Loving Mr. Elusive (COMPLETED)

"Here's the deal, Princess. If you celebrate your 18th birthday in Palawan, I will treat you and your friends for a vacation soon. Please?" I continued to whine. "No! I don't want to go to Palawan, and I don't want to be introduced as fiancée to that Percival Ponce, and I don't want to get married to him on my 20th birthday!" I could still recall how I whined to my daddy, but I still ended up going with them in Palawan. My whining did not work, because he acted like he was going to have a heart attack. I only learned that he really did not have a heart problem when I heard him explain to his best friend how he convinced me to obey him.  It was my 18th birthday, but I was not very happy! I wanted a grand debut in Manila. But my grand ma and parents decided to celebrate my 18th birthday here in Palawan-- in the resort of my future-in-laws, and fiancé who I haven't seen for like what?... Thirteen years! I was 5 years old when I first came to Palawan. I remembered that I was so bored, so I went to the garden of the Ponce family's home. It was so beautiful and enchanting as it had man-made waterfall! It was a dreamy place and I imagined myself as a fairy princess! There I was in front of the waterfall, playing with my fairy Barbie doll, while I was wearing my tiara and fairy wings. Yes, as a little kid, I so loooved tiaras and fairy wings. I like them as an adornment. I also fancied the halo of the statue of saints in my grandma's house and took them off so I could use them as part of my touted ensemble! Indeed, that was how creative... and arte I was. I do admit I'm maarte. My friends and parents tell me so. But I don't think being maarte is bad, because I compensate it with being cheerful, kind, compassionate, generous, caring, and thoughtful to others. Well, at least, that was what my friends and parents describe me after they tell me I'm so maarte. I did not get mad at them because I love being maarte. It's part of my being creative. Anyway, as I was playing in the garden, this young male child, about 7 years old, appeared in my enchanted little garden holding a toy robot and gun. My heart skipped a beat, and I imagined us in the Cinderella movie scene, when she and Prince Charming had their first dance: Me: Mmmm... mmmm... so this is love... so this is love...so this is what makes life divine.  Mmmm... and I now I know. Him (the male child): And now I know... Me and him: They key to all heaven is mine. Me: My heart has wings, mmmm, and I can fly. Me and Him: I'll touch every star in the sky. So this is the miracle that I've been dreaming of. Me: Mmmm Him: Mmmm Me: So this is love... I stopped imagining when he gently touched the tip of my nose. That was not prince-like! He should hold my hand and kneel. I thought. Anyway, I still carried on with our tête-à-tête. Yes, at age 5, I already believed I was having a serious and intimate conversation with my Prince Charming. "Well, hello, there, sir." I said in my princess like greeting. I was expecting him to bow down, just like in the princess cartoons I watched in cable and movies. He looked puzzled as if what I said was odd. Anyway, I must say, we may have to work on his 'smitten look'. I told myself, again, at age five. "Gusto mo maglaro?" he smiled at me. "Why, sure." I said enamored with his smile. "You'll be a gallant prince, and I'll be the fairy princess!" I excitedly added. He gave me that weird look again. And then, looked at our parents who were watching us from the patio. "Dad, bakit po ganito siya magsalita? Bakit po siya may British accent? Galing po ba siya sa Europe?" Our parents laughed, and daddy explained. "Ah eh, kakapanood lang ng mga movies at cable, iho." He just nodded and spoke to me in English American accent. "Do you wanna play with me? I'll be Spiderman and you'll be the villain Poison Ivy." He smiled at me. "Me? The villain? That's preposterous!" He frowned at me. "Why do you have to say preposterous when you can just say ridiculous?" He asked annoyed. I looked at my daddy. I was at a lost why my prince charming looked annoyed with me. "Is that a bad thing, daddy?" I asked sweetly. "Uh-oh... do you think magkakasundo silang dalawa?" Daddy asked his best friend. "It isn't bad, but you're annoying." The young male child honestly said. "Why can't you just be Poison Ivy? You're so maarte!" "Because I'm a fairy princess!" I haughtily answered. This prince charming was starting to annoy me! He touched my fairy wings and made fun of it. "You don't look like a fairy princess with your wings. It's made out of dyed stockings." He was surely mocking me. He tried to pull my left wing to annoy me. As he tried to pull it, I pulled my wings away from him. He pulled it again, and I pulled it back causing me to stumble in the waterfall. I shrieked and cried, as daddy ran toward me to