Chapter 4: Crowded

The car moves in a slow and steady pace, stealing the attention of the onlookers and passersby before the chauffeur hit the brakes, causing the hallmark grey Bentley to stop. The eye catching car was parked at the closest slot near the entrance of the amusement park just as the recent car who occupied the space drove away, disappearing and blending with the other vehicles in the busy highway.

Hillary turns her head to her side where her little boy is sitting. His mouth sealed from questions she has been expecting him to ask.

It’s odd. He's been too formal and well behaved ever since they left the main gate.

She’s lost at his absentminded state and strange silence. She had expected him to study the new environment foreign to his sight and fire away necessary questions like every curious child does.

Right at this moment in the backseat beside her, secured in tight safety belts. Her little prince is currently reading an article of one of the business magazine collection featured this year. He was occupied by wordlessly drowning himself from reading and flipping through the pages after another like his life depends on it.

His almond eyes were hooded on the picture of her in the right side of the article and he looked determined to finish reading what the media had published about her until the very last word of the five long paragraphs. It had fully caught his entire attention, not noticing throughout the ride he's already fixated at finishing the page.

His fingers touch the picture of his delicate mother, hiding under her thick make up in the magazine. He familiarized every inch of detail from the article, but not even once they have written about his mother’s beauty nor applaud her leadership as a woman. Is it too difficult for the society to digest a woman as outstanding as his mother was capable of handling a company better than most of the men?

Somehow, relief flash through his eyes. They didn’t know the real diamond was just hiding itself from their greedy eyes. The world’s just too vile to witness the real beauty and intelligence of his mother and none of them deserves an ounce of her attention.

They don't deserve an inch of her skin to see, the slightest smile from her lips, and even touch a strand of her hair. The last thing he wanted in life was an inconsequential and annoying man gaining interest towards his mother, plotting to steal his mother's attention and time away from him.

He swore to heavens he will grow up quickly and support his mother himself so she will have to stay at home and enjoy life to its fullest.

Hillary caress his cheek with her knuckles. "Kieran, we're here." What is he thinking so deeply about?

She was nervous from the moment on she knew her son’s curiosity was beyond imaginative, but looks like she was nervous for nothing. He doesn’t seem to care nor ask why she was persistent on keeping him indoors. She was always worried he might be carrying dark thoughts such as having the idea that she was ashamed of showing him off to people.

For God knows, her son deserve all the love in the world and she’s trying her best to fulfill that attention and treatment he needed and she has to fight against negativity everyday as it was hard doing it alone while doubting herself.

She doesn’t want him to feel the heart ache of being neglected as her parents did to her, but what if the attention she gave him was not enough as two parents can perfectly provide to a child?

What if right this instant he would ask her where his father is? What is he doing and why wasn’t he here with him?

She rests her elbow against the window beside her as she brought her hand to her lips, biting the nail of her index finger anxiously. She can’t help but ponder about all the ‘what ifs’ inside her head while staring down at her child, who’s clueless of her being pessimistic of his thoughts.

Upon feeling the brief touch from his mother’s fingers against his puffed and upset cheek he finally drags his eyes heavily away from the magazine, closing it then tossing it aside.

He looks up at her then diverts his eyes outside the window. "It's crowded, mother." His growing concern took control over his sullen mood.

"We should have asked granddad to reserve the whole place." He peeks through the tinted glass, surveying the rowdy place with disinterest. Looks boring.

He can hear the muffled voices of children laughing and yelling beyond the car, making his ears bleed in annoyance. He always despises any unnecessary noise as he finds it distracting.

Yes it’s indeed crowded. Hillary glance at her chauffeur who was standing outside, awaiting her signal for him to open the door at her side.

 Lee observed the crowd. What a mess. His keen eyes then stare at the black van that followed them in tow after he had stabilized the position of the Bentley.

He exchange responses through his earpiece with a group of men who are currently inside the van as he reports the exact coordinates of the Bentley and the team verified the tracking device attached to the car is still working perfectly fine.

Lee trusts these men who had clean and outstanding records when it comes to strength and skills, qualified enough to protect two valuable people as they are the newest assigned team to keep an eye on their heiress and young master, especially when they're in such open area for the first time, where snipers are most likely inevitable.

Only the best among the rest were fortunate enough to grasp such opportunity, but Madam and Master Marquez will surely be upset upon hearing this report.

