When Ivy woke up, it's nearly afternoon. Last night, due to her turbulent emotions umiyak siya hanggang sa wala ng luhang tumulo sa mga mata niya. However, she promised to herself after that day she will never cry again.
Bumalik siya sa nakaraan, at sigurado siyang 'di niya na hahayaan pa na tatakbo ang buhay niya sa gano'ng paraan. She would live to the fullest, and she wouldn't let herself be a slave in past.
Right now, her brother needs her, and that man needs her even more. Ang mahalin ulit si Axel ay isang malaking pagkakamali na 'di niya gustong ulitin pa. If Erica really wanted him, then she wouldn't obstruct their path.
She won't take revenge with them kung 'di siya uunahan ng mga 'to. She's not a saint, never now nor in her previous life, so if they still want to destroy the castle she's trying to build, they should hide because she wouldn't take revenge in a childish manner just like she used to.
'I promised.' Ivy said silent, while her smile was filled with malice.
Without any delay, she started getting ready with her morning routine. Nang matapos siya ay agad siyang bumaba para kumain, but she was shocked to see her brother's assistant. She couldn't help but stop on her tracks, at napatitig dito.
He was a handsome man with gentle temperament, he is also much shorter than her brother and much more slender like a youth in his highschool. As far as she can remember, this assistant had been on her brother's side for three years.
It can be said that this man was her brother's most trusted aid. Even when her brother got into an accident, this man used his life in order to save him. That's why she was sure that this man wasn't a mole that their enemies sent to their company.
Back then, she used to be a little haughty when facing this man. Yet, he still treated her like his little sister, and cared for her genuinely. Thankfully, 'di pa huli ang lahat para tratuhin ang taong 'to nang mabuti. This person is the biggest benefactor of their family!
"Assistant Luke?" Tawag niya rito.
The man immediately turned his head and smiled at her, bago inilagay ang pancake sa platong inihanda niya sa mesa. "Ivy, come on eat." And gestured her to seat.
She nodded and smiled, bago umupo at tumingin sa souffle pancake na pinatungan ng butter, berries and maple syrup. It was really delicious to look at!
"Lennon, already went to the company at 'di siya makababalik ngayong hapon. He also let me come here to take care of you, kasi 'di raw maganda ang pakiramdam mo." He said carefully, "O-of course, if you don't mind?"
Ivy didn't answer for a few seconds, and breathed deeply. Ever since last night she had been thinking this kind of thing, she hopes that he won't be offended.
"I-Ivy? W-Well it's okay kung ayaw mo, babalik na lang ako sa kompanya—"
"C-can I call you kuya?"
"Ah?" Luke was shocked to hear this. Did she say that she wanted to call him brother? "Y-You wanted to call me brother?"
"Is it okay?" she asked and pinched her fingers under the table.
To be honest, treating him better is only her first step in paying back their benefactor. She knows na ang sakripisyo ng lalaking 'to ay 'di mapapantayan. Kaya kahit sa simple man lang paraan gusto niyang makabawi dito.
Luke isn't a bad person, he treated us like his own family. I couldn't understand why I am not good to him, ang ginawa lang naman ng lalaking 'to ay alagaan ako at ang kuya ko. I am really stupid in the past... I couldn't even see who is genuine and not.
"Y-You... It's okay," he paused awkwardly, "I just thought you hated me kaya ayaw mo sa'kin."
"I'm sorry..." 'I'm sorry for being a spoiled brat, I'm sorry for being stupid, and I am sorry because your sacrifice have gone in vain.' "And thank you for taking care of me," Ivy said softly and smiled at him genuinely.
"Uh.. Y-yes, you're welcome," he said and laughed sheepishly, "Do you still want me to accompany you today?"
"Err.. no, pupuntahan ko na lang si Kuya ngayon to give him a lunch box. Is it fine? Hindi ba siya busy ngayon?" she asked at Luke.
Luke stared at her. "W-well, he doesn't have any appointments this afternoon, except sa gabi," he replied at tumingin siya sa orasan niya.
Ivy nodded and ate her breakfast with anticipation, as usual Luke's cooking is really good, comparable to those chefs who graduated from a famous cooking school!
After Ivy has eaten, agad silang naghanda ni Luke ng mga ingredients sa mga dapat lutuin. Although their butler insisted that this thing should given to the helpers, but Ivy insisted na siya ang magluto.
In her opinion, minsan lang naman siya maghanda ng pagkain sa kuya niya, so she wanted to this on her own. Well, not really on her own since she was being guided by Kuya Luke, but mostly siya gumagawa sa mga 'to.
Pero kung tutuusin she can cook without guidance, but it seems suspicious if she can suddenly cook kahit walang nagturo sa kan'ya. So she needed Luke's help and isa pa, medyo complicated ang mga lulutuin niya ngayon.
