NO POV

"Maria!"someone shouted from outside going inside the house

"Where is she!? show her face to me!" he shouted again downstairs going up by the stairs

"MARIA!!" his yelling would not likely to stop because it is sounding more louder

"Maria! get out of there!" Anger can be heard from his voice while he walks heading to a room near the staircase

Someone from behind stop the man from shouting "STOP! Where do you think you are going? acting rubbish and raging here!?" a statement full of displeasure makes the furious man stop from walking

his jaw moved, he clenched his teeth and turn around "What did you say?" he asked with his burning eyes looking at the two people in front of him

"Emerge your self from this house! You should stop bothering Maria" the answer is full of authority

he reach for his lower back getting something and pointed a gun to the people in front of him

"Gaa-ston!?" the woman with the person who stop Gaston said choked up "Please don't hurt my daugther" she shouted panicky

"Mariiaaa" Gaston roar in madness still pointing the gun to them  "get out of there" he shout banging the bedroom

A woman run rushing to the door "Mama" She called worriedly right after she opens the door

She saw a man pointing a Gun to 2 people "Mama, Papa" She try to get close to her mother and father but Gaston stopped her by holding her neck with his right hand and slamming her roughly back to the door.

"Maria will marry me, ON-LY ME!" he said slowly emphasizing the word ONLY Me

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Maria POV

I run rushing to the door "Mama" I called worriedly right after I opens the door but stopped from what I am seeing, it is Gaston and he is holding a Gun in his Left Hand Pointing to the people I love "Mama, Papa" I said fast when I gain back my self, I try to get to close to my father and mother but Gaston stopped me by holding my neck with his right hand and slammed me roughly back to the door. I gasped from what he did, I felt terrified. I saw my father tried to reach Gaston but he quickly let go of me and point again back to him, he step backward and raises his both hand standing in front of my mother with a teary eye.

"They are all mocking me, You slander my pride because of it! have insulted me and my family's dignity!" He said loudly full of hatred

"What is happening to you? Don't act like a kid and be a MAN, accept the reality that the wedding will never happen" My father said calmly trying to ease the tension

Gaston unlocks the Guard trigger of the Gun before turning his head to me and said "What now Maria? Are you still gonna play hard to get?" He said arrogantly but a little bit calm now

"Maria what ever is in your heart follow it, don't think about us" My father answered

Gaston return his back to me and move the Gun closer to my father's face "Gaston, NO" I screamed and tried to stop him but he push me hard that makes me stumble to the floor.

My father tried to reach for the Gun but Gaston was fast enough to parry him by moving backward while turning 360, he immediately point the gun back to them, specifically to my mother "What is your answer Maria?" he shouted, I can't move to help myself stand up, I was like have been paralyze in my position "What is your answer?" he repeated scaring me more when I didn't answer "You want me to count huh? okay, ONE" . . . . "TWO" . .

I stand up slowly and hold his left arm "I will Ma-arry yo-u" I said feeling a lump in my throat that night I cried up to my sleep

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"That's what happened" I said to Ge-an ending my story, she was so worried and said that misses me and so was i. 

I haven't talked to her for one week because the very next day I was awaken by the burden in my life, Gaston always comes to our house very early and leaves so late and he also put someone to guard me 24 hours just outside my bedroom door if he is not around, he forbid me to go out and don't let me use the telephone, and I couldn't do anything but to cry.

Thanks to Luz she was able to help me i told her to find something for me in the storage, and she found the extra telephone, we used it as imitation to the one outside and sneak the real one in my room so that I could use it today.

"You will marry him?" She asked

I did not answer her question but answer her instead with my plan "Ge-an I will leave Buena Vista, I will leave in the night before our wedding." I said with the low voice

"How? you said he guards you" She asked surprised

"He would not be allowed to see me that day because of the old tradition and Luz will help me" I said, he did not answer so I continued "I will ride a ship sail over to manila. I have save some money and will use it to start there, I let the fate take care of me" I said with my tears starting to build up and races to go down

"Come to me Maria... Come to me, let's meet. I will wait, December 15, 2017 I will wait for you" she said pleading 

"I will come to you"  I answered

"Promise me you will come to see me" She said asking for assurance

A smiled formed in my lips "15th of December year 2017, I promise that I will come to see you Ge-an" I said sincerely

"Always take care of yourself and be strong" I feel the warm, my heart is beating fast and I can't explain the excitement I am feeling now

"Love see no time, it happens anytime and see's no end" those words just slip into my mouth, it is what i feel

"If I had my life to live over again, I would find you sooner so that I could love you longer" She answered sweetly full of emotion

We end the call, "so this is love" I said to my self, it felt so good but mixed with sadness because of the time.

