Chapter 8

CHAPTER VIII

La Sobelle Travel and Tours

San Ildefonso, Philippines

After nearly three weeks, luck suddenly outruns me.

My Perfume business slowed down, I don't even get any bookings due to storms simultaneously hitting the northern part of the country--which highly affect our tours, and now I only have my job at La Sobelle yet I fear that it's even nearing critical as travel bookings surprisingly staggered down. We strategized coming up with marketing ads and promos that may lure tourist but it's really weird that we haven't received any bookings so far.

I can't lose my job now. I have apartment rent and utility bills to mind, it would really be burdensome for me to be jobless at this state.

My gaze moves across the glass panel and saw Gab smiling, whatever he is currently doing on his phone almost tore his face while tinkering. His laughter reaches through me and as I was becoming infected by it, Emalia came to me with an extra glass of hot cocoa.

"He looks like someone who is not gonna lose his job. Isn't he?" She teasingly jokes while looking at Gab.

my elbow gently nudges her to look at me, "No one is gonna lose their job, okay?"

"It would be best if we would accept it right? Good for you, you have the tour guiding part-time that could save you, unlike us."

A crease abruptly visits my temple, "Why? How did your application for accreditation in the Department of Tourism go?" I ask after taking the cup of cocoa she offered.

"Our certification is still in process and even with that, I doubt we'd have bookings immediately, like look at how our tourism state is doing now with this sudden weather? No one would like to tour around on a gloomy state like this." Her words were evidently the reality that has struck me as well.

"Let's just trust the process, Emalia," The sweet yet hot sensation of the cocoa burns the tip of my upper lips as Gab rush inside, exaggeratingly reporting at the top of his lungs, "Thalia! Come see this!" his words both made me curious and terrified at the same time.

I left the front desk and followed him outside where the swooning numbers of bouquet bombarded our eyes. "I didn't know you have quite the admirers, Thalia." Gab elbowed me as a red stain of blush spread all over his face more rather than me.

The delivery guy nears in front of me handing out a small glass dome containing a weird mandala flower, "the sender instructed us to tell you this flower is very rare." he said soon after the glass rested my palm. He then took out the receiving sheet with a pen and asks me to sign it.

After that he swiftly took the pace to move back to his truck when I promptly halted him, "Excuse me but, who is the sender of all these?" I asked out of my curiosity.

"Part of the services paid was to secure the sender's identity is private, but I believe he left a note underneath the glass dome." the delivery man finally tips before heading back on his truck once more, leaving me with just one clue.

Who could've sent these flowers?

After setting the rest of the bouquets on the sidewalls, enough not to cause hindrance or blockage on the entrance, I took the glass dome with me inside the front desk. Everyone circled around me after nestling the dome on the table. Funny how they were all set and ready more than me, just to see what's beneath the dome.

"Save us the waiting Thalia, find what's underneath the dome." Divina reacted. I can see from their eyes the excitement but for some reason, I feel strange, it's odd and makes me somehow feel—nervous.

I turn the dome upside down and discovered a small compartment beneath it. Using the peak of my apartment's key, hanging along my ID lace, I was able to open the small compartment and took out what it seems like a folded note. Everyone lean their heads closer to me nosing on whatever could be written from the note. I look at them in disbelief while releasing a mouthful of breath prior to opening, and then I give a short moment of pause just before I start reading it. But all our excited faces abruptly turn into disappointed when what we saw from the note was just a handwritten word,

'BYE'.

"Weird. What kind of admirer will give so much effort sending out that bunch of flowers, when he would just be leaving a single note with a sole word as bye?" Gab was so into it that he even reacted first prior to me.

I just look at them with a blank face for I am, as well, puzzled whoever sent me these flowers.

***

"Mayari..."

I heard a whisper while I was busy folding my clothes back into my drawers. I have been fixing my new apartment ever since I temporary couldn't receive any guest from the past few weeks. Atleast now, my room looks ninety percent presentable.

"Mayari, what are you taking so long?"

Another female voice whispered to me. I have been familiarized with this voice for over a long time now ever since I arrive from Monaco. At first, I was just ignoring it and not paying too much attention but lately, it begins to rise up within my nerves that make me built up paranoia from an unseen entity that might be playing fool of me.

I lightly tilted my head around hoping I couldn't see anything and yes, there was none. After placing the last pile of clothes inside my drawer, I manage to rise up and move to do my bedding.

