Sunshine

XXXV

IT'S business usual at Love Lingerie. They had the usual surge of customers, and today’s cash in is as expected also. The only difference of today than the usual is that Alex is not there to assist Olivia with everything. And so Olivia ended up taking care of everything with her 3-people team.

“Last customer at last!” Her cashier clapped her hands watching her last customer exit the store. Olivia smiled as she flipped the door sign closed.

“Should we have dinner together? Of course my treat.”

Both Jane and Dani nodded with glee. Everyone hurried with their closing routine and finished all at the same time. They just went to the near Korean barbecue restaurant for the promised dinner.

“Is Ma’am Alex still unwell, Ma’am Olivia?”

Jane, the cashier asked while grilling the meat in front of them. Olivia took one soju bottle from their table and shook it with her elbows just like how Paul taught her one time. “Yah. She caught a flu. A bad one.”

“That’s sad.” Jane commented, now all eyes on the meat. Not long after the first batch cooked. They ate and chattered just like everyone else occupying the restaurant’s tables.

Watching the people around made Olivia wonder. What kind of relationship do the people here think what they have? Did they made the boss-employee relationship obvious? Would people mistake them as friends who gathered after a long time since Olivia made a good job making herself look younger than her age?

But then in those wonder Olivia knows that no one really cared about them.

“Would you like to order more, girls?”

Together Jane and Dani shook their heads no. That reminded Olivia these girls happened to land their job at Love Lingerie because of their interest in fashion and modeling industry and they are girls who always watch what they eat. Olivia nodded and stood from her chair then proceeded to the counter. After taking care of the business she went back to their table. “I already paid everything so enjoy, okay? I’m sorry but I have to go.”

They bid her goodbye with meat on their mouths. Olivia laughed and turned her back to them. She carried that smile as she exited the restaurant.

OLIVIA went home to a dark apartment. She would have expected it if she came home with Alex like the usual. She called her name as she travelled her hands on the wall for the lights.

“Alex? You’re home?”

Her question was answered when the light washed the living room and showed Alex sitting quietly in front of a plugged off television set. Olivia looked at her in wonder. “What are you doing?”

“The news just came out.” Alex said, unmoving. “They keep on mentioning the wrong name. My hard work’s keep on being credited to someone else.”

Alex continued mumbling that came across as muffled words to Olivia. She kept her balance by pressing her hand on the wall at her side. Her head was filled with words that she only managed to let out now.

“Oh God, Alex. Oh, God.”

Olivia sighed. She hurriedly removed her heels from her feet that the strap broke. “Alex please…”

“What now, Olivia?” Alex turned her head to her. “Why are you looking at me like you’re scared?”

“You…” Olivia found a chair to sit at. Her wobbling legs is not helping her think. “You’ve changed.”

“Do I look that scary to you now?” Alex stood to be in front of Olivia. Alex held her hand as she knelt in front of her. “When I am always like this?”

“I’m sorry.” Olivia held her head low. She saw her own tears fall at Alex’s hand in hers.

Alex stared at that small liquid drop. Long and hard, without blinking.

— — — — —

T H E D E A F E N I N G S I L E N C E is slowly being swallowed by the early birds― roosters crowed as their morning routine, and dogs behind the gates went on with their barking. Small birds also sat on the line posts. He stopped to look at them for a while, then tried to focus to hear their small chirps.

They were all just noises anyone could hear on the earliest morning, but it somehow enchanted him.

That’s right, he wondered to himself. These are the noise one should hear on an early morning. And not flipping of papers, stirring teaspoons on coffee mugs, stomping of dress shoes on the stained tiled floor, and cracking of guns.

He yawned that his mouth almost tore. He shook his head lightly to try shake off the sleepiness.

The day’s just about to break. But it looks like it already ended for Adrian.

Adrian continued to walk as he thought of the bed that marble mansion offered to him. The thought made him to hurry home.

“You had fun outside?”

That was more like a statement. But the Queen’s Spear wanted those words to come from Adrian himself.

“More than I thought.”

She watched him walk past by her, her mouth tearing from ear to ear.

Blood. Blood, is dripping from his hands again.