--- is something that is inevitably predetermined; destiny.

"What if you met the man of your dreams on your way to meeting your future husband?"

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“Kimmy, my dear, there is a little bit of a hitch on our plans..." Alice announced. What is for sure, is there’s more than a hint of worry in her mom’s voice. Even if her mom was in the Philippines, Kim could almost feel her mom’s apprehensions envelope her.

“Well, what is it?” Kim dared ask.

“I’ll tell you when you get here...”

“Wait, mom, I gotta go...” Kim hastily closed her phone as she sees an attendant signalling her to turn it off as she enters the plane.

It was almost midnight when Kim finally set foot on the plane. At this point “dead tired” doesn’t even begin to describe what she is feeling. To make matters worse, she now has to trudge the entire length of the Boeing 747 plane just to get to her seat, which of course by virtue of her being last on the ticket line, is most conveniently located at the very back of the plane.

She groaned with every step. However, the old lady walking in front of her groaned even more. Kim was mischievously thinking of just steamrolling the septuagenarian so that she can get to her seat quickly. However, pure decorum applies, and Kim more often than not complies with such standard. She waited in lady-like patience, a virtue she has only picked up very recently. She smiled wryly, but her forehead was now so stiff from keeping her eyebrows from meeting into a frown.

The Manila flight originated from L.A. By the time it got to Vancouver, there were already passengers aboard. The flight was so jam-packed that the flight attendants look more dishevelled than usual, just trying to manage the chaotic pre-flight environment.

“When it rains it really pours,” Kim said to herself. She can’t believe the kind of a pickle she was in. She finally reached her seat. It was seat 208F. It was a middle seat in a series of six and she has to squeeze in past two really large women before she could finally settle down on her seat. The people in her row must all be relatives, not only do they look similarly fierce, they also share a token disregard of her. She really had no idea why. The child seated beside her, whom Kim guessed was about six, smiled sweetly at her. But, before Kim could smile back, the child suddenly morphed into a monster and started to spew foul, milky stench on her.

“Miss, contain your child! This is an expensive dress!” Call it superficial, but if Kim had been her usual sarcastic self, she would have said more horrible things to that sickly child. The mother looked incredulously at her as if it was her mistake. Kim can only smile in disgust as she stands up to make her way to the washroom.

On her way out, everyone was looking at her indifferently. Even the old couple from two seats up, stood up to see who was the bearer of the unpleasant smell. She did really smell disgusting.

“I didn’t vomit on myself! I may be tired but I’m not bulimic!” She could not resist the urge to say what’s on her mind, especially to last of the fat ladies in her row. She was looking at Kim like she was the vilest thing in the world.

“Miss, you can’t go the washroom, our plane will be taking off in a few minutes...” the flight attendant said firmly as she tried to stop Kim from entering the wash room.

“Miss...I beg you, I need to clean up,” pleaded Kim. “I’m exhausted, I’m hungry, I’m smelly...If my husband will see me like this, she will divorce me for a younger woman, pleeaasseee...”

“Okay, okay...”the flight attendant gave in. “Just make it quick.”

Kim’s mood was instantly rejuvinated when she stepped out of the washroom clean and fresh again. There goes the fancy blouse, now she is back to her loose sweater and jeans self. Kim was very glad that she followed her mom’s advice of bringing extra clothes in you carry on luggage, just in case a sea sick child with indigestion and lactose intolerance suddenly throws up at you.

All of a sudden, Kim’s luck made a nice turn around. When she got back to her row, another flight attendant halted her.

“This lady here wants to sit together with her family, she was wondering if you could trade seats with her?” the jovial flight attended asked.

It was another member of the family from hell. Kim was almost tempted to say no just to spite them, but thinking that she would have to put up with demon child for the next fourteen hours, any other person she can sit with will surely turn out to be more tolerable.

As if the plane Gods heard her, the only other seat available is one from the business class. The flight attendant led her on to the front of the plane. The vacant seat turned out to be beside this random sleeping guy. There are only two plush, fully reclinable seats in each row and the leg room is to die for. She made a mental note to spend more money on nice comfortable plane rides next time.

Kim looked at her “seat mate.” She can instantly tell he was fairly young too. He had a tweed jacket on and a black hoodie on the inside. She instantly inferred that he was a yuppie. Part of his face was covered as he leans into the window, but even then Kim noticed that he is not so unfortunate looking. She instantly cast the prospect of having a cute seat mate aside and merely settled into her place as the captain announced the take-off.

Kim blasted the aircon to her face, put her i-pod on as the plane gradually ascends. She fell instantly asleep the moment her head made contact with the posh leather headrest.

