She was about to go out from Bannister Academy when her brother called her.
"Sweetie, how's your work? Are you alright? Don't forget to come for the Despedida Party okay?", her brother said, reminding her about the party.
She almost forgot about it.
JA didn't want to have such party, knowing that most female employees there didn't like her. They're just doing it to impress her brother.
Well, the employees had no idea how she found out they don't like her. One time, she heard them saying bad words to her thinking she had already gone home.
"I don't like that sister of sir Jareed. So possessive, overacting and perfectionist", one female employee uttered.
Everybody agreed.
"How I wished she would resign here", said the other.
Another employee interfered, "I heard that she was once a psychotic when they were in the province that's why they moved here in Manila".
JA was so hurt, upon hearing all those words. Meaning, they were just pretending to be good in front of her. Pretending that they like her when it's not true.
She went away because she was afraid that she would hear more painful words from them.
She just kept it and never told her brother about it.
Yes, she is a perfectionist, but she never hurt anyone's feelings. She never underestimated anyone of them.
And being possessive? That is just her way of caring for her brother.
Psychotic?
Psychotic...
She heaved a deep sigh. Tears welled up in her eyes. It was so hurting.
Until now, people still think that she's crazy.
She wiped her tears away and tried to forget all those painful thoughts.
*********************
She fixed herself in a while, then headed her way to JJ tech.
She arrived there at 7:30 in the evening. They really had prepared everything, balloons, cakes, food, drinks.
Employees greeted her and gave her flowers as soon as she entered the party's venue.
"Hi sweetie, I'm glad you came here", Jareed greeted her with a bouquet of roses.
She just smiled at him, knowing that there were eyes out there who kept on staring at her.
Eyes of those who disliked her and hated her.
After some time, Jareed asked her to give her farewell speech. She was supposed to say 'no' but she didn't want to disappoint her brother, since he is the CEO of the company, she wanted to give him full respect.
She stood in front and began her speech.
"Good evening everyone, throughout the whole year of working here, I've learned many things. I've learned a lot from you that's why I am grateful to all of you guys. But sad to say, I need to do things that will really make me happy, and these things are outside the business industry. This is not a goodbye, because we'll still be seeing each other somewhere. So all I can say is to continue your commitment and dedication to JJ tech and to the company's CEO Mr. Jareed Andre Arcelo.
Thank you so much."
She heard resounding applause from everybody.
"We will miss you Miss JA", said the female employees in chorus.
She just smiled, because she knew those were fake. Well, except for a few who genuinely liked her. Anyway, people used to hate her and despised her, so there's nothing new in it.
The party went over.
***********************
JA and her brother arrived home at 10:00 o'clock in the evening. She went inside her room because she was already feeling sleepy.
After refreshing herself, she laid down in bed and closed her eyes.
After some time, she found herself walking in a quiet place. She looked around but she found no one. She was thirsty and hungry, but she couldn't find a store where she could buy food. The place was not familiar to her, because she was in some part of the world.
"Where am I?", she started to panic.
"Boo, mom, nanny? where are you?"
But no one answered.
Suddenly lightning flashed and thundered loudly. She knew that a very heavy downpour is coming. She looked around to find shelter but there was none.
The lightning flashed again, and heavy rain poured down. Her body was already wet and she was trembling with cold.
She felt so tired from walking. Her feet getting heavier like she's about to faint.
But a man suddenly appeared and held her in his arms. She tried to open up her eyes to see his face, but she couldn't see it clearly.
The man seemed familiar to her but she had no idea where did she meet him.
"Excuse me, who are you? Have we met before?", she began asking.
The man did not respond instead he gave her a piggyback ride and started walking.
Their bodies got absolutely soaked in the rain.
"Who are you?" she asked again, but still no answer.
He gently laid her down on a bench
She looked at him again, but still, everything was vague and obscure. But he was a man, she was sure of it.
"Could you at least give me your name, please?", she pleaded.
I know you were the one who helped me last time. And now you're helping me again",
"Who are you?", she asked once more.
