Wrong Ring Finger [On Hold]

Chapter 1

Lea

"Thank you so much! I'm very excited about this."

I can't help but to smile when my client uttered those words. I'm just staring at how happy she is. I know actually how she feels, I once felt it. It's just that, things happened and life suddenly said no.

Pangarap kong ikasal. Bata pa lang ako kasal na ang nasa isip ko because of the love that my parents have and show for each other. Halos araw-araw ata inaaya ko si Daddy na samahan akong maglaro ng kasal-kasalan. He would be my groom, and I would be the most beautiful bride. I would wear my mom's scarf on my head as my veil, sometimes my comforter, while I would use the artificial flower in the vase as my bouquet. It seems like a fairytale, a fairytale that I haven't achieved yet in this lifetime. Hindi ko nga alam kung maa-achieve ko pa ba. However, I'm still patiently waiting even though I'm getting older each year; I'm already 28 years old by the way. Mawawala na ako sa kalendaryo hindi pa rin ako nakakatagpo ng lalaking pakakasalan ako at makakasama ko habambuhay. Masyado kasi siguro akong excited.

"I'm very excited as you do," I told my client then chuckled. "By next week I can already show you the final and detailed sketch of your wedding dress. Then we have to wait for months for fitting, since we also have to wait for the specific fabrics that you've chosen."

She smiled as I've said those. "There's no problem with waiting. The more I wait, I know the more it'd look gorgeous." She looked to her soon-to-be groom and smiled.

Looking at them doesn't make me feel envious, because honestly, seeing a happy soon-to-be bride is one of the things I look forward in this career. It's just so priceless.

Other people would say wedding dress lang naman 'yon, but wedding dress would be a part of woman's most awaited day in her life. Others wouldn't really understand.

After we bid a good-bye, I go to the comfort room. I was about to enter a cubicle when I noticed something on top of the sink. I creased my forehead and went towards it to check what it is. I raised my brows when I thought what it could be.

"Wow," I uttered when I opened the box. It's a ring. Engagement ring?

I took a closer look and was amazed by how discreet it was made. The details are so beautiful.

I momentarily closed my eyes nang matamaan ako ng kinang ng singsing nang matapatan 'yon ng ilaw. Well, I've seen real diamonds, and for sure this one is also a real one.

I can't help but to smile while looking at it. I looked back at the door because someone might accidentally forgot this here. However, without me knowing since I was too fascinated by the ring, I unconsciously wore it on my ring finger.

I grinned while looking at it. Inilayo ko pa ang kamay ko para matitigan nang maigi. My hand looks so perfect with it, it's just that there's no man yet who wants to put a ring on it.

After realizing that I'm being too happy that there's an engagement ring on my finger, which is not mine, I immediately put my hand down. I tried to remove it with my right hand but I couldn't pull it. I tried again then looked at the ring with my wide eyes. Sinimulan na akong kabahan but panicking won't do anything good so I tried again. I almost jump because of shock when someone entered the comfort room. I was about to talk to her, assuming that she was the one who forgot the ring, when she entered one of the cubicles. I just realized na umatras na ang pantog ko dahil sa kaba.

"Shit!" I muttered because I can't really remove the ring from my hand. How come I wore it and now I can't remove it?!

I got my shoulder bag and looked for my hand lotion in there. I squeezed a small amount of it and applied on the finger where the ring is; but useless because I can't still remove it.

Halos mangiyak-ngiyak ako habang nakatingin sa singsing. Ang ganda mo nga, ang pangit mo naman ka-bonding.

I sharply exhaled after I gave up with the ring. I can't remove it. For Pete's sake. Kaya ko naman 'tong bayaran so I waited outside, after I peed, to see if someone would look for it. Nakakahiya rin naman na ipagtanong ko kung kanino 'to eh nasa daliri ko na.

I looked the time by my wristwatch and it's already 4 in the afternoon, isang oras na ako rito sa labas and I haven't still seen someone whom I think looking for a ring.

I pouted my lower lip and looked at my hand, where the ring is, that's placed on my lap. What should I do now? What if someone intetionally left it there? But what if this ring is very important for that person? At saka sino'ng mag-iiwan ng ganito kaganda at kamahal na singsing?

I came back to reality when my phone made a sound. I got a text from Vice.

From: Jose Marie

Maria Lea, ano na? Kaya today? Next week na kukuhanin ng client 'tong wedding dress. For sure naman tapos na ang meeting niyo ng client mo. Gusto mo ako na tumapos nito?

I immediately stood up from my seat and walked towards the restaurant's exit because of that. May nakabanggaan pa nga akong lalaki na lalabas din.

I hopped in my car and started driving off to the main branch where our atelier is also located. Atelier is the place where we make the custom and ready-to-wear dresses and gowns.

I didn't forget about the dress and I will never forget about it, it's just that I don't want Vice to meddle with the dresses I'm making. He knows that but sometimes he still offers help to make sure, but usually he uses that reason for me to stop on whatever I'm doing and go there and finish the dress.

"Oh, ayan na. Sabi ko sa'yo eh."

I rolled my eyes when Vice said that, at tumawa naman si Regine na kumakain na naman.

Regine, Vice, and I are high school best friends. Moreover, all of us took the same path and promised to become a great fashion designer and run our own fashion business someday, which is already hapenning now.

"How was it, Lei?" Regine asked.

I put down my bag on my table and faced them. "It was fine. Simple lang naman ang gusto ng client. Hindi kumplikado," I told them and continued finishing the wedding dress I am doing.

"Hindi katulad niyan," Regine added and threw a cashew in her mouth. Natawa naman ako dahil doon.

It is true, this dress is very complicated to do especially kapag maraming gusto ang client. Wala namang problema doon, we love making dresses and gowns. We're even used and professional on doing it. However, the only problem is the client na pabago-bago ang isip tapos kami ang mamadaliin.

All of us went home as the clock hit 5. I was brushing my teeth when my eyes landed on the ring again. I sighed and gargled a water. I stared on the ring because I really don't know what I would do with it. I can't help but to have a short glimpse of the past. However, I finished what I'm doing and tucked myself in bed already.

I sharply exhaled and caressed the ring with my thumb. I clicked my tongue and looked at it again.

"Ugh!" I groaned because I started to get frustrated again knowing that this is someone's property. It's not just that, I know how important this ring is to someone. I know. But for now, I cannot do anything about it. Hence, I refrained myself from thinking or worrying about the ring. Perhaps this happened to remind me of something. Babalik na lang siguro ako sa restaurant kapag free na ulit ako, for now sa akin muna itong singsing. Hahayaan ko muna sa daliri ko bago ko hanapin ang may ari.