SIGNIFICANT MEETING

Chapter 2

            When Saturday came, she was very early. Promptly at 7 she arrives at her new job and waited for the owner to come. True enough at exactly 7:45 in the morning, Don Juan Mariano arrived driven by his old driver. He slowly climbed out of the car with his usual lion head cane and signature hat. The driver after dropping him off drove away.  He nods at her and she smiled brightly.

            “Good morning, Sir.” She greeted him.

            He looked her up and down and said, “Are you going to a party?”

            She flushed and said, “We have a deal last Sunday. I will be working for you, remember?”

            “How could I forget?” he said coldly. “Why you’re wearing a floral dress and shoes with heels? You look likes you going to an afternoon party. You are not dressed for work.”

            Gabi smiled brightly, “This is my working clothes.” She lied. For this job, she intends to look her prettiest so when his nephew comes, he will notice her. She intends to do it every weekend. She has already planned her outfit just for this occasion.

            “If you say so.”  He raised his brow in disapproval of her appearance. He took a bunch of properly labeled keys from his jacket and give them to her. “Be sure to return it to me tomorrow night after the cinema close. So, by Monday morning, I could open it again. Understand?”

            “Yes Sir.” She proceeded to check the label and open the metal door that cover the façade of the cinema. The door rolled up and the beautiful façade with its beautiful ticketing counter at the center give it a glamorous 40’s vibe. The era where the cinema is treated like an expensive and beautiful place for families to hang out. On the right side where the display glass of old movie memorabilia and on the opposite side is a bit different. It’s not something you commonly see in an old movie house. The display was an encased glass trim with gold. Inside was a backdrop of red velvet and at the center was a beautiful wedding dress. It was so well maintained that it looks new. Through the years, the lace fabric of the wedding dress was turning slightly creamy. You can see the intricate lace embroidered with pearls and diamonds. It looks so expensive that even to the untrained eye you cannot help but appreciate the beauty of the dress.

            She sighed with admiration at the dress. “One day I’m going to wear something like this.”

            The old man poses beside her as he too admired the beautiful creation, “This design will not fit you.” He said softly. “You’re dreaming too much child.”

            Gabi looked at the man beside him, “Dreaming is free… besides I have the feeling it will fit me perfectly.”

            Sternly he looked at her and sized her up and down, “Dress like that fits for taller women, you on the other hand was the opposite. Besides, I don’t think any woman would fit on that dress except the real owner.”

            She sighed dreamily, “She must be very beautiful. Is she your wife?”

            “No,” he said frostily.  “Why don’t you start working now? You still need to change the letters above the marque for the movie to be shown this weekend.”

            “What?” Gabi stared at the man. “You want me to climb up there?”

            “Yes. And while you’re at it clean up the upper façade. There is a ladder in the storeroom and a cleaning agent. Make sure the letters shine well. I will be checking at it closely once you’re done”

            “But—but I thought I will do the ticketing.” She gasped. Looking down at her dress and heels in horror.

            “Ticketing? I’m doing the ticketing. You on the other hand will clean the cinema and the toilets. I want it spic and span. Understand?”

            Numbly, Gabi nods. She won’t know what she just put herself into but it sure was not glamorous. She could just see her sister Angie laughing at her while her friends would ridicule her if they know what she’s up to.

            Much later, she hoisted the big ladder at the façade wall. With a small bucket of soap and water and brush in tow, she slowly climbs the ladder. Her heels dug the slot on the ladder and her skirt billowing from the wind.

            “Oh shit, I can’t believe I’m doing this…” she muttered as another gust of wind almost flip over her skirt up. She clipped her dress between her legs but every time she hoists herself up it will drop again and the wind seems to be enjoying itself by blowing just in time. She can see that some people especially men position themselves well to see her skirt dancing in the wind. Thank God she was wearing short pants underneath her skirt. The horror and embarrassment would be doubled if she had not done so.

            Ignoring the amused crowd below, she proceeded to clean up the marquee. Scrubbing each letter with gusto while colorful words come from her mouth as she reviewed how stupid and crazy, she was. She looked down from where she was perch and saw a man looking up at her. He was wearing his dark glasses but you can see the handsome square jaw and aquiline nose perfectly supporting his dark glasses. He was looking up at her. Frowning.

            She blushed; she knows from her position that he saw it all. But he seems cool and not bothered about it. Instead, he looks mad. “What are you doing up there?” he demanded.

            “I’m cleaning the marquee.” She smiled happily at Rafa Mariano.