Back when she was released in the mental institution, she didn't have a maid or helper that would cook her food kaya napilitan siyang matutong magluto. It's not that hard, and it's quite fun. The sad thing is that she can no longer let her loved ones taste her cooking.
Kinuha agad ni Ivy pork belly bago hinati ang mga 'to into 3/4 inches per pieces. Next, she blanches the pork for a few minutes while straining the impurities that are floating in the water, then let it sit for a while.
She then put the wok on the stove and opened it on low heat, next she doused the oil and the sugar together and stirred. After a few seconds when the sugar started melting, Ivy added the pork and raised the heat until the pork was lightly browned.
Next Ivy mixed the cooking wine, the dark soy sauce, the regular soy sauce and the water. Then she let the dish simmer for forty-five minutes before starting another dish.
It was almost 12 pm ng matapos silang magluto. Tatlo ang inihanda niya, two of them are chinese cuisine Dong po pork or Braised Pork Belly and Fried Prawn Dumpling on egg, then the Mango crepe.
After putting them on lunch boxes, and getting her violin case containing her violin, ay agad silang pumunta sa kompanya ng Kuya niya. This is not the first time she came here plus he is with Luke, so no one stopped them from entering the exclusive elevator.
Many employees look at her pero agad din nilang binawi ang mga tingin nila dahil sa takot. She silently shakes her head, at agad na sumakay sa elevator. She was notorious for being hot headed and easily irritated, that's employees tend to stay away from her to avoid being fired. Now, she understands why having this kind of reputation is quite troublesome.
After that suddenly felt a comforting soft pat on her head, Ivy looked at him gratefully and uttered a 'thank you'.
"It's nothing..."
A moment later, they finally arrived at Lennon's office. Luke immediately opened the door, after entering she saw her brother was busy writing on the paper.
"There's milk on the ref, go drink it." Lennon said and didn't even lift his head to look and just continue doing his work.
"Kuya?" naguguluhang tanong niya sa sinabi nito. 'Did he know that she was visiting, so he wanted me to drink milk? Milk in the afternoon?'
When he heard the voice of his sister, he immediately put down his pen to look up. "Ivy? What are you doing here?"
She looked at her brother and Luke, in puzzlement. She suddenly felt something was going on, but she couldn't point it out. There's a feeling of ambiguousness in the air, na 'di niya alam kung bakit.
"Err... Nagluto kami ni Kuya Luke for lunch mo," sabi ni Ivy at inilagay ang bag ng tupperware sa upuang nasa harap ng table.
Her brother coughed awkwardly, "Nagluto kayo?" tanong nito sa kanila.
Ivy stared at her brother for a few seconds at sasagot na sana, ngunit naunahan siya ni Luke sa pagsagot. "Well, Ivy do all the work. I just guide her for the few things."
Tumingin si Lennon, sa kapatid nito bago natawa. After yesterday's dream, her little sister seems changed a bit. Gano'n ba kalaki ang trauma ng panaginip niya, kaya siya nagbago ng ganito? "So you started to call him Kuya? Hmm?"
Ivy laughed, "Are you jealous big brother?" she teased.
"No," he flatly disagreed before looking down at the lunchbox on the chair. "Anong niluto mo?"
"Well, it's mom's recipe."
Nang marinig ni Lennon ang sinabi ni Ivy, he suddenly look at her intensely. "Did you remember?"
Not only did she remember how their mother cooked this kind of dish, she also knows that one of things in this room has been tampered.
One of the reasons why the company immediately suffers bankruptcy after her brother got accident. She need to act, "Ah? Ang ano kuya? Yung luto ba?" she asked. "Well, I suddenly remember it last night ng aksidente akong napunta sa isang chinese cooking website!"
Lennon breathed deeply, "Oh, then we should eat."
"Luke, you should eat with us too." Lennon told Luke and pointed at the nearest sofa. Luke just nodded awkwardly and looked at her then smiled.
Looking at their interaction, she suddenly has a premonition.
Pagkatapos nilang kumain, Ivy decided na lumabas despite her brother's insistence. Not that she didn't mind, but she remembered the place na palaging sinasabi ng lalaking 'yon sa kan'ya.
It's not a special place, it's just a park near the hospital she once admitted to. He always told her na after niyang gumaling ay pupunta sila sa lugar na 'yon para gumala. He said that street foods there is good and tasty, at 'di ka raw manghihinayang kapag kumain doon.
When she reached the park, she couldn't help but feel amazed by it's landscape. It has a pond with koi fishes in it, meron din ilang-ilang trees na parang wisteria kung tingnan at higit sa lahat malinis na hangin. This is really a wonderful place, no wonder...
