January

Chapter 14

"Mom, we don't have to invite him into our house," Erine said, whispering into her mother's ear at a safe distance.

"Come on, Erine, we haven't got any visitors these past few weeks. Be nice."

If excuses aren't helpful at the moment, there are different schemes Erine could pull, but none of them is effective. What's best for the situation was Erine to accept it. Besides, Mrs. Harper doesn't leave any room for arguments when everything have already been decided.

"Besides, he seems like a good boy."

Erine's eyes became large, her lips quickly open. She could have said something like, 'are you crazy' or 'are you out of your mind', which would be inappropriate if it's directed to her own mother. 

After a while of stuttering, Erine finally asks, "Mom, did you forget what he did back at the restaurant?!"

Mrs. Harper seems to consider for a while.

"You are right, honey." She finally agrees. However, there is no indication that the car is stopping at any moment. Instead, the older woman had peeked through the rearview mirror. "You heard that, young man?"

At the exact moment, Erine looks by the mirror, Prince flinches just in time, enabling her to witness an adorable moment. No kidding, the guy resembles a puppy, wagging his tail to the owner. She has to muffle her laugh.

"Yes, M-Mrs. Harper?" He asked immediately.

"What you did back at the restaurant wasn't good." Mrs. Harper said in a lecturing tone. "Though, I liked that you apologize for your mistakes, the way you acted is very immature. Just imagine the humiliation that the waiter felt at that moment."

"Yes, Mrs. Harper." Prince obediently said. "I will not do it again."

"Promise?"

"P-Promise."

Mrs. Harper has ended the motherly lecture. She kept a stern face the entire time, but from how the conversation turned out, a smile made its way across her face.

"See?" Mrs. Harper said, dipping her head while eyes are still fixated by the road. "Good kid. Whoever the mother is, she did a good job raising him."

She rolled her eyes. Although she was against the idea, there's nothing wrong with the situation, it's just a friendly invitation. Mrs. Harper normally invites neighbors into her home, of course, those trustworthy and with clean backgrounds.

Still, Erine is a mother of two children, which normally would make her paranoid. That's the would actually think twice before letting a stranger in. Still, Mrs. Harper would have thought the same.

No Erine is curious about what the guy had said to be able to gain her mother's trust instantly.

"Besides, he is your schoolmate. You should be nice to him."

The schoolmate would have been one of the reasons, but her mother was extremely hostile when it comes to her bullies. From her consistent refusals, Mrs. Harper must have guessed that it's one of those kids. But no, she's still adamant about the invitation.

"Yeah, but we're not that close," Erine said.

"Why not? He seems too familiar with you though."

Erine rolled her eyes. She could have sworn it wasn't intended for her mother. "Yeah, right."

"Mm-hmm?" Mrs. Harper only hummed by the steering wheel.

Not wanting to get into it accident, Erine turns her entire attention to the window, where she caught a glimpse of her own reflection. It may have been the jetlag still extending its time, but Erine just couldn't adjust that quickly, looking at her younger face self. That's why the mirror in her room is covered in the meantime.

Now that she's seeing herself by the window, with half of her face slightly blurred she thought that with time, there will be enough courage to face the person on the other side.

The entire ride, Erine kept quiet while taking occasional glances over the rearview mirror. She couldn't figure out what is the deal with the guy.

Back at the restaurant, when they found Prince, he seemed like a wild lion unleashed from its cage. Majority of the teenagers have this tendency. Uncontrollable at times.

But the split second that his face changes upon seeing the both of them, Erine just couldn't believe that it was the same lion who has just bitten the head of a poor waiter.

Then the lion actually said, "M-mommy."

"Wait, excuse me?" Mrs. Harper blinks rapidly, forehead slightly creasing, full attention was on the stranger kid. "What did you call me?"

Prince was still standing there, mouth hanging open, staring intently. If he would want to be more comical, he could scratch his eyes using his hands, to confirm if he wasn't seeing an illusion.

"Excuse me?" That was then the manager showed up, head moving restlessly as he studied the surroundings. "May I know what the problem here is."

It was moments later when Prince finally decides to close his mouth. Then as he faced the manager, Erine expected him to shout, but to her surprise, the guy spoke calmly, as if he didn't even start a commotion.

"Nothing. I was at the wrong." Prince said, looking over the waiter from earlier. "And also was his. I assume that he's still a trainee to be making a simple mistake like that."

It was incredibly shocking, even the crowd who was watching seems to have the same reaction as hers.

"My apologies, Sir." The waiter's head lowered to express his sincerity.

Prince has to hold his hand up, gaze not meeting the waiter as if it's the easiest way to have a proper conversation. "Yes. I am sorry, too. I shouldn't have acted that way."

The manager at the corner looks at the two back and forth, wondering what he came here for. But thinking that the problem already resolves itself, he just let it slide and announced to all the customers to get back to their own business.

It was a quick turn of events and suddenly they weren't the center of the attention. And Prince was now with them in the car.

Erine didn't really know the whole details, but after waiting for several minutes inside the car, her mother came back with Prince beside her, hopping inside the car.

"I forgot to bring my...car." Prince had answered when Erine questioned him.

