SAMANTHA
“Why aren’t you drinking?”
“Are you kidding me? It’s a children’s party,” Samantha responded.
“I know. But that doesn’t mean you can’t have a shot. Have fun and enjoy,” said Kylie.
“I’m enjoying myself, thank you very much. Besides, I need to drive home sober.”
“You know what, whatever. I told you that you need to get yourself a driver.”
“Kylie, I am very well capable of driving. Why would I need a driver?” asked Samantha.
“For times like this, of course! Look, I know the things that you can and cannot do, okay? What I’m trying to say is that just because we have kids does not mean we can’t have fun or drink, or, have sex you know,” said Kylie after a wink.
“Okay. Here’s what it is. I am having fun. I am happy just being with my son. And for the record, I don’t need sex, okay?” she answered.
“Duh? You just had it once! How would you know it was fun?”
“Okay, Kylie, I don’t need to know any of that, alright?”
“Right. Whatever. But you know, there is something with your kid. I can’t really tell what,” said Kylie.
“What do you mean?”, she asked.
“There’s something. I don’t know. Maybe his eyes? Nose? Lips? His entire face actually. It looks so familiar. I can’t seem to distinguish,” explained Kylie.
“Just stop thinking about it. I know he doesn’t look like me, but you don’t have to be so blunt about it.”
Kylie laughed. “Hey, don’t get me wrong. Anyway, I think he’s really having a good time,” Kylie said pointing at her son.
“Yeah. He really likes watching magic shows,” she said. Pride, showing in her eyes while watching over her son having fun with other kids at the party.
CLYDE
“It’s really good to have you here, C. I think this is the first time you attended a kid’s birthday party,” said Tyron. “Zachary and Xavier are single too, but they attended every birthday party we had with our kids.”
“Now I wonder. Are you planning to get married soon?” asked Zachary, smiling.
“You know, this is exactly why I don’t go to a kiddie party,” explained Clyde.
Tyron laughed. “Z, before you plan C’s wedding, try to find her a girlfriend first.”
“How can he find a girl for me if he’s having a hard time finding his own?”, he asked and the group burst out laughing.
“Oh, yeah? Well, whatever dude. I’m not in a rush,” answered Zachary.
“By the way, T, who’s that kid over there?”, asked Xavier. “The one wearing a green polo shirt.”
Everyone looked at the group of kids watching the magic show. “The boy at the front? Oh, his mom’s friends with Kylie. Why?”, Tyron asked.
“I’ve been watching him for a while. I can’t help but notice, he really looks like you, C,” Xaviercommented.
Clyde looked at the boy with curiosity.
“Is he your son, dude? Or your younger brother, perhaps? Because you look exactly the same,” added Xavier.
“I don’t have a younger brother, that’s for sure. A son? Not that I know of,” answered Clyde. “Guys, there are 6 other persons in the world that looks exactly like you. It’s scientifically proven. Don’t worry yourself too much.”
“Aren’t you a bit curious?”, asked Zachary.
“Yeah, I’m done with this conversation. I’ll go to the bathroom,” he answered.
Clyde went to the left side of the hotel function hall and look for the bathroom.
Who is he? There is something about that boy. And what is that feeling I felt? Clyde asked himself. He went all the way to the bathroom and looked in the mirror only to see a reflection of himself when he was three years old. He immediately looked to his right and found the boy in his thoughts.
The boy smiled at him and there was the sudden feeling he can’t identify.
“Sir, I am having a hard time with my pants. Can you zip me up please?”, asked the boy with the cutest voice and tone he thought he heard in his entire life.
“Sure,” he said smiling. He steps closer and kneeled before him. “By the way, what’s your name? And why are you here alone? Where’s your mom and dad?”, he asked.
“My name is Tam. I’m three years old and I’m a big boy now so I don’t need mom’s help to go to the bathroom,” the boy answered with pride.
“And your dad?”, he asked again
“I don’t have a dad,” Tam answered with sadness.
“Why?”, he can’t help but ask.
“I don’t know. Mom told me he went somewhere far. I don’t know if he’s going back. I wish he would,” Tam answered hopefully.
Now I’m curious. “Well, looks like it’s done,” he said. “Come, I’ll get you back to your mom,” he added.
Tam hesitated for a moment and said, “Sir, my mom told me not to talk to strangers. Can you promise me that you won’t tell her that we talked?”, the boy asked innocently.
Clyde couldn’t help but smile at the boy’s honesty. “Sure, buddy,” he said.
CHAPTER I
SAMANTHA
“Kylie, I think my son is taking a bit too long in the bathroom. I’ll go check on him,” she said.