"When are you going to find me, Mayari?"

The whisper sent me chills that I couldn't explain how it happened. I turn around and saw my reflection on the mirror, crying. I didn't realize just now that my tears were fearfully flowing from my eyes down my cheeks. Was I trying to hold them back? But for what?

And all of a sudden, my reflection changed, it became an image of another woman, appearing so enchanting in front one. Her body is covered with lilac silk glittering in tiny shapes of emeralds adorning the fabric. But what made me paused are her eyes covered by a muddy cloth.

It was then when a voice came in, "You were not given a new life to waste it in slumber." Her voice trails from my left to right ear, shutting me further. Much to my horror, I fell back with my ass slapping the floor after knowing she didn't even opened her lips.

It's just like how I met Pandaki.

The image shocks my whole body as it exits the mirror to move near me. I became frozen and unable to move my feet to escape. She took advantage of my weakness as I couldn't even move a muscle. I'm already trembling in fear when she caught me face-to-face directly, "You need to find me quickly or rather wait your life on your death bed." Her voice echoed but still her lips never parted.

"W—who are you? And why do I need to find you when you are already here?" Sarcastically as it may sound, I told her what's evidently occurring.

"Touch me, Mayari." She suddenly ordered.

"Why would I obey you?"

"You want answers to your question? Touch me with your finger."

I don't have any idea about her point of view but I raised my hand and tried touching her with the tip of my finger. I became dumbfounded as how I witness my finger passes through her skin. Is she some kind of a ghost?

The thin hair across my skin swiftly stands. My knees trembles which prevent me from having the strength to rise back on my feet again. Small dots of sweat begin to appear on my sideburns and mostly on my forehead.

"I am not a ghost, don't be afraid. Instead, you should be frightened for a larger reason. It's your life which is at stake here if you still don't pursue finding me."

I wince, "What does my life being at stake have to do with finding you? And how would I start finding you? Would you just tell me where could I find you instead? Most importantly, who are you?" my so-many questions made the elemental being move back an inch away from me.

"My Mentala is not enough to sustain all this Mayari. Find me quickly and I will tell you everything you need to know. My eyes will be the one to guide you where I am."

"Why can't you just tell me now who are you first?"

She gazed towards my study table and appeared like looking into the two red dice placed inside the small glass.

"This conversation isn't safe either, wake up Mayari!" she suddenly ordered.

She is so authoritative that it scares me even further. My voice is even trembling when I parted my mouth to speak, "Tell me who you are." I reverted.

And before I could even attempt to corner her, she opens her mouth and say, "Find me for answers." As the mirror pulled back again, disappearing from my sight.

I scream out of horror and this lead me to rose up sweating from my bed, figuring everything that happened was all just a dream—or wasn't it?

***

A few days after that nightmare, I tried to vanquish every thought of it from my head and just replaced it with things I need to focus on about reality. I have no room in my life to entertain anything that could only lead me to wilderness.

And since today is my off from work, I had no better plans to spend it than finishing my mountainous laundry. The battle was tough enough to take a toll of my entire morning. Just as I finished drying off the last pair of uniform I have, my phone suddenly rings.

Emalia didn't even wait for me to say hello when she prompted, "You need to come to the office quickly." She hysterically ordered, as if something came up that needs the urgency of my presence.

I set my phase quickly, reaching the office from my apartment in less than thirty mind-blowing minutes just to arrive seeing the three of them outnumbered by new batches of flowers that were addressed to me—and again, with no sender but just a note with a single word 'BYE'.

"This is slowly making me furious than fluttered. It's getting creepy never knowing who this person might be." I told them after crumbling the piece of note.

"—and what might be his intention." Divina added.

I look at her in agreement. Hypothetically speaking, I'm not certain if my intuition is right, but would Mr. Del Vecchio waste that much effort just to send me these flowers every now and then? He couldn't possibly be that attached to me for me to drop into conclusion. What just bothers me is the note 'BYE' for?

I withdraw from the thought and told them to help me donate the flowers to the nearby parish church of St. Paul.

There, we were greeted by the Parish priest who had just finished his morning mas, "Father Martin, you're looking radiant today." I smiled at him after placing the flowers at the long wooden chairs.

"Never feeling old, child," his response is very radiant. No wonder people from this town adore him. Father Martin, despite his old age is still very clever and full of humor. He always has something to brighten up the day for whoever talks to him. I grew up remembering his brown thin hair and younger face. Now the crease on his forehead is visible—also beside his eyes. His contagious smile is still there, but his hair had already turned ash grey.