"You'll get to know me very soon, dear", he said softly and turned away.
"Mr, please don't leave me yet...don't leave. don't leave me!", she shouted out loud.
*******************
Huh?
She was panting and drenched with sweats as she opened her eyes.
She was dreaming. Dreaming of a man who called her 'dear'. A man that was familiar to her, but she could not figure out where did she meet him.
She looked at her watch and it was still 3:00 o'clock in the morning. Too early for her to wake up. She tried to close her eyes but she could no longer get back to sleep.
She kept on thinking about the man in her dreams.
"Why he was calling me Dear?"
"No one calls me like that except my mom."
"Oh my! And why my heart beats so fast like this? Who is he?"
She tried to close her eyes as she whispered,
"Please give me a chance to know you. please..."
She tried to reach for her cellphone and started scrolling, opening all installed apps. Looking some photos and watching stored videos, just to forget about that man in her dreams.
She opened her Facebook account and a lot of notifications popping on the screen.
Lots of friend requests.
She accepted some but she rejected many.
She continued scrolling up until she saw a friend request of Zacky.
She remembered she commented on his post last time, so she accepted him.
To know him more, she stalked his timeline and read all his posts there. She suddenly became interested to Zacky and she wanted to make friends with him.
She shook her head, thinking if it would be possible for her and Zacky to become friends.
JA just stayed at home the whole day, coz she didn't have a class schedule today at Bannister Academy.
Mostly, she spent her hours inside her music room, playing piano or guitar while singing some of her favorite songs. Sometimes, she watched Korean drama on Netflix or from other online video streaming apps.
*************
Suddenly, she felt uneasy, and she didn't understand. She started to get nervous, and her heart was pounding out of her chest for no reason.
From a distance, she saw the same man wearing a black suit. He glared at her with a lonely look in his eyes.
She came closer to him.
She looked straight into those eyes, and she get sunken into their sadness.
"Excuse me, Mr. why are you so lonely?", she asked out of curiosity.
He looked at her wearing a miserable smile.
"Can you please tell me your name?", she pleaded.
"No need to know about my name dear, I am just a lonely traveler. My name is already engraved in your heart," he responded with just a blank expression.
"Bye for now dear, see you", he said.
JA woke up from another dream. She didn't realize that she had fallen asleep on the sofa bed while watching a Korean drama earlier.
It was already 6:00 in the evening, and she feel like she wanted to sleep.
She wanted to dream of him again.
She looked outside to see if her brother was already at home.
But his car was not yet in the garage. She was thinking maybe her brother was on his way but caught by heavy traffic.
*************
She went upstairs and get inside her room. She reached out for her cellphone and logged in to her Facebook account. Unintentionally she landed on Zacky's timeline.
She viewed his profile, but she could only see the picture of one of the BTS members Kim Taehyung set as his profile.
She was confused if this Zacky was a boy or a girl. His name sounds like a girl, but it could also be a name of a boy.
JA reacted to all his posts there. And she couldn't help herself but smile.
She texted Zacky on messenger. After a while, there was already a reply.
She had no idea why she was asking if Zacky is a boy or a girl. It was out of her curiosity.
When Zacky replied and told her that she is a girl. She felt a little bit sad, and she didn't know why.
Her heart was beating so fast for no reason while they were having a conversation. She felt nervous like she was talking to Zacky personally. She didn't understand why she felt that way. They were complete strangers, who didn't even know their real names and real faces.
But why she feel strange?
Why she feel like she knew this person for a long time?
Their conversation was ended.
*********
JA placed her cellphone in the drawer and tried to think deeply. She was thinking about Zacky because she really felt strange.
Suddenly, she remembered the man in her dreams.
A lot of questions were popping on her mind.
Is Zacky really a girl?
Why did her heart beat so fast when she talked to her, the same feeling when she met the man in her dreams?
Is there a possibility that Zacky, was the man in her dreams?
She shook her head because what she was thinking was totally absurd.