Chapter Three [ The Secret love]

                                               Chapter Three [ The secret love]

         David and Daniele run into each other again on a sunny Sunday morning as she walks along the path to the parish church.

There are no other churches open at that time of day. The Parish church in Daniele's hometown is open every Sunday morning.

     "Why are you up so early? Are you supposed to sleep longer because the weather here is fresh, cool, and a quiet place where no one ever bothers you?" David inquired. Daniele bursts out laughing.

       "You don't know me. I love going to church, whatever church it is as long as I can worship the Lord Father Almighty. I can kneel behind the tomato plants or under the big tree if there are no churches in one place. I'm so lucky, we have one like this here," Daniele says quickly.

       "I believe we share the same religious mindset. I was born into our universal church, but I prefer local churches where I can express and practice my faith, which I consider to be the only way to my salvation. I don't need to go to church to show that I'm a religious person. I went to churches to worship God together with other believers who know that they will not be saved unless they have faith."

       David expresses his thoughts to Daniele as he admires her for the simplicity of her lifestyle. He's carefully examining her personality. "I know you're a good person, Daniele, but to be a good person, you don't have to be religious to show others that you have God; you just have to be consistent and stand to the truth even if you don't become a successful nun in the convent," David told Daniele.

       "Wait! How did you know I wanted to be a nun?" Daniele wonders. "Of course, I'm interested in you! You capture my heart and soul, and I dream that you're my soul mate!" David defended. "Wow, that's fantastic!" says Danielle. "I've been your secret admirer, and you're my secret love," David says.

       "Wait a minute. I don't know you yet, and you say that to me?" Daniele wonders as she pauses on her way to church and rests under a tree. "Come on, tell me about yourself first," Daniele says. For the first time in her life, she pays attention to a stranger, David. "How could you know my name and interests?" she wonders.

        Daniele began to question David. "Well, the moment I saw you here a long time ago, you already captured my eyes and my heart started to jump and beat faster. Then, I said to myself, perhaps God give you to me. I might not return to the Seminary again once you love me."

        Daniele interrupts David's explanation. "Do you already talk to my father?" Daniele inquires.     David reported, "Yes, He was coming to the church and attended the Holy Eucharistic celebration with your mother." "You were already in Rome, Italy at the time, and I returned here." David looks into her eyes, scanning her internal reactions once more. He can see the happiness and peace in her eyes. "Is there no more grief and loneliness inside Daniele?" he inquires.

      She only smiles. "I'm so glad to see your eyes sparkle, Daniele, and I hope you forgive your companion who caused your failures," David says as he grasps her hands and gently pinches them. "Can you give me some time and space to think about it?" Daniele asks. But she accepts that her heart is racing and that she is filled with joy whenever they are together.

      "He hasn't told me that he loves me yet; he just says what he feels and we're mutual. Is this how he courted me?" Daniele muses. They walk on until they reach the Community Parish church. The choir began singing the entrance song and they chose to sit in the back seat together. David appears to be having a great time with Daniele at the time. While Daniele is still thinking about their previous conversation. She simply smiles and hopes for the best.

       Daniele couldn't sleep that night. The moon is so beautiful as the wind howls, causing every palm and coconut leaf to sway, casting shadows on the gleaming moonlight on her windows. She went to the terrace and gazed at the galaxy's countless stars and constellations.

     She notices a tall man's shadow emerging from the meadows along the path walk. He is holding bunches of wrapped flowers. He's getting closer to their gate. Her father is standing near the gate where the dog house is erected, waiting for her mother to come out to feed the dogs. When the man knocks on the gate, the dog barks. Daniele's heartbeat accelerated as if she were ecstatic.

       "Good evening Sir, Can I visit Daniele? I'm her friend." Father just nodded in reply to his visitor. "Daniele, Come over to her. You have a visitor.!" Her father summons as her mother gently touches the dog to stop creating a loud noise. The dog is struggling against the visitors. "You can proceed to the terrace. Daniele is there."  Daniele quickly stands up and welcomes the visitor as she offers the seat.

     "Good evening Daniele!" the visitor greets her gently. "David! How could you know my house?" She asks quickly in surprise. "If there's a will there's a way," David replied smiling. Daniele laughs at his reply. "You seem like a poet. Are you already courting me that way?" Daniele asks frankly as she smiles and eyes sparkling.

       "I can't sleep any longer! I have to tell you what's inside my heart," David responds gently and softly, his eyes looking very inviting. He hands Daniele the bouquets of red roses. "Thank you, David," she says as she smells the red roses and arranges them in the large flower base on the table.

        Daniele burst out laughing at him. His attire appears to be that of an old-fashioned gentleman, with his white long sleeves and necktie so tightly wrapped around his neck. But he is stunning, standing nearly 6 feet tall with beautiful blue eyes, a well-curved nose, and curly high-cut blonde hair. And his lips thin as he smiles, and he has a beard on his face, giving him the appearance of an old-fashioned Italian conservative royal bloodline from the previous century.

