Astraea's Moon

Chapter 2

“E-excuse me?”

I was dumbfounded. I think dumbfounded is even an understatement.

Did I hear her right? Marry her grandson? Maybe I just heard her wrong.

“I’m sure you heard me. I said, marry my grandson.” the old lady repeated, erasing my thoughts about hearing her wrong. But this time, she wasn’t asking. Now I am utterly speechless. I stared at her, hoping she’ll see how confused and surprised I am right now but she just stared back as if waiting for an answer. I took a deep breath.

“I’m sorry Ma’am, but I don’t think I understand the situation right now.” I gave her a timid smile after that honest confession. It’s true. My mind went completely blank.

For a moment, she also had a surprise look in her eyes when I gave a smile. That surprised look quickly disappeared and turned into something I’m not yet sure of. She then leaned her back in the seat and looked straight into my eyes. Despite her intimidating aura, there was something in me that felt rather comfortable. I was a bit intimidated to meet her gaze a while ago, but now, for some reason, it felt normal. Maybe it’s the obvious amusement flickering in her eyes. I’m now sure it was amusement I was seeing. She wasn’t trying to mask it now. She’s enjoying this while I’m sitting here, clueless and confused.

The lady in front of me has light blonde hair, it didn’t look dyed so I assume it was the natural color of her hair. Besides I don’t think it would be good for her health to undergo bleaching processes. I have knowledge about this stuff because Ven had once been very interested in dyeing her hair occasionally. Her eyebrows were thin and perfectly shaped. It was the same color as her hair. And her strict eyes, they were the shade of cornflower blue. Her nose was pointed and had a high bridge. Her lips are painted in dark red. I assume she’s around late 60’s to early 7’s which explains the lines in her face that didn’t really diminish her beauty, not even a bit. Last but not the least, she was wearing a formal A-line dress with little embroideries which are only visible when you’re this up close to her.

Before she notices how I run through her features, I quickly meet her eyes again.

My eyes didn’t miss the slight smirk she stopped from forming before talking. “I’ll cut straight to the point,” her intimidating eyes are back, “I’m looking for a wife for my grandson and you are the lucky woman I approve of. Congratulations!” she announced excitedly and even clapped her hands like a 5 year old rewarded with a candy.

She was grinning widely while I was still there, looking at her now, with an even more confused face. This whole situation was already confusing enough, her changes of attitude didn’t really help.

As she was still looking at me with a wide grin, I roamed my eyes around, trying to find a hidden camera. Is this some kind of a prank? Is she a Youtuber? A vlogger? I don’t watch Youtube often so it’s highly possible that I don’t know her. Of all people, why did it have to be me, they prank? Oh no.

I don’t watch YouTube or use social media that often but I have seen a few videos of pranks before. I think it’s a trend nowadays. There was even one video where the influencer pretended to be a beggar and asked random people for money. Every amount given to her, she would multiply it into a thousand. What I found interesting was the fact that the people who helped her were people who were obviously also struggling to survive in life. Yet, they were willing to help. An old man who was a street vendor even offered her a drink he bought with the only and last money he earned that day. The influencer broke character and cried at this point. I was really touched too. People may see me as an optimistic person but I’m not blind or numb. I know how life isn’t always rainbows and butterflies. Believe me, I know. The video was very interesting. It made me feel like maybe this world isn’t really hopeless after all.

I didn’t notice how I stopped looking around and just zoned out while remembering that video until the old lady flicked her fingers so my head automatically turned to her. She was clearly confused by my sudden spacing out. I could feel my face heat up a bit when I realized she was probably just watching me as I stared at an empty space, remembering a video I almost cried on. We stared at each other’s eyes for I don't know how long. Then it sinked in.

This is serious.

I took a deep breath and gathered my thoughts. She just watched me. Okay, so I was summoned here by the dean and I obliged with the thought that it may be about another contest or maybe I got caught almost falling asleep in class today. But no, it was neither of that. Here’s this woman, asking, or more like declaring an engagement with me and her grandson, who I completely do not know. Second, I also don’t know this woman. I don’t know anything right now.

Maybe getting caught almost falling asleep in class was better, huh?

After gathering my thoughts, I looked at her and gave her a small smile before stating, “I’m sorry Ma’am but –”, before I could finish my sentence, she cut me off. “Everyone calls me Madam Seraphina, but you can call me Grandma Sera since you’ll be part of the family anyway.” she said nonchalantly.

