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CHAPTER 1: X-boyfriend�s Dilemmas
The street of Saint Joseph was busy as any street of any busy hours.
The people were walking back and forth coming from different direction
wearing their sophisticated faces but change in to plain one once meet
by fellow, which are acquainted to them. The path that I headed was
like a river in which never ending stream of water flows down to its
very end, which is the New Era University. As I walk with this gigantic
number of people, thoughts are in and out of my cranium, their faces
and graces, the ambience had convince me that the school year had started
and I must be ready to face new challenges and meet new people.
As for myself, I was rushing to finish my college life cause
it already took 5 years, and yet I was still trying to finish my bachelor
degree. Sometimes I thought it is better for me to be na�ve,
not to dream enormously for my future, and allow everything to happen
according to my destiny. But the society and my family are pushing me to
accomplish everything. To make end meets. As a Filipino female of twenty,
my duty to my family is the number one reason to survive, and the other factors were simply to change my daily routines. Guys, friends and relationship were meant to come and go.
Friends they are meant for better things but when the worse comes,
counting on them is the first thing that you�ll regret.
Guys and relationship, they are meant to hurt and give every young
girl a possible burden, it will persuade you to the most stupid things,
pregnancy. This is the number one reason why some girls of my age are
already in the midst of their married life. Taking care of their own
family, serving his husband and feeding their children.
That was the most terrible mistake for a girl. After I realize that
some guys are not so sincere about their feelings, I decided to leave them,
and of course new relationship will be form. Seeking and searching for
my knight of shining armor, well sometimes I did the searching
but most of the times, I just sit around fixing my make-ups,
keeping my body on the right shape and they, boys,
will come that�s for sure.
I was walking towards the wide entrance of the school, I thought of having a stick of cigar to puff, before I attend my first class. I went directly to the Rancho, a popular canteen at boundaries of our school, the canteen was like a grill, like a seaside restaurant, the floor was made out of gravels, the tables and chairs were scattered not parallel to each other, the radio was playing everyday and the reggae music was the only content of the radio. The foundation and the framework of the canteen was a thick bamboo and it was painted in black, the walls are also made of pieces of bamboo horizontally attached to its foundation, different painting was hang on all sides of the canteen, this was the best staying place for me since the humid although tropic but fresh. I enter the extravagant and massive canteen and looking for a nice place to sit. I find a table far from the entrance near to a huge window, where I can breathe enough fresh air. I sit slowly while looking at every customer. I notice that some people are looking at me, maybe because I am familiar to them and they know that I am a regular customer of Rancho. Some faces are new and fresh, some are busy chatting and stating their experience about the long summer vacation they had spent. A girl, in front of me, was speaking loud enough to overhear by everyone. I can see her foolish movement while she acted her trip to Boracay, a popular place for a traveler to spend their summer, while his companion was murmuring about his trip to Hong Kong.
I sit quietly by myself, took out a cigarette from the pocket of my bag and start puffing, cause this is the only thing that can entertain me when I am alone and in the middle of deep relaxation. I notice that new students are coming in to Rancho, looking for a new friends and a nice place to hang for their vacant time. I was in the middle of my daydream, when a heavy hand drops down on my shoulder, tapping me. To my astonishment it was my old pal Stacey Sanchez. Well to tell the truth he was the most talented man I ever met and also my bold and loving x-boyfriend. He was my classmate and my buddy. In short we were partner in crime.
�Back to your old hobbies again� he said while lighting up his cigarette. � How are you? What do you do last summer? Any interest which you would like to share to me�
�I don�t spend my vacation as you expected.� I answered while exhaling the smoke out of my body.
�Did you hear the news about a Nursing student of this school, he was murdered last summer while enjoying his trip to Subic.�
�No! I don�t hear anything.� I smile cause I know he was a man who can create a great story.
�No! It�s true� he insisted while his excited eyes was looking at me. � He was murder by someone who was close to their family, while they were in an island which an hour away from their cottage. They said that before the night of the murder he was just walking behind his family and he vanished, and that was the last time they saw him alive. At that night everyone was looking at him but they don�t succeed. His body was found inside an old shuttle boat, a boat for the tourist, he was cover by sand. The head was struck by something hard which might be the cause of his death. His hands were bitterly bruised as if there is some struggle with his slayer. �
While he was doing his demonstrations about the murder, one of our followers, his followers to be exact, had entered the canteen.
