Chapter 1 - I am Still Deciding if Meeting You is Fortune or Misfortune

"Strangers are just friends you have yet to spend time with."

“GUYS, I just have to say, I’m soooo excited for our first out-of-town trip!” Angelique squealed as she talked to her friends on video call.

Her friends and she just graduated college with a degree in Education a few weeks ago. Uneasy with leaving student life behind at long last and nervous with finally entering the world of professionals, they decided to have their first of many trips before they get serious with giving out resumés and going to job interviews.

Nina answered her, “You better not be late tomorrow or we will have the van leave you.”

Jeffrey butted in, “Do you remember where we should meet?”

“Of course! It’s at the mall entrance 9:00 am, am I right?” she answered.

Revin sighed, “But if I know better, Ali (as Angelique is casually called by her close friends and family) will ALWAYS be late. We should have told her to come at 8:00 am so she would be there at 9.”

“Yeah, I am kind of regretting being honest to this lazy woman.” Jeffrey answered.

“Hey!? Do not forget that I am just right here listening! Do not talk shit about me as if I am not here, okay?” she protested.

“Anyway, make sure to bring necessities and food for share. And I would not forgive you guys if any of you suddenly takes a rain check for whatever stupid reasons you may come up with.” Nina warned.

“Oh, do not worry, Nina. Just dare not show up and I am going to personally barge in your houses and drag your ass back in the van.” Angelique gleefully said.

That made everyone laugh. “Just be early!” They collectively said to her.

“Alright, alright. Geez!” she protested.

Angelique barely slept. She is always like that when something important happens the next day. She cannot quite pinpoint if it is because of nervousness that she may sleep in ‘till late at noon or excitedness that she will eventually have her first trip with only her friends without any guardians or parents to supervise them strictly. Maybe it was both.

Because she was sleeping lightly, Angelique was able to get up at 6:30 am. She had already packed her bags with the things she might need the night before so she had no problem about that. Now all she need to do is to cook her share of food for the swimming trip.

Looking back at the never-ending threats of her friends to not come late, she analyzes herself. She admits to being late. However, it is not because she wakes up late as people usually assumes about her. It is just that, she is a deep-thinker. Her mind never rests from thinking. Even as she does other things, she daydreams. She has done that for as early as she can remember. Even at the moment, as she cooks, she is daydreaming.

She searches the fridge for anything she could cook. She found a pack of hotdogs and decided she is going to fry them to bring with her. “No swimming is complete without hotdogs!”

But this is just an excuse. In reality, she just does not know how to cook a proper meal. At the age of 22, the only thing she knows how to cook is fried or deep fried meals.

Her mother Isabel enters the kitchen. “Have you readied your bags?”

“Yes, mom.” she answered.

“Do you need me to help you?”

“No need. I can do this myself.”

“You are only bringing hotdogs to your outing??”

“Yeah, mom. Nothing is wrong with that. . “

Isabel shook her head. “Ali, you are already an adult. Some people get married your age. You ought to know how to cook meals!”

“This IS a meal mom.” Angelique laughed.

“If I would be your husband and discover that you do not know ANYTHING about cooking, I would leave you right this instant.”

“Mom! Husband? I do not even have a boyfriend yet. Do not get ahead of yourself.”

“Well, you will get there, eventually. You have to learn!”

“I will learn if ever I get married..” Angelique answered while laughing. “But that is still in the far future.”

“Oh, daughter, you will never know. The time for you might come faster than you may think.”

“Really mom? You want to get rid of me THAT fast?” she asked her mom jokingly.

Isabel enveloped her daughter in her arms. “Oh, if only I can keep you here forever then I would.”

“Do not worry mom. You still got a long way before you could get rid of your annoying but gorgeous daughter.”

“Are you talking about your sister Ginger?”

“Mom!!!”

This is how Angelique and her mom Isabel usually talk. She is fortunate enough to have such a cool mom that she could share all her thoughts with. Isabel never gets angry with her when she talks about her things at school like friends, enemies, crushes and boyfriends. It is as if they are just best of friends.

“I will finish packing these up, darling. You go ahead and fix yourself.” Isabel told her.

Angelique took a quick shower. She put on the sundress that she specifically bought for this occasion. The sundress she bought was in old rose color with beautiful sunflowers decorating it. She put on white sandals and a wide brim straw hat to match it. She put on light make-up. With eye shadow in light peach color, pink blush and nude lipstick, she is ready. She planned to take a lot of pictures with her friends and post it on her social media.