pull me up, while he naughtily laughed and ran away. That was my last memory of Percival. After that, I just learned from daddy that he was sent to the US, and just goes home during his vacations, which was in time for my 18th birthday. I hadn't seen him since the day of our arrival in Palawan. His dad said he spent time with his cousins and friends, but would return in time for my birthday, as it was also the day that we would be introduced as betrothed. I wondered how he looked like all grown up. I also wondered how he was taking this arranged marriage. The event would be three hours from now. I felt bored and depressed, BUT I still made sure I was in my presentable self. I wore a pink dress which I designed for this occasion. I curled my hair and did my make up. My parents would always tell though that I am overdressed for any occasion. I would just always say that I am merely making a stylish, chic, elegant fashion statement. After all, that was my dream - to be a fashion designer. I did a final check on myself in the mirror. Hair lovely. Check! Clothes stylish. Check! Skin, beautifully clean and made up. Check! Finally, to always smell nice, a touch of perfume. Check! We were staying at the hotel of the Ponces and they gave me my own hotel room. Uncle Pablo and Aunt Margaret said it was their gift to me, along with the birthday celebration and introduction to the Ponce clan. As they said that, I really felt butterflies flip flopping inside. First, I was only 18 years old. I have not seen the guy who I was going to marry, and most of all, I still wanted to go to France and take up Fashion Designing! I have a dream!!! And it didn't include me being a housewife and bearing babies to multiply the overpopulated human race! Puh-lease! I sighed. I felt so depressed because it seemed like everyone, except me, didn't want to be in this arranged marriage. It just made me miss my friends more. My friends are in Manila. They could not come here for my 18th birthday. I tried to call them in their mobile phones. There was no signal. This is what I hated most in this location. An idea came to mind. Perhaps if I go to the roof top, I would be able to get a signal. So, while waiting for my judgment day, I pressed the button of the elevator to go to the highest floor. And from that floor, I went to the exit leading to the rooftop. The sight was breathtaking! How marvelous! I wished my five friends, namely: Shayla, Tanya, Jackie, Rainbow, and Pinkie, were with me to see this magnificent sight! The door of the rooftop was open, so I went inside. It was windy so the door slammed shut. I was petrified. I tried to find the knob but there was none. The lock was from inside. "What did you just do?" a man with American accent vexed from behind. I felt relieved that there was someone there with me, but I also felt nervous because his tone gave me the impression that I just stupidly trapped us both in the rooftop. I slowly turned to see who spoke, but as I moved, a gush of wind whirled around me and my skirt went up. I helplessly pushed my skirt down, but the fabric was thin, and it frantically fluttered in different directions. I glanced up at him, and saw his shock turn into blush. That was because he saw my White lacey underwear! How embarrassing! He knelt and helped me by holding my skirt down.  He looked up at me and we stared at each other. Oh, my stars! If I am dreaming, I do not want to wake up! I was looking at my perfect picture of a charismatic, charming, handsome man! But... as I stared at him, I remembered his familiar eyes. I remembered his face. As soon as I recognized him, my heart skipped a beat. But this time, I also hiccupped. How embarrassing, indeed! But, anyway, I'm sure he'll be gormy about it. I'm a master for hiding my feelings... well... sometimes! He stood up and put his hands in his pocket. Oh, he's bit of a dishy when he does that! I mean, he's cute! "Of all places, dito ka pa pumunta. Wrong timing..." He said with his handsome face turning crimson and turned his back on me. I felt my cheeks turn red too and had to remind myself to close my mouth as I left it open in shock with his first spoken words to me. "Why, I am appalled!" I said in shock. "Is that how you talk to your fiancée?" I heard him chuckle though his back was on me. "Until now, ganyan ka pa din magsalita. Wala pa rin nagbago..." he said and turned to face me. He walked slowly towards me, staring straight in my eyes.  I felt skittery and stepped backwards until I was already leaning on the wall. As he was coming closer... nearer... it was as if he was going to kiss me.  I closed my eyes preparing to be swept off my feet, and he did... He kissed me. He kissed me? He kissed me! But I felt his kiss landed on the tip of my nose. My nose? What's with my nose that every time we see each other, it becomes our first physical contact? I was expecting he was going to kiss me on the lips just like I watched in the movies and read in my library of novels!  