Chapter 1 - The Acquaintance

"Amelia, honey, it is past 8:30, you are going to be late in your night shift, today is Friday, people would be rushing for a ride, come on wake up." A calming voice from nanny Martha wakes up Amelia while slightly tapping her shoulders.

Martha has been her household helper since she was in her college years. Amelia's Mom who was living in Province trusted her to be with Amelia and assist her with all her needs.

When her mother died due to a heart attack, Martha has been taking care of her which causes her to be an old maid. She devotes her time to Amelia and treats each other as a family.

She witness Amelia's life from being madly inlove with Dave to the time that she struggled while she was pregnant with Phoebe. She is secretly keeping an eye on Phoebe as she felt strange when her blood rushed through her body when Phoebe was born.

Martha has been taking care of Phoebe since birth and has been a grandmother to her. She treats Phoebe like her own grandchild and attends to Phoebe's needs whenever Amelia is unavailable.

"Hmmm..." While stretching her arms up in the air and slowly grabbing her cellphone from her bedside table, "What time is it nanny Martha?"

"It is past 8:30 in the evening and I'm afraid you are going to be late", Martha grins while folding her blanket.

Amelia sets her eyes to her cellphone and..."WHAT?!!! Why did you not wake me up?! Did I set my alarm right? Did you hit the snooze button? I cannot be late again." 

She rushed through the bathroom and immediately grab the shampoo bottle and spread it all over her hair down to her body. She turns the shower open and bathes herself in cold water, she forgets to turn on the heater.

She talks to herself, " I cannot be late again, Dave will be in rage again."

While rushingly brushes her teeth, she faces the mirror and suddenly remembers her weird and spine-chilling dream, "What a weird dream, I hope I will not encounter the same situation, but the restroom is cool though", she shrugged.

She hurriedly dresses up a plain beige long-sleeved top and pulls black slack pants and enters Phoebe's room, " She is sleeping already, I will not wake her up anymore, please tell her I am off to work."

Martha puts a black 500ml water tumbler and black thermal food pouch inside her big bag while Amelia turns to her, "Alright, here is your packed midnight snack, do not forget to eat the fruits."

Amelia pushes her sole into her black leather shoes and grabs her big brown leather bag with her merchandise inside, "Thank you, I have to go."

She dashed through the door and hurriedly takes the elevator.

"Come on, how could you be so slow." she mumbled while tapping her right thigh and impatiently staring blankly, waiting for the elevator door to open.

"DING!" Her eyes widen as the elevator signal shocked her, it is much louder this time than last night.

The elevator door slowly opens and a tall man, wearing a plain yellow round-neck shirt and blue faded jeans is already inside the elevator. Amelia is not able to look into his eyes, he is so tall and a glance will be too obvious for him.

While she slowly bends her head, she extends her arm and pushes the ground floor button with her cold fingers, she can see his white sneakers with drops of water, and begins to wonder, "Why are his shoes soaking wet, where did he come from?"

"Ding!" The elevator signal causes Amelia to take a glance at the elevator buttons.

They are on the second floor and the elevator opens. The tall man exits from the elevator but drops a white handkerchief hanging from his black sports bag.

"Uuhm excuse me, sir, you dropped your handker..." Amelia tries to reach for the man but he does not bother to look back and the elevator door closes.

Amelia picks up the white handkerchief and while spreading it slowly she notices a red embroidery that reads, "Tikaluna."

Amelia's eyes broadens in surprise when she remembers her dream and intentionally drops the white handkerchief while she feels her hair raising and her spine freeze in terror.

The elevator opens and Amelia rushes to the front door of the building. 

A lady in a red dress shows up and picks the white handkerchief and puts it into her purse while smirking at Amelia.

Amelia is walking fast but her mind vividly reminds her about the white handkerchief and her weird dream.

She waves her hand at the first taxicab she sees on the road. The taxi cab slightly passes at her and she runs to open the taxicab's door but because of her inept moves, her snack and apparel products which overflow from her brown leather bag fall to the ground, and another girl steals her chance and grabs the taxicab's door and enters. 

