MEMORIES AND BEGINNINGS

"You are fun of making illusions, saying things that are not there"

"You're a weirdo, a psychic, your stepmother knew what she was doing keeping you away from school

"She meant well to the society"

The bullies said as she couldn't stand one more insult from them. She ran away from their presence. Her pace increased in fear as she failed to notice the ditch in front of her, and she fell in it, hurting her ankle.

"Ouch"

She cried out. She positions herself in the ditch, trying to find her way back out. She finally gave up after numerous trials. She sits inside the ditch and looked at her ankle as she began to blow the ankle, so she could blow the pain away.

"Blow, carefully the hurt, blow with a smaller and let the bigger wind take it away, blow, blow carefully the hurt"

She hummed, one of the songs, her dad loved to sing to her when she felt bad for not being able to read.

"Blow, carefully the hurt, blow with a smaller wind and let the bigger wind take it away, blow, blow carefully the hurt"

She kept humming, focusing on her ankle.

"Hey, can you hear me?"

She raised her head to see a figure and then on closer look, she could not see anyone or hear anyone, she heaved a sigh and faced her ankle again.

Sighs.

"I make illusions after all"

She said feeling deeply sad that no one is truly coming for her.

"Blow, care—"

"Hang onto the rope, I'm coming to save you"

The voice said again, dropping a rope this time. She stretched her hand to get hold of the rope and it felt so real to her.

"This cannot be an illusion"

"Hold tight, we're going to pull"

"We? We came to save me? We?"

She said amidst thoughts and held unto the rope, and she was pulled out. When she was out of the ditch, she saw a boy dressed as the superman's character with a cape on his cloth. He had a smile; she hasn't seen kids have except from Darla. She paused and looked at him, running round the field.

"We saved the day"

He kept saying repeatedly.

"We?"

Aggie could not stop asking, as she turned around seeing that she was pulled out by him, and the rope he tied round a tree.

"We? who are we?"

Aggie asked as the kid paused, looking at how confused he was, he laughed.

"What? What so funny?"

"Your face"

"My face?"

"Yes, you look so worried, you should be thanking me"

Aggie paused and looks at him.

"He's not stupid after all"

She said to herself.

"So where are the others?"

"It's just I and Big T"

"Who is big T?"

"There"

He said pointing at the tree. Aggie looked at it and laughed. The kid looks at her and joined in laughing too. IN split seconds, she forgot about her ankle.

"My name is Robb, what of you"

"I'm Aggie"

"Do you school around?"

Aggie asked.

"No, I do not go to school"

"Why?"

"It's too small for an amazing person like myself, I rather wander round and be taught by Big T than have a mean adult over me"

He said as he smiled. Aggie smiled too.

"Let's be friends"

Robb said as he brought his hands forward for a handshake. Aggie looks at him and smiled.

"Sure"

Aggie said as she brought her hands too for a handshake as she runs off.

"This would be our meet spot"

Robb shouted so she could hear from her distance.

"Okay"

Aggie replied back.

She smiled looking at the note book her and Robb had together.

"I kind of miss him, my first love"

Aggie said taking the book to where Alice sat.

"This was our love app"

"I remember, you guys were all over each other"

"Did you know how we met?"

"I know it was indeed a romantic way"

Lice said carelessly, Aggie smiled and nods.

"Indeed, it was"

"So, what happened between both of you, who cheated on who?"

"We just made a crazy mistake"

"Tell me about it"

"No"

Aggie said dragging her words.

"I am your Frend here, hello"

Alice said as she waved her hands.

Aggie smiles as she takes wine to the table, crossing her legs and pouring a glass for herself and Alice.

"Here"

She said giving it to her.

"And I did not forget at all"

Aggie said as she heaved a sigh.

"Okay, the thing is Robb has always been obsessed with NYU—"

"New York University?"

"Yes, while mine was a school deep in the heart of Paris"

"Okay… this is getting interesting"

Alice said as she tucked herself on the couch.

"Then when we were writing the schools for admission for university, I wrote his, he wrote mine"

"Wooooaahh, that is romantic"

"Yeah, and we got admission there, so we got separated"

"Okay, and he cheated?"

