Hebe was standing on the sidewalk, trying to find a cab. Gripped on her hand was a plastic full of ready-to-eat snacks for her and Ella to eat once they get home. She reached out her hand down on her pocket to get her hand phone and give Ella a call, but a hand from behind slapped it down to it’s original position.

“Let’s go,” Ella, lively as ever, guided Hebe down to the cab she just got.

But then, a few centimeters away was a man, same as them who were rushing towards the cab to get it all to himself, taking the opportunity that they were so slow in walking.

Hebe banged the windows of the cab where the man just rode on, sending the man rolling down the window shield to talk to the furious Hebe, “Hello mister!” Hebe greeted, “As you know, we were the first ones to be able to get the cab. When unfortunately, you came and stolen the opportunity for us to do so.”

“Sorry then,” The man from inside the cab apologized, insincerely as he smirked, “If you don’t mind, we could share the same cab as I’m really rushing for a meeting.”

Unaware, Ella moved away from Hebe to get another cab that they can ride on. Also to avoid arguments and misunderstandings towards the man that Hebe is currently trying to spit the guts out.

“Meeting?” Hebe asked, quite unsure that he really is going to a meeting, “You’re telling us that you’re going to a meeting using casual clothes?”

“As you know…” The man retaliated and stopped his sentence midway, “There are different kinds of meetings, missy.”

“Uh,” Hebe’s mouth flung open, shocked by his ungentlemanly attitude towards her.

“If you keep your mouth open like that, insects will get inside, you know?” The man teased and turned to the driver, “Uncle, can you drive me to the district? Let’s leave this idiotic lady to talk by herself.” With that, the cab slowly moved and inserted itself to the driveway along with other vehicles.

“Hebe,” Ella called out Hebe’s attention, “Don’t bother, I got another one,” Ella waved her hand, motioning for Hebe to come nearer and let go of whoever that was that she just argued with.

!@#$%^&*

“She looks familiar,” Chun’s mom retaliated, looking mischievously at his step son as she wiped the tears that managed to leak out from her eyes a while ago, “I’ve seen her somewhere before.” But it seems like all the sadness shook off once she saw Ella.

“That’s because she certainly is!” Chun was getting pissed off, for he really didn’t like her mother talking as if she hated Ella and will only be the woman she will ever despise, “She’s the girl I was with 5 years ago, alright?”

“Chen, Ella!” His mother exclaimed and raised her voice a little, “Never let me see her with you ever again, Chun!” She said, almost commanding.

“God, mom, we’re in the hospital. It barely is even Charlene’s wake, yet you’re acting so immature, trying to save me from the girl who I really love.” Chun argued and slipped the words that shouldn’t be coming out from his mouth right at this moment.

His mom, I mean, his step mother looked furious, “Did you ever love Charlene?”

Chun spun himself around and walked towards the emergency room to avoid her step mother’s further sermons and nonsense talks.

“I’m still talking to you, get back here!” She followed her step son and calmed when she saw Charmaine who was still sulking over her daughter’s death, alongside his husband.

“What’s the matter?” Chun’s father asked, once the step mother and the step son entered the scene.

“Nothing,” Delilah, Chun’s step mother, heaved out a sigh and took a seat, “We need something important to discuss later.”

!@#$%^&*

“Stupid, idiotic moron!” Hebe cursed, uncomfortable with how she sat as she shuffled her feet back and forth, “Did you know that he’s the most despicable man I’ve ever encountered in my life? He dares talk back to me, ugh.” She gripped the plastic bag she was holding, almost cracking the Styrofoam that was inside.

“If it’s just because of the passenger that took our cab, then don’t bother,” Ella looked through the window with everything on it speeding past her as well, “But he kind of looks familiar, it reminds me of the night when—“ She stopped her sentence midway, “It reminds me of that night that I was nearly ,” She thought.

“That you were?” Hebe hand gestured, encouraging her to continue her unfinished speech.

“Nothing,” Ella pursed her lips and heaved out a sigh of relief, knowing that Hebe won’t bother her again.

!@#$%^&*

A woman in her mid twenties rolled her wheelchair just beside the window, staring at the environment that was completely soaked with rain right before her eyes. She trailed her fingers back and forth the window, trying to imagine what it feels like when she still can walk. Hurt filled her eyes just remembering Anthony and his rejection towards her. She cried silently, praying in her heart that the time comes for her to be fully accepted by him.

“Selina,” A knock echoed all around the room, sending Selina to turn herself around and meet the man who she least wanted to see at the moment. Who can blame her? She was so heart broken when he told her that there, perchance, won’t be any reason for him to accept her, but did he really mean it? Or does he have another reason as to why he was doing so and what could possibly be the reason? Is it that he has another woman in mind that he just doesn’t want to tell her? Or—or, who knows?

“What do you want?” She coldly asked him, not bothering to even meet his gaze, “If you’re leaving once again, don’t bother asking for permission.”

“I’m not going anywhere,” He explained, “Look at me,” He reached out his hand to her face and tilted it up a little, “What do you see?”

“I see nothing.” Her eyes were dark, almost as that of someone who’s blind.

“Sure?” He asked and reached out to his pocket to show her a small velvet box, “I’ll give this to you, you think it over,” He handed her out the small velvet box and turned around, “By the way, I’ll be meeting with a couple of friends later.”

“You said that you weren’t going anywhere?” She asked, tone lightened a bit with her fingers trembling over the small velvet box.

“I changed my mind, I just need to clear up some matters,” He explained. “I’ll be back soon.”

Back in Anthony’s mind, he remembered about the little fight Selina and Ella encountered a couple of years back since they last saw each other. Yes, they were three back then… Only that, Selina really envied Ella even then. So, now, she thinks that Ella’s taking Anthony away from her. But then, Anthony just really treats Ella as his sister. He only rejected Selina, because he didn’t want to be the one proposed to.

As for the thing that Anthony wanted to clear up, he wants to bring Ella to Selina and end all things up. End all the misunderstandings and clear his conscience. You may say that he’s such a freak as to be someone who’s so peacemaking, but that’s just how he is. He cares for the people around him, more than that of himself.

What do you think is inside the velvet box? Don’t assume much. And who might that mysterious guy that Hebe just encountered?