        "Come on, David, make yourself at home and relax; please take a seat!" Daniele invites. "By the way, if you don't mind, how long have you been here in the Philippines?" "I've been here for almost a month," David responds, sweating even though it's windy and cool on the terrace. He continues to discuss his past.

        " I was here a long time ago with my Seminary colleagues. We spent our regency period here, then I returned to the Seminary and stayed there until my first profess. I had my apostolate for 2 years, but I realized that I was looking for something that wasn't present inside the seminary and decided to leave. Now, I'm here with you."

         "You look so good, David. We're so impressed with your behavior. How I wish we could be of good company." Daniele expresses her intention to introduce the villagers' simplicity and hospitality so he doesn't have to exert so much effort to be impressive. "I'm attempting to adjust to Filipino people, including your traditions and culture," David says. "You can, David," Daniele says, "but I'm already a modernized Filipino influenced by western ways and thinking, so you don't have to worry about me."

       "But I like how you were brought out as a seminarian because we both come from religious orders; my training is westernized, and the nuns are completely modern and liberated already; sometimes, I was surprised by the way they think and behave, but they are not hypocrites."

       Daniele expresses her thoughts and experiences. Her parents and relatives are nearby, listening in as they prepare food for the gatherings. "We appreciate your visits here, David; we've prepared a little something for you and everyone who wanted to welcome you; my sons and daughters from town, as well as my grandchildren, are here before you arrive; they've spent their vacation with us while Daniele is here."

      "Let's continue the gatherings as we celebrate my daughter Daniele's return from the convent," Daniele's father explains as everyone appears on the big terrace and the lights turn on with festive music. "We've just finished harvesting our crops, and God has blessed us abundantly; let us all thank God for all we have in Jesus' name," Danielle's father says.

      "I'm surprised. I never expected this to happen, but it's amazing. You all are amazing," David exclaims. "I'd like to take this opportunity to tell Daniele my sincerity and honest intention as all of you have witnessed me courting Daniele. I'm not ashamed to tell you all that I fell in love with her the first time I saw her. I'm willing to marry her in the church as soon as possible." David confesses as he turns towards Daniele, who appears surprised by David's reactions towards everyone.

      "I never expected you to be so quick in courting me because I haven't prepared my response yet," Daniele says, smiling as she looks around the terrace. "All right, we're never against your affairs if they're genuine. You appear to be of legal age and ready to settle down; you can plan your wedding now." Father approves their affairs quickly as others agree.

      Daniele cannot object because she likes David and her heart leaps with him. "OK, the feelings are mutual; I will marry you, David," Daniele declares. The lovers embrace and kiss each other in front of everyone in the house, joyfully declaring David and Daniele's instant marriage plan.

        Someone in the crowd whispers to Daniele's elder brother that David is her boyfriend and that she is David's first girlfriend since they were in Italy. Daniele's brother approaches her from behind the crowd and tells her what the woman outside told her about her affairs with David. Daniele dashes inside the house, dragging David behind the walls.

        "There's a woman from the outside clan claiming to be your past girlfriend since you were in Italy," Daniele says to David, who is overjoyed with Daniele and her family's acceptance into the clan. "What? I never thought there was a kind of hush that wanted to quiet me in the middle of happiness. I'm so thankful for your acceptance of my love, and I hope you love me too Daniele. Please never believe in such kind of intrigues' love you, and you're the only one most important to me," David insists.

        "I don't know any women here; you're the first one I've met since coming to the Philippines," David admits. "Why don't you talk to her? She's waiting for you outside," Daniele suggests. "You come with me so you can see if we know each other," David responds as the two of them approach slowly outside so no one notices them. Daniele's older brother joins them in their search for the woman.

        "Where has she gone, Kuya?" Daniele inquires of her brother. "The woman was just here when I was talking to you, and now she's gone," Daniele's brother says as they search the house. "If she's true to what she says, why did she leave?" Daniele wondered.

         David is almost bursting with curiosity and disgust. But he must exercise restraint because this is a crucial night for both him and Daniele. "Perhaps she intended to sabotage our love affairs, our marriage plans, and this lovely night for us," David says as he touches Daniele's arms and invites her to re-join the crowd. "By the way, David, where are you staying now in the Philippines?" Daniele inquires. "I live inside the convent with the Parish priest," David responds as he continues.

        "I'm no longer a priest, but rather a Brother Deaconate, assisting the priest in his activities such as office work and ministerial activities to the people," David explains. "That means you're secure and safe from temptation," Daniele added. "Ah, are you getting suspicious about my fidelity to you, honey?" Daniele jokes in response to David's call. Before they enter the crown, she hugs him.

         "You're so sweet honey, be careful that we don't get tempted," David warns as they kiss each other behind the shadows of the big tree outside. "I also love you, honey, this is my first time falling in love with a man," Daniele confesses as they hug. "Can you wait until everything is ready? It's not the ideal time yet. We'll get you married soon." Daniele's brother interrupted as they turned inside to mingle with the happy crowd.