INSANE RAINS

CHAPTER 15 - Start-up Again

A week after the inauguration. Billy and Grace decided to go home to talk more about the wedding. It is actually eight months before the wedding but Billy wanted it to be prepared ahead of time, and to avoid fretful moments during the wedding. They talked about the sponsors, flower girl, ring bearer, and among others.

"How about..." Grace stopped for a moment and like she got some good ideas," How about if we used the old invitation?" Grace lowered her voice, like oh no I got a bad one.

Billy stood and put his both hands on his waist, and paced three steps and stopped like he was thinking. "Yeah... We could use that. It will save our time thinking of the sponsors and everything." Billy smiled, and leaned on the wall with his hand pocketed.

Grace sighed. She thought he will recollect the yesteryears again, but he's totally fine, good, and mentally excellent. She smiled showing her teeth.

"How about the foods?" Grace was in mixed thoughts. Because may be she's excited or worried.

"Don't be bothered on foods. I already talked to my uncle's in Banaue to ready those things to be used..." Billy walked towards Grace and sat beside her. Wrapped his arms around her shoulders.

"I'm just worried because you know... Ifugaos are so based on culture. Get what I mean."

"Yeah." Billy replied in hesitation. "Love, everything is okay, planned out. Look at me, Love. All is planned out. Do not be bothered."

"Okay. Let's talked about how's the venue and photoshoot." Grace was just thinking too much, but Billy just go with because he might hurt her 'excitement'. "Still, the motif is a garden."

Billy was just silent and agreed to everything she said.

"I think... It's good to have a photoshoot in Cebu City. I want the sunset." Grace clasped her hand on Billy's.

"Yes. I want that."

Grace was thinking too much of everything for the success of the wedding because the past was a nightmare. As she pondered the things that had happened, her mind spoke loudly "Nothing could stop us NOW!"

"Time brings us to this point, so nothing could stop us." Grace repeatedly hovering these words in her mind. "I am ready now, beside... I am 28 by December." Grace was just smiling.

Billy stared at her while she's out of her physical consciousness. The corner of his mouth just upturned. Billy tickled her that made him screamed with laughter. "Billy, stop...uh. Stop!"

Mel and Peter, who were having coffee in a shining morning, looked each other then looked upstairs.

"How happy she was..." Mel uttered it as she thought of Grace's moments of lowness of spirit when everything was ruined. "This is the only time she laughed like that."

Peter just sipped his cup of coffee.

OCTOBER 24, 2019.

VALUGAN BOULDER BEACH, BATANES ISLAND.

A day that was incomparable for both Billy and Grace. The breeze soothed their soul as they wore the wedding gown.

Grace smiled so ravishingly as her hair flipped on her shoulder.

The waves surged on verdant shore as Billy embraced her caressingly.

The waters sounded as a canso as it surged on the stony shore, which added beaut to the scenery.

Billy and Grace were standing on the edge of the cliff as the water surged. They smiled so lovingly and so much full of stories as the videographer captured the moment.

The first destination for the wedding photoshoot was Batanes.

For this time, the wedding is more lavishing than the past. Billy wanted to perfect or at least keep the moment memorable over the yesteryears' episode. He planned to have the photoshoot in Batanes, Palawan and Banaue. And considered Bintan's Sunset.

Grace rejected at first to have a lavish wedding because Grace just wished a simple garden wedding. A wedding full of love. But Billy insisted it because he wanted to make it a most unforgettable and memorable moment in their life. He thought that the past was a nightmare but now is a dream come true.

"We have undergone so many rains in our life so I just want to set a little sunshine on it. This is the beginning of our dream." Billy looked at her straight to the eyes and uttered those words.

Tears just flowed on Grace's cheek. And she hugged him tightly.

Billy was sitting on top of the cliff looking vista at the horizon, thinking deep. "I am doing these for my beloved. That doesn't mean I moved on" were the words wandering around his head. He picked up a pebble and threw it in the water. "I am just like the pebble that will cause them a great ripple," he whispered as the wind hit him. He stood and looked up the sky, "I will end them and justify the injustice." He had been blaming himself over and over, but this condemnation led all to vanity. He had known the truth, all... everything. "Hoped me I'll pursue." Ball of tears fell on his cheeks.

"Love. Billy, let's go!" Grace called him and bade a come. Billy wiped off the tears on his eyes and nodded as a bade of yes.

OCTOBER 25, 2019.

BINTAN, CEBU CITY.

They, with videographer team, traveled from the North to the South to capture the enticement of the Bintan Sunset. That romantic landscape. It was 5:15 in the afternoon when they reached the scene.

Billy was chasing Grace on the shore. It was a time of twilight. Grace was in her blue long dress, the hem of her dress was soaked as the waves surged. Happiness was painted on their faces. Billy caught her in the waist and wrapped his arms around, and carried her and turned around. Laughter was added on the romantic sunset of Cebu City.

