"GRANDPA, when will you visit me?" Callea asked in a sweet voice when he called. The sun was setting and she could watch it from her room. She was waiting by the window the whole day. She just watched the sunrise and set. Deive was gone the whole day because he had a meeting with some of his friends. She didn't want to be alone in the dark. She was waiting for his return.
She was wearing the dress with tulip print that he brought for her. Her hair was also off her face and her face was in a ponytail. Not a hair on her face just the way so her face was clear and bright, just the way Deive wanted it. She just wanted to give it a try since she was just inside the house.
"Are you planning the wedding with Deive, so that I and Jorje can discuss it? Where is the venue of the wedding?"
"We are not in a hurry."
"I thought you want to get Villa Celesta?"
"Marriage is a lifetime commitment, Grandpa. I don't want to think that I am just marrying him for the mansion. Marriage should be built on trust and we must get along. We are working on that."
"Maybe you are in love with him."
Callea went still. She never thought about that before. She's in love with Deive? That was a silly idea but she couldn't laugh about it. "Grandpa, just come here when you are available. I want you to meet Deive. You know his grandfather but you haven't met him."
At first, she was pissed off because her grandfather was forcing her to marry a stranger. Now she was thankful for having him. Their first meeting was uneventful but it felt so good to have someone who tried his best to understand you and appreciate you for being who you are. It was fun to open her world to someone who was not afraid to take a risk for her.
She didn't want a wedding per se. She wanted a relationship with Deive based on mutual trust. She assumed that he didn't accept his brother's help because he didn't open up about backing off the wedding. It means that he chooses her. More than her family mansion, she treasures Deive more. She was even willing to let him go if that was what he wanted.
Does it mean that she was in love with him?
She ended the call with her grandfather on a happy note. The idea that she was in love with Deive was still nagging her. We are happy together. Do I really have to complicate things?
She didn't know what Deive wanted from her. Sure, he liked kissing her. But what if he didn't want her to fall in love with him because it would make their relationship more real once they are wedded. When it was time for them to go their separate ways, the one in love would only get hurt.
She shook her head. "I am not in love. Deive is close to my heart but I am not in love."
She looked around for Luna. She wanted to play with her cat to get Deive off her mind. "Luna!"
Luna comes to her right away whenever she calls. When her cat didn't come forward after a few moments, she decided to leave the room. She kept on calling her cat until she reached the kitchen. Marina preparing dinner.
"Marina, have you seen Luna?" Callea asked while looking around.
"She still hasn't returned?"
She nodded. "I wonder where she went."
Callea was protective not only with Marina but with Luna as well. Even cats discriminate. Whenever Luna gets out of the mansion's premises, she always gets into fights with other cats. She was also beaten and hurt.
"I will look around for her," Marina volunteered and removed her apron. "She must be at the abandoned house with other stray cats. Señorito Deive will be here soon. The food will be cooked soon. Please keep an eye on it." Then she pointed at the pans and pots on the stove.
The rice would be cooked soon. Almost an hour has passed but Marina hasn't returned yet. She started to feel nervous. The abandoned house was just a few minutes from the house. Where would Luna and Marina go? Why isn't she back?
She walked towards the gate to check on those two personally. She was not far from Villa Celesta when the nephew of Mang Lito ran towards her.
"Ma'am Callea, your hunchback housemate..." He pressed his palms on his knees while catching his breath.
"Where is Marina? What happened to her?"
"She's at my father's field. She wanted to rescue your cat but she was caught by the counselor's son and his friends. I am afraid they might hurt her."
Callea was suddenly afraid. It was a nightmare looming. The counselor's son was notorious for being boisterous and creating ruckus in town. Now he got his sights on Marina.
"Come. Let's go to them."
"Señorita, I will call for my father first. It is not a good idea to go there with just the two of us. There are around ten of them. We have to tell this to the authorities."
Callea shook her head. She couldn't waste time. "No. I will go to Marina now."
The young man was not able to stop her. She ran in the direction of the field. She had a bad feeling about this. Her mind drifted back to the time when people were repulsed by Marina and they shunned her.
From afar, she saw the acacia tree beside the nipa hut in the middle of the field. She could hear the sinister laugh of the group of young men. Her fear was ten-folds now.
"Go! Climb that tree if you want to get your cat who is a fugly as you," taunted by the tallest teen in the group and he was seconded by the chorus of his friends.