She said that so casually like it’s already been decided and there was no use of arguing anymore. She was even smiling to me, rather very sweetly. Where did the intimidating old lady go from a while ago? Seriously, her mood changes as fast as Raven losing her patience.

I cleared my throat to avoid stuttering for the nth time today. “I’m sorry Ma’am,” her brows creased but I still continued, “but whatever it is that you need from me, I’m afraid I can’t help you with it.”

Her sweet smile immediately dropped and was replaced by a frown expressing confusion and a hint of surprise. Why was she surprised? Did she expect anyone to say yes to this? She even said I was the ‘lucky woman’. In which part exactly does this make me lucky?

I slowly held onto my bag and cautiously stood up before glancing at her who’s now looking at me intently. She seemed to be processing what I told her like it was really an answer she didn’t expect. Her intimidating aura was back. Her sudden changes of mood is really one of the most confusing parts in this situation.

I bowed a little before bidding my goodbye.

“I apologize again Ma’am and I hope you have a great day.” I gave a small smile before walking towards the office’s door. But just before I could turn the knob, she spoke.

“Puertollano.”

I stopped walking before slowly turning my head in her direction. I showed her a confused look, indicating that again, I don’t understand. So she clarified.

“I am Seraphina Puertollano” her voice was soft but it screamed power. Her posture also became more intimidating but still sophisticated.

“Well then, it was nice to meet you Ma’am Seraphina Puertollano. I hope you have a great day.” I said with a smile, not minding her shocked and offended face, and continued to turn the knob.

“What can I do to make you say yes?”

I once again turned to her only to see her eyes burning in determination. Seriously, when is this gonna end? What am I supposed to do in this situation? Obviously, I’ve never been engaged to anyone in my more than 18 years of life so the only proposals I have handled are research proposals!

“What can I do to make you marry my grandson?” she elaborated, probably thinking I didn’t understand what she meant the first time. But I did! And I don’t know what to do!

All my life has basically revolved around family, school, friends which aren’t even that many, and myself. I have never been put into a situation where I question everything. I’m not the type of person that plans everything ahead but I think things through. As much as possible, I don’t complicate things and keep it simple. Because that’s how my life is. Simple. I’m an only child of two loving parents. I used to study in our province but moved to the city when I turned sixteen and graduated from junior high school. For two years, I’ve stayed in my apartment near the university and started learning to do things on my own. I did the cooking, cleaning, and everything else. It was the start of my independence.

The last time I felt unsure of a situation was when I was deciding on what course to take. I have always been passionate about arts but I also wanted to be of help to my parents. They never forced me to do something I never wanted to do and they have always supported me in things that make me happy. When I decided to take Fine Arts instead of a course that could be of help to our business, they didn’t stop me and even encouraged me to take it. Because according to them, it was the perfect course for me. When I was a kid, the only moments when I felt undecided was every time I was choosing what crayons to use in my coloring book. Or what figure would I build with my clay. Not a single moment did I ever have to think about how I would deal with a marriage proposal.

So this, everything that’s happening, not even in a span of an hour is very overwhelming. This was supposed to be a normal day. Just another normal day. I need to think things through. I need to…

Let’s do whatever, Eya. Let’s do whatever.

Something was whispering that into me which I know I shouldn’t listen to. Listening to tempting whispers like that don’t do anyone anything good. In every single book I read, every movie I watched, and every drama I stayed up all night on, those whispers never do you good.

But my story isn’t written in those books. My plot isn’t in those movies. And my life is not a drama.

I met Madam Seraphina’s eyes and gave her the answer I didn’t know would turn my ordinary life, not so ordinary anymore.

“Nothing Ma’am. You can’t do anything,” her shoulders dropped. That was supposed to be it. If I thought things through, that was supposed to be it. But I didn’t so it wasn’t.

“...because the last time I checked, grandmothers don’t make marriage proposals for their grandsons. Men earn it, so make him work for it.”

I opened the door and made my exit. It was enough time to catch a glimpse of Madam Serpahina’s reaction. Her face was the personification of shock but before the door was completely shut, I saw how it gained an obvious glow of happiness. I don’t want to assume and just decided to think that my eyes were playing tricks on me but I think I even saw the corner of her eyes watered.

I strudded the hallways with a calm and composed look, the complete opposite of my chaotic insides. I wanted to put my hands in my head and pull my hair. I wanted to scream and rant out everything. I wanted to run as fast as I could and then just disappear. I wanted to do all of that.

Because for the first time in history, Astraea Luz F. Alvior, did whatever.