"There’s no need, little bun. It's more merry and enjoyable when there are lots of people around. Plus, you get to see kids at your age." Hillary strokes his knitted eyebrows with her fingertips, softening them. He's still young but she's getting afraid he will have wrinkles in his forehead at such a young age.

"And if you're lucky, you might find a pretty girl."

It’s fun to go to the amusement park when it's crowded, none of the people knew who they were and none of them cared, they were too busy with their own family, friends, or lovers to have fun with.

She wants him to feel what it’s like to blend in with others, to experience living a normal life where he doesn’t feel the pressure of his indifference in status. As he grew spoiled he was getting more and more arrogant around people.

Kieran shakes his head. "There’s no one as pretty as you mother. I'm already lucky when the prettiest girl gave birth to me."

Hillary felt her insides stir in ecstasy at his response. She purse her lips and pinch his cheeks. She could sense his sweet tooth was popping out again. Bending down, she place a swift kiss on his forehead. 'My sweet little boy, please don't grow up so soon.'

"Come now, let's go." She took off her seatbelt before his then carried him before knocking on the window to call out Lee, her chauffeur.

It'll be a fun morning. That she can promise him. She smiles, brimming with excitement as her chauffeur opens the door beside her.

As they get out from car. Her eyes shut at the warm touch of sunlight against the surface of her face, the foreign scent lingering in the city air invades her nostrils. She tucks her hair behind her ear as the hot breeze rustle through her thin clothing, carrying the aroma of a familiar snack she rarely eats within the air. Her heart pumps in glee inside her chest.

Corndogs!

Her mouth watered at the image of the popular American snack inside her head, which any person could easily spot and lay their hands on somewhere in the corner of the streets here in Yuro.

She felt the sudden urge to buy one and devour the deep fried sausage wrapped around a thick layer of mozzarella cheese and bread crumbs inside her mouth.

She just yearned tasting the cheese melting against her happy taste buds since corndogs were one of the few snacks she loved that was restricted inside the mansion due to sanitary and health precautions. They say sausages aren't really healthy to consume, especially when it comes to her younger sister with their mom's sanitary issues towards unhealthy appetizers and because of this, sadly her favorite snack 'fries' were also next in line.

She sighs and opens her eyes with a small frown on her lips.

With her chauffeur's connections inside the company by monitoring and reporting every meal she consumes back towards the main mansion, she could only taste such foods in her avid dreams.

Unbeknownst, the clear sight of her lips bent downwards and the small glint of sadness in her eyes alarmed the young boy, who's clinging unto her for dear life. His eyes immediately follow where she was looking at, eager to know what made his mother unhappy.

Hillary shook her food fantasy away as her eyes land at her little boy in her arms, delighted to see he's taking his time surveying his surroundings and that alone made her smile. Her plan is actually working.

It is her third time entering an amusement park and as expected it’s as cheerful as she remembers it clearly. This is a perfect place Kieran can freely enjoy.

It’s far from the silence of the library in the second floor of the mansion or the eyes of his private tutors observing and watching him intently which every mistake he made twice was heavily judged.

She could only hope that such refreshing and mellow sight will melt the coldness in his heart just this once.

Hillary’s lips form into a straight line while recalling her experiences from the past and as far as she can remember every memory and sensation from it. The dull library felt suffocating to enter every morning when she was four years old, an appropriate age to start taking classes as a tradition in the Marquez Clan.

With high hopes her younger self thought she might actually attend an actual school where she could experience mingling around kids of her kind or start a spontaneous friendship she dreams of having back then, but that's where she called herself foolish for expecting the impossible.

She was a foolish child and isolation was her loyal friend. She would never forget how it felt. The intense craving for attention from her parents, the inevitable loneliness, and the pressure to push further for others.

The only motivation she has back then to push further was to garner the attention she wants from her parents, to be praise, and to be acknowledged. She grows up as a crowd pleaser.

Hillary’s shoulders tensed, arms holding her child firmly. She thought Kieran felt the same isolation as her, but she never heard from him requesting for other children's audience or yearning friendship with others instead he shut himself away from them. When he started taking classes early, earning a few achievements in line and just as everyone have been praising how clever he has become she can’t see the satisfaction in his eyes.  

Her child was different, but if he were to tell her that he actually felt lonely and a person such as her, his mother is fond of that feeling very well. She would find a way for him to experience the childhood he wants, even if it takes fighting for their rights against her parents.