Elation of Hearts

5

Luna could clearly remember every detail when her father departed from their family. At an early age, she already understands that life is not fair for someone like them. It’s sad, but that is the reality. His father now resides on a remote island of Leyte, and does some fishing and farming to support his family. She hasn’t seen her father since the day he left. She wasn’t even sure what place her father was. She has no idea. Although they miss him so much, they have a way to visit him, since the money they have is not even enough to support the family needs. Her father only called them once or twice a month. Her mother told them that their father’s place was very secluded and had no access to electricity. She felt sorry for her father’s sacrifice. As she headed home, she saw an ad on the road posted.

“Wanted Dishwasher”. She stopped and took the details from the ads.

“Summer vacation is coming, hope I can have this job.” She utters. When she arrived home, her mom was still in the kitchen and doing something.

“You’re here” her mother stated with her apron on.

“Before you head into your room, please throw the trash out.” her mother said. Luna just nodded.

“After that you go clean and the dinner is almost ready,” Her mother added.

Luna complied to her mother’s request and put her bag on the sofa and headed to the kitchen to get the trash out. As she was about to open the gate, she was startled by a man standing in front of their house. He’s gorgeous and has black hair and it was slicked back. He looked so neat and so masculine for his age since the man looked like in his early 20’s.

"Who are you?" Luna inquired, her voice tinged with curiosity and a hint of apprehension.

The man, equally taken aback and appearing somewhat bewildered, stuttered out, "I-I'm Lance's friend...?"

"Oh, L-Lance?" Luna repeated, her voice trembling slightly with uncertainty.

"He lives in the house next door," she clarified, gesturing towards the neighboring residence on the right.

"Oh! I-I'm sorry, I'm William by the way," he introduced himself, extending his hand for a handshake.

Luna, caught off guard but maintaining her composure, accepted his handshake, her surprise evident in her expression.

"Luna," she stated simply, her mind racing with questions.

"Nice meeting you," William said with a wink before departing, leaving Luna to ponder the unexpected encounter.

Left in a state of confusion, Luna muttered to herself, "What's that?" before shaking off her bewilderment and continuing on with her errand, the encounter with William lingering in her thoughts.

The doorbell chimed, and Lance eagerly swung the gate open.

"William?" his face lighting up with joy at the sight of his dear friend.

"Lance!" William replied, enveloping Lance in a warm embrace, the two friends reuniting after what seemed like an eternity apart.

"How have you been, man? It feels like ages since we last caught up. What's been going on?" William inquired, patting Lance on the back in a gesture of camaraderie.

"It's a long story. How did you know where I am?" Lance asked, curious about William's sudden appearance.

"Mr. Kim," William answered simply, a knowing look passing between the two friends. Mr. Kim was not just a family friend; he was like a second father to Lance, and William knew that their bond was strong.

Since when did you arrive home?" Lance inquired as they walked inside.

"Just yesterday," William replied, a smile playing on his lips.

"How's your dad?" Lance asked, concern evident in his voice.

"He's recovering," William replied, a note of relief in his tone.

"And your mom?" Lance continued, showing genuine interest in William's family.

"She's managing the business now, and she's put me in charge of the restaurant," William said, his disappointment palpable.

"Actually, Lance, I came here because I need your help," William confessed.

"I have no idea how to run a restaurant, but I don't want to tarnish my father's legacy," he explained.

"And?" Lance prompted, sensing there was more to William's request.

"Let me be clear. I want to hire you as the restaurant manager for three months," William proposed.

"Just to help me out with this, man. I really don't know the first thing about running a business; all I know is car racing," William admitted.

"Why me?" Lance questioned, surprised by the offer.

"You could have hired someone more qualified than me," Lance added, humility evident in his tone.

"More qualified than you?" William retorted, a hint of sarcasm in his voice.

"Who?" he challenged.

"I haven't seen anyone, Lance. Who could possibly be better than you?" William stated earnestly.

"Please, I need you for this, bro," William pleaded, placing a hand on Lance's shoulder.

"Fine," Lance relented, a smile creeping onto his face at the thought of helping his friend.

"But, I need to finish everything at school first. Summer vacation is coming," Lance added.

"I can start on that day," William agreed.

"Deal," William confirmed, sealing their agreement with a handshake and a shared understanding of the journey they were about to embark on together.

The following morning...

Luna meticulously prepared her resume, gearing up to submit it to a restaurant near her school. Her spirits were high, eager to secure the job she knew would greatly assist her parents and possibly reunite her with her father.

"Mom, I'm heading out," she announced, grabbing a quick hotdog before checking her phone for today's horoscope.

"Everything looks good," she remarked, a smile gracing her lips as she noted her lucky color for the day: purple. Glancing at her outfit—a purple blouse paired with white pants—she felt a surge of confidence.

Grabbing her bike, she made her way to the restaurant, her determination propelling her forward.

Upon arrival, Luna approached some staff members, her nerves slightly jittery.

"Excuse me?" she hesitantly addressed a woman in her 30s, who sported flicked but furrowed eyebrows.

"Yes?" came the rigid response.

"I-I saw your post outside about needing a dishwasher..." Luna began, her voice faltering slightly.

"Resume?" the woman interrupted, her hand outstretched expectantly.

Taken aback by the woman's abruptness, Luna quickly retrieved the white envelope containing her resume. With a forced smile, she handed it over.

"We'll call you," the woman stated curtly before turning away.

"O-okay, t-thank you," Luna responded softly, though she knew the woman wouldn't hear her as she had already walked off.

As the envelope landed on the manager's desk, William was busy checking inventory and the restaurant's best products. He then inspected the kitchen, noticing an operational delay and a shortage of staff in the dining area.

"How many staff do we have in the dining area? There are too many plates on the tables!" he exclaimed.

"Sir, one of our dining staff is currently helping in the kitchen as a dishwasher," a staff member explained.

"What?" William exclaimed in dismay.

Turning to the manager's desk, he noticed a stack of unopened application letters. Curiosity piqued, he began to sift through them one by one until he paused, a smile tugging at his lips.

"Luna Rodriguez..." he murmured, a glimmer of recognition and perhaps a hint of fate in his eyes.