Chapter 16
“AM I right, Caroline?”
Caroline looked away. Hyacinth knew precisely what was on her mind at this very moment. “I just want to help them—”
“Yeah, right,” she cut off sarcastically. “That was the same the reason when you paid your ex-boyfriend’s bail that worth one hundred thousand pesos.”
Caroline winced upon hearing the words ‘ex-boyfriend’ and ‘bail’. “That was years ago, Hyacinth! And, I learned my lessons when he didn’t pay me back. That’s why I sued and made him pay even half of it.”
“That’s the point, Caroline!” Hyacinth exclaimed. “You’re impulsive again. And, your impulsiveness attacks every time you get emotional. Every time you felt sorry for certain people that you’ve been comfortable talking with. But, when they make you feel unwanted unintentionally, your sympathy will fade again. And you’ll regret everything that you have done for them.”
Caroline drew her breath, she glanced at the coffee shop and found Benjamin cleaning the table that they occupied. He’s a kind man, she thought.
“I don’t think I’ll regret helping Benjamin and his kids,” she said and smiled. “Look at him, he’s a hardworking single dad. He’s a good person.”
“Caroline, he’s not a charity case,” Hyacinth countered with a smirked. “And I won’t disagree that he’s hardworking. I can see it. That’s why you don’t have to do whatever plans you have in your fickle head.”
Caroline looked at her friend in disbelief. “Didn’t you hear what Anastacia said? They’re sleeping at their dad’s office space with only comforters. I can’t just let them stay in that kind of situation. And besides, it’s just for temporary as soon as he finds a place to move in, they will leave my house.”
Her friend snorted. She started the car’s engine. “I heard that excuse from you numerous times, Caroline. Don’t dare to do it again. I don’t want you to get stress again because of your wrong decisions in life that could have been prevented if you just listened to what your mind says, not your heart.”
Caroline can feel the concern in her friend’s tone. “Hyacinth, I know that you’re just worried about my emotional state, and I thank you for that. But I don’t see any problem with my intention of helping Benjamin and his kids.”
Hyacinth cupped her forehead. “Stop that craziness, Caroline.” She drove the car away from the Café Demitasse before she started to talk again. “The problem is your emotion.”
Caroline’s brows snapped together. She hates it whenever someone tried to hindrance her plans. “Hyacinth…”
Hyacinth slowly stepped on the brakes when the streetlights turned red. She took that chance to reach for her arm and give it a squeeze. “Please, Caroline. Think about it first.”
Caroline gazed down at her friend’s hand over her arm. Hyacinth was anxious about him, and she can see it in her eyes. It’s been almost seven years since Hyacinth found out that she was just renting a small room in one of the apartment buildings inside the Intramuros. On that same day, she asked her to move in her house located in one of their company’s village project. Hyacinth’s was still paying for the house ownership, and in return for her stay in the house, she’ll be the one in charge of paying the house bills.
In those seven years, Hyacinth witnessed and discovered everything that characterized in her personality problem. She’d been living with that nightmare for a decade now, and it all started when her first boyfriend dumped her for another girl. He didn’t just cheat on their relationship, he abused her physically before he abandoned her like a used toy. Because of that, Caroline suffers from unstable emotions that attack whenever her partner does something that triggers her doubts. There were times that she felt depressed, annoyed, sleepless, and anxious for an unknown reason. If not for Hyacinth’s moral support during that time, Caroline might be gone by now. She was the only person that never leaves her through her worst.
Caroline touched Hyacinth’s hand. “Okay, I’ll think about it.”
Hyacinth heaved a sigh of relief. She gave her a genuinely warm smile that never failed to calm her mind. “Thank God, you listened.”
But she still wanted to help Benjamin. She needed to help his kids in any way that she can. Caroline looked at the Café Demitasse logo in Hyacinth’s cup of milk tea on the dashboard and remembered Benjamin again. He needs me…
*
Benjamin’s gaze followed Caroline’s car as they drove away from the Café. He noticed that she and Hyacinth looked like having an argument while inside the vehicle before they leave. Benjamin could have just ignored it and resumed on his works inside the Demitasse kitchen. But, he can’t help it when his mind thinks about Caroline and her reluctance to talk about their high school days.
“Dad, where’s Tita Caroline?” Anastacia went on the table that Caroline and Hyacinth occupied a while ago. “She has left already?”
Benjamin put his hand on top of her head, he gave her a gentle pat. “If that’s what she promised, then let’s hope that she won’t break it. Don’t worry, baby. If Caroline doesn’t make it tomorrow, I’m sure that she’ll find time to come here again for you and Antonette.”
Anastacia’s downturned mouth remained. “I should message her and remind her about her promise.”
“Anastacia, promises are meant to be broken,” Antonette said. She was already on her way to the kitchen. “Dad, I’m starving,” she said to him with the same bland tone.
“Okay, I’ll prepare for our dinner. What do you want for dinner?” Benjamin asked Anastacia, who was still affected by Caroline’s not saying goodbye before leaving. “Anastacia?”
“You should be the one contacting her, Dad. She’s your friend,” Anastacia suddenly said. “Did you get her number?”
Benjamin’s eyebrows raised. Now that his daughter mentioned it, he remembered that he forgot again to get her number. He was too preoccupied with their impromptu meeting for the second time that he forgot again to ask for her cell phone number.
“You forgot again,” Anastacia grunted. “I’ll just drop a message on her social media account tomorrow. I just hope that she’s not a private person.”
A crease in Benjamin's forehead appeared upon hearing those words from Anastacia. He couldn’t make an idea of what she said. “What do you mean by you’re hoping that she’s not a private person?”
Anastacia knotted her forehead. “Poor, Daddy. How will you keep up with Antonette and me if you’re not familiar with SNS terms?”
Benjamin heard the other customers giggled. He cleared his throat. “I’ll learn those terms soon—”
“You should ask Tita Caroline to teach you. I’ll tell her that when she came back,” she said and faltered to the kitchen.
Benjamin was left wondering again. He heaved a sigh, he hated the word ‘how’.
***
