Film of Love

Yesterday's Story

“Where are you parking this thing?” I am holding on to the handle of the van while she is maneuvering. We are because of this random message on my phone that I received after the party ended at dawn— it has been 4 days since the event happened.

“Do we really need to do what has been told by a stranger through text?” I asked her while the car came to a stop.

“I thought you wanted to risk it to know it?” She looked at me, making me remember what I said a few days ago. I nodded because I remember it clearly but I really think it is too fast of a movement. What if it is just a bait or another false alarm?

“It is also in the letter, the sender and this stranger might be the same. Those who really did it are provoking you by doing them favors to keep silence but what of turning those silence in small steps. I know you will not do anything that can harm you, of course.”

“You will just give them the chance to repeat the past.”

—

Few days ago after the party that we went to Dem was wasted like there is a rent due to

tomorrow while I do things that I am supposed to do there anyways. When we went home, I did notify Aunt July, Dem’s mom, that she will stay here for a night or a day— she isn't really against it and very chill actually but still I don’t want to make her worried about her daughter. We woke up and Dem has a major headache as always the upshot from having fun in the night party.

Since I am a great friend, I woke up much earlier than the sleeping trouble to get her a nice and delicious hangover soup. There is nothing better than a steaming hot crock of soupe à l'oignon in the morning even though you don’t have a hangover. It is indeed a comfort soup.

We decided to plan out our day and first in the list is to stay indoors, in my room to be exact. She didn’t agree to the plan, not until I waved the letter in front of her face and changed her mind.

Dear January,

The truth will conquer all things that were hidden in yesterday's moment. If you want to know the truth, you can find me. I’ll be waiting until they find me.

That was what was written inside the letter. I do have a mild to heavy trust issue developing here. If I want to find the truth, I might as well confront the people who seem to be connected to what happened to me and of course know it better than anyone else. If they continue to lie in my face don’t let me be the one turning my backs on them.

Dem went home the same day in the afternoon and for some time I have been collecting my thoughts and questions with that I gather myself up and build courage that I will be finding even just a small part of answers in my huge questions in my head.

With that thought I calmed myself and luckily found my parents inside the living room. “They are letting Johan manage our business again.” I thought and just shook my head.

“Hey mom!” I greeted her as I sat beside her.

“Hi, love! What is the matter?” She asks me, knowing very well that I do stay all day in my room and happens to be here, makes her wonder. I put a faint smile on my face with that thought. I envy that she knows me better than I do.

“I am just wondering if I really didn’t just slip because I am naughty that made me forget things, right?” I said. I am relieved that my voice didn’t crack.

She looked at me and replied. “That again?”

“You are old enough and still don’t understand what I said a few years back when you asked me again about that?”

“I understand and you are correct, mom. I am old enough that I don’t understand why you need to lie in my face, you guys don’t even know or… care what I am feeling right now.” I replied. “I feel like I am living with a bunch of liars that don't care for what I feel and are struggling all those years and present.”

I am not shocked that she slapped me and I just chuckle because what she did answers what I have in my mind. She walked out of the room going somewhere I don’t know and hell I care.

I decided and packed my bags and automatically called for ‘SOS’ and just minutes later I saw a familiar car parked at our front.

—

I think it is coincidentally that the sender knows when and what will happen to me after I do what my guts is telling me to do. I also contacted my dear aunt from my father's side, Aunt Melinda Ashton, a resident in Paris and has a daughter named Cosette. I believe that she is 4 years younger than me.

“Hello, Aunt Melinda!” I greeted the lady on the other line.

She didn’t say a word but then continued to ask me. “Oh dear! Why do you call?”

“I’m sorry to bother you but is there a room for me and my friend to stay there?” I nibble with my lips while waiting for her answer.

“Yes, of course, dear!” she answered, making me smile in gratitude and relief. “Call me or text me when you will be here so that I can clean your room.”

“About that…actually we are going there in afternoon,”

“Really? Alright then. You are lucky that I don’t have any work today or else Cosette will be cleaning your room.” She laughed at it like she didn't mind the work for us. My sweetest auntie I ever have.

“Thank you so much, Auntie Melinda!” I smiled and looked at them giving her a thumbs up and thanked Auntie.

Dem also thanked her and Aunt Melinda just chuckled over the phone and we bid goodbye.

