Chapter 9

January 31, 2009.

"…I'll be back soon…" The man standing in one corner of the area, turned his back. The blue music waved. The spotlight focused on a woman standing, casting her shadow on the white drapes. "Kill me slowly or I'll slay you painfully. Like when you thawed my being, I tried to make it spring when you said, "I'll be back soon."" Grace felt as they were from her lips, as she owned them, true from the heart. "Night and nights came like a loon. Confining myself in a dark room. As the moist drops a lot in zoom, I thought of you so much in the deepest of night to have you in my side as darkness snatched my sight." Grace strode and dawdled with poise, "Pale and sick I am from wanting you to come back. As the tree where we engraved our love begins to fall its leaves and so I am. Trying to grapple the death behind, as I cling to the vows that bind us," she crossed her arms in front of her breast showing either pain or love. "Forget to meet me in my last sigh. My life goes short. Sorry I tried to fight but every single cell follows the current of death. Still, I will love you 'til the end and forever." She faced the audiences with composure, with grace. Her soft voice vibrated to ones' hearts in the entire theater. Audiences responded them a standing ovation, warmth claps and sound awesome. Hand in hand, they bowed as they end the show, Time and Space. Once again, audiences applauded them. She looked vista in the very back benches, Billy was standing statue with a smile. Of course, eyes sometimes see unreal things. Hers see real ones as she always thought. She didn't bend the gaze. She blinked as she realized was only a fancy, hallucination or she missed him so much to create imagery of him on her toying mind. And opened her eyes and there was no one standing. Turned her back as they exited.

Grace threw herself on the couch and shrill to vent trembles out and of course for a job well done in the backstage.

For sure, Director Michelle will be very happy and a smile of "no dismayed shows had been handled by her" in her face. "I'm so proud of you Grace and you, you, all of you, guys!" Proud was emphasized in her tone.

They were waiting for a "party time" from her. But exuded nothing, just a gummy smile. Thrifty old lady was in their minds.

Two of the theater companions paused and shocked like they saw a hideous apparition. Lips tightened.

Palms covered her glassy eyes. "Oh. What is this? Who's this?"

Patted her cooling hands to remove the hands covering her eyes. She sensed it with her hands. It's a man, she reckoned. "Big and conspicuous veins" reminded her so much of Billy. But of course, that'll be impossible to happen, Billy can't come home alright by now. She wiggled her head off someone's hands. And turned her head back to see who guess who her. Time stopped and so she was. Eyes enlarged like she saw a favorite celebrity actor – she wished to see in all of her life. Surprise hampers her to move. Heart quickened.

"Grace" icy voice of a man. He smirked then pocketed his hands.

"Billy!" Grace quickly jump off the couch and embraced him tightly. For now, this is real. Not a fancy again. She pulled herself off to check once again if she's really seeing and touching real Billy. "Oh. You are really. How this happen?" and hugged again, making her hanged on Billy's shoulder.

Billy whispered, "I can't breathe."

"Oh. Sorry."

Billy wrapped her waist with his tight hug and carried her leaning onto his body.

"Um. Put me down, Love." Grace felt awkward with her theater companions. Smiled. Billy put her down and stared at her about to kiss.

Director Mich yelled like someone or something tickled her. "This is worth partying for."

All whoaed when they heard the word they were waiting for.

Billy curled his arm around Grace's neck as they walked out of the theater building in two minutes…

Val, her theater companion, tapped Grace on the shoulder. "Hey! Sis. Wake up." Teasing Grace again. "Dreaming?" and laughed into taunt.

Grace unconsciously napped on the couch, curled in coolness of the ambiance in five minutes. She quickly looked back finding someone and finger-combed to fix her frizzed hair, and whispered, "It's just a dream." She grimaced. Breathed deep, and closed her eyes holding her head in dismay. "I'll keep going, Val." Grace looked down her wrist watch and reached her sling bag, a gift from Billy. Strode out the building. It was already 8:00 in the evening. The town was not as night as the other provinces, the lightbulbs make the town a busy day. In a night, the lights that adorn a city glow brightly sprung out from her mind. Grace waved a ride home. She gets in behind the wheel, "Drivethru*, Manong" and smiled.

Twenty-five minutes later, a taxi stifled in front of the Aquino's residence. Grace stepped down and thanked the driver. She locked up the gate and proceeded to the balcony to take her heels off. Massaged her feet and entered the house. In the couch was Peter and Mel talking to someone, a bloke fitted in a blue polo, make him more handsome.