"New batches of suitors?" he cocked his way towards me after looking at the flowers.

"Yes and no? I'm not still certain of the sender. He could be someone I know or not and it scares me—to be frank." I told him.

"As long the sender will not send something that could harm you, I see no point for being scared."

My hands were clasping together when I shrugged.

Father Martin taps my left shoulder, "Come on child, walk with me," he insisted.

Father Martin always loves walking with his guest inside the church's garden. Here, we would often talk about random things while he picks flowers for the altar. But ever since we began donating the flowers, the Garden rejoice from being withered at the altar every time I come visit them, they bloom beautifully. It's as if it's their way of thanking me for the generosity.

"I've known you very well as a child, most of the people here for a fact, Thalia. And I know you when you don't feel at ease. Tell me, what is it that is bothering you, child?" Father Martin suddenly asked me out of the blue.

My eyes wandered into the Malaysian mums swaying with the gentle whisper of the wind before looking back at him to answer, "I thought I could keep it from you, guess I underestimated your observation skills, Father." And then I let off a chuckle.

"So tell me about it? Was it the secret admirer?" he asked.

I'm not sure which part to begin with but perhaps it wouldn't hurt to ask a holy person for advice.

"It's about something else actually," I initiated. I can sense how Father Martin's looks became focused on me. "I've been recently encountering things—things that are too hard for me explain and even understand." I then added.

"Let me try to keep up." He immediately replied.

The breeze softly blew some strands of my hair which I instantly combed behind my ear. As I look away from Father Martin, my eyes decided to stare below me, looking at my white sneakers. I feel ashamed that I have to end up seeking a priest's opinion.

But perhaps I might feel relieved if ever he has something in mind to recommend how I can get rid of these things. I trust Father Martin. He's one among the few people who knew about my decision to leave San Ildefonso more than my own family.

"I've been experiencing, seeing, feeling, hearing, and even dreaming about elemental things which are not normal for ordinary people." I finally divulge.

Father Martin's face became more curious, his crease curved and his round, wide eyes precipitously narrowed. "Like how?" he just asked.

"An unseen elemental force is seeking me to find some kind of persona or whatever it is, I keep seeing them in dreams, as well as in reality and they keep calling me a strange name—Mayari." I could already sense my body barely shaking from recalling the thought.

Suddenly, Father Martin stops in front of a long bench and settled himself there. He then invited me to sit next to him as we continue with our conversation, "Thalia, since when did all these began?" he then ask a question again.

"Ever since I came back from Monaco,"

"What happened in Monaco that could possibly trigger everything?"

"Nothing much, I just died and I live again." I could feel like it sounded funny but I really did die and live again.

Father Martin lightly winces, "you sure you didn't had some weeds over there?" he snorts a laugh.

"Oh Father, I'm serious!" and just as I thought, here goes his humor.

His laughter is truly contagious. I chuckle at the thought of me sounding really weird on his end. And then, he suddenly stops. His face became plain and unreadable, "Child, is your relationship with God tight? One possible reason could be because you have a loose rope from God, which allows these elemental beings to grasp from it and hold into you." He then said.

"Is there something you could do about it then?" I asked him, hoping to seek for permanent solution.

"It's not something I could do," he answered while emphasizing 'I', and then added, "It's something that you should or must rather do."

"Like how Father?"

"Let God be the center of everything, Thalia. Talk to him about this and get into his holy words. Strengthen your spiritual armor. This will shield you away from these elemental beings."

Before I could even ask more from Father Martin, a nun suddenly came and interrupts us to call for Father Martin's presence elsewhere. It didn't take long when I decided to leave the church together with my friends.

Father Martin's advice lingered in me and so that night, I held into the holy bible before placing it on my bedside table.

And yet the following morning, horror never seems to wish from bidding me farewell. This time though, it's surreal. There were bouquet of flowers at my apartment's front door and a single note that has a different message this time,

'Answers will definitely devour you.'

I threw the paper and kicked on the flowers away from me, I mustered all my remaining courage and bard the front door. I run back into my room and tuck myself under my bed sheet. I heard my phone rings and as soon as I picked it up, I heard a husky male voice from the other end saying, "It's been a while. Still remember me, darling?" I remember this voice, this man. He was that man from Monaco. He is that man who said he bought me from the auction. How did he manage to find me?