Chapter 40 Mom
Her eyes gradually opened. This morning, she didn't experience the typical harsh jolt that shakes her out of her sleep. It seemed more like Mother's soft voice was gently lulling her to wakefulness while gently enticing her. Her sleepy brain slowly realized that the room was still dark. The dark blue shadows of the waning night lingered around the folds of the curtains. There was that tinge of gathering light that made the darkness somehow comfortable and cozy. She rolled over and let out a lazy yawn. It was too early to get up. She lay there, unwilling to think back on the agony of the previous night and content to simply savor the peaceful moments of sleep before the sun awoke the rest of the world and ordered everyone to resume their hectic schedules. She then realized Ares wasn't lying next to her. She made the decision to walk into the living room to check, but to her surprise, Ares wasn't anywhere to be seen.
Kianna asked herself, "Did he go to work so early?”
She noticed a meal on the table with a note. She immediately grabbed it and read the note made by Ares. “Good morning, hon. I go to the company and work overtime today. Don’t forget to eat the breakfast I made for you. I love you! From your husband, Ares.”
Kianna hugged the letter and gave it numerous kisses as her cheeks suddenly grew scarlet. Following that, she finished her breakfast. She forced a sigh and sat up, rubbing her eyes before going to the bathroom. After brushing teeth, combing hair, and rinsing sleep from the eyes, the clothes that had been laid out the previous evening were reluctantly put on.
Mornings, especially in the dark, were not a part of her routine. However, she had an early class today, so she went down the stairs. She quietly walked out of the home and along the quiet street, wondering if anybody else had noticed how incredibly dark it had become before the light appeared in the morning.
5:00 a.m. has passed. When she got to the bus stop, a bus was already waiting there. The street is quite busy with shoppers and sellers competing for the best deal of the day, making for a raucous environment. Her entire awakening, however, was prompted by the scent of freshly baked pandesal, cooked fried rice with an egg, and coffee. After boarding, she chose a seat next to a window so that when the bus drove, the chilly wind would greet her face.
* ringing * ringing * ringing *
“Hey,” she said on her phone. “Are you already in school?”
“Yeah, I just arrived. Where are you?” Miaree, on the other line, answered.
“I’m on my way. Wait for me at the cafeteria. I will tell you everything that happened yesterday. I just can’t forget that situation. The fear is still lingering on my body. Anyway, I’ll just meet you at the cafeteria, okay?”
“Okay, see ya!” Miaree said before dropping the call.
When I arrived at the school after thirty minutes of silence, as I left the bus, I saw my two best friends, Miaree and Marcy. I approached them in the middle of their conversation about our Theories of Personality homework.
“Finally, you're here. We have been waiting for you for decades!” Miaree shouted.
“I said, wait for me at the cafeteria. Why did you guys wait here outside?” I asked while pulling them to enter the gate.
As we walked towards our department, I started telling them everything that happened yesterday. But instead of asking me if I'm okay, they focused on the questions about the Vueravista Company. I let out a heavy breath as I looked at them with disappointment.
“Chill, girl! We are just joking. Are you okay? Did they hurt you?” Marcy interjected.
As Miaree approached me, she patted my shoulder and said, “Look, if you were going outside, make sure to call us if you are heading home by yourself. I can ask my driver to drive you home.”
I answered, "I don’t want to be a burden. I will make sure to be extra careful next time.”
“You are not a burden, you are our best friend, and your safety is our priority, so don’t be so hard-headed and just do what I said, okay?” Miaree repeated, and I answered her with a nod.
“Girls! Did you girls read the readings for this morning?” Marcy interjected. He seemed to be panicking.
“You haven't, have you?” Miaree and I ask. We started laughing as soon as he suddenly opened his bag and started finding his textbook in Theories of Personality.
-
The Villa de Vuertalejo
Approaching Vuertalejo's villa has a rhythm and pace to it. There is silence before the line separating the road from the woodland. Once beyond the invisible border, tension builds in a quiet pianissimo. The house is not immediately apparent, but it timidly peeks through trees, like a young child playing hide-and-seek. While dominating the view, the home is still inextricably linked to the forest. As the eye follows the house's enormous curves around the sides, the edge of the forest and the house begin to blend together. Small circular windows hover over the crooked tree-branch door handle, and the entrance door is covered in vertical wooden slats, creating a tapestry of detail.
A Suzuki Swift car was parked in front of a very wide villa. As Ares gets down from his car, a woman wearing a red fitted dress with blonde hair and wearing a gold earring approaches Ares.
"Good morning, son! How's your—what happened to your car?" the woman asked worriedly while staring at Ares' Suzuki Swift car.
Ares scratched his head and tried to explain the situation, "Mhm... Mom... It's... Never mind, it's a long story."
Her mom sighed in confusion, "Okay, that's fine. Anyway, let's head inside first. Wait—what with the sudden decision to get married quickly?" Ares' mom asked.
Ares didn't know what to answer and started changing the subject quickly, "Mom, how's your husband?"
