Agnes's hands were trembling as she gazed at the restaurant Cholo had pointed out. She couldn't understand exactly what she was feeling, it was as if all her emotions had collided. She was annoyed, angry, and at the same time, trying to keep herself composed. She couldn't wait to face the fool who was responsible for ruining her life.
She walked inside with her head held high, her eyes immediately searching for Erick, but he was nowhere to be seen. She had heard that karma had finally caught up with him, he was now a janitor in the very restaurant he and Lady Brianna had built. Look at how the tables have turned. It was exactly what Erick deserved.
Perhaps she really had changed. She knew deep down she was no longer the Agnes with the soft heart, for she felt no mercy for him. Even if they had a history together, it could never erase the pain and rage her ex-boyfriend had caused her. For he had ruined her life.
"Hi, I'm Agnes. I have a reservation here," she introduced herself as a woman who appeared to work at the restaurant approached her.
"Yes, Ma'am. A VIP reservation?"
"No, I changed my mind. No need for the VIP reservation."
"No problem, Ma'am," the woman replied with a smile. "This way, Ma'am."
The woman walked toward the center of the room, and Agnes followed. A man pulled out a chair for her, and she sat down. She scanned the surroundings. Look at that—a beautiful restaurant that Brianna and Erick had saved for and planned, yet it didn't end up in their hands after all.
"Ma'am, here's the menu."
"Thanks. By any chance, does a man named Erick Elizar work here?"
"Ah, Erick our janitor? Yes, Ma'am, he's here."
"I want him to be the waiter who serves me."
"Ma'am?"
"You heard me right," she said with a smile, noting the woman's confusion.
"I'm sorry, Ma'am, but his job is as a janitor."
"Then do something. I want him to be the one serving me."
"I'll talk to our manager, Ma'am."
"That would be great. Thanks."
The woman left, and Agnes began to order. She placed her order with a different waiter, but it was Erick who brought the food. He kept his head down as he placed the dishes she had ordered on the table. As she sat there, her jaw tightened with sheer loathing. Her anger only burned brighter.
On the other hand, she had to admit Erick looked pathetic. He looked filthy, and his weight loss was noticeable. Whatever had happened to this man, she didn't care anymore. She didn't even want to know.
"Are you just going to leave like that?" she asked suddenly when he turned to walk away after serving the food.
"Enjoy... your... meal... Ma'am," he said, his voice strained as he ground his teeth.
She laughed, drawing everyone's attention to them.
"Are you shaking with anger?"
"No, I'm not."
"No. Call me Ma'am. I am a customer here, so you will learn to call me Ma'am."
"Yes, Ma'am," Erick uttered through clenched teeth, and she didn't miss the way his hands balled into fists.
"Is there anything else you need?"
"Nothing. But I want you to stay," she replied, causing Erick to frown.
It was payback time, she wanted to get even.
"Why don't you take a seat? It's perfect, I ordered quite a lot of food."
"Thanks, Ma'am, but I don't want to," he replied, which made her laugh.
It was obvious he was getting annoyed.
"Are you declining your customer's invitation?"
"Is there a problem here, Ma'am?" the manager approached them, causing Erick to stand up straight.
"Nothing. For now, I'd like to borrow your janitor's time. Is that okay?"
"Sure, Ma'am," the manager replied and politely walked away.
"So, Erick. What are you waiting for? Sit down so we can eat."
"What do you want from me, Agnes?" he whispered once he sat down.
He could no longer contain himself, and the anger he had been suppressing finally broke through. Agnes had felt the hateful glares he was shooting her way from the start. It seemed they both loathed each other. But the man in front of her was far more loathsome.
"So, you're a janitor now?"
"If you're here to insult me and show off your current state in life, I'd better just leave."
"Not so fast. Don't be so thin-skinned, Erick."
"I know why you're really here, Agnes. Stop playing games with me," he said, making her laugh again.
"Are you happy seeing me like this?"
"Oh, not really. Actually, it's not enough. Being a janitor is a decent, honest job. Being a janitor is too good for someone like you."
"I want to see you crawl in the dirt," she said, her voice trembling with rage.
"Am I not already? Can't you see I am miserable?"
"It's nowhere near enough, Erick. This is nothing compared to how you destroyed my life and my time with my husband and son. Did you think I wouldn't find out what you did?"