�Hey! � Alvin greeted, while walking towards us. � How�s vacation?� Alvin was one of the fanatics who use to admire my companion. �So, how�s everyone�s vacation� asked Alvin with the most boastful tone.� I bet there are things that might be in use. Cause me, I spend my vacation studying you know. What do you think of it Stacey?�
Stacey and I sat quietly while haphazardly listening to Alvin who was so eager on telling his experience last summer.
�Well first, after our class last March I start to look for a job, but because of bad luck I didn�t have one, so I ended staying in my house at the front of my computer.� Alvin continues while pulling a red plastic chair from under the table and sit comfortably in front of us. � But because of what you had told me, Stacey, I look for a software and found a good one, it is Visual Basic.Net, have you heard of it?�
Stacey breathes deeply as he taps the filter of his cigarette and the gray ashes fall down in to the ashtray. He sits quietly looking at me, and finally he starts to speak out some of his comments while smiling. � Well what did I do last summer? Hmm, I was talking to Louise, and in the middle of my story you came and interrupted me and now I forgot where am I!�
Stacey�s face changed from a serious one to his satirical expression. His left eyebrow raised and the left side of his lips was smiling towards me, while the other part of his face was giving me more difficult perception. As his buddy I knew when he is doing this kind of silly stuff, it means that he was irritated and fully annoyed. And also he is not the guy who will let others down by his word or his reactions, he will simply sit quietly and think and he will give me sign of disapproval. And me as his x-girlfriend, who knew him better, I will act upon his wishes.
For a moment an air of tranquility had strike the Rancho. It seems Stacey can�t be move by any of Alvin�s word. I just sit down and wait for him to finish his cigar, and look deeply in to his eyes. Alvin stop talking when he noticed that we are not listening to him.
�Ok, I guess I should be going, it�s already time� Alvin said, looking at his new silver watch. �Perhaps our class had started�
�Ok, good luck� Stacey replied.
�Aren�t you going with me?�
�Nope! I need to talk to Louise, I believe that the instructor will not coming today�
�If that�s what you think, see you later� Alvin was waving goodbye as he drips away with the crowd of people while I was still staring of Stacey�s little but attractive eyes.
�Still incomplete?� asked Stacey while smiling at me.
�Yes, but why didn�t you call last summer, I never had a word from you?� I asked, while unzipping the pocket of my handbag to get another stick of cigarette.
�I was really busy last summer� he answered looking at my hands while I�m lighting my cigarette. �I guess your boyfriend had already told you to quit smoking�
�Yah�
� He doesn�t know about it.�
�Yes, but why on earth you�re constantly asking about his rules over me.�
�Hmm, perhaps we could talk about him, there�s no subject of interest, anyway.�
�Yes, I think so but why him?�
�Cause I think you had a new commitment with him last summer, and he had give you a gift, that handbag!� He answered and pointed at my bag. � And I guess you had spent much of your time with him last summer. But the troubles in your home earlier had muddled your mind, so you forget about him for a while, until you saw me tapping you. �
�Trouble?�
�Yah! With the sick maid�
I try to hide my amazement of his conclusions about me but I believe everything that he said was true especially about that no good sickly maid. I don�t know how does he found out that my nanny was sick. But then I realized that perhaps he had called early this morning and my nanny had answer the phone. I tried to inquire about it, but it seems his tongue was faster than mine.
�That�s what keep me busy, last summer� said he while chuckling. �I don�t really want to try it to you, but my eyes are really naughty. I can see it, as clear as the morning sun�
�What are you talking about, don�t say you are busy following me last summer and spying at my every move, what kind of joke is this Stacey!� I raised my voice to him it seems like he had stepped on my pride. And I knew he was a man who like practical joke. But I didn�t know that he would be using it against me. I sprang from my chair and I tried to walk away but he grabbed my wrist.