Amelia misses the taxicab and decides to ride the bus instead. The bus is full of commuters and she has no choice but to stand at the aisle of the bus holding the cold metal handrail of the bus.

"Squeeeeeaaak!!!"

A nerve-wracking high-pitched grinding noise is heard which causes the commuters to lose their balance because the bus driver strongly steps on the break.

Amelia loses her grip on the metal handrail and unintentionally collided with a short old man with a long white beard standing next to her.

"I'm sorry." Worried Amelia holds the old man's left arm checking him if he is alright.

He grins, "It's okay, it is the driver's fault anyway." Amelia smiles back.

The bus stops, she taps her bus card near the exit door and walks fast to her building.

Little drops of rain are starting to wet the ground and she runs while covering her head with her big brown leather bag.

"Good evening." proudly showing her I.D. to the security card.

"You are late again, Miss Amelia." shaking his head and his cheeks raise.

Amelia turns her back to the security guard and winks, "I still have collectibles from your last denim pants."

"I know, I will pay you on payday!" Silly he shouts at Amelia.

Amelia accidentally meets with some of her colleagues from her day shift before, "Hey! How are you day shifters?", giving them a high-five gesture.

A guy wearing a floral top and faded black slack pants answers extend his hand and waves, "Hey! Amelia,  We're good!  We miss you, let's catch up sometime."

Amelia pulls different packed goods from her bag, from cookies and nuts to some beauty products, and gives them one by one to her five colleagues, "Yes but before I forgot, here are my new products which you will surely love."

Her colleagues bursts with laughter as they take Amelia's products. They are Amelia's avid customers.

"We will just pay this on payday.", her guy colleague answers giving her an okay sign.

Amelia walks straight while raising his left arm," No worries, I have it on my list."

She walks fast as she remembers their names one by one and which product did they get.

Amelia brushed her shoulders to other employees making their way to the elevator.

"I'm sorry it's already 9 and I'm freaking late." her eyes squeeze and her lips showed her dimples.

 A girl wearing a gray office suit and pants holding a cold plastic tumbler with iced coffee paved the way for Amelia while smiling, "Sure go ahead, it's just our break time."

"Oh, Amelia, before I forgot, (turning her head to Amelia) is the pink checkered dress with ruffles on sleeves still available? I remember I tried it the last time you offered it to me.

" Yeah, it is, I think it is meant to be yours, I will drop it on your table later."

The girl smile back but Amelia does not notice it as she enters the elevator.

Her office is on the 13th floor of the building and it would take few more minutes before she reached her desk.

 She collided with Dave when she quickly opens the office door. 

"And you are late again Miss." turning his body to Amelia's direction while holding two cold pastic cups of iced coffee.

Amelia shakes her head and gleamed.

"Which soon to be Mrs...", following Amelia to her office desk.

"Stop it, Dave, I am not even interested." While heading straight to her desk.

Dave stands on the side of her desk, "How's Phoebe my baby doing?"

She puts her bag underneath her table and turns to Dave."Wow, after 34 years Dave you have the guts to ask me how is my daughter doing?"

"Your daughter? Alone? Haha! You make me laugh so hard Amelia. And hey, she is just 4 years old! 34 you freak (he murmurs).

" I am not a freak, and that is how long you have been absent for Phoebe so technically speaking, Phoebe is none of your business." While she turns away from Dave's direction and begins to arrange the papers and pens on her desk.

"She has my blood you cannot deny that." sips from his iced coffee.

"A blood which I hate the most Dave." She sets her eyes straight while talking to him and places her headphones into her ears.

Amelia pulls out a folder with a list of credit card owners, she checks her pending unresolved inquiries from yesterday and marks the names with her yellow pen.

Dave extends his left hand and gives her the other cup of iced coffee, "Come on Amelia, let us just be friends for Phoebe's sake. This is for her future."

"So...you decided already to give up one of your boyfriends?", she chuckled.

Before Dave can answer her...Amelia puts her fingers on the telephone and dials a number. "Hello good evening Ma'am, about your inquiry yesterday on your credit card limit..."

Dave turns his back from Amelia,  leaves the cold cup of iced coffee on her table, and cringed while asking himself, "How did she know about my boyfriends?"