“Sam, your son is a smart boy. And this place is pretty much safe so you don’t need to worry, okay?”, Kylie answered.
Samantha was just about to answer when she heard her son’s voice behind her.
“Mom!”, he yelled.
She stood up and turns around and looked at her son with relief. He rushed into her and wrapped his arms on her legs.
“What took you so long, huh?”, she asked her son.
“He had trouble zipping his pants,” a deep voice answered her question.
Her heart started racing. She had heard that voice before. How could she forget?
“It’s been a long time, Samantha”, said the voice. The voice she tried to forget but can’t.
SAMANTHA Samantha slowly lifts her head, mentally denying that her greatest fear had caught up with her. Silently praying that the ground will suddenly open and swallow her whole, with her son. She lifts her head only to be caught by the bluest eyes she’d ever seen. It was like those eyes are trying to ask her something and accusing her at the same time.Something that was far more different from the last time those eyes landed on hers. “You know him, mom?”, her thoughts were interrupted by her son’s voice. She was about to answer him when the host of the party talked and asked everyone to gather around the birthday girl and sing Happy Birthday. Samantha grabs her son and took the chance to escape as they got swamped with the crowd and went for the exit, almost running without even bothering a glance back. “Are w
CLYDE Clyde got up and turned to face her. “You will tell him who I am, Samantha. And that’s not a request.” “I will. But I need more time –“ “You already had four years!”, he exclaims. He saw a tear drop from her right eye. “Will you please stop yelling? He could hear us,” she pleaded. “I will do anything I wa
CLYDE So, this is where you live, huh? He looked at the house across the street where he decided to park his car. The house is two storey. With his experience as a hotelier, he’s guessing there are only two rooms in it. It has a landscaped tiny garden in front and a garage that would fit a car. He saw her car parked. He glanced at his wristwatch and checked the time. It’s 6:55 in the morning.He recalled how he got to the department store after he finally get to have her address. He grabbed every toy not knowing what his son might like. Are they awake? He wondered as he watched the front door opened. A middle aged woman walked out holding what seems to be a garbage bag. He watched as she carefully dumped it inside the garbage can right in front of his car. The woman seemed to notice him as she
SAMANTHA Fuck! My head hurts like hell. What in the world happened? She silently asked herself without bothering to open up her eyes. She then remembered everything that happened the day before. With that thought in her mind, she opened her eyes in an instant.Shit! We got to get out of here. Before he finds out where we at, we need to go. It’s a good thing that they just recently renewed their passport. We can go anywhere. Anywhere is fine as long as it’s far from him. He will find us out eventually, but all we need to do is keep running.She got up with a decision in her head. She went straight to the bathroom. As she was about to brush her teeth, she looked at h
CLYDE Clyde couldn’t help but shake his head at Samantha’s reaction. It was priceless. The first thought that came to his mind when he saw her emerged into that living room is, Jesus Christ! She’s a Goddess.There she was, looking shocked and confused and beautiful. Her hair was tussled like she did not even bother combing it, looked perfect with all that curls at the bottom. Her glorious body, that he can perfectly see beneath that thin shirt she got on was like begging and waiting for his touch. Her parted lips, tiny pointed nose and her green pair of eyes matched with all those thick lashes, just perfect. He actually wondered how he was able to control himself not to take her right there and then. But she’s right. He’s here for his son. The goal is to be known by his son as his fath
CLYDE Jesus, this woman can cook! Clyde wondered how she was able making a simple pancake into a hundred dollars worth of meal. And the coffee, man, Starbucks should be ashamed. He watched her as she dries her hands with a piece of cloth after doing the dishes. He observes how she moves gracefully. She looks so fresh and she didn’t even bother wearing make up. His thoughts were interrupted when her phone rang. She immediately answered and he listened to the call attentively, pretending to read something on his cell phone. “Yes?” she answered. She listened to the caller. “Yes, I will tell you everything,” a pause. &ld
SAMANTHA Samantha cannot believe that this is actually happening. She stood silently as she watched them enter the front door with Clyde holding a paper bag in his hand. “What’s that?”, she asked, referring to the bag in his right hand. “Oh, this?”, he replied raising his hand, “this is my emergency kit. Babe, it’s a must to have like this if you’re a businessman. You don’t know when it’s needed to sleepover, do you?” “Oh, yeah? How
CLYDE He watched her as she made her way to the other side of the bed. “Go to sleep now, sweetheart,” she said to his son sweetly as she kissed him in his forehead. “I can still wait for you, mommy,” his son replied sleepishly. “Okay, I’ll be quick then,” and she walked towards a door. She came back after a while with some clothes and a towel in her hand. She disappeared again in another door beside the one she came out with. &nbs