Chapter 8: I wanna get over you tell me what I have to do
Get Over You
[Boarding gate 50 Hong Kong airport Ramp]
Linda followed her colleagues down the ramp with her suitcase trailing behind her, it was time for another visit to a different place, after that long day at festive walk, she really thought about how different life was without Raymond, it seemed somewhat empty, there was a missing place in her heart that he had stolen from her. She sighed, thinking about silly questions like “Does he miss me?” “What actually happened?” “Did he mean to hurt me?”. She sighed and came back to reality she looked forward; Selena and Griselda looked rather enthusiastic about a flight to Rome, Italy. It was one of the world’s most prestigious and romantic cities. All couples would want to go there once in their lives. The monster inside Linda’s stomach d at her emotions again. I better not think about this stuff, she mumbled to herself.
[Flight CX 101 HK to Rome]
Raymond looked outside the window of the plane absentmindedly. He thought back to how he had spent that tiring day back at Langham place in Mong Kok. He missed her, it was the truth, the guilty side of him had d at his heart again. He just can’t grasp the fact of him betraying the women he loved for who she was. He also thought back to this morning how he and his friends were called to the meeting for the morning.
[Flashback]
Cathay pacific meeting room
Raymond and his friends each took a seat around the table not knowing what to expect.
“Firstly I wanted to announce how we are promoting for the new cadets in both pilots and cabin crew, for recruitment starting at the end of the next month, but beforehand, we will have to find two Cathay stars to represent this year’s promotion, we haven’t yet decided but we’ve always been using our models to do so, this year I want a change, something fresh, amazing and captivating so that we can get the best of the best to come in and train. But I have taken a few people in consideration which include you boys”
“But, Edward, don’t you think this is rather too quick, there hasn’t been a precedent before to use us?” Bosco asked politely.
“Don’t worry, you’ll be fine. Secondly I think you people are ready for promotion to be flight captain, which means you people will need to perform well, I know you people think you’re too young, but I have seen you in the stimulator, you guys have potential especially Raymond, Ron, Moses, Bosco and Kevin. Kenneth would want to concentrate on girls I believe.” The whole meeting room burst into laughter.
“So, we will have interviews within the next fortnight, you will be notified beforehand also there will be the pilots/senior officer that have recommended and approved of your performance at the interview. Good luck to you all, have fun and fly away.”
“Fung, don’t you think that their rushing a little?”
“I believe so too but we’ll see what Cathay brings us this time.”
“But it was your dream to achieve to such standard wasn’t it?” Kevin asked
[End flashback]
Raymond thought deeply, there was something restraining him, from his stride. Unclear now, he was hoping that the clouds would make way for his future path where Linda was the sunlight through that path.
[On board flight CX 101 HK to Rome]
“Linda it’s your time to have a rest, it’s so dark now, but look outside, it’s breathtaking just to think about flying towards Rome once again.”
Weariness took over Linda as she sailed on the dream boat off to the land of fantasies once again, in her dream, she was flying in the sky, it felt so carefree, she realised she was holding a warm but strong hand, who could it be? Before she knew it they were stargazing, until the voice said
“Look honey, don’t the stars remind you of Rome?”
At this moment she felt the familiar touch and gentle voice of the person she had been avoiding for so many weeks now. She was suddenly away from the world of dreams already. Such a short but incredible time, could they be that close once again without realising?
[City of Rome, Italy the fountain of Trevi]
“It’s been too long since I have been here!” Linda sighed.
“Last time we were here, I remember Linda disappeared when we were at the café” Selena sighed
“We’ve come back to this fountain again; maybe it would be better if we make a wish”
“But this time, I really want to go and take a walk around the place,”
“Are you sure Linda? You don’t want to make a wish?”
With a wave of goodbye, the girls parted their ways in this mysterious city full of romantic stories of love. Where could such a place lead to?
