The next day, Rain woke with a hang-over. It didn’t help that his cousins were standing by the open door sneering at him.”At last, loverboy awakes, “ teased Robert in a loud voice but not loud enough to be heard by their mom who was busy preparing a fresh coffee for him. “What do you want?” asked Rain, squinting at the two brothers. “Not even a thank you!.” said Jerry obviously enjoying Rain’s predicament. “Don’t you remember anything yesterday, “ he laughingly asked. “Drat you!” muttered Rain. You know perfectly well that unlike you or your sister, I can’t remember anything once I’m under the influence of alcohol. Suddenly his aunt appeared and shoved the brothers aside. “Happy birthday Ambot!” she cheerfully greeted him. Rain sat up suddenly and felt dizzy. “Ay sinalbag!,” he cried, holding his head in his hands. “I totally forgot my birthday, our birthday for that matter, he shook his head and looked up to the ceiling as if he could see his bestfriend up there. I wonder, does she remember?” Jerry stepped in his line of sight and said grumbling, “For heaven’s sake Ambot, get up and see to yourself. It’s not as if it’s the end of the world. Ambet is probably having the time of her life in the UAE while you are here mooning over her like there is nobody else. “You are cruel!,” responded Rain hotly. I will remember this time when it is your time to moon over a girl. Let us see then how you will deal with it,” returned Rain.
“Right,” said his aunt. “Your mom is here and she is waiting downstairs. Come on boys, remember you need to fetch the lechon from Slaughter House.” “Ugh,” complained Robert. Why is it that we always end up like his big brothers every birthday ? It is not fair!” “Quit complaining and just go already,” scolded their mother. “You act as though you don’t enjoy it. Do you think I don’t know that one of you is ogling after a girl there?” “What, who?” countered both men defensively.
“That’s it.” said Rain suddenly. I will go with you manongs. Just give me a few minutes at the shower. “ Having said this he rushed into the attached bath and showered quickly. After grabbing the fresh mug of coffee his aunt prepared for him, he ran downstairs and pecked his mom on the cheek. “Thank you and sorry Mom,” he apologized. “All good, his mom replied. Off you go then and remember, we are celebrating your birthday here. Don’t go running off to get drunk again. “I promise,” said Rain. “We promise,” said his cousins as well.
At the SlaughterHouse, he bumped into a high school classmate who immediately took a selfie with him and started flirting. Promising himself he would get Ami off his mind, he flirted too. Soon enough, his lechon was ready and so he said goodbye to the girl promising to see her in a few days. “That’s more like it,” chorused his cousins, slapping him on the back. “ '' Very pretty her,” pointed Jerry with his mouth. “Hey, '' answered Rain. Don’t ruin my chances yet.” Just then the girl asked if she could post their photo on her social media accounts to which Rain gave an affirmative nod. The girl was smiling sweetly as she sashayed out of their sight. Too late, Rain realized what he just agreed to. As much as possible he did not want to post photos on social media for fear that Ami would judge him. Oh well, he mused. Maybe she won’t see and she won’t care. She left without saying goodbye anyway. Who cares, he mused.
“Loverboy is back,” teased his cousins. “How to be you?''
They mimicked how the girl responded to his flirting sweetly.
“Well, you know me,” Rain bragged. One crook of my finger and they fall so easily, “ he said smugly. He didn’t want to tell them that flirting with other girls isn’t the same as when he kissed Ami that last night they were together.He knows he will not forget that kiss because it awakened another part of him yearning for something more. If only he can turn back the hands of time.
“Oh yeah, listen to yourself!,” sneered Jerry. “Who was so drunk last night that he couldn’t even carry himself home, let alone drive?” “Really Jerry?” responded Robert. “To be fair, I was like him when I was courting my lovely wife”, he reminisced. You have not experienced love is what we can tell you.” “Oh do not start with me.” replied Jerry. “I remember you drowning yourself in probably oceans of gin back then just to have the courage to blurt out your feelings to Mina. “You used to do this,” Jerry reenacted Robert’s swaying form when he was courting his wife. Rain was laughing so hard at Jerry’s antics that he nearly fell off the short wall they were sitting on. “Why you,! “ growled Robert and soon the bantering turned to a full swing cat and mouse between the brothers. Rain just loves his cousins.
Finally it was time to go home. His lechon finally packed in banana leaves and a monstrous foil, they carried it to Jerry’s pick-up truck. Jerry, winded from their cat and mouse chase, tried to catch his breath all the while flashing a dirty finger to his brother. Robert just laughed at him. Since none of the brothers seemed to be okay to drive, Rain took to the wheels and soon enough, they were on their way to Legarda. There was not much traffic as it was past the busy hours of the morning. After that episode with the brothers, Rain was feeling more like his old self. Maybe just maybe, he could stop thinking of his absentee bff. He was whistling a happy birthday tune and the brothers just looked at each other grinning like idiots. “What six months can do,” mused aloud by Robert. Rain’s birthday passed by without a hitch. He was just saddened that he didn’t get to celebrate it with Ami. He went to bed thinking of her, imagining what she might be doing across the seas.He pictured her going to a sunny beach with another guy and he just shook his head. Sleep can’t come soon enough.
My darling can’t seem to let go of that dimwit son of hers.She does not believe she will beget another one. Ohh she will learn, I will give her children unlike that weakling she married.