—

We stretch our muscles that temporarily have been stationary for hours with minimal stopovers. In a 7 hour drive via A6 from Honfleur to Annemasse we only have a total of 8 stop over and it is enough, I’d tell you. From the North we travel to the East of France. We are in Annemasse— one of the communes in Haute-Savoie Department in Auvergne–Rhône-Alpes Region.

“According to the history or something I read from the internet, this is a relatively small town but high in population so I think we might have a bit of a struggle locating this,” I say as I pack my bags.

I sigh in the van, I never thought Dem would have this van converted into a home. I thought she was just obsessing by watching tons of videos on Youtube regarding van conversion, van life, van into a moving house and more. I bet Uncle Gray is making a lot of money.

“We will find the person in the text of yours because if not, hell knows what I would do since it breaks my bones on driving here and gets nothing,” she says, still stretching.

“I told you we should split up driving every 3 hours max,”

She sighed. “That’s— I don’t know why I didn’t consider doing what you suggested,”

“Well, we are here now. Let's just keep on going.”

I smiled at her and she smiled back at me. I pack all the other things and shut the van door and proceed to go to her, who has been appreciating the beauty of the town. It is a mixture of old and new style of architecture, although it is new they still preserved the ‘French’ style of architectural style. It is so pretty and a new sight for me, and for Dem, of course, she is not that of a traveler neither am I. Although we compete in competitions and go to different places.

We are just walking with these people like we are also living in this town, there are also a lot of tourists here though, well I can’t blame the people.

“Hey, Aryn! Faster!” she yelled. She went into this pastel orange building. It is like a Pied a Terre or it is really one?

“Chambre 707.” I read what’s written on the paper. It is Dem’s Idea to put it on paper, she is really into this thing making sure it looks like a film. Cute.

“Three rings,” she said. “If no one answers we are going to ask people about this person.” I nodded indicating that I just agreed to her plan.

—

Just that the door opened not too long after the second ring of the doorbell.

A woman opened the door for the two. “As expected, come on in!”

She is stiff and alert with every action she does. She motioned them to come into her home before she closed the door. She also did a quick look at her left and right like she is looking if someone is also looking at her or her house.

“The place is small but I hope you can feel at home,” she said smiling at the ladies that are now in front of her sitting. The house is small, it really fits for a person only and that’s it, as long as the house is clean it will look great.

“Do you want drinks or sweets?” She asked the girls and they just replied with water.

The woman nodded and smiled as she pulled herself out to her kitchen. It's not even a minute passed and she is back with two cups of water in her hand. The girls thanked the lady.

“So..uhm.. I am Marthe Dupont and I am the trusted au pair or nanny of Senior Leonel Ashton,” she introduced. Dem and I both looked at each other at the same time.

“Uh..why— why do you guys look shocked?” she asked.

“Uh-uhm…I actually didn’t know Dad is some wealthy guy,” I confessed and she chuckled so I looked at her if I said something wrong or funny.

“He is not just ‘some’ wealthy guy. Him and his family is well-known to be part of the 3 Big Companies in not just in Honfleur but in France also,”

“You mean that he is an heir but— b–but why?”

Ms. Marthe looks at me confusedly. “What do you mean why?”

“I mean why did he not tell? Why didn't they tell me?”

“Some things are not worth saying from what I observed and known from Leonel. He is the guy that will not tell if it is not important because for him it is just a waste of time.”

A silence developed inside Marthe’s home. She understands and knows what is happening to Aryn since this is the first time meeting her, she just dropped a news that she thought is not big at all. She didn’t mean it, she admits it is her fault. Some things are worth saying but in moderation.

“I am sorry for dropping information about your father frankly.” She apologized to the daughter of the guys she once took care of.

Marthe Dupont is still a maiden although she is past her teens and adulthood. She served the Ashton family for 32 years. She is 18 when she starts babysitting Leonel, until Leonel graduates college and finds herself a potential wife.

“May I ask something?” Dem brings back the conversation by asking.

“Sure,” she replied with a smile.

“How long did you serve the Ashton family?” she asked.

“Oh! I’ve been with them for 32 years.” Dem looks surprised and chuckles a little when she realizes.

“That is so long!” Marthe beams at her.

On the other hand, Aryn let out a sigh so that she can move forward. “But why did you contact me and how did you contact me?”

She looked at Aryn before answering her. “I contacted you because you might want to know things from the past, even a little. I don’t know what happened to his family in the last 9 years. I just happened to get some pieces of information. My aunt, who is the well-known keeper of letters in your town, told me about your family and how different you are in the family she has been with for years.”