"Grace. Thanks you're home. C'mon." Mel stood quickly and smiled like there's a surprise, Grace's eyes darted on the bloke sitting in posture. She jerked her sling bag off and a familiar voice, a voice she wanted to hear face-to-face, "Grace." It was a voice of her love. It's Billy's. Grace held her breathe for more than a second and her heart throbbed swiftly. She rubbed her eyes to clearly see and make sure it is not a hallucination again. "Billy? Yes, you are…" Grace galloped towards and longingly hugged him. "I can't breathe, Grace." Billy said in a choked voice. "I'm sorry." Grace loosened the hug. Billy affectionately embraced her. "I missed… I miss you so much." "Am too."

Mel looked with a talking eyes and twitched her brows saying get out of here to Peter. But Peter couldn't get it so Mel went near to him and pulled him to the kitchen, "Let's prepare the supper." Peter sensed it already and nodded.

Grace settled her butt down the couch beside Billy and crossed her right leg over her left. As a mother nature of Grace, she asked not one questions at a time. "What are you doing here? How did you come? Did aunt Liza know about this? Are you okay now? Why you didn't let me notice this?" Grace paused, "Am I too motherly harsh? Uh. Forget everything I asked you. What's important now is you are here safe and sound with me."

Billy just smiled eyes darted at her.

"Umm… tea or juice?" Grace's mouth upturned.

"Tea, please. Thank you."

Grace headed to the kitchen and plopped a teabag in a hot water. She made two. "What are you up to, Love?" Grace asked as she sipped her tea.

"Ha… What. What do you mean?" Billy indulged in his tea.

"What I mean is that what brings you here, your plan?"

Billy looked at her like he's saying you're so interrogative. Billy licked his lips. "Aunty Liza want to branch out here in the Philippines, specifically in Cebu. I'm appointed t worked on it as a manager. But I came here to visit and to finally touch my Love again. Thank you for waiting for me, Grace."

"As my love is truly. I waited for this day to happen. Despite of all the rains and typhoons you, we have overcome. I'm happy for you Billy to see you again wearing that smile."

Billy jolted his buttocks nearer to Grace and spread his arm reaching, touching her nape, and slowly curled them around her neck. "For you, I have to."

"Did aunty really bring you here for an opening of the satellite company?" Grace can't avoid to worry again about Billy's mental health. The question sounded a lot to Billy. It might be saying that she's doubting on his capabilities, physically and mentally or she's afraid of him and his disorderliness. He just stared at her in a serious face.

"Um. I'm just concerned here. I don't mean more than that. Um. Sorry." Grace's being guilty of her question. She knew it will hurt his ego. "You thoughtless. Grace, please" she said it in her mind.

Billy knew the nature of Grace as a mother-like so he knew she's just concerned about him, about the whole him. He clamped her hand and inserted his fingers on hers. He looked at her eyes straight.

"Grace, you know… Unexpected as I thought. Electrifying as it brought." Billy pulled her hand up, showed their clamped hands to her. "Heaven as it fits our fingers. Tight-pressing tickles my nerves. Undefined closeness I never ought. Complement love, Love, defines all as I fought. Once I clamped my fingers on yours, I'll never let it slips away."

"You're becoming poetic. I love, though." "You know my nature, Love." Grace smirked and patted her right hand on Billy's clamping her left hand. "I miss the whole you, Billy." Grace dabbed her cold palm on his cheek. "I miss everything." She said it underneath her breath.

Mel yelled, "Dinner is ready!" interrupting their moment to dab Billy's lips on hers. They sighed and smiled each other.

"Let's go… let's feed our stomach." Grace jokingly said. Clamped fingers had not been broken.

"Grace. I love the way you act a while ago." Billy appreciated Grace performance that startled her.

"How did you know that?" Billy grinned.

"Of course, I have my way." Billy spoke inaudibly soft, "Even I'm late."

"I saw you at the back bench but… but I'm not sure if it's real, you're real. I mean what I saw." Grace stopped striding and faced him.

"Yes."

"Yes of what?"

"I mean I've been there watching you." Billy chuckled, "You're creating imagery of me? You really missed your Love." He reached her other hand, and winked.

"That doesn't allure me."

"The table is waiting!" Mel yelled again.

In the dining table, Billy continuously compliment Grace.

