2nd of Spring - A Sudden Interest (P1)

"Salamat sa paghatid," Selena thanked him when they reached the gate of her dormitory. 

Xander gave her bag back and she took it from him. 

"Sige, papasok na 'ko," she said with a smile then turned away.

"Wait." 

She stopped and turned back to him. "Hmm? Bakit?"

"You mentioned earlier na may trabaho ka pa," he said, reminded of their little chit chat along the way to her dormitory.

"Ah, mmm." She nodded. "Kailangan kong pumasok. May naiwan pa kasi akong trabaho do'n."

"Sa'n ka ba nagtatrabaho?" 

"Dyan sa coffee shop na malapit dito." And she pointed towards the shop. 

He raised a brow. "Mocafé?" It's a coffee shop near their school that is open for 24 hours. 

She nodded. 

"'Wag ka nang pumasok mamaya. Magpahinga ka na lang," he suggested. 

She creased her brows and pouted a little. "Hindi pwede. Baka maalis ako sa trabaho kapag 'di ako pumasok."

"You have a valid reason to be absent. They won't let you go for that."

"Pero baguhan pa lang ako do'n."

"It's fine. Trust me," he said, peering into her eyes. He had such a serious expression. 

She looked away, pursing her lips. After thinking for a while, she sighed. "Okay, fine," she surrendered. 

"Good. Sige, magpahinga ka na." He bid goodbye to her. 

She nodded slowly. "Bye." She waved her hand at him and went inside the dormitory.

Alexander stood there for a minute. When he was sure that Selena was not around anymore, he pulled his cellphone from his pocket and dialed a number. He put it near his ear. 

He waited until the opposite line answered. "Hello? … May I speak to Ms. Jean Cruz, please? ... It's Alexander Fontanilla of FMC Corporation. ... Yes ... I have a favor to ask."

---

When Selena reached her room, she put down her bag on her bed, grabbed her towel and went straight to the bathroom. She took a sponge bath. She wore comfortable clothes, a loose shirt and a pair of shorts just above the knee length, and fixed her hair into a ponytail. She started doing her homework. While writing, she was trying to decide if she would take Alexander's advice that she should not come to work. She still wasn't feeling very well, but she considered the possibility of being fired if she wouldn't come.

It's fine, trust me. Alexander's words and his expression as he said those replayed in Selena's head. She couldn't understand why he told her that. 

She whirled the chair and faced her teddy bear, which was comfortably sitting on her bed. "Trust me, daw?" she asked it. She paused, as if waiting for its reaction. "Bakit, ano bang alam n'ya sa trabaho ko? Baka mamaya kapag 'di ako pumasok matanggal pa ako sa trabaho." She scratched her head.

She stood and sat beside her teddy. "Oo, mabait si Ms. Jean, pero kahit na. Baguhan pa lang ako. At saka, ayoko abusuhin 'yung kabaitan n'ya." 

She carried her teddy and looked at it. "Isa pa, mayaman sila, kaya 'di nila kailangan kumayod. 'Di ba?" 

The bear tilted its head as if it had a life on its own and was trying to comprehend what Selena was saying.

She bobbed her head, convinced of what she told the bear. "Tama. Papasok ako mamaya. Konting pahinga lang okay na ako." She rocked her teddy and made it nod.

She put it back on her bed. "Makagawa na ulit ng assignment." She stood and stretched her arms. She sat back on her chair and continued doing her homework.

It was already five in the evening when Selena got her homework done. She set her cell phone alarm at 8pm. She took her teddy, lay on her bed, which was only big enough for her body, and hugged her teddy until she slept.

Selena woke when her phone rang, not from the alarm, but from a call. She looked at her cellphone, one eye closed. It was still 7:30pm. She had a missed call, the one that caused her to wake up. She looked at her phone to see who called. It was from an unknown number. She wondered who it was. She also had unread messages, which were from the same unknown number. She read the first message.

From: +63906XXXXXXX

Hey. It's Xander. Just wanna ask how you're feeling now, and if you still plan to go to work.

- end of message -

She never thought of Xander as a worry wart. She thought he was one who doesn’t care. She waved her surprise off and typed her reply to Xander.

To: +63906XXXXXXX

Hi. Okay naman na ako. Nakapagpahinga na ako ng konti kaya papasok na ako mamaya. Salamat sa concern.