They listened carefully at what Marthe was saying. The feeling of being here and not here is different but at the same time they are glad that they took the risk of going in here although chances are not that high. First step in Dupont’s house is really like a home, it is small but decent, neat and cozy.

The hospitality seems to be on point and real, Aryn thought it might be because she is a former babysitter and taking care of people is her element. It is quite nice for their first try in this journey towards finding truth.

“So…you contacted me through your aunt and how about my number then?”

“Sorry for being like a stalker. I might creeped you out, I am very sorry about that,” she apologized again and Aryn accepted it again. “Well, I might not be a teenager but I do know how to use social media even just a little.”

“I search for your name because you are also well-known in your town because you are a former athlete. I searched for your social media account and happened to see your pages. I saw a number on your page and I gave it a try but I just texted you because it seems wrong if I called you right away.”

Aryn did feel a sign of relief when Marthe really gave out the details and explained her side despite the fact that Aryn felt safe with her. Assurance that the person is not a bad guy really gets people’s trust. Aryn can put her in her list of trustable persons because Marthe really earned her trust.

“I want to tell you and give everything I know from your family or your parents' father, their stories and maybe a starting point where you can start your journey,” she began. “I knew the accident happened to you but I really don’t know what version of stories I should believe, so I took all that I heard and encountered and started gathering the pieces that seemed to work together so that the story they are telling can be believable than what they are all really saying.”

Marthe visited her aunt one day in the year after the accident. She was a former nanny and left the House of Ashtons after Leo and Feb got married. That event is like the closure or the end of being a nanny of Leo. She is also old and still doesn’t have a husband so she left to find the one but the one didn’t come back.

It started when Leonel was a freshman in the University of Caen, he entered the said university with his best friend since diapers, Haze Martin. The first semester went well since they have the same classes together, not until the second semester when the program head decided to change something and with that the rule has been implemented Leo and Haze are not in the same classes anymore— instead he has classes with his cousin— Emile Etienne.

Emile Etienne is the son of the Founder and the CEO of Burgundy Corporation, Frederick Etienne and daughter of the owner of an Entertainment Company which is the Levitate Company and Leo’s aunt, Elyna Ashton. Emile is a baseball player in their secondary level until Tertiary. When the second semester came it was still alright because Leonel and Elime became friends too although they are cousins.

Their friendship and blood relationship became strong not until their sophomore years when Feb came to the picture. Feb came into the picture because Elime introduced her to Leonel and his other friends. Elime grew fond of the girl until the fond grew into a happy crush and Leonel's feelings grew too. The three found time to hangout altogether until they stepped into junior years.

They became too busy but not so busy like Elime who has been promoted as a team captain of their baseball team— Elime’s schedule became so tight that he can’t spare time to hangout with his friends. That was also the time where those happy crushes turned into love.

“Leonel is not so talkative about his feelings. That boy kept his feelings not until he started talking to me for advice and what do girls like from boys,” Marthe recalls those times where every after he was done with his requirements he will sneak out to go to the garden where Marthe always staying because of how flowers are beautiful when they bloom under the sun, so that he can get some advice.

Dem giggled beside Aryn and commented. “That is so cute! You become his personal google and at the same time a human diary.” Marthe smiled and nodded her head agreeing at what she said.

“He is like a kid although he is a college student at that time,” she sighed. “Your father is not a party-goer, a social butterfly or a famous jock. He is a quiet kid with books on his hand all the time but you will not believe it that he still does received letters of confessions, and bundles of chocolates, the young man although he seems not approachable and quiet yet he is handsome, academic achiever and rich.”

Aryn smiles as she listens to the description and details from Marthe. He is just like his father, well, less than the rich. She is not rich or born wealthy but they are not also poor, they are just right.

When the time came it was a beautiful spring day in their junior years when Leonel finally organized his thoughts and feelings. He gathered courage and man-up and made up his mind to confess to Feb.

Little did he know that Elime also got the time to gather the feelings he has and courage and he confessed to Feb earlier but then his whole life became upside down when Feb turned him down and told him that they are better off be friends and she straight up said she liked someone. Elime understood but the thought of losing the one he loved over his cousins made him mad and jealous.

Elime’s madness and jealousy over Leonel doesn’t stop there as much he wants not to take it over their family line he can’t neither can control his feelings. It is a film of hatred as of now.