LOST IN THE MIST OF TIME

Lost In The Mist Of Time - 5

"Niichan? (Japanese for Big Brother) What are you doing in here?" Cam asked the man.

"Don't call me that. We are the same age," he said, and you could notice the coldness in his voice. Wait, same age? I know what "niichan" means. Big Brother, how do I know? I'm always watching anime. Are they twins? I can't tell because he's wearing a face mask.

"Hahaha! Fine. Anyway, I am asking you why are you here?" Cam repeated his question. Don't they notice Ella and me? They continue their conversation as if it's just the two of them here. When they completely ignored us, I decided to continue walking while pulling Ella, who had been staring at the two of them.

As we walked, Ella spoke up.

"Hey, Maya! They're handsome, right? Even though I can't see the other person's face clearly. Are they brothers? Cousins? Hey, Maya, you can have Cam, I'll take the other one since you both seem cold." Ella rambled on while her face showed that she was fantasizing. I ignored her, didn't feel like talking, and didn't care about them. Is there really no one for me? THERE IS!

We continued walking and passed by a park. I was captivated while looking at the children playing and their parents observing. Things I wanted to experience, things I lacked. Is it fun to play in the park while being watched by your parents? I drowned in these questions because I couldn't find answers. The answers I was looking for seemed elusive to me.

"Maya, oh, a handkerchief. There you go again! We should have taken the other route. Let's not go to the mall. You still have work," Ella said sadly. I'm glad Ella is there for me. We treat each other as siblings.

"Thank you. Let's go, I'm getting hungry," I said while wiping the tears from my eyes and cheeks.

When I arrived home, I immediately had a meal. Anyway, Ella and I are neighbors, only about 50 steps away. It's just my grandparents and me. Why? Well, I don't feel like telling the story.

After eating, I quickly prepared for work. I work in a coffee shop. What a cliché, right? That's how life is, too cliché and boring. My shift is from 5 PM to 12 AM, luckily it's within walking distance from our house. My grandparents don't want me to work late. They say I can only work until 10 PM, but I don't agree because there's a 120-peso increase in our salary after 10:30 PM. It's a waste to miss that. I don't want to add to their expenses, even though they're wealthy. I'm just staying with them, but I'm the one supporting myself. Why? Well, just because. They don't spend much on me except for food and the house. Okay, there's a little bit.

"Maya, are you leaving?" Grandpa asked.

"Yes, my shift is about to start. I'll arrive just in time if I leave now," I replied politely while grabbing my bag.

"Take care, Maya, my granddaughter," he said.

"Yes, I'll bring you and Grandma a souvenir when I come back, bye, Grandpa!" I said and walked towards work.

When I arrived at the coffee shop, there were so many customers. Some were looking for seats, while others just attended tables even if they didn't know each other, just to have a place to sit. Some opted to take their orders to go since there were no available seats.

"Maya! You're here. Is it okay if you handle the counter for now?" Bella asked. She's my coworker, and she has been working here longer than I have. She's kind and always smiling.

"Sure," I replied briefly.

"Thank you," she said. Seems like the kitchen needs more staff due to customer volume.

I took my position at the counter and attended to their orders. It was non-stop, as if it would never end. I focused on taking orders, and soon enough, they started to decrease as it was already closing time.

I continued working until a familiar person stood in front of me. I knew it was him. How? He resembles Niel, but his aura is completely different, so I know it's not him.

"Miss, can I have 2 slices of cheesecake and 1 large milk tea?" he said, looking for a seat. He didn't wait for me to ask about his order; he's smart. "For dining-in," he added. He handed me a one-thousand-peso bill.

"2 slices of cheesecake and 1 large milk tea, nothing else, sir?" I asked, looking into his eyes. I don't know, they're just beautiful, and I'm not sure if they're blue or green. Eyes like those are not so common.

"Nothing," he said, and he went to an empty seat in the corner of the coffee shop.

"He's really cold," I said to myself. After I handed out the next customer's order, Chris asked me to switch places with him. He asked if I could deliver the orders to the customers because his feet were hurting. I didn't refuse, and when I saw the order, I realized it was for Niel's sibling. I walked over to his spot and placed his order on the table.

"Sir, here's your order. Have a nice night, sir," I said and was about to leave, but a cold hand stopped me.

"What's your name?" he asked while still holding my wrist.

"Sir? Why are you asking?" I asked him and pulled my hand back.

"I just want to know," he said in his cold voice.

"Maya," I said and left. I don't know what happened to me or why I told him my name. I heard him repeating it, but I just continued walking away.

I continued working, and I was assigned to take out the trash from the back when an unexpected incident happened. I slipped, and someone caught me before my back hit the ground.

"Next time, be careful," a cold voice said near my ear. Should I look at his face? No, I shouldn't. I already know who owns that voice.

xxx