- end of reply -

It was almost 8pm already so Selena didn't go back to sleep. She turned the cell phone alarm off and prepared herself for her work. She left her dorm at quarter to nine. Mocafé wasn't far away, but she had to go early so she could work sooner and get a little higher pay. She had to, because her younger brother was brought to the hospital again because of leukemia. The salaries of her father as a construction worker and her mother from selling at the market weren't enough. So even if she felt a little dizzy again while walking, she continued thinking that her work would help her parents provide for her brother's needs. 

When Selena arrived at the café, she went straight to the counter. "Ako na d'yan," she told her co-worker. Her tiredness wasn't obvious on her face. She was very hardworking and she could do all her tasks well.

A little later, Ms. Jean approached and talked to her at a corner. "Ano'ng ginagawa mo dito?" She asked. 

"Nagtatrabaho?" Selena said in a question-like manner. She couldn't understand why her manager asked this. 

Miss Jean crossed her arms. "Hindi ba dapat nagpapahinga ka ngayon?"

"Po?" Selena uttered in confusion. 

Her supervisor raised a brow. "May sakit ka, 'di ba?" She asked.

"Ah. Okay na po ako. Nakapagpahinga na po ako ng konti," she replied with a smile. 

Ms. Jean put her hands on her waist. "Konti? Tingin mo ayos na 'yun? Namumutla ka pa nga, oh. Ang mabuti pa, umuwi ka na at magpahinga."

"Pero, Ms. Jean—"

"Kulit mo talaga, 'no? Sige na. Umuwi ka na. Don't worry, you won't be fired. You can work next week, or once you're really fine," she said, smiling at Selena. 

"Okay po." She frowned. "Pero, maaga po ako papasok sa susunod!" She said then ran out.

"Ang cute talaga ng batang 'yon," Ms. Jean said, talking to herself. She remembered the conversation she had with Mr. Fontanilla.

("Don't mention to her that I told you to let her rest.")

"But why, sir?"

("She wouldn't like that. And I don't want her to know that I'm involved in this.")

"Okay, sir. But what should I tell her?"

("Just give any kind of excuse. She listens to you, right?")

"Yes, sir."

("Well then, I'm counting on you.")

"No problem, Mr. Fontanilla. I'll take care of this."

And their conversation ended.

Jean smiled to herself. Mukhang hindi ko na kailangang masyadong mag-alala para sa batang ‘yun. May mag-aalaga na sa kanya. And she giggled at the thought.

---

Xander was sitting by the balcony near his room, breathing some fresh air. He was holding his cell phone since he texted Selena, staring at her reply. Ang tigas ng ulo n'ya. Parang si… He stopped himself from thinking, but he couldn’t. He was too deep in reverie that he didn't notice his twin's entrance.

"This is so unusual. You're smiling." Alexis greeted, evidently glad of what he saw.

Xander was surprised. Then the smile that was painted on his face without his own consent vanished. 

"Tell me, what's the reason behind that smile?" He asked. 

"Wala," Xander answered briefly. He placed his cellphone in his shorts' pocket, then looked at the stars.

Alexis went near him. He was also looking at the stars when he spoke again. "The last time I saw you smile like that was when Ella was still here," he said, his voice hinting sadness as he mentioned that name. 

Alexander kept silent. He was still gazing at the stars. A frown replaced the smile that was on his face earlier. 

"I'm sorry. I didn't intend to remind you of her," Alexis said when he noticed the frown on his brother's face. 

Alexander shook his head. "It's okay. I was actually... thinking of her, even before you mentioned." And there was another moment of silence.

"You miss her?" Axis asked. His curiosity of the reason behind his brother's smile didn't leave him. 

"I always do," he answered. "Ikaw rin naman, 'di ba?" 

Alexis nodded. "She had never left my mind. But I already accepted that she won't be back."

Xander crossed his brows. "She will be."

"But it's been more than ten years since she disappeared," Alexis replied with sadness in his voice. 

"And I'm willing to wait for more years, if that's what it takes for her to return." 

"Don't keep your hopes too high, Rex. You might just get disappointed in the end." He tapped his brother's shoulder then he left.

Xander was left alone on the balcony. He let out a small sigh and returned his gaze at the stars. "Babalik ka pa, hindi ba, Ellie?" He uttered, as if asking that person he hadn't seen for so long.