Chapter I

"Mr. Paz!" Andrei called out to their village captain as he catches a glimpse of a woman stealing in a bakery, "Look at this," He said as Mr. Paz came and point to the computer's screen.

"What are you doing here? Respond!" He shouted that force Andrei to stand and run through the village guards to pull and take them in the shop.

"Miss! Miss! Wait there!" They shouted as they see the woman walking away from the shop, "Hey! Hey! You, Come with us!" Andrei said when they already reach her.

She came with them as if she didn't know what was happening, She's just dumb and as if she wasn't on her own walking next to them, they arrived at the village hall with that situation.

Mr. Paz responds quickly as he sees the girl, Andrei take her to a room where they can asks without scaring her.

"Who are you? What's your name?" Mr. Paz asks to her, "Why don't you talk?" He asks again when she didn't answer.

"Uhm, Captain She's just like that since before," Andrei said while pointing at the woman, "She doesn't speak and just shocked," He added.

"What the? So you're saying that she's dumb?" Mr. Paz exclaimed as he realized what Andrei says.

"Maybe," Andrei answered.

An hour past but they're just there looking at each other waiting for this crazy dumb girl to talk and explained to them what she does but they just received nothing but a stare.

"Argh! I give up! You know Andrei take her to the police station and let them handle this," Mr. Paz announced and stood up to his chair.

"Uhm, Miss le——" Andrei didn't finish what he wants to say when she finally talk.

"I-i a-am F-fleur," She said in a shaking voice.

"Fleur?——Okay Fleur, Can you tell us? Why did you steal bread from the bakery?" Mr. Paz asked, Finely so Fleur won't get scared.

"I don't want to do that," She replied with her teary eyes, "I'm just hungry," She added.

"Why didn't ask for it? Why do you have to steal first?" Andrei asked her curiously.

"As if they'll give me, They'll think that I'm dumb and just a crazy street woman," He even sees more her teary eyes when she looked at him.

Andrei didn't answer anything on what she said, He feels sorry for Fleur because by just looking in her eyes you will see the suffering and sadness she feels.

"If that it's so, You Fleur! Where are you from? And why do you look like that?" Mr. Paz asks and sit on his desk.

"I-in——I-in——B-Bulacan," She replied, stuttering, "I-am in C-Cebu?" She even asks.

"Don't you say you didn't know you in Cebu? How did you get here without even noticing?" Mr. Paz asks next.

Fleur bowed as if remembering what happened and how she came into the province from Batangas without noticing it.

"B-because———"

***flashback***

"Memphis! Memphis!" Fleur shouted when no one opened the door, "Memphis! I just want to talk to you, please!" Fleur shouted at the same time she knocked loudly on their gate.

"Fleur, What is it again? Memphis isn't here anymore!" Sheena, Memphis' older sister, came out of their house to face Fleur.

"Sheena! Please, tell me where is he?" Fleur begged her but she just bowed down and didn't answer, "Memphis !! Please, Sister! Tell me, Where does he go?" Fleur cried.

"Fleur, Come here," Sheena comforted Fleur and hugged her, "Please, stop crying! I will tell you where he is," Sheena said, so Fleur wiped her eyes with both hands and faced her sobbing 

"W-where is h-he?" She asks once more.

"He's in Cebu, trying to forget all the pain he has because of you. Fleur, please! Don't go to him, let him forget, Fleur!" It silent Fleur on what Sheena said.

"B-but——" Fleur didn't finish what she was going to say when Sheena spoke again, "He suffered so much because you left him, Fleur! Going to Cebu is the only solution for him to forget all of that, so I hope you let him live quietly," She explained and left Fleur stunned.

***end***

"Wait! What we are asking is how did you get here? What are you talking about?" Mr. Paz asks annoyed.

"Captain, easy! She's just starting," Andrei cooly said to calm him.

"Okay! Okay! Continue!" Mr. Paz said while swaying his hand in the air.

"I didn't know the next thing happen," Fleur bowed her head and said it sadly.

"What? Okay! You said that this boyfriend of yours is here in Cebu to unwind? And her older sister said don't follow him but you still do follow him, Why?" Mr. Paz orderly concludes what Fleur said and asks her again.

"I-i just w-want to," Fleur said it while her head's bowed.

"What are you saying you just want? You just don't want it, because in your story you want to follow him and talk to him!" Mr. Paz explain to her.

"B-but——" Fleur couldn't go on with what she wanted to say because it seemed like she was missing the word to say.

"But?! What?" Mr. Paz asks her.

"I don't remember! I don't remember how I got here!" Tears welled up in her eyes as she shouted.

It was obvious to her that she wanted to know what had happened to her, How did she get to this place without noticing? But one thing they are sure of is that she knows, she is here to follow her boyfriend.

"Memphis" Andrei just whispered.

'Wait! Is it Memphis when she said her boyfriend's name? Or I just misheard', Andrei said it to his mind talking to himself.

"M-Memphis" Fleur cried it, "I-i only want i-is to t-talk to h-him," She added.

"Come on, Fleur! Is Memphis Altamirano the one you say is your boyfriend?" Andrei asked curiously.

"Y-yes, D-did you know h-him?" She asked and Andrei just nodded in response, "T-take me with him, p-please," she begged.

Andrei glanced at her before he speaks, "Okay, I'll help you but in one condition," He said.

She nodded.