OCTOBER 27, 2019.

CORON, PALAWAN.

In the land of the paradise they were destined for their emerald theme. They were there a day after to capture the sunrise in the horizon, and the so-called paradise land. For this time, they needed a drone to capture the whole thing.

Billy was in his emerald long-sleeve, and Grace wore her white crystal long gown. "This is the perfect theme that suits our motif... Very naturalistic." Grace smiled showing her white teeth.

Billy embraced her from the back. It was likened to the Titanic episode when Jack embraced Rose at the edge of the ship. The whole landscape defined the love Billy has for Grace, and Grace for Billy.

NOVEMBER 29, 2019.

BANAUE, IFUGAO.

The last destination is the pride of Ifugao - where Billy came out to this world. The videographer cammed them in Barangay Viewpoint to capture the beaut of the Rice Terraces as their background. They were in the complete native attires.

Just after the photoshoot, Luke fetched them back to Baguio City. And Billy was left at Banaue to not violate any paniyo (taboo) pertaining to the wedding, and prepare everything.

THREE DAYS AFTER THE PHOTOSHOOT. It was a preparation of the wedding. As the tradition of Ifugao, the groom needs to slaughter 12 fattened hogs and a fattened calf.

Liza and her family came down to Banaue and dumped their baggage in the Hotel.

Just after their arrival, Liza secretly went down towards the farmhouse from the Hotel, while they were busy chopping firewood and doing rituals. She entered straight in the barn where Peter mostly spent his spare time. She was searching for something. She groped her hand on one of the corner of the edge of the roof, and touched something like a case. She pulled it quickly and her mind "Eureka!" She opened it and just found an obsolete book. She angrily threw it on the hay. "Peter, you want me to play your game!" She shouted it with no sound. And threw again the case on the piled sack of grains.

Thirty minutes ago, she opened the door and was shocked when she saw Billy in front of the door. "Ohh! You scared me." "Are you?"

Billy smiled, "What are you doing in here? Aunty."

"Um. Uh. Just checking the harvest, iho."

"I see." Billy stole-glanced in the inside, "Have some tea?"

"Yea. I needed that much right now."

Liza banged shut the door and locked it. "Why do you have a key of the barn?"

Billy was so suspicious about the action of his aunt, but Liza's reasons excused her from getting hot seats.

"Of course, I have. I managed this once, iho!" She raised her voice and looked at Billy fiercely, "Are you saying that I am stealing something from you?" and sighed, "Are you thinking that I am forfeiting you? How dear you!" Liza's tactics is not new to Billy: she will cry and act and turns out that she is hurt that much.

Billy's heart turned so hard to a person like her. "I am not saying anything..." He put his hand in the air as an action of humility: "I am sorry. I hurt you" and smiled as hypocrites do.

"Aunty, let's have some tea."

"I'm sorry but I need my mind afresh. I need to go to wander my mind for refreshment of this toxicity."

"Okay. Get some fresh air around and rest for the coming days."

"No, you rest. You might be exhausted."

"Aunty, I am always in my feet - ready to grapple."

Liza just smiled bitterly and turned.

Because of her 'donya' ambitiousness, her high heels were nailed in the mud that made her to stumble. Billy galloped towards her to help... "High heels on the field?"

"Shut up, Billy!" Shrugged her shoulder. "I can manage."

Billy just smiled and watched her walked barefoot.

Liza turned her head once again and glared.

In that afternoon, Billy was thinking of the case and the flash drive. "Why are they so interested to that case and flash drive? What is it for?"

While he was wondering, he walked around and something flashed in his mind - Billy was playing in the backyard when he heard his father telling to one of their close security guard, who died a week after he knew about that secret. "I knew who killed Mark... They are involved in illegal drug... she is one of them... but I - I have evidence... I had everything."

Billy immediately concluded that the flash drive and case were the evidence his father was talking about. "It might be something that will ruin one's business. It might be the biggest fish that was filmed."

"I need to find that evidence."

He held his head and looked up, "Help me revenge!"

He was staring to nowhere, so deep, thinking of the evidence. It might lead to the car accident, he thought.

"These might reveal the snake and the dragon inside my field." He was speaking alone in the backyard when someone heard him.

"Ah... I'll just pee." The man mumbled, and went back to where he was even he wasn't peed yet.

Billy thought that this man might think he was insane because he was speaking about snake and dragon in the field. He just chuckled and "You are really an insane."

His smartphone rang. He fished it in his pocket, and it was "Mama". He immediately answered her call.

"Nak, by tom we'll be there."

"Okay ma. I'll inform the receptionist." He smiled as wide as a river.

"Do not be worried too much, nak." Mel spoke softly. "Do not fret, Bil."

"Thank you, ma."

"Okay. Bye, nak."

"Bye ma."

Billy called the receptionist straightaway.

It was already twilight, and everything was ready for the long-awaited day.