"No, he couldn't deal with my insecurity, I'm always asking, who are you with, who are you talking to, who you texting"

"That's creepy"

Alice said, turning around to sit as her initial way. Aggie smiled and sips the wine.

"I know right, I didn't even know I was doing too much, and he, he was still keeping up with me"

"No way girl"

"Yes way, and I broke up with him"

"Why?"

"I felt he was cheating on me"

"Girl, you messed up, you caused it"

Alice said as she exhaled.

"You ended the sweetest love story that could have been written in the whole world"

"Stop exaggerating Alice"

Aggie said as stepped down from the couch, and went to get her laptop.

"Alright, this is me"

She said as she sat back on the couch.

"What do you think I can do?"

"Hey, Aggie come check this"

"What's that?"

Aggie said as she hurried to where Alice sat.

"LinkedIn? What are you doing here?"

"Searching for a job, and we found one"

"Which?"

"Ching-Chang company is looking for a researcher"

"I'm no researcher, I worked at a Fashion store, all I know is bout Fabrics"

"Aggie, what was that?"

"What?"

"When did you start giving yourself limits?"

Aggie sighed while digesting Alice words.

"But it's sounding like an Asian company"

"It's an Asian company of course"

"What if I get chosen, how do I get to China, or Korea?"

"Aggie"

Alice said added emphasis to her name.

"When did this happen? This is two weeks already; you are going to go broke if you keep going like this"

"I'm really trying to help here, don't make it frustrating please"

Alice added.

Aggie looked at her and had to agree that Alice was really giving in her best for this.

"Okay, let's give it a try then"

Aggie said.

"Now that's the spirit"

Alice said with a broad smile on her face.

"Let's send a mad CV to this company immediately"

Alice continued. Aggie smiled, looking at the bright side, her life wasn't a curse after all.

"Thank you"

Aggie said as she wipes off the tears that came to her cheeks.

"Look at her, she looks so fierce in work, but she's just a cry-baby at home."

Alice said as she hugged her.

#

"Good morning, sir"

"Good morning"

"The Chairman is calling you in his office"

A heavy sigh followed the statement as he slams his pen on the table and he gets up going ahead to answer his grandfather. He walks inside the office.

"Sit"

He looked at his grandfather and sat.

"If this is another rant about blind date I am not interested"

He said first.

"Now that you've brought the matter up, clear your schedule for this night. The daughter of J. K's fashion line is coming to see you. A resort has already been booked. She's a very smart girl, so don't fool around"

"Grandfather"

"With that said, the company is looking for a researcher for the clothe line. Applications would be sent in, a lot of persons. The interview would be done by you in here."

He said as he stands up, so he could face him.

"The criteria are, first their appearance, their clothe labels, then their CV or resume is the last thing to check"

"Okay, I am done here. Greig"

"Yes sir"

"Clear his schedule for tonight"

"Yes sir"

"You can go"

"Jon, this is for you, always"

He said as Jon angrily walked away and heads to his office.

"Why does he enjoy doing this?"

Jon said vey annoyed.

"You don not have much either this night"

Greig said.

"Whose side are you on"

"The winning side sir"

Jon looks at him and raised his hands but did not beat him.

"Can you really believe this"

"And he said something about Researchers, what's that?"

"The company, needs more hands for the researching team, so it has a slot for only one person"

"And how many applications so far?"

"Over five thousand Sir"

"For just a spot?"

"Yes sir"

"Close it, do not accept anymore"

"Okay sir"

"One spot, over five thousand, my grandfather must really love competitions"

"Your schedules had been cleared sir"

"Who is this female in the first place? Browse her up"

"Yes sir"

#

"What? What happened?"

"I can't assess it again"

Alice said. Aggie rushed over in fear.

"Why, what does it say?"

"This had been closed?"

"No"

Aggie said as she looked very disappointed.

"Why are you looking sad?"

Alice asked.

"We haven't sent in my CV"

"I did, I just wanted to be sure what the company is about, like the job description"

"What? You did not check the job description?"

"And number of applicants"

"Alice, what if they are over five thousand?"

Aggie said.

"Really Aggie, for a single spot? Give it a break, you can search on the internet about the company, you will still get to see more information about them there"

Alice added. Aggie looked at her and heaved a sigh. She went ahead to rest herself on the couch and to check the information of the company.