But she knew that he was lying because first of all, the guy has a motorcycle, not a car. And second, Erine just saw a familiar motorcycle parked by the entrance of the restaurant, which is obviously belonged to Prince.

Even though Erine has said this to her mother, she did not believe her, saying, "Honey, he said he has a car, not a motorcycle."

The whole situation just wasn't going in her favor. What's worse is Prince just sat on the dining table, as if he knew the place. As if he wasn't a visitor at all. This irked Erine, but more than that, she was boiling and on the brink of exploding. But just like any boiling water, you could stop the overflowing once you relinquish the fire.

And that's just how Mrs. Harper effortlessly does whenever she would come into the scene, offering some snacks to their visitor.

"What would you like? Chocolate, coffee?" Mrs. Harper asks.

"Tea."

"Oh," Mrs. Harper said. "We just happen to have many kinds of them. We have chamomile, earl grey--"

"Green."

Mrs. Harper's eyes went wide, along with Erine. Both of them exchanged glances.

"That's--" Erine was about to stand up then but Mrs. Harper continued. "We have them."

Erine watched Mrs. Harper as the older lady walks back at the kitchen to make the tea.

When she was sure that she's out of sight and out of ears, Erine faced Prince, eyes widening.

"Why did you come here?"

Prince seems to be back to normal just as Erine was.

"Mo-- Mrs. Harper, invited me."

Erine had lost count of how many times her eyes met the ceiling, but she just couldn't help expressing her irritation towards the guy. Not the same irritation where she just wanted to punch the guy, it was a different kind of irritation.

But again she has to control her emotions. That is if she was able to visualize that Prince was one of her children, only that they were now grown-up teenagers. A pain in the ass, she might add.

"Okay," Erine said, rubbing the side of her head. "Just behave yourself, hmm?"

Erine did not receive any reply. Curious bout the sudden silence, Erine looks up and check Prince. The expression he has was strange but familiar. 

Then it hits her, it was the same expression he has when he was by the lake. Sullen and lonely, but other than that, there was something far with the way he looks, like he was in places that Erine couldn't cross.

The kid was just too mysterious, and she got to add the fact that Prince doesn't talk that much. Something really odd, but popular to girls her age nonetheless.

"I really am sorry." Erine wasn't prepared for the apology the second time around. Maybe because she wasn't expecting him to say it again, the first time, he seems to be having a hard time.

Erine cleared her throat, the arms over her chest disconnects and dropped to the table. Even though it's not entirely necessary for Prince to apologize, she felt a little better. Now she could feel less pissed about what happened to the last encounter.

"It's okay." Erine said, the crease easing away from her face. "Besides, that was three days ago."

Prince lowered his eyes, staring at his hands that were on top of the table, resembling a child who just got scolded by his mother.

Sighing, Erine looks away, recalling the encounter earlier.

"Back at the restaurant," Erine starts, "You said something."

Prince looks up. "Something?"

Erine nodded. "Yeah, to my mom."

"To your mom?"

"Yeah, you called her something."

Prince went quiet once again. "Something?

"Would you stop repeating my words?" Erine hissed, trying her hardest not to hit the dining table. "You know what I was trying to say."

"Yeah." Prince brushed his hair upwards, eyes roaming restlessly around the places. Looking as if he was searching for a way out of the situation. "I-I can explain that." He stuttered.

Erine c***s an eyebrow by the tone of voice, it just doesn't seem right in her ears. It sounded unconfident and unprepared. Not only her, but Prince also notice this. Coughing, he clears his throat as he straightened his posture, regaining the mysterious aura he lost for a while.

And then with an unwavering voice, Prince finally said, "That was nothing."

Erine's eyes shrunk in size as she scrutinize the man before her.

"Nothing?"

Prince nodded, "She just reminds me of someone."

Erine nodded, "Okay."

That was the end of their conversation. Mrs. Harper had entered the scene before Erine could say her question.

Since they already had their meal at the restaurant, Erine only ate a leftover cake on the fridge as the three of them chatted. Erine occasionally stops her mother whenever her childhood memories was brought up. Other than that, Prince was respectful and has nice words to say to her mother, and that was all Erine needed for that evening.

"Are you sure you're going to be okay on the way home?" Mrs. Harper asked. "Do you know the way out of this neighborhood?"

Prince nodded. "Yes. I'll be fine."

Prince was by the door when he suddenly grabbed Mrs. Harper's hand.

Erine is just about ready to push him away, but Prince had already placed the older lady's hand over his forehead, a gesture that both of the girls are unfamiliar with. It doesn't seem a terrible act so Erine let him do it.

"Mano po."

Mrs. Harper, who still hadn't got over what happened was stuck in her place, unable to move at the moment. But then a smile made it's on her face.

"What is it, dear?"

Prince didn't answer but he expressed a smile. After the weird act, Prince turn on his back and started going out by the open gate.

"Safe driving, okay?" Mrs. Harper reminded. "Riding motorcycles could be dangerous."

Erine looks at her mother with her mouth hanging open. Prince stopped, probably wasn't expecting what the older lady said. But he continued walking away.

"Mom, you knew?" Erine asked in disbelief.

Mrs. Harper only shakes her head. "No, you said it remember?"

For the remaining time Erine was outside of the house, there was nothing she could do but stare at her mothers disappearing figure.