Hello, Kenzo

A Deal

The screeching sound from the rusty iron bar of the small water pump being pumped roused me from my good sleep after my yet grand rendezvous with Kenzo at the river.

"You overslept, dearie, are you tired?" Grandma Josefa greeted me while carrying a pile of clothes on her way out of the house. "Take your breakfast and get yourself pumping!"

Grandma Josefa had more energy than me, and I really hope I'll be like her when I grow older.

"Hey beautiful! I prepared your breakfast. Eat up; you must have been so tired last night; you need to refill your energy." Kenzo hugged me quickly with one arm and gave me a swift peck on the lips before heading outside.

I couldn't help but smile at everything that was happening. It was too unreal; I wouldn't want to get back to reality.

I finished up my food and rushed outside to help them. It was so fun to mingle with people while doing the laundry. Children played around while we women hand-washed the clothes, and as for the men, they did the pumping and hanging of clothes. It was almost noon when we finished, and we all prepared to get a tour around the province.

"This is the famous church here," Kenzo whispered to me when we entered inside.

I gasped at the intricate design of the church as Kenzo led me to sit in the last row while his family chose to sit on the first row a couple yards away from us.

"Why do we have to sit far from them?" I asked Kenzo, but he just hush me and held my hand as the mass started.

The mass was so serene, I felt myself melting with every word the priest preached, striking deep in me as if the words were meant for me.

"I love you, Stella! If given the chance, I want to marry you here." Kenzo smiled as the priest said his closing words for the mass.

"Kenzo," I said, dumbfounded. I could not find any words to say.

It was beyond what I prayed for.

"I am not rushing you; I still have to finish my studies, find a job, and get stable, so you have all the time in the world to prepare." Kenzo kissed my hands and squeezed them slightly before assisting me outside.

"I prayed for you," I said sincerely as we stepped outside the church.

"We will make it happen, Stella." Kenzo smiled back at me.

We ate in a simple eatery after mass, and we hired tricycles to tour us around before I decided to treat them to a quick leisure time at one of the most visited resort hotels here.

And when I said "treat them," I exaggerated slightly. I rented the whole resort for us until nightfall.

"Stella, this is too much!" Kenzo tried to talk to me, but it wasn't just about treating them; that's why I rented the whole resort for us.

I had to do some quick business before we get back to the city tomorrow, and though I am unsure of everything, I wanted to give back to these people who accepted me as their own without hesitation. I longed for the feeling of being accepted by my family despite my flaws and shortcomings and these people gave it to me without requiring anything from me in return.

I lingered on Kenzo's chest before giving him a quick peck on the cheeks and took my leave.

I have had my personal assistant arrange a meeting with the Illominus since last night, and she has never failed me once.

"Good afternoon, I'm Stella Del Mundo." I gestured my hand for a shake-hand to

Mr. Illominus.

"Good afternoon to you, Ms. Del Mundo. It is my pleasure to welcome you here in our little town," he said back, accepting my hand.

We sat at the table with the perfect view of the sea ahead of us, and my personal assistant had already arranged for the resort to serve us the most expensive food in the hotel.

"Please help yourself." I motioned for him to enjoy the feast served before us.

"Based on these foods, you are a bigtime investor, Ms. Del Mundo. So, tell me, why here?" Mr. Illominus inquired with curiosity as he began eating his first bite of the delicately flavored fish.

"Well," I sighed as I tried to hold in my emotions. He looked lavishly disgusting with his suit about to pop at any moment. "I had to establish something here before I settled down with my boyfriend, who is a native of this province."

"Wow, that is amazing. And who could be this lucky man? You see, I am the mayor of this..."

"Kenzo Salvador, do you happen to know him?" I sounded sarcastic cutting him in with his boastful rants, I almost choked up my words.

I could see his eyes widening in shock; he almost spat out the food in his mouth.

"Kenzo?"

"Yes, you know him?"

"Well, I quite know his family. He is really a lucky man. And a cunning one. So, what made you fall for him? Did you know how lowly his life here is? He could be just after your money?" he scoffed and poured a glass of wine. "Tell me, did he use his pathetic moves on you just as he used to on my daughter?"

"The truth is, it was the other way around; I wanted him all to be mine; I demanded him to cut all his ties with your daughter. I gave him almost everything, just so he accept my feelings. I really don't mind about his status; in fact, I rented the whole resort just for his family while I talk to you. You know, Mr. Illominus, I have this bad habit of doing everything just to acquire what I want. So, let's get straight to business; I am buying the property that the Salvador's put on a mortgage to you years ago; in exchange, I will not let the people of the town know about your dirty works."

"WHAT? You should try to think twice of your words! You cannot just go accusing..." Mr. Illominus shot up from his seat, looking disheveled and enraged.

His face turned red, his eyes bulged out in anger, and his nostrils flared. The air around me became suffocating as he took deep breaths to calm himself down.

"Sit down, Mr. Illominus! I am friends with the governor here, and taking information would not take too much of my time. I am asking for a small thing; it wouldn't really hurt to give it up to me. You won't even waste a penny, and I assure you you would benefit at the end. I just want to make sure he'll be my property, and no one should share with me."

He slowly sat down again.

"Now then, do we have an agreement? These are the papers; please sign, and I'll leave you here to finish this feast," I calmly asked of him, and he followed with ease.

"Thank you for your cooperation; now if you'll excuse me!"

And I rushed back to Kenzo and found him sitting on a bench in a simple cottage, watching the sea, while his family gathered by the beach, having the best time of their lives, served by the hotel assistants.

"Hey," I said. I sat down beside him and held his hand.

"Where have you been?" he asked as he turned to look at me.

"Nothing grand; I just had to settle payments for the services of the hotel."

"Stella, you shouldn't really..."

'Shut it! Ok? " I hushed him with a quick kiss.

He blushed and looked at me with a naughty look; his eyebrows were going up like a signal.

"No! For now, I just want to enjoy all these!"

Kenzo smiled and grabbed my hand, pulling me to run to the sea.

"I like it more!" he yelled before grabbing me up and carrying me to the water.

"I love you, Kenzo!"

"I LOVE YOU MORE, STELLA!" Kenzo yelled while he spin me around, getting us wet.

Before I knew it, we were traveling back to the city. I dropped Kenzo at the corner where he lived with his sister and drove to my apartment to rest, but I was caught off guard by Dani outside my apartment, and instead of greeting me, she slapped me so hard that I felt all the rage in the impact.

"How could you?"