"Which part? The part where I shot your beloved husband?" He laughed mockingly.
The nerve of this man!
"And you're proud of it? Your evil really goes down to the bone, doesn't it?"
"Money. Money is all I wanted, Agnes. But you denied me that when you hid your fish of a husband."
"And what fool wouldn't protect her husband from danger?"
"And what happened after protecting him? Nothing, Agnes. Because no matter how much you protected him, you still lost him."
Erick burst into a loud, mocking laughter that made people look their way. She grew even more frustrated as he wouldn't stop, as if he didn't care that people were whispering about them. Was he losing his mind?
"Accept the fact that a human couldn't be with a fish. No matter how much you force it, if you aren't meant to be, you won't last forever."
She couldn't stop herself and slapped him across the face.
"We aren't together because of you, because of all of you who are thirsty for money!" she shouted.
"Erick, all of this is happening to you now, and yet you still have no realizations? No character development at all after all these years? Have you never wondered why you've ended up like this?" She paused for a moment to catch her breath.
"Look at yourself. It wasn't that long ago when people respected you because of your family's wealth. Everyone knew and loved you as a famous businessman. But what are you now? It seems it's not just your luck that has left you. Even your family has abandoned you."
"Don't you bring them into this, Agnes. They have nothing to do with this."
"What? You can't accept that your own family left and neglected you? Just like what you did to me back then?"
"Enough! Enough, Agnes, enough!"
"Do you still not realize that everything I went through is happening to you now?"
"Enough, please!" His hands shook as he covered his ears.
"Everything you did to me and my husband is coming back to you."
"Shut up!" In a fit of rage, he swept all the food off the table.
She didn't even flinch.
"You deserve your punishment. Karma is catching up to you for your foul character."
"I don't wanna hear it, I'm not going to listen to you. Lalalalala, lalala!"
Agnes stood up as Erick did. She thought he was going to walk away, but she was shocked by what he did next. Erick started dancing and jumping around while singing, like a child playing in the rain. He was not the Erick she once knew.
"You've gone mad," she whispered.
She could no longer understand the actions of the man in front of her. People were talking, and she decided to call for help. After the incident, the woman who had assisted her earlier, who knew Erick, spoke to her privately.
She learned that when Brianna could no longer help Erick due to the legal cases the Acostas were facing, Erick's restaurant went bankrupt. He was forced to sell it, the business recovered under new owners, but he did not. He fell into vice and was abandoned by his family because he was the one who drove them away.
"Erick," she approached him as he sat silently in a corner.
"This is for you." She placed coins in his palm.
"Do you remember what you did to my husband? This is exactly what you did. You paid him coins in exchange for his labor."
"Keep it."
She stood up, tears welling in her eyes.
"You are depressed. You need treatment, so start saving up. Don't worry, I'll contact your family."
"I'm leaving. I've seen enough and learned enough about you. Once you get treated, I hope you realize what you've done and find remorse." Without another word, she walked out of the room, having no desire to return.
This would be the last time she ever wanted to see him.
She walked out of the restaurant without looking back, leaving the wreckage of Erick's life and her own past grievances on that floor. The city felt suffocating now, heavy with the weight of old ghosts. She needed to breathe. She needed to go back to the only place where she ever felt whole—the place where the air tasted of salt and the only sounds were the whispers of the tides.
Days later, the towering hotels and cold glass buildings were replaced by the swaying palms of her childhood. But even the familiarity of home couldn't quiet her restless soul.
It was already ten o'clock in the evening, but Agnes still couldn't sleep, so she decided to step out of her small nipa hut. Yes, she had returned to the hut where she used to live. It was where she grew up and where her happiest memories with Islaw remained. But on the other hand, being there only made her miss him more.
Once outside, she immediately started walking along the shore, waiting for drowsiness to set in. It was a good thing she remembered to wrap herself in a blanket. At this hour, the breeze was biting cold, especially being so close to the sea. She felt as though she might catch a cold from the chill.
"Cholo?" Her brow furrowed when she saw Cholo outside. He was carrying a toy.
"Big sis, the usual routine?" he asked, approaching her with a smile.
"Hmm, you know me. It's my hobby to get some fresh air outside. What about you? What are you doing here? It's late, and your house is quite far from here."
"I'm going somewhere, Big sis."
"And where is that, or better yet, who are you visiting? Look at you—you're meeting a girl, aren't you? You're still so young! Does your mother know about this?"
