Chocolates and Beer

XX

I smelled the fragrant flowers as I stepped inside the house. It'd been a while and I thought that they had all dried up. But according to Dan, Cecille, Jin and Jacob had been taking care of them. Jin would go here every day to water and trim the plants. Making sure that they are getting the sunlight and love they need.

I left Canada with a light heart. I remembered the time that I embraced my father for the first time. That time on mom's grave. We finally reconciled. I let go of the hate and ego. As I was saying goodbye, Aunt Betty cried. "I'll go visit you there, okay?" She said,

"Please don't." I teased her.

"Jean!" Aunt Betty protested.

"Don't come. I'll come here, okay?" I smiled and assured her that this is not the last time that we will be seeing each other.

"Okay, my dear niece," Aunt Betty smiled.

It's nice to be back. To be back in my little sanctuary. I went to the kitchen for some tea and noticed that there were fresh fruits on the counter. The refrigerator was stocked with meat and vegetables. Cold water and juice.

"Jean." A voice called to me.

"Oh, hi." I greeted. Jin was holding a bag of groceries. "Have you been living here?" I smiled.

"Oh, no. But Jacob told me to make sure that the fridge has fresh food. Just in case you go home," he said. But he's still in the same position. Just standing there not making another move.

I noticed that he was tense. That he's been trying to keep his tears from falling.

"How are you?" I asked.

"I'm okay." He paused for some seconds before calling my name again. "Jean..."

"Yes?"

"I'm sorry."

"For what?"

"It was me. I was the one driving."

"I know."

"You knew?"

"Yes." Yes, but I knew late. When I left home, Dan tried to contact me. After ignoring his calls, my pride just collapsed and answered it eventually. Even though I'm angry, I can't be angry for too long to Dan. That was when he told me everything. All the things he found out. No more secrets.

"It's not Jacob's fault. I was a brat. I forced him to let me drive. I know how to drive. Promise, I know. But I didn't expect what happened. I panicked; I didn't know what to do." Jin dropped the bags he was holding and fell onto his knees. Crying. Crying of guilt. Crying in frustration. I went to him and hugged him. This poor boy has been blaming himself. He's been locked in a cage of guilt by something that's not even his fault.

"It was an accident, Jin. It was not your fault. I'm sorry if I made you feel bad. I'm sorry I blamed you. I blamed Jacob. It was never your fault. I'm sorry."

"No, no. I'm sorry Jean. I'm really sorry." Jin continued crying and I just let him cry. I stayed with him until he calmed down.

"Does Jacob know you're home?" he asked. We're now sitting on the couch and drinking tea.

"No," I replied. "Don't tell him, okay?"

"But..."

"Just not yet. I'm not ready yet to face him again. Please."

"Okay, I promise," he assures me.

"Thank you."

"Thank you, too."

"For what?"

"For forgiving me." Jin looked down. Even after all the things I've said, I'm sure he's still feeling guilty.

"Well, I should thank you too."

"Hmmm?"

"For taking care of my plants. For cleaning the house. For storing food in the fridge. For being my little brother. Thank you."

"I will always be your brother." Jin smiled and embraced me. I always think of him as an angel. His presence gives me joy and peace of mind. Just like how I felt with my mother.

A week had passed since I got home. Jin told me that Jacob has been on a business trip in Asia for a month now, so he'd been stocking up the fridge ever since. Jacob would always call him if he had already watered the plants, cleaned the house and everything. He basically made him the caretaker of the house.

I stopped by the bar just a few blocks away from my house. It had been a long day at the shop and I wanted to relax. The owner invited me to come anytime I wanted. A middle-aged woman who'd been traveling around the world, finally decided to stay in the country and open her own bar. It was still in the works a few months back, but they opened while I was in Canada. It was just past 6 P.M. but people were starting to come. I ordered a glass of beer, but the owner gave me a plate of food instead. "Dinner first," she said. "Alright," I just smiled at the owner.

I sat on the table at the back where I could see the view outside. The glass is tinted, and I will not be seen by the people outside. There are big decorations too.

The food was delicious. I was about to drink my beer when the owner put another plate on my table.

"Care for some desserts?" the owner said as she put down a slice of chocolate mousse cake on the table. "It's one of our bestsellers."

"Okay," I replied. The owner feels like Aunt Betty. "It's kind of weird that you have this in your bar," I said, smiling.

"Why not? It's always nice to have something different, right? The customers like it anyway. Haha." the owner boasted.

"Ah-huh. Well, you're right, this is good. I like it."

"I'm glad to hear that."

"Can I have my beer now?" I asked.

"Oh, of course. Haha. Here you go."

"Thank you. Haha."

I stay seated while enjoying my cake and beer. The bar becomes busy as the night gets deeper, so the owner cannot keep me company for long. I was already on my second glass when I caught a glimpse of a man. Walking in the same direction to my house. I chugged on my beer and said goodbye to the owner. I tried to pay, but the owner said that it was a welcome drink for me. And she'd love to see me again soon. I smiled and thanked the kind woman before I went out and tried to catch up with the man. I then walked slowly, trying to keep my distance when we were just a few meters apart. The man stopped in front of my house and I sat down in the waiting shed not too far from him.

The man was just standing there. Then he crouched down looking at the blossoming roses in the front yard. I remembered the first time I saw him there. How the same thing was happening again. I just looked at him. No thoughts in my head. My eyes were just staring at the man. And without thinking too much, I stood up, took a deep breath and went up to the house to meet that man again.

END