I furrowed my brows. I saw him smiling, and I felt my cheeks burned red.   I don't know if I was going to be disappointed or what, but I was expecting he would kiss me roughly because he bleeding missed me so much! Oh, forgive me for swearing!  But I was hoping he couldn't blooming contain himself... After all, he has been sending me those teddy bears, flowers, and chocolates. Clearly, he liked me. Or was it just a sham? Although I did not like the idea of arranged marriage and marrying at a young age, I am a dalagang Filipina, and I like to be courted before committing myself to someone. Yes, I'm sooo idealistic and a hopeless romantic, I must admit that. I composed myself. Oh well! So much for dreaming of a Victorian times handsome and sexy rogue ravishing the female protagonist because the male protagonist couldn't get his hands off her. Clearly, he was not like one. He gave me a peck on the tip of my nose, for crying out loud! I don't know why I'm upset! Do you?  "It's nice seeing you again, fairy princess." he whispered. Aww! He remembered me. And he called me fairy princess! Shocks! I like him already! But the next lines he said offended me. "Maarte ka pa rin just like the last time I saw you... I wonder what highfaluting words would come out of that teasing lips of yours when we're married?" He called me maarte. I was never bothered when someone would tell me I'm maarte. But I don't know why I felt bad when he was the one who said that I was... It felt like an insult. I felt irritated. I knew I had to retort something, but I couldn't think right. He was so close that I could feel and smell his menthol breath that it made me feel woozy. "H-hanggang ngayon pala, magaspang pa rin ang ugali mo. Hindi pala kayang baguhin ng Harvard University ang taong magaspang na ang ugali simula pagkabata. Siguro dapat sa planet Mercury ka na lang pinadala nila Tito at Tita para magka-manners ka. Napapaisip tuloy ako kung dapat bang pakasalan kita, kung ang ugali mo lang pala na magaspang at bastos ang titiisin ko araw araw pag pumayag ako magpakasal sa'yo. " I answered. I saw his face hardened. I think I made him upset. "You know, you confuse me." Pagtatapat niya.  "Tell me fairy princess... don't you want to marry me?" It was my turn to get confused.  Does he want me to marry him? If he does, then why is he acting this way?  Why can't he act like a prince charming who will sweep me off my feet? I looked at him. There was sadness in his face. He looked down on the floor, looking defeated, which confused me more. He pulled a key from his pocket and went to the door. He opened it and faced me again. "Just so you know, I've had a big crush on you the first time I saw you, and I've been waiting for this day to come, hoping you'd be ready and happy to see me. I'm here at the rooftop, because I was trying to control my jitters... but now that I know what you think of me all this time... I'm giving you a way to escape. I learned from your dad you wanted to go to France to study fashion designing. I wanted to give that to you as a gift... to assure you that I won't stop you from reaching your dream, even if we get married. I planned our trip already. We're supposed to leave tonight. Siguro to make sure lang na hindi ka na makakatanggi sa'ken... na sasama ka sa'ken... " I was flabbergasted. I was speechless. What made him sure I was going to join him to France? I mean, I understand he's been in the US for a long time, and he's liberated, but I am a dalagang Filipina! Why would he think I would say yes? Hearing what he said was melting my heart though! He’s a hopeless romantic, after all! I felt what he said. But I also heard what he was offering me—a way to escape from this arranged marriage and fulfill my dream.  He took a letter envelope out of his coat, and took 1 ticket out of it, before he gave it to me. He said everything is covered from where I would stay, the school and fashion designing workshop course. It was a six-month workshop. All-expense paid. It’s clearly an opportunity for me. But, should I take it? Or is it a trap? "I will go to the event now. Kapag nagpakita ka, it means ready ka na magpakasal sa'ken. Kung hindi ka magpakita, it means you went to France. You can ask for a cab to take you the airport." He sadly said and kissed me on the cheek. There was that unexplainable rush that I felt. And, it was heart stopping. He took my hand and gave me a key to the door. "I'll go ahead. Here is the key to the door just in case you get yourself trapped again, while you ponder about what I said. I don't want you to get trapped with me, so I'm giving you the key to decide." I merely blinked at him, still shocked with everything he told me.