Ivy continued to stroll until she heard the soft sound of violin, she was quite surprised na meron pa lang ganito sa park. It was from a man, wearing a hoodie with a facemask and sunglasses on. It was like his face would be seen by anyone, like those famous celebrities and models.
She laughed softly and began to walk away.
"Do you want to practise violin?" A cello-like voice with a British accent stopped her from her tracks, she immediately turned around at napatingin sa direksyon ng boses.
It was the man who was playing the violin earlier, ngunit 'di niya alam but for some reason that man's voice was somehow familiar, especially the British accent.
"Practice violin?" Ivy asked confusedly sa lalaki.
The man coughed awkwardly, "That, nakita ko kasing may hawak kang violin case. I thought you might want to practise?"
Agad na napatingin sa hawak niyang violin at napatawa. Hindi niya alam na dala-dala niya pala ang violin. Her brother didn't even asked her, why she's carrying this all the time. "Oh, nakalimutan ko rin na may dala pala ako. You want to practice together?"
"I-If you don't mind?"
Ivy shake her head, "Hindi naman. Galing kang Britain?" tanong ni Ivy at umupo sa sementong upuan.
"Well, to be exact in England." The man answered at umupo sa may damuhan. "I stayed there to study."
Ivy smiled bitterly, she remembered that man had blamed himself for not coming back to the Philippines as soon as possible. He keeps on apologizing for prioritizing his career over her safety. However, Ivy didn't resent him for showing up at her doorstep late. Alam niya ang sarili niya, she won't entertain anyone since she was dead over heels with Axel before.
"England... That place is quite nice. The man I like comes from that place, because of his career." Ivy said longingly before taking out her violin.
The man asked Ivy nervously, "Y-you have someone you like?"
Napatawa is Ivy, "Yes, unfortunately I don't know his name. I only know that he is a great pianist,"
The man didn't reply, and continued to remain silent. Ivy didn't mind, and just breathed deeply. She suddenly felt melancholic, after remembering him. "Do you still want to practice?"
The man softly nodded and slowly, put his chin on the chin rest and positioned the bow on the bridge of the violin. When he finally started to hit the notes, Ivy couldn't help but stiffened her face to prevent herself from laughing out loud.
He was playing Humoresque no. 7, however his interpretation is err... let's just say unique? Humoresque Op. 101 no. 7, is one of the the eight Humoreske that Dvorak has composed.
He wasn't playing it in the usual melodramatic and lively tone but more in a childish way. Yung parang may mga batang nagbabangayan at nakukulitan. It indeed sounded just like that!
Nang matapos nang lalaki ang pagtugtog ng violin, 'di nito mapigilang mapaubo. Ivy on the other hand, crackle in fits of giggles. "Err... That was kind of unique?" natatawang sabi ni Ivy.
The man coughed awkwardly, "Salamat."
Ivy giggled again, "To be honest, 'di ko alam na pwede pala ang ganito. Most of the interpretations I heard were serious, the usual melodramatic ones, but never have been this."
"I always practise," he said in an aggrieved tone.
Tumawa ulit si Ivy, "It was really good, the only thing na masasabi ko is sa part ng up bowing. Although you have interpreted it differently, the upbow should remain like this," Ivy illustrated the right way. "This is a common mistake when someone practices Humoresque. Hindi naman 'to severe, gradually naman matutunan mo din 'to on your own as you continue to practice."
"Oh, I see." The man nodded to her seriously, like a little student being taught by a teacher.
Ivy couldn't help but smile and position her violin on her shoulder pad. "Since you're done, it's my turn now. You should also pay attention, maybe you'll gain something?"
Ivy closed her eyes and breathed deeply, at agad na nagsimula sa pagtugtog. The composition she played was Ravel's famous 'Tzigane'. Ravel was a famous French musician who wrote famous musical pieces. Tzigane, is a wonderful and can be said to be one of Ravel's few violin pieces he composed we can hear till this days.
Ivy continued to play the piece with her fingers sliding on the fingerboard with ease. It was fast and accurate, showing that Ivy was a great violinist!
Many people who heard her play, watched her as she show off her skills like a peacock showing its majestic tail. Kahit ang mga taong walang alam sa musika ay namangha sa galing ni Ivy! Some even took a videos of her playing, and some even started a vlog for here. Nang matapos si Ivy, they couldn't help but give a warm of applause dahil sa galing nito.
She couldn't help but feel slightly embarrassed, dahil sa appreciation nila sa tinugtog niya. Although this isn't her first time to perform in front of the crowd, whenever she saw their admiring gaze she couldn't help but feel overwhelmed.
She was praised by many people, ang iba pa ay gusto pa ng encore. Ivy just smiled then bowed to her audience, gracefully.
Ivy turned her head to talk to the man, unfortunately she didn't manage to see him, not even his shadow. Somehow, she felt at loss, na para bang may mahalagang bagay na nawala sa kan'ya.