�Wait, don�t get me wrong, I am not spying on you. I don�t have time to follow you and you know that, I was just in my study� He explained while pulling me back on my chair.
�And why do you know all about it. All about the commitment, my sick and old nanny, my handbag. And my incompleteness and my troubles early this morning� said I while sitting again on the red plastic chair.
�Ok, listen to me first. As I said I was busy because of a little dramatic yet meaningful theories� he stated while looking at me smiling. But his voice had change back to his calm and inmost fortitude. � They call it science of deduction, have you heard about it?�
�No, I don�t have an idea about it� I answer while still waiting for his explanation.
�Louise, you know everything about me.� he said while looking straight in my eyes as if he was staring at my soul. It seems that some ambiguity are vanishing, yet, it still puzzling my mind as I extract every word that�s coming from him. � You know that I am a guy who was eager to learn everything. And I told you recently that I am writing my own novel. So I gather a lot of facts and info on how to write a novel. In my study I bump up into this magazine, Writer�s Digest, and it leads me to one of the most exciting and grotesque series of all time�
He paused for a minute, hesitating if he will tell me about it or not. I had thought of a good word to encourage him to continue his story but it seems like it will not give an impression on him that I was interested. So I just I smile at him.
�Hmm, so what happen?�
�Do I need to tell you this? Well I think I had it, and you know that I am eccentric anyway and I have nothing to loose if I will tell you this.� He stated while looking up on the ceiling. � It�s about Sherlock Holmes. Did you know him?�
�Sherlock Holmes, the famous detective, I heard of him but never read any of his adventures.�
�I just want to know how does Conan Doyle wrote his novel and I simply want a frame work for my novel. But upon reading The Study in Scarlet, the first adventure of Holmes with Dr. Watson, I found out that there are things that are more interesting than writing a novel. And that is Holmes� science of deduction. So I continue reading about Sherlock Holmes adventure, but now my goals were changed I am reading it not to look for a guideline for my novel but to look for a guideline for his theory. And I spend my summer studying his science of deduction and applying it in my everyday life. And that�s what I did to you.�
�So what about the science of deduction� I asked while doubt is growing in my heads.
�Ok, this science of deduction as Holmes stated, is the process of taking out all of the ideas from your mind or eliminating unimportant facts, anything that will be left, yet improbable but true.� He demonstrated while continue puffing his cigar.� From that process, I had learned and I try to experiment with it. Every burning day of the summer was like mere complexity, first it is hard for me, even in my dreams my mind were still wondering about traces, from footmarks to ink and ashes. You know that I was excited on logical thinking that�s why I enjoy bugging my self with this stuff. Sometimes I got it wrong because of my own explanation, and my reasoning get more complicated everyday. But I am really thankful about those mistakes cause it is linking me to the best and it gave me some quite handful experiences.�
I sat quietly while listening to Stacey�s explanation, as his x-girlfriend I knew that he is the guy that can adapt any principle in just a flicker of time. His brain was like a machine and I didn�t wonder why he is one of the most outstanding students of the school. And now he was telling me that he had found an interest, which is more complex than computer programming, and I realize it is harder for me understand it, cause the difference between his mind and mine was vast. I was listening to his fanciful statements when I remember that the reason for his explanation is to make me believe that he is not following me last summer not to educate me about what he had learned last summer. So I decided to interrupt him.
