Marco
Progress in my effort was slow.
I got the lawyers to delay proceedings but was told that Anna's team kept following up with them.
I had to fly back after my chat with Philip so it has been two weeks and I hadn't spoken to Tita Beth.
To make up for this, I made sure I sent flowers every so often (because Anna felt it was a waste of money to spend so much on something that dries up quickly) - I sent perennial blooms that would last for weeks, and then fresh ones intermittently. With those, I sent over Belgian chocolates, Belgian waffles and even Belgian beer, with a card from her secret admirer.
Cute di ba?
At least, I thought so, until Philip called me laughing his butt off.
"Ikaw yung nagpadala nang kung anu-ano kay Anna na puro galing Belgium?"
"Oo! Obvious naman siguro 'no?"
"Bakit ikaw lang ba ang tao sa Belgium?"
I frowned. "Huh? Anong ibig mo sabihin?"
"Iniisip ni Anna, galing dun sa Sam."
"ANO?"
I could picture Philip doubled over laughing at my dilemma. "She considered that it could possibly be from you. But she keeps reminding herself that you left her."
"Ha?" I was saddened when I heard this. "Pero nanghingi naman ako ng second chance?"
"Oo nga. Pero nasaktan eh. Uphill battle 'to. Matinding pagconvince yung kailangan mo para maniwala siya."
Okay then, that's what I'll do. No giving up this time.
The next gifts I sent were signed with letters of my name. One note had an A, another an S... when I realized I was about to spell Sam I put in the O, C and R in the next ones.
I'm actually excited to reveal myself. Natatakot lang ako masampal.
But I'll take it if that's what it comes to.
*
Lucky break! Thank you! I thought one day after I headed home.
When I saw Anna again, I decided to put in a request for transfer back to Manila. I spoke to my boss and he wasn't pleased because of the project I took on here which will be left to the remaining engineers if this transfer takes place.
Not wanting to jeopardize my career, I gave him the plan I was working on and the timeline I was looking at. No big milestones will be affected and I would leave after the ground breaking.
And today, I received news that the head in Manila would be transferred to another location and they were giving the position to me.
I was bound to be back in Manila in a few hours because Tita Beth finally agreed to meet me.
I took a chance to ask Anna out for dinner last week after I told her I'd be flying in, but she declined. "Event at the ice cream shop."
Arriving at the restaurant, I was sweating not only because of the humidity but because I was nervous. Tita Beth told me Uncle Santi would be joining her today. When I told Philip, he said, "Ah. Wala. Patay ka na."
"Salamat sa suporta, Pare."
"Welcome."
Then he dropped the call. Amazing human being, that one.