0-0-0-0-0-0

Gerald Anderson, a young man of 22, was a bit disoriented when he woke up. He had the most terrible dream in the world. He dreamt that a hag in a wedding dress was hunting him down. She rode a black stallion, with a lasso on her hand. All he could remember was that he was running like hell away from her. He was running barefoot in the middle of the woods, rushing past creepy vines and airborne snakes. As the plane lightly grumbled, he returned to reality.

“That’s what active imagination can do for you,” he thought .

Fact is, Gerald Anderson is a coward on the run. The moment he has learned of his dad’s plan to marry him off, he filed for leave at work, got the first ticket off Vegas and flew to his friend’s house in L.A. He bunked in with Matt for a few days, before deciding to fly over to Negros Oriental to hide in his Lolo’s hacienda. There is no other place safer than in his Lolo’s care. Gerald’s lolo is the only person his own father fears. Lolo Greg is the only person who can put Gerald’s dad into his place. Cowardly as it may be, Gerald needed his lolo’s counsel against his dad’s latest attempt to control his life.

In fact, for Gerald it wasn’t about the marriage. In fact, a lot of people think he is already ripe for marriage at 22. He had a high paying job and nice house to boot. He can afford to be married, but he just isn’t ready for it. It was the sense of control of his life that he fears losing. Ever since he was young, his parents tend to run his life for him. They were so meddling to the point of being embarrassing. Even though they mellowed down since he was off high school, any chance they could get to interfere and intrude in his life, they will.

A committed relationship with a woman has really no place in Gerald’s life at the moment. He is far too enjoying his independent, bachelor life. Parties, nights out on the pub, one night stands...Not really! He is more of the workaholic yuppie who knows how to spend his money on nice cool things. That’s more him. Ladies are however not immune to his quiet, endearing nature. He recently had a string of really nice, pretty, decent girlfriends, but as soon as it became too intimate, he was well on the way out.

“Gerald Anderson? He is the romantic equivalent of a toaster. He heats you up really fast and tosses you up the air, well burnt and toasted.” He heard a girl say that of him once.

He brushed the thought aside as he the reading light above him. He put on his Oakley dark rimmed glasses to read. However, seeing that everyone else is asleep, he decided to turn the light off . This left him with no choice but to think of what happened a few days ago.

0-0-0-0-0-0

“Did I just hear you say what I thought I heard you say?” Gerald cried out.

“Yes, son...” his dad calmly replied. “You heard me right. Your mom and I entered an agreement with our kumpare (godbrother) William. His daughter has turned out to be quite a looker.”

“I can’t marry a girl you fancied, that will be gross!” Gerald turned the other way but his mom met him head on.

“Gerald, just because you are 22 it doesn’t mean I can’t turn you over and spank you.” His mom Vangie warned. Plump as her mom is, he had no doubt that she can do it.

“Mom, look, this is not 18th century India where parents choose wives for their sons!” Gerald exclaimed. “This is the US! We date tons of women first and then start searching and choosing our own wives - - -ourselves!”

“And where exactly has your searching taken you?” his dad butted in.

“To exactly where I want to be,” Gerald countered. “Single and happy.”

“Son, she is pretty. She comes from a good family. She is good natured....” Vangie reiterated.

“So, why don’t you guys marry her then?” Gerald retorted.

At that moment , Gerald knew he crossed the line. His father’s eyes widened like saucers. He could almost see steam coming off his ears.

“You better think about it, boy!!!” his father warned. “They’ll be coming over next week. You better be here by that time, or else...”

“Can’t you at least meet her first?” Vangie begged. “Then after that, decide whether or not you will want to go ahead with it...”

Gerald just loosely nodded. He knew anyways that no matter what the procedure is, the end product will be the same --- his neck on the marriage noose. And this time, he is calling the shots. Time to channel in his inner Forrest Gump and just start to run...

Gerald later on realized that he never even got the poor girl’s name. He was so repulsed by the idea of an instant marriage that he didn’t even pause to reconsider his options.

Does it matter to him how she looks? He began to think about it. Not really, he thought he had a quite a few, really nice-looking girlfriends yet they didn’t even make the cut. He began to think if there will ever be a girl perfect for him. He pondered upon what qualities he would like in a girl. He wants somebody simple, loves to have fun, pretty enough to make him smile when he wakes up beside her in the morning, engage him in endless conversations, sweet and romantic, loves to travel....the list goes on and on. Gerald is really hopeful that in the future he will meet her.

But, little did he know that the future is quite nearer than he thinks. His imminent match just lies a few inches off him, slumped like a monkey on the leather seat, snoring quite heavily for a girl...

0-0-0-0-0-0

The cabin lights were . Everyone stirred and groaned. They will be serving the first meal on the flight. Gerald was already awake at that time. Kim woke up at the smell of crisp bacon. She peered lightly, seeing the flight attendants handing out warm towels.