Contrary to Rain’s belief, Ami did remember him on their birthday. She also saw an i*******m post but she ignored it telling herself maybe it is a one-off fling of Rain’s like in the past. She was busy typing an email required by her employer when Mabel barged into her room with a loud “Happy Birthday!” She was followed by Madam Mariam, Sir Abdullah, Ali and Mansour and their sister. “Since your planned trip to Ferrari World did not push through because of my emergency meeting, I am giving you this day as a gift. “ Madam Mariam uttered. “Ali or Mansour is just too happy to escort you ladies.” Ami looked to Ali who winked at her and she just rolled her eyes to hide her blush. In all the six months that she has been with them, Mansour felt like a brother to her except Ali who seems to know her more and feels something far different from that of a brother.Despite the awkwardness she feels in his presence, A
The day after her birthday proved to be a very tiring day for Ami. First, she had to travel to Dubai with Madam for a business meeting with one of the largest clothes retail shop in the middle east. After the meeting, they went to Al Ain for a business lunch with the Sheikha’s mother. By the time they got back to Abu Dhabi, she was drained but she still has to send emails to the family’s business partners,failing once again to notice the cc’d individuals. Belatedly though, she had a suspicious feeling in her gut that made her look into her sent emails. There, why is it that she didn’t notice it before? C.Gonzales@rlg.com. “I don’t believe it!, she spluttered. All the while I have been communicating with them.” “Nooo,” she said over and over even when she was called to dinner that evening. She was so distracted that she ne
A month has passed since Rain and Ami’s birthday and still no word from her. Perhaps she had forgotten about him. Just like the previous month he immersed himself in overseeing their businesses,It’s about time he pulled his weight and lessen the burden on his mom’s shoulders. He was busy reading an email when his phone rang. Without looking, he just swiped the off button. In a few minutes, his aunt came all flushed from obviously running up the steps to see him. He still can’t understand why she wouldn’t just use the elevator to make her life easier. '`Rainaldo Lyssander!”, she admonished. “Rain got startled and leapt up from his swivel chair and looked at her with guilt on his face. '`Yes Auntie?”, he asked apologetically, giving her his most adorable expression. Obviously it didn’t work because she scowled at him and crossed her arms across her chest. Oh no, this is not going to be a normal conversation, he thought to himself. Without any preamble,
As it happens, Jerry forgot to remind Magnolia to delete her post of her and Rain and since one of Magnolia’s friends is connected to Ami’s social media account, she saw the photos and the captions. She was busy browsing through her FB account when she caught sight of the post on her friend’s timeline. There was a strong pang in her chest that she couldn’t name but made her sad and gloomy. It was her day off but since the Al Fahezi residence is far from the city center, she just stayed in her room. She couldn’t understand why seeing the post made her emotional. She was never this emotional back home. Maybe she is just homesick, she told herself. That’s probably it. Missing all those glorious greens on rolling hills, her neighbors, oh not that specific neighbor, she tried to tell herself, oh well him too. She was about to take a nap when there was a knock on her door. “Shuhada, who is it?! She shouted. Nobody i
Before they boarded the ship, Ami and Mabel couldn’t help but gawk at the massive ship. For her part, Ami had only seen photos of it when she was in college. The Gonzales’ just purchased the ship and Rain was so proud that the first thing he did was show a photo of it to Ami. Of course over the years, the ship had undergone a makeover to modernize it. It had nearly cost the Gonzales’ their fortune. If not for Mrs. Gonzales’ business acumen, they could have gone bankrupt. Now gazing at it up close, it felt surreal for Ami. Her jaw dropped at the massive size but she at once remembered who she was with so as quickly as she could, she nudged Mabel on her side which earned her a glare. “Close your mouth,” ordered Ami. “Otherwise, we’ll embarrass ourselves and our employers..” “I just can’t believe it,” owned Mabel. “We are actually spending weeks in that, that big boat?” she asked,
“Why is he so solicitous of you?” he started. “Are you and him in a relationship? You seem so cozy with him, all the time. Or perhaps he really is your lover.” Ami was appalled at his attitude that she nearly raised her fist again before Rain caught it in his hand. “Firstly, you did not have a very friendly way of saying hi, secondly, you assumed a lot without even asking how I have been all these months. Are you sure you are my bff because I do not see him in you now!” cried Ami. All her anger and disappointment were starting to bubble on the surface that she had to inhale and exhale rapidly to compose herself. “All these months I wondered if you even thought of me at all because you did not even try to reach out. Mabel told me she messaged your aunt informing her of my whereabouts and that you know, but no. You were so busy with all your pretty girls, you forgot you have a bff. You think I do not know w
That morning, Rain woke up early despite getting a few hours of sleep. After assuring his mom that he’ll be fine he went down to the breakfast hall but this time accompanied by Eliza. He wanted to catch Ami and apologize for his actions the night before but having escorted Eliza down to breakfast ruined his plans. His early start rewarded him though because Ami came down to breakfast as well. Ami schooled her features when she saw Rain with Eliza. She knew for a fact that Eliza has had a big crush on Rain ever since they were in high school. She felt a pang of jealousy because of the way the two were reacting to each other. Rain seemed to be very accommodating, flashing Eliza a smile every now and then. Although she tried to avoid them, Rain kept blocking her path until she thought she’d have enough. Rain gently took one of her hands but when Ami flinched, Rain looked down and frowned when he saw the bandages on her fists. Ami was trying to tug
Rain and Ami spent the day together like what they always did back in the Philippines. Ami couldn’t help but recall how Rain comforted her when her parents died. She may be young back then but losing both parents a month apart is not easy. Thankfully the Gonzales’ family were there along with her uncle. While she was reminiscing, Rain kept stealing glances at her. Even in a shirt and jeans, she always takes his breath away not that he wanted her to know, otherwise, the awkwardness will be back. He likes her like this, relaxed and at ease in his company. For her part Ami still felt awkward at times but she couldn’t deny the fact that she feels safe with him. She can’t help comparing him with Ali in her mind though but she tried her best to shake off the comparison. This relaxed atmosphere continued until night time. Reluctant to let his best friend leave him early, he requested “Do you mind checking the bar with me? Maybe we can celebrate with a toast