            “Get down...” he commanded. Then he entered the cinema followed by a girl that she knows very well. Anastasia Gill is the most popular girl in their town. She was the reigning town beauty queen and she was also very rich. The Gill and the Mariano are known to be constantly partnering in business and now, a budding closeness between the two most popular beautiful people in their town.

            Carefully, she climbed down and followed them inside. Rafa and Don Julian looked at her when she entered the cinema lobby while his girlfriend ignored her completely. She took her time going to them because her feet were hurting her. The cheap shoes she bought were digging on her heels like two nails poking at her very tired feet.

            Gabi tried to be composed but her face must have shown her discomfort that Don Julian commented, “You okay child?”

            “Never been better Sir”, she smiled too brightly.

            “What are you doing up there and wearing that ---” Rafa looked at her dress distastefully, “…that cloth?”

            “It was my fault Rafa, I asked her to clean up the marquee.” Don Julian said gently. “I was testing her.”

            Gabi gaped at the old man. “That was a test? So, I’m not going to climb up there again?”

            “Nope. I have workers for that. I was just testing you how dedicated you are and how serious your volunteer work was here in my cinema. I thought you would leave but you impressed me…”

            Happily, Gabi smiled but her smile froze when he saw his nephew’s face. He was angry, “I’m not impressed. You manage to show how stupid you are by putting your life in danger and making yourself a short amusement for those people outside who were watching your full glory displayed for their entertainment.” Turning to his uncle he said, “And you uncle was the worst. You should let her climb up there. I cannot imagine if something will happen to her. Gabi’s parents will sure hear this incident. “

            She looked at him in shock, “You know my name?”

            “Why wouldn’t I? This is a small town. You have a reputation that precedes you. Besides your parents delivered to us and sometimes you accompany them with your sister Angela for many years.”

            She frowned, “My reputation?”

            He smiled mockingly, “Yes, the adventures you created and especially the harm you did for some boys in this town.”

            Gabi turns red. The embarrassment and the memory of those unfortunate events that led her to notoriety were still very fresh to her mind. She stared down at her feet, which were now very dusty after the cleaning she did. This is not how she imagine meeting him but it seems, this unfortunate event straightened her resolve and acceptance that Rafa is not the man for her.

            “They’re no good…” she said lamely. How could she tell him that it’s not her fault?  Those boys are the ones to be blamed and not her.

            Anastasia piped in, “That was you? The girl who torched those boy’s cars?”

            She looked at her angrily, “I did not touch it…it just happen that the gas tank cover was still open.”

            The other girl looked at her with interest, “You know what I’m glad you did that. Those boys were no good anyway. I just wished you burn it all the way.”

            She gaped at the other girl, not expecting her look of admiration. “I—I will it’s not supposed to be that way. It was an accident.”

            The girl grinned and walked towards her. She then fished out from her back pocket of her mini skirt a calling card, “You call me anytime you need me. I think we will be close friends.”

            Rafa groaned and shake his head in amusement “My dear Anastasia…the crowd you hang out with would make your father crawl out of his death.”

            Anastasia pouted prettily at Rafa, “You know my friends are an outstanding citizen of Galas…adding her would be more interesting. I do get bored with Ella sometimes with all her snooty air. While this one ---" she looked at her thoroughly, “Could surely wake me up from slumber.”

            “I’m sorry but I still need to do my cleaning…” Gabi hastily escaped before she would say another word. The idea of being her plaything to dissipate her boredom was getting on Gabi’s nerve. She was afraid she might say something she will regret.

            The movie started at noontime. It was a rerun of Bruce Lee’s “Enter the Dragon” movie. They were only eight people watching the movie and they are all male with ages ranging from eight to sixty. She dozes off watching the action unfold before her eyes. She loves mystery movies but not action movies especially the old ones. When she woke up, it was already six in the evening. The last full show would end at seven. After that, she will clean the whole place again then close the cinema, ready for tomorrow. There was no one left on the seat, everybody was gone. The screen was blank and only the light from the exit door that cast a sliver of light can be seen.

            Gabi pushed her body up and stretches her limbs. It’s an eerie feeling when you are alone in a dark old place. Her hair stood at its end. Something is not right. She felt it in her every fiber. She heard stories about this cinema. Some people said that this is a haunted place. The building itself has buried bodies underneath because during the war some Japanese soldiers hide here. But the American soldier has found out and bombed the place to smithereens. No one survives the bombing. Those souls that were trapped here continue to haunt the place.

            Gabi shivered in fear. Hurriedly, she ran towards the door past the stairs down to the lobby and there she saw it. She froze, fear gripped her heart as she saw the wedding gown. She screams in fear!