Who Am I

Chapter 3 Darwin's Family

Sixteen Years Ago

An airplane just landed in the airport. A twenty-eight-year-old, good-looking man in a tuxedo wearing an obviously expensive sunglasses is stepping out of the plane. Following him is a blondy-haired woman of the same age who looks highly elegant in her white long sleeved top paired with a black trouser and a pair of black, high and pointed heeled shoes. She walks gracefully holding hand with a three-year-old boy who looks very handsome and dazzling in his all-white outfit.The Berman family just arrived from Italy where they went for a family getaway. Engineer William Berman, the new CEO of the Berman Shipbuilding Company, Incorporated, is the head of the Berman family. Olga is his very proud wife who always tries the best that she could to cling to him and keeps tailing him in his whereabouts. And the cute little boy with them is their only son and heir, Darwin.

From the airport, a driver picked them up and drove them home by a Mercedes Maybach Exelero. On their way, the little boy's attention is captivated by the colorful view of the rainbow up in the sky in this post meridian drive.

In just a few minutes, they finally reached at their sweet, enormous, and extremely comfortable abode.Approaching to meet the house owners are two housemaids in their servants' uniform. Lily, the older one who seems to be at par in age with William's mother, and Rebecca, the younger one.

As Mr. Berman enters the house, he requests Rebecca to bring a glass of cold apple juice to his office. By nature, this man is a workaholic person. When at home, he spends most of his time in front of the computer or making so many phone calls inside his office. A reason that most often than not, Olga resents him because for her, her husband has no more time to spend with her.

"Lily!", Olga calls one of the maids. "Coming ma'am", Lily answered as she hurriedly went to attend to Olga's needs. "Prepare the bath tub, I need to freshen up myself ", the latter commanded.

Without any ado, Lily immediately headed toward the bathroom and began to get the bath tub ready. As she fills the tub with water, a memory from three years ago suddenly flash in her cerebrum.

Flashback from 3 years ago

Lily is filling the baby's bath tub with water.In about a few minutes, it's time to bathe baby Darwin.The cute little Darwin is smiling in his crib as if excitedly waiting to have himself dipped in the water-filled tub. It's been months since the baby came to the family. Lily remembers that day when Olga spoke to William over the phone and talked about their baby.

"Honey, it's a baby boy!", Olga exclaimed to the other line."When are you coming home?Aren't you excited to see our baby?",she curiously asked her husband who's almost been a year in Japan to launch the newly-finished vessel that is lately constructed by their branch in the country.

It's the first time ever that Olga stayed and never accompanied William in his business trip. She always wanted to keep near to her husband no matter if the second-mentioned feels the opposite way. He is the kind of man who doesn't show a warm affection to his lady. Maybe it's because their marriage is purely a tie of business arrangement and not a matter of courtship and love at all.

Lily has been serving the Berman's for years ever since her childhood. She's taken under William's grandparents' care since she was orphaned by the death of both her parents due to fire accident that happened when she was still young. And so she lived and grew with the family through adulthood. She grew up and treated like a younger sister to William's father- Edward. Even after Edward's parents passed away, Lily was asked to stay and continue to serve the Berman's.

Up to the time of William's birth, his growing up, his adolescence, his marriage and even now that he becomes a father himself, Lily is still around.

The story book of the lives of the Berman's has always been open to her.

Back in William's office, he's turning on his laptop when Rebecca knocks the glass door carrying in her hands the glass of juice he requested. "Yes, come in", William directed his speech to the servant. "Just please put it there on the table. Thank you", he added. Rebecca just nodded her head and smiled a little then went out of the office. She started serving this family the day after William got married. She was hired in replacement to the previous housemaid who resigned after being engaged to her husband-to-be.

As the monitor opens, his picture playing golf displays as it was set as the screen's wallpaper. On the the sight of it, he then calls to mind that beautiful caddy he met three years ago in the golf course. It was Dalia. As he recalls her attractive face, his mind suddenly began structuring strong images and his heart is producing powerful feelings about her.

Never yet in William's entire existence that he experienced this intense and special longing and desire for a person's presence.

Meanwhile,Olga enjoys every second as she soaks herself in the tub with just the right water temperature. Some scented candles are also lit which provide her with a warm glow of light. She also put some charcoal masks on her face which she believes could greatly help her to draw out some impurities in her skin. She is always conscious about how she looks, ever since. All she wants is to look perfectly beautiful and sexy every time. And of course, she now needs to be the best mother to Darwin, because to her, it's the best that she can be to win and keep William in their marriage.

It is still very fresh in her memory how William's mother Elizabeth, pressured her to produce an offspring with her son. Elizabeth threatened Olga to be divorced by her son once she couldn't produce an heir. Olga-William's affective relationship has always been one-sided.It's only the former who wished for the marriage in the first place. In fact, she asked her parents to help her in making William to become hers. And now that she wins him she just couldn't let him go easily. That is why,if having a child would make their marriage work forever, 'then so be it', as she thought to herself.

While his wife is having a good time in the tub, William is also indulging himself in those enjoyable recollection about his unforgettable acquaintance. That face, he couldn't forget, those sparkling eyes that enticed his, those lips so soft and kissable are just too irresistible to keep in the mind and heart.

'Will I see her again?', he thought to himself as he stares at the monitor.