Scarlet Strings of Love

Chapter 27: Henne

"When you're falling in love, you never notice it until you've already hit the ground." -- Terry Mark

LUXUS' POINT OF VIEW

"We're going to where?" I asked.

[Red's second house] Ysabelle said over the phone.

She has a second house? Actually, why am I even surprised. She brings one thousand pesos with her everyday. Her house has three storeys and the entire thing is air conditioned. Her having a second house shouldn't surprise me anymore.

"I thought we're going to the beach? Didn't she want to surf?" I asked. I remember she was saying in our group chat that she wanted to surf with her mother, but since her parents had other things to do she asked us to come with her.

[I dunno, that's what she said. But Red has a second house, huh. That's surprising]

"Ysa, tatlong palapag bahay niya at naka-air condition ang buong bahay nila."

Kahit hindi ko kita si Ysabelle alam kong nanlaki ang mata niya sa gulat. Hindi pa alam ni Ysabelle kung gaano kayaman si Red dahil sa banda lang sinabi ni Red 'yun.

[Seryoso ba?!]

Narinig kong pumasok ang Kuya niya sa kwarto niya at natawa ako habang nakikinig ako sa boses nila sa kabilang linya.

[I've never heard about this before. Why— what— Ang mahal ng air con?]

I laughed, "Yeah, when your parents are rich you live rich too."

[I wish my parents were rich.]

"Ikaw pa nagsabi niyan? You go to England every summer."

[That's because Papa wants to. Siya naman ang nabili ng ticket]

"Bakit pala hindi ka pumunta sa England ngayon?"

[Because they're coming home!]

"Who?"

[Papa and Ellie!]

I imagined the wide smile on her face as she said that. Kaya pala hindi pumunta si Ysabelle sa England ngayon. I've heard about Ellie but I've never met her. Joaquin and Angelo have though. They said before that Ellie was the complete opposite of Ysabelle. That was all they said.

"Are they coming home for good? Or bakasyon lang?" I asked. Ysabelle giggled.

[They're coming home because...]

Napangiti ako nang marinig ko ang sinabi ni Ysabelle. I congratulated her and she thanked me.

"I should prepare for tomorrow," I said.

[Yeah, I should, too. Medyo malayo rin ang pupuntahan natin. See you tomorrow!]

"See you."

***

The next day, maagang dumating si Laurence at Ysabelle sa bahay. Inayos ko ang gamit ko at nagpaalam na ako sa magulang ko bago kami nagdrive papunta sa address na binigay ni Red. Tinanong ko si Orange kung sasabay sila sa amin at sabi niya si Austin daw ang magd-drive kaya kaming tatlo lang ang nandito sa sasakyan.

It took us two hours to arrive at the address and when we properly looked at the house, it was an urban house. From the outside, we could see the pool. It was already cleaned so I guess Red already had that cleaned a day before.

"Ang ganda," sabi ni Ysabelle. Bumaba kami sa sasakyan and I rang the doorbell by the gate.

"Hello?"

We heard Red's voice from the doorbell.