�What a great excuse you have, I think that is the best tale I ever heard from you.� I said with my rising tones. �All I want is an answer. How do you know everything about me? What is the connection of your study in my affairs last summer.�
�Ok since you are so hot about my answer� he said with an airy voice while he light another cigarette. � I will tell you everything. When I saw you in this canteen, I take the back entrance for you not to notice me, so I saw you smoking while wondering, I don�t really know what is in your mind back then. Perhaps you were just wondering about the new faces you have seen, since I don�t have an idea. I think of a good way to interrupt you, by tapping your shoulder and pretending that my arms were heavy like your boyfriend�s arm, that�s to pretend that I am not Stacey cause you know my arms are fly weight. I saw that you were astonished when you saw it was only me not your boyfriend, maybe you were startle cause you think that if he might see you smoking again it will starts another argument. And in that glorious moment when I tap you, I realize to try my new skills to you.� He paused for a while and puffed his cigarette. � When I notice that your expression haven�t changed a bit, I conclude that you are still anxious about your boyfriend Jason, I notice you looking at the back and the main door. As if you�re waiting for him. So I thought of diverting your mind by telling you an interesting story about a murder of a nursing student. Since I know you well, I know you are glad to listen about gossip and rumors. But while I was speaking, I observe that you are not listening to me. And the only reason for you not to listen to me is because of him. Indeed he was still in your mind. That�s why we end up talking about your boyfriend cause you miss him. You miss him cause you spend this summer with him, you won�t miss him if you didn�t spend your summer with him, just like when you spend the summer of 2003 with me. I can see in your eyes that your feelings about him is heavier�
�Hmm. That was a logical explanation, ok I admit I miss him, you know me and you know my feelings about him.� I said to pretend and to hide my feelings for him were growing � But what about the handbag, the commitment and the sick nanny� I cried with an exclamation.
�Wait everything was a chain� he said, playing the ashes on the ash tray by his cigarette.� So Alvin came and I notice you were looking at my eyes, I had thought that you�re attracted by my eyes and you were comparing it with your boyfriends eyes, and I also notice after looking at me you look at your bracelet. That gives me a biggest hint about your commitment with him. I consider that last march, before the end of the school year, you told me that Jason had added another pendant to your bracelet, and also you told me that the pendant was a sign of commitment, and he is the only one, you said, that has the right on adding another pendant to your bracelet cause he is the one that gave you that. Right?�
�Right! So you see the new pendant that attached to my bracelet?�
�Yes, that pendant was so rational to tell me that you had a new commitment with Jason�
�And the handbag� I added excitedly to hear some of his explanation.
�The handbag of course, also comes to your boyfriend. Actually I just realize this moment, that when he gave you the pendant he also gave you that bag.� He said while smiling with his attractive little red lips stretched up to his puffy cheek.
�And why do you concluded that he gave me this handbag?� I asked while I try to hide all of my admiration to his conclusions.
�I can even tell you the date when he bought that pendant and handbag. Do you want me to continue my explanation about it.� He asked.
�The date?�
�Yes the date�
�You�re getting methodological, ok continue. I will listen.�
�Ok, as I said earlier, the link of that handbag and that pendant was the date when he bought it. Accidentally, while I was strolling at SM during the end of the summer, to satisfy my needs and curiosities about my study. It was June 3, and the mall had sold their products with a fifty percent discount and higher. I went in to this botique, where they are selling some cool gifts for a girl, I saw those bags in a row, and there�s a sign board on top of them, actually I was planning to buy it to gave it to you but, I realize I need ample cash on that moment, so I just ask the clerk about it.� He stopped for a moment, reconstructing his ideas.
� �How much is that bag� said I. �Sir, the original price was nine hundred pesos, since it was sale today, it is only five hundred.� He explained. � I thought it�s fifty percent off�
�Sir, if you buy that bag you will also receive a pendant� he said walking towards the accounting desk. He invited me to look at the pendants and I saw that pendant look exactly like those pendant on that botique. He asked me if I�m going to buy, I declined and left the store without buying any of their goods.� He paused, looking across me and leaning his head on his hands on the table. � So you see the connection of that bag, the pendant and Jason.�
� I understand now, but that was so simple.� I said while looking at my bag and my pendant. � Everyone can link it.�
�Everyone?� he murmured. � If I never explain it to you, you will not believe that I am not following you. And now you said that was common. Although the inference where in just front of you, but their link will remain camouflage unless you try to take the concealment out of it�
�What are you muttering about?� I asked when I hear his voice rising. �You�re getting defensive. I think you change a lot.�
�Everybody changed, you change a lot too!� he said. His eyebrows start to get sharp and his cheeks turn red, I really like seeing Stacey get annoyed like this. � So if you think that was simple, what do you think is the reason why I figure out that your nanny was sick?�
�Hmm, I don�t know, I don�t have a clue! Since you remind me about it, you can explain it to me then.�
�See, that�s what I am telling you� he blubber with boldness. � You say it is simple, though, you can explain all of the links to unwrap it all out.�
�Ok, ok! I�m wrong from justifying it�s simple� I said to end the audacity of my x-boyfriend. � Will you please continue your explanation.�
�Ok, since you ask for it� he said smiling again with his descending temper and pause glancing at the main door while his eyes are slowly moving towards the grass outside �I just want to recall that earlier, when I tap you, I notice another singular traits from you, it was your expression and your tidiness. Your face looks haggard; you�re not fresh, if my memory serves me right, you are not the girl that will be crumple in the beginning of a day.�
�So!�
�It only means that you had done something that distort your early morning routines. When I realize that it�s true, another theory had form quickly in to my mind. What should be the reason of your untidiness and your haggard expressions?�
�So, how do you conclude that I am untidy?� I asked with impudence my part.
