Destination: You

Dieciocho

Dieciocho

We kept on walking until we reached a small restaurant for us to take a bite. I need a full meal after walking that long.

"This place is really cozy, it's not too fancy and not that crowded," I commented. Also not to mention that the food here are delicacies.

"It just opened a year ago. People still don't know this is here."

"Are those pictures of the owners?" I asked pointing at a corkboard at the back of this place. There were lots of photos be they printed, developed, or polaroid photos. There were also some notes pinned onto it with sweet messages.

"I don't think so. Customers are free to post something there."

"I want to add something." I immediately stood up and went near it. There are already available pen and paper there so I was set.

Life will always be throwing obstacles in your way, the least you can do is still be grateful for it for acknowledging your existence.

I pinned it on the board and looked at the other ones posted here. There were lots of pictures of lovers who dine here and some love quotes. The corkboard was already full of them but I'm glad that the owners don't just throw them away.

Some picture frames caught my eye. They were hanging right before the entrance of the kitchen. I'm guessing that those were the pictures of the owners of this place.

I looked back at the corkboard. These are memories of all of these wonderful people. As I gazed at it one last time my eyes focused on one polaroid photo. I gasped at napaatras pa ako sa sobrang gulat.

"Oh God, désolé," I said when I bumped into a waiter.

Nilapitan ako ni Theo to ask me if I'm okay but I completely ignored him. I took the photo and looked at it carefully.

"Pardon, do you know these people?"

Nilapitan ko 'yong staff na narito, and he seems like the owner of the place since he resembles the one in the framed picture.

"Ah, oui. Those two are the sweetest couple I have met, they visited Paris for their honeymoon and I'm honored to serve them here in my restaurant."

"When was this taken?"

"Grachi, what's going on?"

"About a year ago, at the end of the year."

Relief, that's what I felt, but anxious at the same time. Pero hindi ko maikakaila ang saya na unti-unti kong nararamdaman.

"Do you know them?" the owner asked, siguro naguguluhan na rin siya sa mga tinatanong ko sa kanya.

I opened my bag at kinuha ang wallet ko. I always take their picture with me, agad ko iyon kinumpara sa polaroid picture na nakuha and there was a huge similarity.