“They might be serving breakfast soon,” she thought. She felt her stomach growl. In her excitement to leave for the Philippines, she forgot to eat her lunch yesterday. She has not eaten anything for nearly 24 hours.

When Gerald first saw her, he smiled. Her hair was dishevelled and she was moving about still with her eyes closed. He can tell that she was really pretty. She stood up, fixed her sweater, tied her long hair in a bun...all the time with her eyes closed. She was like sleep-walking or in her case... sleep-tidying.

Kim finally opened her eyes. The first face she sees is the young, kind face of Gerald. He was smiling at her like he knew her. She smiled back awkwardly. When she sat down, he was still eyeing her. She really found it strange.

“Don’t you know it’s bad to stare at people?” Kim said annoyingly.

“Oh sorry, I didn’t mean to...” Gerald answered. “You probably don’t know this, but there is a piece of tissue on your face. There...” He leaned over to get it off her face. “See?”

“Thanks,” she said softly. He handed her the intruding piece of paper. She could feel her cheeks warm up from embarrassment. All this time she has this thing hanging on her face and it doesn’t help that the most handsome guy she ever met was the first one who noticed it.

“Jeez! Could you be ever more spastic?” she said to herself, disgusted.

“Did you say something, miss?” he asked. Gerald flashed her a naughty grin.

“No...Nothing...” Kim just turned around. There is something about his gentle assessment that she found unsettling. Not in a creepy kind of way but more of a guy-really-likes-a-girl kind of way. Though Kim gets this kind of attention a lot, she really felt his gaze to be oddly unoffensive. In fact, she found it flattering.

Fortunately for Kim, the flight attendant were coming in with their breakfast, cutting off the awkwardness of the situation.

Gerald meanwhile leaned into her. Kim’s heart skipped a beat.

“Miss, can I just scoot over, I need to go to the washroom...” His voice was warm and fluffy. He seems sincere, this Kim deduced out of a few phrases. Kim needs to stand up before he could get out. He smiled at her as he makes his way to the john.

The flight attendant reached their row and neatly placed their salads on their respective trays. He poured in drinks for them too. He poured coffee for Gerald and juice for her. Kim inspected each of their plates. Although they are the same salad, her own doesn’t seem to be more appealing than his. Since he wasn’t there yet, she decided to switch them. Kim smiled proudly at her ingenuity.

Gerald came back from the washroom looking more fresh and handsome. His hair is now styled back neatly which made him more slick, even if he had the obtrusive glasses on. Kim had to stand again to let him in.
Kim was observing him as he gently placed his napkin on his lap. He handled his knife and fork with the precision of a surgeon. It was such a delight to watch.

Feeling that she was observing him, Gerald turned to her with his most boyish smile and said, “Don’t you think it’s rude to stare at people?”

Kim’s jaw dropped. She racked her brain for a smart retort but she could not find one. She could feel that he was still observing her, it made her feel self-conscious. Hard as it may, she decided to turn her attention to her “switcheroo” salad. As she was about to bite into a vibrant lettuce, she felt a strong hand grip into her wrist.

When she looked at him, he was blue on the face, convulsing, holding his throat...HE COULD NOT BREATHE!

Gerald’s eyes were wide and bloodshot. He tried to say something but his throat has closed to the point of panic.

Kim knew he is having an anaphylactic shock. She frantically pushed the button to summon the flight attendants.

She desperately jumped out of her seat and went through his pockets.

Gerald eyes widened even more. He gave her an even more puzzled look. If he had a voice he would have said, "What the heck are you doing?!!!"

“Easy now, easy now....” Kim calmed him down. “Do you have an Epipen?”

He nodded, pointing to a bag under the seat in front of him.

Kim urgently grabbed the bag and fished out the device from the front pocket. She immediately pulled out the epinephrine syringe and stabbed it to his thigh.
People started to gather in noticing the commotion. Kim was almost straddling him. She desperately trying to pull apart his shirt’s constricting collar. It was as if she was ripping his clothes off him.

It was finally over in the next minute.

The epinephrine kicked in and Gerald was okay. The panicky flight attendants finally arrived. They made sure he was alright. They wondered how peanuts got strayed into his peanut-free salad. They took their plates out, much to Kim’s consternation. Gerald looked at Kim knowingly. He knew instantly how the switch happened. Kim avoided his accusing gaze, her attention are on the plates hovering over her eyes, she was still hungry as hell.

Kim finally went back to her seat, still hungry and exhausted. When she looked at him, the desperate look was now replaced by a sheepish grin.

Then he finally spoke, “ I hope it was good for you as it was for me...”