“Eli, your phone’s been ringing since earlier, please answer it! Both Jane and I woke up in the room!”
I woke up to Dan’s shout outside my door, realizing then that indeed my phone was ringing. I glanced at the side table where my table watch was placed. It was already eight in the morning, and since I didn’t have work anymore, I didn’t need to wake up early.
I’ll start looking for a job again tomorrow. I let my mind rest for a while, pondering over the events of the past weeks. It hasn’t been pleasant, and it’s really taking a toll on my mental health.
Mama and Papa’s Visit
I felt even sadder when I realized that instead of a call, it was a reminder. Today marks Papa’s 12th death anniversary, and now, it’s Mama’s 2nd death anniversary. I still can’t believe we’re orphaned.
“Okay, Eli, time to start your day.” Even though I was feeling lazy, I got up and made my bed. I freshened up and prepared breakfast and lunch for Jane, whose classes didn’t start until noon.
I’ve given them allowance several times for lunch, but they never spend it. They prefer eating at home, so when I talked to them, they said they prefer homemade food. So here I am, cooking for them every day.
I finished cooking quickly, so I had breakfast early and left the house. I stopped by Mama’s favorite flower shop and Papa’s favorite coffee shop, both located near the cemetery where they’re buried, nearly half a day’s journey from our place.
I didn’t have trouble finding them because their graves are side by side. Mama had always said that if she were to pass away, she wanted to be buried next to Papa. So I took out a loan before and bought the land beside Papa’s grave.
When I got there, I quickly put on gloves, took a cloth, and sprayed a solution. With how busy I’ve been these past few months, I rarely visit them, but I know they understand.
“Hi, ma,” I greeted her as I wiped her name on the tombstone. My mom’s the best. She always put us first. Papa and her were the most perfect duo I’ve ever seen. They knew what they needed, what they wanted, and what they had to do. “Jane’s about to finish soon. She nailed her proposal defense; I’m sure she’ll also impress the panel during her thesis defense. She’s working on it now.”
Next, I wiped Papa’s tombstone with the solution. “Hello, pa. I heard you have many suitors, but none meet your standards. And Dan, he’s too protective of Jane, they go to the same school, and he always checks up on her while I’m away.”
I know they can’t hear me, they don’t even know what’s happening in our lives right now. But I grew up sharing my thoughts with them. I grew up with them never getting tired of my antics and dramas. And I’m trying to do the same for my two younger siblings. I want them to experience what I did when Mama and Papa were still alive.
I stayed for a while before saying goodbye to them. I went to the address on my list where they were hiring. I only applied to one place today, then I’ll go home. I’m thinking about how to save or make my savings last while I’m looking for a job.
I felt disappointed when I saw that they were already closing their hiring. “Wow, I just saw their post yesterday, and now someone already applied and got accepted immediately.”
I left and decided to hang out at the café where Kei and I used to go when we had long breaks. There weren’t many people there, unlike before. It’s a combination of a coffee shop and a library, although these aren’t Kei’s usual places of interest, he still accompanies me.
“Eli?” I looked up when I heard a familiar voice calling my name. “OMG! ELI!” She almost screamed and hugged me tightly, so I stood up a bit to avoid her hitting the edge of the table.
“Lady, calm down, you’re back. Did you already go home?” The last I heard about her was that she left the country with her family after graduation. I don’t know why, because I got busy looking for a job afterward. Now, I’ve only just seen her again.
“Yes. Last year, I came back. I have a business now, so I settled here.” I nodded and smiled at what I heard. I’m glad good things happened in her life. When we were studying, she was often teased, and Kei and I were almost her only companions.
“Good for you,” I replied and took a sip of the coffee I ordered, my second cup. Of course, I also drank the coffee I bought from Papa earlier. “Eat,” I offered her a piece of cake.
“Actually, I already ate. I was talking to one of my clients who wants
to open a business. I’m going to help him because he’s super interested,” she said.
“Oh, really? You’re into business now? You didn’t know much about that before. Your life must have been so good to you right now. I’m so happy,” I said.
“Yup,” she sat across from me since the table was good for two, “Why don’t you plan your business, then I will help you, no charge. It’s my way of helping you out. I heard your family went bankrupt, and I really want to help,”
———
“Oh, you’re late. I thought you were just in a nearby café?” Kei greeted me as I entered his office. He was currently facing his laptop. “You run some errands?”
I quickly lay down on his sofa and closed my eyes. “I ran into someone I know. I plan to open a business. It seems good and profitable. What do you think would be a good business?”
He took off his glasses and looked at me. “Why all of a sudden? Maybe it’s a scam, be careful. If an offer seems too good to be true, it must be a scam.”
“Yup, he mentioned the risks. It’s not too good to be true,”
“What money will you use? Do you want to borrow some?” he offered, putting on his glasses again and returning his attention to his laptop. “Make sure you pick a good one, Eli. Scams are rampant nowadays, or maybe you shouldn’t use your savings for the business,”
“What are you talking about? I’m always borrowing from you, and I already have a lot of debt,” I stood up and went to his mini pantry, then made some coffee. I also grabbed two slices of cake from his mini fridge.
“What debt? I don’t remember you borrowing from me,” he replied with a grin. I rolled my eyes at his statement. He’s always like that, which is embarrassing because his business might be suffering because of me and my loans.
“Oh, by the way, have you told J-“ Kei paused, and we both looked at the door when someone knocked. Aileen, Kei’s secretary, entered. She’s been with Kei for a long time, and we’ve become friends too. “Yes, Ai?”
“Um,” she hesitated, unsure whether to speak or not. “Uh, you won’t believe who’s in the private room,” she seemed starstruck from what she saw.
“Really, Ai? Why don’t you tell us who it is?” I chuckled at Kei’s words. It was just a joke between us.
“Mr. Spencer is there,” she suddenly said.
“I see. Okay, tell—- sorry, come again, who?” Kei suddenly stood up, which surprised me a bit. It’s the first time I’ve seen him flustered like that. “Spencer?! The shipping magnate?!”
“Yes!” Aileen quickly replied, “But, um, he’s not looking for you,” we both raised our eyebrows, still looking at her.
“Then who?”
“He’s asking for Mrs. Elina. He said she’s his wife, and he’s been looking for her,” she said, glancing at me cautiously.