The Hidden Beginning
“And they lived happily ever after,” Nicole read and closed the story book.
It was two months after Lance and Nicole met at Paris, and they returned together to the Philippines where they decided to have their last year on Med School.
“Can you read another one?” a girl from the mob of orphans of Joan of Arc orphanage asked Nicole.
“Maybe tomorrow,” Nicole said. “We don’t want to run out of stories to read, do we?”
“I think the prince in that fairy tale suck. He’s risking his life for a girl, if I’m the prince, I’ll find another madden to marry,” a boy from the orphans said.
“Then your not qualified to be a prince,” Nicole said, smiling to the boy.
“Huh? Why not?”
“Because princes are supposedly someone girls call a knight in shining armor,” Nicole said.
“Have you found your own prince?” the girl asked.
Nicole looked at the door; a guy was standing beside it. The boy smiled; his smile was boyish, yet angelic. The smile sent Nicole to the farthest planet of the farthest galaxy.
“Yes,” Nicole said. “I have found my prince.”
The bell rang; it means the children must have their snacks. All of them ran to the dinning area where their foods were waiting.
Lance kissed Nicole in the lips lightly. They cleaned the activity room together.
Many things had happened after their meeting at Paris. They enrolled on a university to take their last year at college. Lance visited the ranch Mr. Bert Abenidos has left for him. It was 18 hectares long and 16 hectares wide. The whole place was filled with mango trees with a huge old villa. The ranch was being taken cared of the husband of the cousin of the uncle of the half-brother of the seventh daughter of the wife of the cousin of Mr. Abenidos. The ranch was named Villa Abenidos, but Lance changed it to Rancho Vergara.
Just like what Sandra has told Lance before she died, Lance looked for the man named Lucio Santos. Lucio was one of the caretaker of the grave of Elena Vergara — Lance’s mother. Lance had Elena’s bones transferred from the public cemetery to a memorial park.
Bernard and Alicia now live at Rancho Vergara; Lance took them from Hacienda Vallejo, who’s now a bankrupted business, without even seeing his family.
Charles, of course, was struggling to save their remaining business. Greg was now old, he’s weak and soon he’ll be a vegetable. Kristine — Charles’ wife — inherited the Cervantes Industries; they are famous for manufacturing phones and computers.
Nova graduated from college and is now handling her uncle’s law firm. She’s still a newbie, so her uncle’s still supervising her. Tom was a talent manager of a band, but he’s also working in office. Their baby, Antlia, was of course, doing fine. They plan to have another baby after Antlia can run and say “Papa,” and “Mama.”
Cheska, in the other hand, will be marrying her long time boyfriend. She finally introduced Ricaredo to her parents. They scheduled the wedding on February next year. Her mother was excited, but his dad — very unusual — was the one who’s very emotional about it.
“What are you planning to wear for the dance?” Lance asked.
“I don’t know, maybe I’d be a princess,” Nicole answered her. They are going to have a school dance, and the theme was a costume party. “You’re going to wear just like a prince right?”
“No,” Lance said. “I’d be a frog for the night.”
“Haha! I can’t wait,” Nicole laughed.
“I’d be a frog so that the princess will kiss me, and I’ll transform into a handsome prince,” Lance continued.
Nicole kissed Lance in the cheek. “Now, are you still going to be a frog?”
“I might,” Lance repeated, and then Nicole kissed him quickly on the lips. “I might be something else.”
Lance never returned to Hacienda Vallejo, except for the time when he took Bernard and Alicia. Lance never saw them — Charles, Greg, and his cousins — and Nicole can still feel the pain inside Lance, the pain that was caused by the lies and secrets.
“After this, what are you planning to do?” Nicole asked Lance.
“After what?”
“After Med School,”
“I’m going to be a… psychiatrist,” Lance said. “I want to explore the world of the depressed people, I want to know what they’re thinking, and I think it’s a magnificent world out there… I think there’s more in them.”
“Gee, I just asked what you want to do after college, not why and what do you want to be,” Nicole said.
“Sorry, I got carried away,” Lance smiled. “What are you planning to do?”
“I want to be an anesthesiologist at first,” Nicole said. “I want to make easy money, but now, I want to be a surgeon.”
“Surgeon? Interesting, why?”
“Because I want to save lives,” Nicole said. “Yeah, you can say it’s corny or cheesy but… it’s what I want. My real mom died because we don’t have enough money for her operation.”
Lance looked at Nicole. Nicole rarely talks about her past. All Lance knew was Nicole came at the orphanage few years before he ran away. Nicole’s mom died, and his father became insane. So the government took Nicole into custody, and gave her home in Joan of Arc orphanage.
“Saving lives is difficult,” Lance said. “You’re like playing a tag of war with Death himself. There are times that you need to be strong, but there are also times that you must let go.”
“Should I quote that for you?” Nicole said sarcastically. Nicole had tears in her eyes, maybe because of the memory of her departed mother.
“Tears,” Lance said. “They never leave us alone; they’re always there when you’re sad, frustrated, or happy. In a way, I already see it as my best friend.”
“Best friend? And what does that leave me? A chaperone?” Nicole said.
“No,” Lance said. “But my angel.”
What have I done in my past life to deserve someone like you? Nicole wondered to herself as they walk towards Lance’s car, and the sun slowly sinks in the horizon.
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