Dear Time difference, I hate you!

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ANCESTRAL HOUSE

Ge-an POV

After taking a shower I got out of my room and saw manang holding a big box and some sketch pads above it coming out from a room next to mine, I immediately run to her and get the things that she is carrying "Manang let me help you"  I said giving her a smile

"Thank you Ge-an" she answered with a smile but I can see sadness in her eyes "Just Put it there" pointing to the open space near the staircase

Seems like she is cleaning, there our some old stuff there already like photo albums, frames and what is this pad and brushes? "oh so there is an artist in this family" I said to my self

"What is this things Manang, are you trowing this?" I asked politely and scanned the items

"No, It is old stuffs but It is from the owner of the farm, I will just clean it and arrange it back to its room" she answered sounding sentimental as she takes a seat and hold a Photo of a family

"Are they the owner?" I asked as I got nearer and bend down beside her

"This is Señor  Anton Domingo" He said pointing her index finger to a man in the picture "Señora Marta Domingo" her finger moves to a woman beside as my eyes follows she stops for a while and compose her self "And this" My eyes moves to the next direction she is pointing "Maria, their only daughter" she continued

  My heart seems to stop "Wh-at did you say he-r name i-is?" I felt like my ear heard differently

"Her name is Maria Socorro Domingo, she is so beautiful" I take the photo from her slowly and wipe it using the end of my shirt "She is about to get wed when she was gone... She run away from the man that she is about to marry; Señorito Gaston Kirat, she rode a ship voyaging to manila" Manang said

I was still holding the frame in my both hands seating on the floor looking intensely to the picture "Are they also the owner of this Hose?" I asked curiously and holding control on my self

"Yes, Actually they are the owner of the whole hacienda" she answered

I look at Manang she is looking at the albums "How do you know about them? I asked again wanting to know more, wanting to find answers and lastly wanting to find her.

"I am a helper in this house and also a friend for Señorita" Manang looked at me with a very sad eyes I can't stand it so I avoided her eyes

"Maa-ri-a" I choked saying her name "What happened to Maria" I am having mix emotion and felt nervous about the answer that I will be hearing, I don't know if I am ready but I want to know for sure

"She is already dead" I bite my lips and felt my throat dried up as I tried my best to hold myself while Manang continue her story "Today is her death anniversary, Señorita didn't know that she is being followed on her way by someone hired by Señorito, he went to the port after being informed by his man but the ship already started to sail when he arrive" I saw something drop on the frame of the picture, it was a liquid forming in my eyes. I wipe it secretly "Before that she mentioned to me that she met someone from manila that she met over the telephone, I believe that is the person Señorita has fallen in love with and followed in Manila, but" she paused and took a very deep breath before she continue "even before it reaches the destination the ship sank, a sudden storm caught it up and what add to the sadness is we where not able to recover the body, it was never found" I can hear the sorrow in every word she said

"Ah excuse me, Grandma we have visitors" Anne interrupted walking towards our direction she stops by 1 meter from us "Are you two okay? she asked with worry face

"Aah, ye-ah" I answered bowing my head and holding my breath by pressing my lips together

"What do they need" Manang asked Anne changing the topic

"They said that they will be reserving rooms" Anne answered politely

"Okay, lets go." Manang turns to me and tap my shoulder before going down with Anne

I immediately went to my room as the tears that I am holding starting to rush out from my eyes and feel asleep crying.

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I woke up from the darkness even though the moon and stars are now can be seen outside the window, my eyes seem not appreciate the shines that they can give in the night, I felt heavy and that my energy is drained to the fullest.

(Please Play this song in youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uygx0iLGUaM )

I get up from bed when I heard a sound outside my room and started walking to the direction of the music, I stopped when I saw someone sitting in the chair in front of the Grand Piano she turned around facing me when she felt my presence. "Ge-an" she said softly with a sweet smile on her face

She is wearing a knee length white dress with color baby pink small flower designs paired with a baby pink doll shoes. Her hair is tied simple with a baby pink ribbon, her face is perfect; Adorable brown eyes with long lashes and above it is a perfectly arch eyebrow, Perfectly shape nose that matches her soft red lips. I can not believe what I am seeing right now

I stared to her and took my steps slowly reducing the distance between us, she slowly rise from her seat and faced me "Ge-an" she called me again with her sweet smile

I smiled back "Maria" and I hugged her tight and she hugs me back