"That's why I insisted to pursue her theater career over marriage but as I saw, she's happy with your company. So, are we going to talk about marriage, Billy?" Peter talked as he forcefully slicing the rubber-like pork on his plate.

"We'll talk about that as soon as possible, dad. We'll be there." Billy said before he spooned the viand into his plate.

"How's you, Billy?" Mel seemed to check on him about the therapies and medications.

"I'm fine. It was working fine but sometimes I feel heavy and cumbersome to answer your next question, Ma."

Mel just smiled and gnash the pork. "It's flexy…" and she laughed and so they did.

The dining table was full of abrupt changes of conversation and volubility just happened unaware. Billy knew he's always welcome to the family. He has felt at home as Mel always tell him whenever he becomes timid – one of Billy's personality in a first meeting. He quaffed a glassful of water and wiped his lips with table napkin. They continued the jabber as they were delighted with the desert and fruits. Billy peeled one banana when Grace asked about his American friend, John.

"Ah. John? He's a busy bloke. Actually, as a cop's asset and friend of mine. He wanted to come with me, actually. But he'll manage their toy company and he can't find a way too." Billy wrinkled his nose and fingered his forehead. "I asked him to visit Baguio if he has time but he preferred to sneak Visayas. Of course, that's a joke."

"Your friend's so unusual and mysterious. Huh." Grace seemed jeering.

"Yea. He's one of a kind. Plonker. Sometimes he furtively goes in the house just to come in my room to ask me for a nightlife out. He's a real nuts." Billy chuckled as he remembered the days of foolishness with John.

"You really have a good time with him." Grace envied not the relationship but the happy good time she should spend with Billy. She asked, "By the way, when do I meet this friend of yours?"

Billy nodded twice and he said, "He'll attend my wedding whenever and wherever. He swore."

Grace smiled as a sign of okay. Fine.

Mel spat a question out, "Where will you sojourn?" she thought Billy can't afford to stay at their house where all bad experiences happened, darkness has cast its wings on that house, living there might give him ominous times.

"I'll stay at home, Ma. I'll be okay." Billy slowly uttered the words.

The night gets darker. Billy waved a bye as he strode out the gate. He gets in in the car he called thirty minutes ago. He peeped Grace before he pulled to lock the door. Fasten the seatbelt. Luke, his bouncer-liked personal driver hired by Liza Block, looked at Billy asking where to go.

Billy understood what those look means to be. Drivethru*, at our house."

Billy seemed to remember the yesteryears. Written in the stars was played and drowned Billy. He smiled, remembering his Pap and Ma dancing as they were flooded in the melody and lyrics of the song.

"You feel great, sir?"

"The song waved back the time when I saw Pap and Ma danced during their 20th anniversary."

Luke's attention was focused on the road and replied, "You'd been in a loving and ideal fam, sir."

"Slight. Ideal? Nope. Not so. My family's perfectly imperfect, Luke."

Luke noticed Billy's eyes were wet, and about to press the power button when Billy calmly said, "Let it be, Luke. I really love the song that's why." A mum moment, the music faded.

It was 10:07 pm when the SUV stifled and Luke pressed the horn to open the gate, Manoy swiftly unlocked and wide-opened the gate. Luke drove to parking area*. Billy wandered his eyes, bit of changes. Flower pots were arranged Ally wanted to be, the landscape was maintained. The Jasmine, Ally's fave plant, has multiplied and are flowering as he dimly eyed in distance. The house was lit up. a Welcome Home sign hanged over the carved door.

Manoy greeted Billy a goodnight. "Welcome home, sir."

"Thank you, uncle."

"You didn't inform us you'll come home. I would've prepared a dinner, sir."

Billy chuckled. "I already dined in Grace's place."

Yieeh! was ejaculated by Manoy.

Billy smiled, "Goodnight!"

Luke dragged the baggage upstairs. Knocked it down on Billy's room's door. Billy thanked him and went down to his room. Billy fished the key on his pocket as he remembers the depression in his life. The door creaked, a sign that the hinges are already rusted. He switched on the lightbulb in the ceiling. The room was dismantled and much better now. The furniture is seemed wiped and the floor is swept. Seemed regularly cleaned. The entire house was tidy but not totally rearranged, and décor were displayed as if Ally was alive. After splashing his face, he jumped on the bed and kicked the blanket covering his half, and shut off his eyes. Billy became stronger now. He reclaimed life in due time.