�Your, dress of course.� He answered plotting and tapping his fingers on the yellow painted table. �I notice that it was not identically flattened, that only means that the one who flat-ironed your uniform is not your nanny and it�s you. Isn�t that right?�
�How can you conclude that it was I who flat-ironed it.� I asked testing his integrity.
�That was simple, mainly there are 6 persons in your house, your mom, your dad, your brother, your baby sister, the nanny and you. Ok, from that cast, let�s start deducing it one by one, using Holmes� science of deduction. Since your nanny was not the one who flat-ironed your uniform, cause it was differently flatten, like I say earlier. Our suspects, the one who flat-ironed your dress, reduced to 5, is it right?�
�Ok.� I react while flowing with his methods.
�Your father was a very busy business man. When I pass the market place early morning, I saw the shop was open and your father managing it. Although it is probable that, he might had flatten your uniform, but the traits of freshness can be seen in him. Therefore after waking up and taking a bath, he went directly to the shop to manage it.�
�What if he flatten it before taking a bath.� I said while still testing his veracity.
�I remember, when we are fond conversing on the telephone, you said that your family was health conscious. From that I deduce that he is not a guy that will use flat-iron before taking a bath, as a superstitious believer he knew it is bad for his body.�
�Ok that was rational.�
�Let�s go to your brother, a very lazy young man� he said, chafing his hair by his hand. �When I was dressing up, I saw him, by the window, pass our house, about 6 in the morning. Since you had told me before that your brother doesn�t interfere with you, nor you to him. And he is not thoughtful enough, he can be easily remove from our list.�
�Hmm, that was the most rational words that I heard from you.� I said and smile to him.
�Your mother, very busy taking care of the baby, could easily remove from our list, cause I saw him chatting about life with my grandmother with the little baby on her hands. And the only one that was left in our list was you. Therefore, you with your haggard face, which is telling me, that you had encountered something that twist your morning habits, was the one who flat-ironed your uniform. And the activity that twisted your routine was the flatiron. And the only reason why your nanny was not the one who flattened it is because she was sick. Am I correct?�
�What if she was on vacation?�
�Nope she won�t, logically she won�t have another vacation after a long vacation, and your family needs her services at this moment. And she needs her income to supplement her basic needs. And you had told me before that she was truly dependent upon her income. Right?�
�Ok, I believe in you, I admit that she was sick and I am the one who flattened my uniform.� I answered yet I�m still airy about the conversation. �Who cares about it?�
�Actually nobody care.� Said he. � I just want to prove that I am not following you last summer and Holmes� Science of Deduction was reliable after all. Maybe it�s time for us to go to our class, I admit that I was wrong on telling Alvin that our teacher will not come today.�
While we were preparing to depart the foggy canteen, fixing our things removing the traces of ashes in our dress, Jason, my boyfriend, with his suspicious looks had entered from the main door of that glamorous canteen. Staring straight on Stacey, while Stacey was lifting his big light-Phtalo-blue knapsack. At the moment I felt like I was struck buy thunder, cause I was passionately leaning on Stacey�s shoulder by my hands and whispering on his left ear to telling him that I miss him.
If you have comments or suggestions about the novel you can Email me at [email protected] I will be glad to listen to your advice.
Thanks for Reading!!!
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