"Yeah sure, I will keep you posted as soon as I arrive." She ended the call, leaned backward, plugged the earphones and browsed her favorite tune.

The Daily Fuzz: Japan earthquake reached 3000+ death toll."  To his dismay, he put the newspaper down, and takes a sip from his tea. With his eyes partly closed, he put the teacup down unaware that the arm of the lady next to him was blocking the cup nook.

"What the !" A girl says in horror, as the tea pours onto her. "Oopps.. I'm terribly sorry, I didn't know your arm was there." And Gerald wiped out the spilled tea out of the lady's arm repetitively saying his apologies. She accepts his sorry as soon as the sticky feeling of the tea was removed. "I'll be fine, go on."

He resumed what he's been doing, when he finally finished reading the entire content of the newspaper, the stewardess arrived with his lunch, "Thanks a lot, a glass of water please." he politely asks. "Okay sir."

He noticed the lady beside him separating the vegies from the meat in her plate, "You didn't like them?" he suspiciously asks. "Is it not obvious?" the girl mutters.

Gerald smiled insulting the girl, "You know my grandmom died because of taking the vegetables for granted." "I don't believe you, old people love vegetables more than the next generation." she insisted.

"How sure are you?" Gerald asks.

"Nothing, nevermind! Why don't you just finish your food instead of bugging my business here."

Gerald was challenged by the girl's presence and continue eating.

After that, he cannot really get rid of the girl's visage. "So, what are you going to do in the Philippines?"

Hesitant at first but still managed to answer him back, "I live there, I just visited my grandparents at Florida, I have stayed there for a couple of weeks, and now I'm going home."

"Ohh, I see. I thought you're making business there too."

"Why? Are you going to make business there? You know, it's not like I am discouraging you but starting a business in the Philippines is quite a big mistake." she delighted as if she isn't a Filipina.

"No, it's not what you're thinking. It's my first time to visit there, and as my parents told me, I will stay there to attend to my fixed marriage."

"What??? she shouted as if the two of them are the only people inside the plane. "You agreed to have your future planned by others? That is horrible!"

"My parents aren't 'others', they are my parents, of course they must know better."

"Okay, I got the point, but don't you think how terrible it can be?"

"At first, yes, but I guess I have nothing to do about it, I owe them too much to refuse, so that's it, I'll probably marry a stranger, who knows, we can get along."

She taps her head and fell leaned back, trying to absorb what she heard and again queried, "Is there any way of turning back? What if you didn't like the girl? Or what if you found her disgusting? Aren't you scared? I'm sorry but I'm just too gobsmacked with your situation."

"Hey! Why are you that affected? he burst almost into laugher. "It's my life, not yours."

"I know, I just want to know better about those kind of arrangements, so that I can learn from you, I'm just trying to make friends, we will be together for 20 long hours, I just want to make this fun, because I'm bored."

"Okay, Okay, you said it, you want it that way, fine. But aren't you interested to know even my name?" he says briskly.

Before she could let her laughter out, remembering that she really hasn't asked for his name yet and hadn't given hers, she delightfully introduced herself and lend her hands, "My name is Kim, what about yours?"

"I'm Gerald."

Finally, they know each other officially. "Now may I know more about you? I'm quite interested with you and your silly fixed, whatever!"

"It figures, you're that interested, what else do you want to know?"

"So how did your parents came up with that decision? Do they feel hesitant telling to you that you are going to have your marriage fixed?"

"I don't think so, as far as I am concern, they knew the woman's family well before things patched up for us, they've been friends since we were kids."

"You mean you're childhood friends?" she wanders.

"No, I told you I don't know her, I haven't seen her before, even in pictures, I don't care if you find it very funny, but that's the way it is going to be."

"Didn't you try to refuse?"

"Of course I did. But till now I haven't gone through a relationship, all I want is to take care of my business and nothing else."

"And is that the reason why you let your parents decide for your heart?"

"I guess." he mutters.

Kim still can't believe with what she heard, she thought fixed marriage are in for the past decades only, she cannot contain what she feels about Gerald, if she is going to pity him or laugh all along.

"If I am at your situation, I will jump on the highest building until they find my body in pieces."

"You silly."

"It is you who is silly." she laughs and take a gulp of water.

He takes a deep breath trying to escape from Kim's eyes.

"So, you are going to live with whom? and how long would it take before your wedding day?"

"I don't know, I have really no idea. Would you mind if I ask you what do you do in life?"

Kim in silence. "Me?" sighed. I am living all by myself, my parents are going in and out of the country have really no time for me, they weren't at my graduation day. I found my life happy but incomplete, you know. This is my last visit to my grandparents after 10 years, mom asked me to have a vacation there but I don't like staying long with them, I am happy being independent and have everything I want."

"I want to be in your shoes."

"Uh uh?! You didn't mean that do you?"

"I mean it, you, you can decide for yourself, you can do everything you want without taking huge responsibilities."

"I have responsibilities too, like fixing my stuff, bringing my dog at the pet shop, count my allowance, that's it!" she hastily says.

"You treat those as responsibilities?" he swings his head in disappointment.

"Why? responsibilities are responsibilities whether they are big or small."

Before Gerald could say his words, the stewardess approached, "Need anything?"

"A mint candy please, I feel dizzy.. Thanks a lot." Kim requested.

"Okay ma'am."

"God! The candy's not making any help, I wanna blow! ! Excuse me." she headed her way to the comfort room to try if she will vomit.

"Okay." Gerald says.

"! The comfort room is occupied and there is still two persons waiting in line, I cannot take this anymore." But before she could take a sit, she blew everything away, unfortunately at Gerald's lap.

Gerald jumps in surprise, still do not know what to do, nor to make a move or let Kim do the cleaning. Instead of saying her apologies sincerely, she says, sorry with all smiles and panic. "You poured your tea over me earlier,now we are fair." she smiled while asking the stewardess to hand her paper towels to dry him up. "I'm sorry. I just felt too dizzy."

"Because you are too talkative, you cannot retain silence, that's why you felt dizzy, then you're telling me we are fair and quits, don't you know how vomit and tea differs?" Gerald says trying to maintain his gentle manner but almost shouting.

"I told you I didn't mean it, I said sorry, I have cleaned you up, what's the fuzz?" She rolls her eyes and felt kinda relieved after all.

"Thanks!" she says insultingly.