Vacation Leave

Chapter 1  Vacation Leave

It’s been eighteen minutes had passed since her friend Kim left her in a coffee shop for a moment. Irene appears to lose her patience, while so she resolved to distract herself from the sense of waiting for someone. She concludes to give him a little more time and stay a little longer. 

On the other side of her window, she notices how the sky slowly turns dark. She recalls her umbrella and peers over her handbag, hoping that she carries it with her. When she saw it, she finally eases up and gulps her last sip of tea. Then stood up and waits for his friend in front of the shop. Giving him a few more minutes and, if not, she will go home alone this time. 

“Irene! I am so sorry if I have taken some time out there. We’ve been looking for each other in both different locations.” 

Kim’s introduction when he showed up with Erick. Erick gave her a smile as their eyes met and nodded to her in greeting. Irene could not reciprocate because of the impatience she endured waiting for the two. 

“Leave it be... As if I had a choice.” 

Her only reply sounding annoyed for the two. Kim felt Irene’s sluggish treatment of them, so he gave her a hug on her right side. 

“I said how sorry I am, ok. Please don’t act this way, honey... Alright, I will cook your favorite stir fry noodles with seafood when we reached home. That will be our dinner today... And also, will be my peace offering to you. How’s that sound?” 

Kim said while he was trying to restore Irene’s trust again. As the wind swiftly passes by, he tries to remove some strings of hair from Irene’s face just to see her expression more clearly. 

“Fine... As long as you put a lot of shrimps in it.” 

Kim’s face lit up, and because of that, he hugged Irene again. 

“Guys, I think we should head home before the rainfall comes.” 

Erick said with an open palm, looking up into the sky. The two agree, and Kim pulls Irene by the arm and walks towards Erick’s car. 

These three friends live together. The residence where they settled was owned by Kim’s grandma, who had long since passed away. They claim it to have been Kim’s mother’s first home when she was young, and that is when his grandpa was still alive. When Kim’s grandpa passed away, they moved to her grandma’s province and settled there since then. 

Kim inherits his grandma’s residence because he is the eldest son of the 2nd child of his mother. When Kim and Irene got a job in Makati City, they both decided to use the house because they learned that it was near enough to their workplace. They figured out it would be more practical to live there than to rent an apartment. 

Seven months later, Kim went home with his boyfriend Erick. This is Kim’s longtime partner in college since then. When he too, received a job in Makati, he started staying at his partner’s residence too, and lived together.  

  

“Um, girl. Do you want us to take a vacation tour somewhere, like out-of-town?”  

  

Kim asked Irene hesitantly as they ate supper.  

  

“Sure, where do you wish to go?”  

  

Kim and Erick looked at one another, and they stared at Irene. Meanwhile, Irene sipped her glass of water without drawing her eyes off the two.  

  

 “You guys, ok?”  

  

Irene asked again, but it was about the two. She sought to figure out what was wrong and assumed that maybe there was something on her face. She found nothing and looked back at the two with a questioning expression on them.  

  

 “Uh, yeah... I just thought we should go to Vigan and Laoag. We haven’t been there yet. So, Erick and I concluded to try the place.”  

  

“I like the sound of it. Isn’t Vigan being one of the “ones” with a deeper history in our country? I would love to see it with my own eyes.”  

  

 Kim applauded with joy and Erick smiled ear to ear because Irene agreed to their long surprise vacation for her.  

  

“Ok! That’s set. There’s no turning back and ~ now I’m very excited.”  

  

Kim said, being thrilled with the excitement.  

“So, I suppose we should set our schedule first. You Erick, is it okay for you to have a leave from work?”  

Irene asks innocently, not knowing what her two companions are into.  

“For my part, I have already settled that. I didn’t spend my leave last year so I can use it now.”  

Erick said.  

“That’s nice. Well, Kim and I will have to request the department about that. By the way, how many days are we going to stay there?”  

Irene asked then, but right now, she was staring at Kim.  

  

“Uh, Irene. You see, I already requested the department about our vacation leave and they all acknowledged it. About the days, Erick and I grabbed the 7 days for Ilocos Tour. His friend offered that to Erick, so luckily they discounted us at everything.”  

Kim answered hesitantly.  

“What?! Alright... When are we leaving?”  

Kim and Erick looked at one another again, but now with fear on their faces.  

“I-it’s tomorrow.”  

  

Kim replied, roughly in a mumble. Erick, on the other hand, is head-down and ate quietly.  

“You guys! Why so sudden?!” 

Irene responded, raising her voice to the two. Meanwhile, Kim smiled back at Irene shyly, lifting his two hands in the air in a peace sign. She can’t help but facepalm at the haste decision they made. They did not prepare her for the sudden vacation from work and didn’t know what the actual intention they’re getting into. 

Kim and Irene work in the same place. That place is a well-known Five-Star Hotel in Makati. Both did not finish college in the Hospitality Management Course. Even so, they could get in because of a backer they had there, and also because of some experience they had in the same environment. 

Six years have flown by since they began working there. Now Kim serves as a Kitchen Manager, while Irene is a Front Desk Manager. Apart from them, Erick has been in his different company for over five years now in a bank and is also a supervisor.  

That night, Kim did nothing but to please Irene. They are leaving tomorrow, and if Irene decides not to come, they need to cancel everything. They worked out this plan ahead solely for Irene’s sake. Kim loves Irene so much more than his boyfriend and Erick understands this. Because he witnesses how much the two went through in life.  

In the dawn, Irene woke up with Kim sleeping beside her. He fell asleep on her side, waiting for her approval about their vacation tour. Never noticed how he desperately wanted it. Just the sight of him soundly sleeping makes Irene’s cold heart melt. She sighed and reached the blanket to tuck him in neatly so he wouldn’t get cold.  

  

“Who am I, to make you sulk for a long time.”  

Irene whispered to herself.  

  

From her room, she came down to the kitchen to drink water. While drinking, she turns her head to where the clock was attached to the wall and notice that it was 5:16 in the morning. It was too early, but she considered she would just prepare breakfast for everyone.  

Their Ilocos Tour happened and nothing will make Kim even happier. They travelled for more than a few hours until they reached the so-called hotel which is included in the Tour package. It was late at night when they arrived at the hotel after seven hours travel by car. Because of this, they could not have supper and went straight to their room and rest.