to have I wanted to her to be like you”.