"Big sis, don't be so malicious. I'm visiting someone else."
"Then who is it? Tell me, Buncel Cholo."
"How many times do I have to tell you not to call me that?"
"Okay, fine. I'll call you Cholo instead. Now, really—who are you visiting?"
"My friend. Come on, I'll introduce you." Without warning, he pulled her toward a familiar cave.
"W-who is that c-child?"
She couldn't understand why her heart suddenly began to throb so loudly upon seeing a young boy—a very cute young boy. Her heart was beating so fast she couldn't help but clutch her chest. For some reason, she found herself smiling because the boy was just so adorable.
Or maybe it was because he looked so much like Islaw.
"He is... I don't actually know," Cholo replied, scratching his head.
"I thought he was your friend, why don't you know his name?" She approached the child with a smile, who then clung slightly to Cholo. It seemed she had startled him.
Agnes took the blanket wrapped around her body and draped it over the child's small frame. She noticed he was soaking wet from head to toe. Did he go into the ocean even though it was night? She couldn't help but worry—he might get chilled, catch a cold, or worse, a fever.
"He just doesn't say his name."
"Hi, I'm Agnes. I'm the big sister of your friend, Cholo. What about you, what's your name?" she asked the boy gently. He was so cute she wanted to pinch his cheeks.
"Answer her," Cholo told the boy, but the young boy just shook his head.
"You must be shy or scared. Don't worry. I'm kind."
"You know, Big sis, he really is shy. When I first met him, he was quiet, but after a while, wow, he became noisier than a cricket."
"Have you known him long?"
"We've been meeting here for about eight months. He doesn't want to go to any other part of the island. He only hangs out right here. And he never tells me when he's leaving or coming back. I just get surprised when he's suddenly there or already gone."
"How old are you?" she asked the child with a smile, not expecting him to respond.
"Five," the boy said softly, which delighted her. His voice was so precious.
"My child would probably be as big as you are now, he's five years old today, too." She couldn't stop herself from becoming emotional.
"Where is he, Big sis crybaby?" the boy asked, making her and Cholo laugh.
"I don't know. But I hope, wherever my son is, that he's okay and that we'll see each other soon."
"Why don't you know where he is? Well, actually, father doesn't know where I am right now, either."
"Speaking of your father, where is he?"
"I just snuck out of our home because father forbids me from coming here, saying it's dangerous."
"Oh, that's bad, little one. Don't disobey your parents. He's surely worried about you right now."
"Father isn't around at night anyway. He's out looking for my mother."
For an unknown reason, her heart hammered against her ribs.
"W-where is your mother?"
"Father doesn't know, that's why he's looking for her."
"What is this? Are you all just lost? Big sis's son is missing, your mother is missing, and now you're missing from your father," Cholo said, scratching his head.
"You know, little one, if I were your mother, I would never go missing from your side. With how cute you are, I couldn't bear to be away from you for even a second. But perhaps your mother has a reason."
"Father said he and mother were separated because of bad guys."
"Bad guys?" she asked, her brow furrowing. Why was her heart beating faster and faster?
"Can you get me some water and food, please?"
"Of course. I'll get some for you, just a moment." Agnes stood up to leave, but the boy spoke again.
"You too, Big brother Cholo, go with Big sis."
"Oh, no need, my house is just nearby. Besides, it's better if Cholo stays here with you."
"Just go!"
She and Cholo couldn't argue further when the boy became insistent. They quickly grabbed some water and food, but when they returned, the boy was gone. However, she noticed marks in the sand, as if something had crawled through it. Where did that little boy go?
"I knew it, he disappeared again." Cholo said.
"Is that what you mentioned earlier—that he just disappears and comes back?"
"Yes. So what I do is I just leave food here in the cave because he likes having food ready when he arrives. Usually, I leave biscuits here because sometimes it's days before he returns."
"Do you know where he's from?"
"No. That kid is very secretive."
"Who could that cute little boy be? Why does he just appear and disappear like that? And why was he wet, as if he came from the sea?"
"I don't know either. But I noticed you were really happy with him," Cholo said with a smile before placing the food on the rocks.
"I was. I don't know what this feeling is, but I feel so happy right now. It's like the feeling of seeing a loved one again after being apart for so long."
"I wonder why, Big sis?"
"Maybe because there's just something about that boy."