The First Encounter
When Vince arrived home from school one afternoon, he noticed a little girl playing in their big yard; perhaps the girl was only five years old. She was having a great time trying to outrun the butterfly. She's smiling throughout the whole time, the kind of smile that could melt iron. As the old cliché says.
"Do you have a visitor, mommy?" he asked his mother.
"Oh, there you are, son," Ryza said to his 10-year-old son. "Her name is Aliya Candace, and she's your Uncle Rupert's daughter," Ryza continued. Vince was still staring at the girl.
"How come I only saw her now?" Vince wondered.
Ryza replied, "It's a long story, son. Perhaps, you've seen her before, but I guess you didn't notice because you were years younger at the time; she almost grew up in their hometown with her mother."
"Is that so?" Vince answered sounding convinced. "She's beautiful," Vince added shyly, his eyes still fixed on Aliya, who was still following a tiny blue butterfly.
Ryza messed up his hair and added, "Hey, I think my baby is now a young guy."
"It's true, she's beautiful," Vince exclaimed again trying to push his mother's hands away from his head. He felt like he was no longer young for that.
"But, you're right, son," Ryza replied. "Can you promise me that when you're older, you'll look after her?" Ryza added, smiling.
"Why? Is she sick?" Vince asked, puzzled.
"Nothing, I just thought, she needs protection," she answered. "Especially since you said she's beautiful, right? Most likely, as she grows up many boys will quarrel over her" Ryza's long explanation to the innocent Vince.
"Of course, they'll cross through my cruel hands first," Vince said, raising his fists to her.
Ryza laughed with amazement at her son's response; despite her youth, he immediately understood what she was saying.
"You can get dressed later," his mom suggested. "And if you want, play with Aliya first," she added. She notices his son's reluctance to accept her suggestion but she smiled after noticing him running towards Aliya.
"Hello, my name is Vince, and you're Aliya, right?" he introduced himself. Aliya stopped running when she saw him. Vince was so embarrassed that he felt his face flush.
Aliya gave Vince a friendly smile. "Would you like to play?"
When he saw Aliya's sweet smile, Vince could feel the speed of his young heart ramp up. He couldn't stop admiring her face because it was so beautiful.
"No, I'm not fond of butterflies," Vince replied, looking down. He walked a little towards a pink gumamela flower that had blossomed, picked one up and walked back to Aliya, and placed the piece of flower on the side of her ear.
Aliya's grin widened as she witnessed Vince's actions. Aside from butterflies, she also enjoys flowers. "It's lovely, thank you," Aliya said sweetly to Vince.
"You look more pretty," Vince said, staring at her.
Rupert yelled at the kids, "Vince! Aliya! Come inside. Time for a mouthful titbits!"
The two children turned to face the source of the voice and ran into the house at the same time. Vince was dragging Aliya into a slow run by holding her hands.
They started to share the sliced pears with ricotta cheese prepared by Ryza in the large kitchen hall, but Vince noticed Aliya's mother was missing. Why she's not even here? He wanted to ask, but he might not understand the reasons well enough. He just kept staring at Aliya from time to time, hoping to remember the fine details of her beautiful face.
Vince noticed a few months later that he hadn't seen Aliya since their last encounter. He's been waiting for her to return, but none has happened.
"Mom, where's Aliya? Can we visit her at Tito Rupert's home?" Vince asked her mom one day while she was helping him with his school assignments.
Ryza was unable to say a word right away. She saw the eagerness to see Aliya again in her son's face, but she didn't know how to explain it to him in a way that wouldn't upset him.
"Son, come here," Riza said, motioning for the child to sit next to her.
"Did something happen to Aliya, Mom? Should I start protecting her?" he said while sitting beside his mom.
"No, Vince," Ryza said. "Aliya and her mother returned to their hometown, and I believe it's for good," she continued to explain to Vince. She just hoped he wouldn't ask why.
"Does that mean I'll never see her again?" Vince's words were tinged with sadness after hearing his mother's news.
"Perhaps. We don't know, son," Ryza told his son. "but I'm sure you'll meet again at the right time,"
"I hope so, because how can I protect him if she's so far away?" Vince asked innocently, and Ryza could tell he was serious.
"Don't worry, son," Ryza said and sighed. "You'll see Aliya again," she tried to persuade Vince not to ask any further questions.
"When are we going to meet again?" Vince asked once more. Ryza paused for a moment, not knowing how she would answer him, she was thinking of finding the right answer for it when Rupert arrived. The young Vince immediately ran closer to Rupert.
"Tito, where is Aliya, and why she's not with you?" Vince asked.
"She's gone with her mom, Vince," Rupert said flatly. "Don't look for her anymore, they won't come back anymore."
"Rupert-" Ryza attempted to stop Rupert. She assumed her son was too young to realize the situation.
"What?" Rupert exclaimed. "The sooner he knows, the better for him, so he won't be asking any more questions," he insisted, standing nearby and looking directly at Ryza.
"Why do they have to leave?" Vince probed Rupert even farther.
"Don't think too hard; you won't understand it right now," Rupert advised the kid.
He didn't quite understand why, but he was sure what was going on. He's seen some heartbreaking movie scenes where either moms or dads disappear with their children. He's fully conscious. Perhaps Tito Rupert and Aliya's mother are experiencing the same thing.
If there was one thing that bothered him, it was whether or not he would ever see Aliya again.