[City of Rome, the colosseum]
Step after step, she watched the clouds, fly high above her, where she once had been, in love, in the air, in her dream of a flight attendant, her converse shoes made it less convincing that she was part of the cabin crew, her casual wear today reminded her of her lifestyle, carefree, however caring towards others. Her independent personality has led to the meeting of her dream, her dear, her prince charming. She lifted her head, not noticing the constantly moving crowd around her, she was waiting, waiting…….waiting for something, something to come and struck her. The colosseum stood guarding over its visitors, its shadows hiding the true identity of some and the shyness of others. Her thoughts poured away from the simultaneously working factory, she sighed, and took more steps. Her sight was now directed to the ground. She found something sparkle, instantly she was pulled back into the journey to the past:
[Flashback]
Running out of the café for breath, she couldn’t stand facing him anymore, it wasn’t the first time, she understood about friends but this time Raymond had done more than enough. He had once again shown his ‘prince of the town’ attitude where money could do anything. Linda had tried to explain so many times that that was not everything in the world. Some things in the world just can’t be replaced by money, the memories; the meaning behind something can never be substituted with financial compensation. She paced around the colosseum, thoughts all tangled like a ball of wool which had been played by a kitten for fun. The lifeless pain that lay inside her caused a tear to trickle down from her eye. It somehow made its way to the ground, where’s her phone accessory? The four leaf clover matching the one that Raymond had? She walked around, eyes glued to the ground, retracing her path all the way around the colosseum. Until, it struck her. She hesitated in her path and lifted her eyes to her path in front of her, it was the feeling of his presence, however, no one familiar was in front of her, she the spot, and there he was smiling apologetically. He saw her eyesight, she was teary, somewhat saying at the same time that you should be sorry. She covered and looked away avoiding his eyesight. He advanced; approaching her step by step, in his hand, the four leaf clover.
“I understand now Linda…” He said as he grasped her hand firmly but gently.
“some things will never be replaced, one for example, this matching phone accessory, our matching USBs, it will never mean the same if it was bought again, after everything we’ve been, one thing I almost forgot, money can never replace……” he held her hand and placed it towards his chest,
“Our love for each other” Raymond whispered. Looking into her eyes sincerely, she finally let her well of tears flow free into a stream, hugging him tightly and sobbing.
“I’m sorry Linda, but may I?” Raymond reached out his hand; Linda took it and nodded slightly.
[Colosseum Rome]
He looked up into the sky, it seemed rather on the grey side today, he thought to himself… Why would she like me? Why did she forgive all those times before? Silly to ask such questions, he thought it was simply love he mumbled under his breath. I still haven’t found a clue on what happened that night. He was frustrated about himself. Was it reasonable to find a way to say sorry to her, to get her to forgive me? You’re just too silly Raymond; your mistake could be the biggest in the world. He looked at the ground, there was a lonely earring on the ground not noticeable at first but it was another four leaf clover. Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out a little treasure of his own. It was a pretty bracelet with charms of four leaf clovers and pretty gems. He stared at it saying to it as if it were a person,
“Linda do you still love me? Does it still hurt? Is the pain because you loved me too much and still do? It hurts for me too you know? I love you Linda” he whispered to himself, then looking up at the colosseum, I think this place would bring me some luck in finding my exit to this mystery.
[City of Rome, Café]
“Wow, so much choice, I wonder which one should I get,” Selena gasped. She heard footsteps approaching and felt the awakening tap on her shoulder,
“Oh Linda,” Griselda gasped, where did you come from?
“I was just walking along in the streets; I guess this is a small place after all,”
“Let’s have some gelato together, I am just too indecisive!”
“You’re always like that Selena,”
“HEHE!”
“Mango, the taste of the tropics, summer”
“Chocolate the taste of sweetness and love”
“Tiramisu the scents of Italy”
“Strawberry the ripeness of delight”
“Hey you guys, you realise that if we continue like this, we’ll just get frozen to this window?” Linda laughed.
“But I just can’t choose”
“Linda, you don’t realise we’ve been here for half an hour,” Griselda complained.
“Why don’t we just grab a seat and we’ll order it?” Linda decided.
“Wow, Linda you’re just too smart, now we can share!” Selena joyously clapped.
[Flashback]
“First stop, Gelato”
“It’s nearly winter you know?”