"The Ching Chang, What?"

Alice said in shock.

"What is it?"

Aggie said running to where Alice was and looking at her phone to see what made her scream like that.

"Look here, it is a Fashion Company too"

"No way"

"Yes Way"

Alice said as she was very happy to help her friend get something close to an experience she had before.

"Look at this, the Chairman is a Chinese-Korean? That's a lot Asian in one blood"

"Yeah, I agree, and look at this"

"What's that"

Alice went ahead to see what Aggie wanted to show to her.

"What, the next person to take after him is his grandson who is thirty years already. There have not been any pictures of this grandson because of security reason"

"That's a big ridicule. Come plain and say, hey media I am not as cute as you expect, so I prefer hiding"

"Alice"

Aggie called as she ended up laughing.

"Don't say it that way"

Aggie added as she kept on laughing.

"What is his name to begin with?"

Alice further asked.

"Let me see"

Aggie said scrolling through the page.

"Here, Jon Stone"

"Jon Stone? Stone? Who bears that?"

Alice said making a comedy out of the name.

"Hey, we haven't checked the most important thing here"

"Which is?"

Alice asked.

"It's location."

"True"

They went back to check and was very happy to find out it was around them.

"It's just a taxi away, this feels so good Alice"

"You're welcome"

"I wasn't saying Thank you"

Aggie said as she hugged Alice.

"Wings?"

"Sure, I really want to fly"

Aggie said as they both laughed.

Alice was a Department Director at the Wings Food Company. It is a small company that sells fried chicken wings. They drove down there to eat something.

#

"Only daughter of the Chairman J.K Fashion line, has brought a lot of endorsement and has sealed many deals for her father's company. Has a great taste and can be referred to as picky. She is twenty-five years. Doesn't have time for social gathering or engagements"

"Okay, let's meet with her tonight then"

"The night is already here sir"

Greig said.

Jon turns around and looks at him, and steps out to go for his last date ever.

The resort was quite a style, it had a beautiful mix of fancy modern style and the lovely outdoors. The entrance area is big and welcoming with high ceilings and warm colours. The lobby has comfy seats and big windows showing the pretty gardens and the pool. The restaurant has clean white tables and lots of food, while the bar area is like a cool hangout.

"She has quite a taste I must say"

Jon said as he walked inside the resort.

With his hands inside his pocket, he got a little bit distracted by the resort's other features. Like the spa, which came with relaxing rooms and people who are really good at massages.

"Ouu, that obviously feels good"

Grieg commented while watching the massagers do their massage carefully.

"This place even owns a special pool area inside where you can swim when it's not sunny outside. Wow"

Greig exclaimed.

"Manners, Greig"

Jon said while maintaining his strict look, making sure it wasn't obvious that he was truly impressed by the place.

He finally got to the table that was preserved for him. He did not see the girl.

"Did it not also state, that she is punctual and doesn't like wasting time?"

"She doesn't like social engagements sir"

Greig slowly said from behind, while standing with his hands behind him.

In no less than three minutes, she arrived. She was stunning as the article had indicated, and appeared very neat. She smiled and looked at Jon. Before she sat, she stretched forth her hand.

"Jon Stone, I am Della Janice Kellerman, DJK"

Jon smiled as he stretches forth his and shook her.

"Nice meeting you in person."

"I can testify same"

She said as she took her seat.

Keeping out her phone on the table, she took the eating napkin and tucked in on the neck of her dress and one on her laps. She took the cutleries and tried out the meat first. After fifteen seconds of her chewing, she smiled, took a glass of wine and then looked at Jon.

"Do you want this?"

She said with a smile.

"No"

"Then why the waste of time, tell your grandfather I couldn't make it, I'd tell my father same"

Jon tilts his head and looks at her.

"Hello dad, I told you he'd be busy, he did not show up"

She said as she ended the call.

Jon smirks as he did same to his grandfather.

"We have a deal then"

"Sure"

Jon said as Della smiled and stood up for another handshake, he stood up too and shook her.

"Deal"

Della said as she took her phone and left.

"Has sealed many deals indeed"

Greig added as they walked out.