Satisfied with herself, Angelique started her commute to their meet up location. As usual, she is running late. Her phone beeped. She opened a direct message from Jeffrey.

Angelique Cruz what is taking you soooo long?

Do not tell me you are still taking a shower?

“I am on the way!” She replied.

“You always say that.” He answered.

She glanced at her wristwatch the moment she reached the mall. 9:05. “Not bad. Let’s just say I took a grace period.” She dragged her bags behind her and went to the mall entrance.

“Let’s see. . What type of car did they say we rented..?” Angelique remembered it was a black van. She also remember Nina mentioning the plate number but she cannot recall it.

She looked sideways in search of a black van and found one just parked at the corner. She was humming to herself as she walked to the van. When she attempted to open the door, she found out that it was not locked. So she just swung it open.

“Nobody is here yet??” She glanced around. Even the driver was not there, that is strange. It should have been full of people already. Eventually she noticed that there was someone in the back of the car sleeping while covered with blankets. Thinking it was either Jeffrey or Revin, Angelique jumped on his lap and hugged him. Both as an attempt to startle and greet him.

“Let’s go!!!” Angelique shouted and lifted the blanket hoping to see either of her two gay friends. But instead, she saw an unfamiliar but handsome face.

He must be a foreigner, she thought. The man is obviously not a Filipino. He has lush dark brown hair. His eyes bear the color of sea with hints of sunshine. His eyebrows are straight and bushy which makes him look irresistibly male. He has a high-bridged nose Angelique has never seen before. She usually does not like a scruff on a man but it only made this one charismatic. She might have stared at his pursed lips for far too long as she was wondering what might be troubling this guy.

Obviously, you! Angelique told herself. The guy must have been uncomfortable with her suddenly jumping at him for no reason at all and disturbing his sleep. She hurriedly got up and bumped her head on the roof of the van.

“Ow!” Her head seriously hurts. But she heard a soft laugh disguised as a cough. He must be laughing at her thinking that she is a fool. She was so embarrassed she cannot look at him in the eye. “Sorry. I must have surprised you. I did not mean to interrupt your rest.” She said.

No reply.

“This might be rude but. . is this YOUR van?” She was trying to figure out what happened. Did she get in the wrong van? Did HE get in the wrong van? Is he a joiner in their trip? Or just a hitchhiker?

He remained silent so she studied him openly. No. He cannot possibly be a hitchhiker wearing that fancy suit.

“Hello?” She continued to talk to him. “DO.. YOU.. UNDERSTAND.. ME?” She moved her face closer to him. Maybe a bit of eye contact, and a much louder and slower voice would make him understand her. “YOU.. SPEAK.. ENGLISH? YES? OR NO? CAN YOU HEAR ME?” She does not know how to do sign language but she did a lot of gestures hoping that it would help.

He just continued to stare at her with furrowed brows and pursed lips. Angelique figured maybe he was trying hard to understand her but cannot. Maybe the man does not speak English.

She felt pity for him. Foreigners who do not know how to speak English sometimes might get made fun of by locals. And this man does not even have an interpreter with him at all times. He looks like a businessman. It must be hard for him conducting business in the Philippines.

“Hey miss! What are you doing here?!” A man shouted at her.

Angelique turned and saw a bony man wearing a suit. This must be the man’s assistant. “Sorry. This is not what this looks like. I got in the wrong van. I did not mean to intrude your privacy.”

The thin man nervously looked at the handsome man sitting inside the van as if to say he will get an earful later. Angelique felt sorry for him and somehow wanted to help. She fixed the man’s blanket, “I am really sorry. I apologize, okay? It was an honest mistake. Please do not blame your assistant. Here, I will be going.”

He was carefully and silently studying her face. She totally forgot that he cannot understand her and just rambled on excuses.

She hastily reached for her bags and got out of the van. She faced the assistant still holding the door for her. “Mr. . please help me explain to your boss that it was just an honest mistake. I do not have any ill intention in going in his van.”

“Thank you, kind miss.” The assistant flashed his white teeth in a smile but somehow, that did not help with the initial intimidation that Angelique felt in their presence. It was just a downright embarrassing and scary experience for her.

When the assistant went to the driver’s seat ready to drive away, she knocked on the windows. “Thank you. Thank you.” she bowed to the assistant as well as the boss. He must probably understand what a simple thank you means especially because she bowed her head. It is like the international gesture for gratitude.

The young man just looked at her in passing and turned to his assistant, “Let’s get going.”

The windows closed and the engine roared to life. Angelique can only look at the van as it sped away. What just happened? The young man ordered his assistant to go. “He can speak English?!”