“Nothing can take away the taste of gelato, it’s the aftertaste of an apology; sweetness that is”
“But I just can’t choose” Linda rushed to the window almost wanting the magic away the glass so that it was a bath of gelato to hers.
“Look, Chocolate, tiramisu, mango, strawberry, choc chip, cinnamon donut, hazelnut and Oh My Gosh CRÈME BRULEE!!!” Linda shrieked.
“Alright, just sit down, I’ll fix this problem” As Raymond returned, Linda was reading the menu, as Raymond placed the cones down onto the ice-cream stand, Linda bounced in her chair.
“I want this one” Linda lifted her cone and the flavour of mango straight away. Raymond tasted the strawberry one. Linda grabbed his arm and the same gelato after he did, he laughed.
“it tastes like Linda doesn’t it”
“You wanna die LAM FUNG?”as she slapped him playfully on the arm.
“How about this one?” Linda asked as she shoved her cone up to his lips. He it but Linda purposely dabbed some on his nose.
“Mango flavoured nose!”
[End flashback]
“I guess I’ll be leaving again”
“Why are you leaving so fast?”
“I’m just trying to recollect my thoughts that I lost here overtime”
“Bye Linda, be careful.”
[Fountain of Trevi]
Today, I think I remembered a lot of happy and sad times, but all those times, I had just forgiven him. She thought to herself, about how she had come here whenever she had needed to know what to do, when she was confused, when she was desperate to find a way out. “Plop,” the sound of a coin dropping into the water had awakened her.
Raymond stared into the fountain, it was a place where wishes were granted, it was a place where couples come, and it is a place where he would come every time he couldn’t find the path he should take. However there was one exception; it was a time where he had not come alone, he was accompanied by his love, his wife, his girlfriend in other words Linda.
They both thought back to that day
[Flashback fountain of Trevi]
The couple linked hands and raced towards the fountain, laughing having the joy of their life, under the canopy of love, nothing could separate them,
“How was that?” Raymond puffed
“You get puffed so easily”
“But we ran down the whole street from the café and then down here,”
“Turn around and look, this will make up for everything.” As Raymond turned, he saw through the crowd around the lively but gentle fountain, the magical place where wishes are granted.
“Do you like it?”
“Hey Linda, don’t you think we should make a wish after all that had happened today?”
“Give me a coin,”
“Don’t you have one?”
“I do, but just swap for a better chance.” The couples turned their backs towards the fountain, linked hands and wished.
“Please let our love be preserved, let nothing separate use, let us go on forever and ever” Raymond whispered in his head.
“Please, let us cherish what we have, let us acknowledge how deep our love is, let Raymond realise the meaning in this world, let us have the understanding to forgive each other no matter what happens so that nothing separates us” Linda whispered in her mind.
Together, the couple separated the hands, held the coin tightly, and threw the coin over their heads into the fountain. The couple looked into each other’s eyes and smiled sweetly.
[End flashback]
“I agree since all that has happened today, I should make a truthful wish”
She closed her eyes hiding her vision from the rest of the world, she wished inside her head
“Please tell me what I have to do, should I get over him? Should I forgive him? Please…please tell me” and she threw the coin into the fountain behind her. It felt as if she released herself from all the stress and pressure she had had, before.”
“I wish that I can find the truth so that I can clear up the misunderstanding with her so we can restore the unbreakable love that we once and might still have, let us love each other forever.”
As Raymond threw the coin into the fountain , he turned around to get a last glimpse of the fountain, before he parted the crowd, he could have sworn that he had seen Linda on the other side of the fountain, however when he looked again she had disappeared.
As Linda was about to leave the crowd she could have sworn that she had seen Raymond leave the crowd, for a moment, she wanted to see him, hug him and ask him what really had happened but when she got out of the crowd to get a clear look at the back he had vanished.
Suddenly she felt a gentle tap on her shoulder, she didn’t know how to respond therefore, just froze on the spot.
“Linda….Linda” The male voice called her. The person walked in front of her and Linda was taken aback by his appearance.
“Why are you here?”
Comments