The Memories Of Yesterday

CHAPTER 1 "Waves of the Past" The cold breeze stirred Samantha from her deep sleep. She hadn’t realized she left the balcony door open, allowing the wind to slip in. She heard giggles coming from outside the house. Curious, she rose and stepped onto the balcony, where she saw two adorable children playing below. Smiling, she called out to them. They immediately looked up, waved at her with bright grins, then ran into the house. When she went downstairs to the living room, they greeted her with tight hugs. “Good morning, Mommy!” her two children chorused. “Good morning, my babies!” Samantha kissed them both before gently releasing the embrace. She headed to the kitchen to prepare breakfast, occasionally glancing at her twins through the open kitchen view. Haven was the first to come out, followed by Sky, the younger one. They were the spitting image of their father—something that always brought back painful memories. The twins were now five, and Samantha had been hiding for six years. Not even her parents knew where to find her. She assumed they believed she was living abroad. Later that noon, she brought the kids to her beachside restaurant, aptly named "Waves of Palawan." To her, it was the waves themselves that would draw customers in. It was a restaurant by day and a bar with live bands by night. Since it was summer vacation, the twins didn’t have school, and the restaurant was busier than usual due to the influx of tourists. “Good morning, ma’am,” greeted Clara, one of her staff. Samantha greeted her back and went to her office, the twins following close behind. “Mommy, can Kuya Haven and I play outside?” Sky asked sweetly. Something about the way he asked tugged at her heart, so she smiled and said yes. “Just don’t go near the water, okay? Haven, watch over each other,” she reminded them. She was grateful her children never asked about their father. After about thirty minutes, she went outside to check on them and saw them running around, laughing. She sat on a bench she’d had installed so she could watch them while she worked. “There’s going to be a medical mission starting tomorrow,” she overheard a woman saying as she passed nearby. “Yes, the doctors from Manila arrived last night. I think they’re staying at the hotel nearby,” another voice replied. “It’s good they organized something like this,” she heard, just as the women walked away. She returned to her work, hoping to have more time later to bond with the twins. “Doc, we can begin the medical mission tomorrow. I’ve already spoken with the barangay captain—they approved the basketball court near the barangay hall as the location. They’ll announce it soon so people can come,” said Paul, the secretary of Mr. Del Fuego. Only the hum of the air conditioner followed his words. Paul had worked for Mr. Del Fuego for a while but still found him intimidating. His boss rarely smiled—only showing some warmth when dealing with patients, especially children. “Okay,” Nathaniel Del Fuego replied curtly, sipping the coffee Paul had made. Knowing nothing more would be said, Paul quietly left, letting out a breath once he was out of the room. “Boss is really scary,” he muttered to himself. Nathaniel stayed focused on his laptop, staring at a photo of the woman he had longed to see again—the only woman who had ever touched his heart. Samantha. She had vanished six years ago, leaving no trace. Even her family and friends had no idea where she was. Despite her disappearance, he kept moving forward—for the future he still hoped to have with her. He wanted their children to one day experience the kind of life he’d had growing up. In those six years, so much had changed: his family business went bankrupt after being neglected by his father. But after graduating med school, he rebuilt it and now owned his own hospital. He even planned to build another in Palawan on land he’d bought from a friend. That’s why he was here in Palawan now—to begin the project and finally focus on finding her. For six years he’d had people searching for her, but they had always come back empty-handed. “Samantha, where are you?” he whispered as he closed his laptop. “Hi boys!” Aleina greeted the twins. She had been Samantha’s first friend in Palawan and her confidante during her pregnancy. Aleina had a striking, model-like appearance—clearly not a local, just like Samantha. “You’re so noisy, Ninang,” Sky said. Samantha couldn't help but laugh at his tone and expression, while Aleina clutched her chest as if heartbroken. “Sorry, baby Sky. You don’t love me anymore—you’ve replaced me with your classmate Ana,” Aleina teased. “Ew, Ninang,” Sky grimaced, making them all laugh. Despite his reaction, the twins still approached her and took her hand respectfully. “Hello, Kuya Haven. You're so quiet today,” Aleina noticed. “Hi, Ninang. I’m just sleepy,” he replied, approaching Samantha, who gently caressed his hair. “He probably got tired from playing earlier,” she said, noticing something unusual. She touched his forehead—he was burning up. “You have a fever, sweetheart.” She immediately carried him upstairs to her room, Sky trailing behind, while Aleina fetched a towel and water. “Kuya, get better soon so Mommy won’t worry anymore,” Sky said sweetly to his twin, who nodded. “I’m sorry for worrying you, Mommy,” Haven murmured. Her heart swelled with emotion. “It’s okay, baby. Mommy will always be here.” Aleina returned with a basin and towel. “Is his fever high?” she asked. Samantha waited for the thermometer to beep. “39°C,” she said anxiously. She wiped him down to cool him off. “I’m right here, sweetheart,” she whispered, holding his hand as he hugged her back. She woke up to little arms around her—Sky behind her, Haven in front, still feverish. It was almost 6 a.m. She gently freed herself and kissed Sky. “Watch over Kuya Haven, okay baby?” she told him. He nodded and looked lovingly at his brother. She started cooking breakfast when Aleina arrived. “Bes, there’s a medical mission at the court nearby. We can bring Haven there for a check-up instead of traveling to town,” Aleina suggested. Samantha hesitated, worried about her son's health. “I know you can afford private care, but these doctors are from Manila—you can trust them,” Aleina reassured her. “I’m just worried about the lines, but… okay, let’s try,” she finally agreed. “Let’s eat. I know you wouldn’t cook properly without Nanay Bing here,” Aleina joked, helping set the table. “I’ll check on the twins,” Samantha said. As she approached the room, she heard them talking. Haven was awake. “Kuya, are you sure your wound doesn’t hurt anymore?” Sky asked. A wound? Samantha hadn’t noticed any injury. “Don’t be loud, Sky—Mommy might hear.” She entered, and they both stiffened. “Is there something you want to tell me, boys?” she asked seriously. “Sky?” she prompted gently. “M-Mommy…” he started, nearly in tears. She sat down facing Haven. “What did I tell you about telling Mommy if something bad happens so I can help?” Still silence. Then finally: “I’m sorry, Mommy,” Haven said, eyes brimming. “What didn’t you tell me?” she coaxed. “Mommy, Kuya has a wound on his knee and it’s swollen,” Sky revealed. That explained the fever. “How did it happen?” “While we were playing, Kuya saved a girl from falling and hit his knee on a rock. He didn’t cry.” Samantha didn’t know whether to scold herself or be proud. They were growing up to be compassionate. “Mommy’s not mad. But next time, tell me right away if something happens. Okay? I love you both so much.” “We love you too, Mommy,” they said, hugging her. “Let’s go. Ninang’s waiting downstairs for breakfast,” she said, smiling as they all headed out. The twins were really growing up. They had been in Palawan for 6 years now—and it seemed like they’d be staying much longer.