Each Note

More than 365 days

Author's Notes:

This is my submission for AMACON OFFCIAL's 18th prompt for their AMACON3 event. :)

It should have Alden, Maine, and a horrible secret kept by a store clerk.

I paid homage too to Camp Sawi. I had so much fun with that movie.

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Barbie looked up the store door the moment the chimes sounded off to announce a customer.

She tried to keep her face emotionless as she recognized who had come in. She would know that face anywhere.

It was a face plastered on several billboards, present in tv commercials daily, and was starring in the year's biggest drama series.

"Good morning!" she greeted the customer "Is there anything I can help you with?"

Her greeting was returned before the question was asked "Uhmmmm... Ikaw ba ang store manager?"

"Well... Here goes nothing..." Barbie thought to herself before confirming her identity. She was both the store clerk and the manager.

The customer gave a small smile. "I received this card along with a delivery of flowers about a month ago. I know I should have come sooner but -"

The struggle to explain was really obvious. Inangat ni Barbie ang kamay niya para ipaalam dito na hindi nito kailangan magpaliwanag. "Ok lang. Andito lang din naman at hindi mawawala yung ibibigay ko sa'yo e."

The pair of eyes in front of her widened. "May ibibigay ka sa akin?"

Barbie nodded. "Kailangan ko lang siyang kunin so if you could kindly wait sa may garden, I will serve you coffee and cake along with it."

"Oh? Huwag na. Hindi na kailangan ang coffee and cake."

"Just go on right outside and make yourself comfortable. I will be with you shortly." Hindi na niya sinabi na the cake and coffee had been paid for, along with all the flowers that have been delivered to the customer's address EVERYDAY for the past year. Barbie headed for her office and into the vault where she hid a very important letter - a letter she has watched over for months.

----

More than a year ago, Barbie faced another customer whose face everyone knew. Sobrang na-starstruck pa siya nang pumasok ito and unashamedly asked for a picture together.

Hindi niya alam nung panahon na yun that her life would change.

All Barbie felt initially was intrigue at that customer's request until eventually, she had learned of the truth and her heart felt like it was being ripped apart.

Inis na inis siya noon bakit kailangang mangyari yun sa dalawang tao na nagmamahalan. Pero wala din naman siyang magagawa dahil oras ang kalaban nila. At ang oras... hindi siya maghihintay para sa kahit na sino.

----

He loved the mountains. Edelweiss were the perfect choice for him for it was a flower that grew on the Alps and signified deep love and devotion.

The request was simple enough - send one piece of Edelweiss everyday for 365 days. But procuring the flower was difficult and no expense was spared for Barbie to be able to do it. She was paid handsomely for what she agreed to do.

Sobra sobra pa nga ang ibinayad sa kanya pero it wasn't the money that made her treasure this mission she was given.

Barbie built her flower stand and coffee shop business because she believed in romance and true love.

This mission was a chance to really immerse herself in what she believed in.

----

It was a good hour after the letter was read that Alden Richards approached her again.

His eyes were red rimmed from crying. "Madalas ba siyang pumunta dito?"

Barbie answered "She was here everyday for a month before she left for the States. Gusto lang daw niya makipagkwentuhan habang naiikutan nang bulaklak. She loved that chair you sat in. She would sit there for hours sometimes."

He looked as though he would cry again.

"There have been times I thought of reaching out to you to let you know about her but I made a promise to keep her condition a secret. I hope you've forgiven her..."

She knew she might be overstepping but felt that Maine Mendoza deserved this man's understanding. Hindi niya ginusto ang mga nangyari sa kanya and she did what she thought was best in her situation.

When she was diagnosed with Stage 4 Breast Cancer at just 32 years old, she decided to finally reach out to the man she had always and truly loved and apologize for how they had broken up. Sinabi ni Maine kay Barbie na siya talaga ang may kasalanan. Siya ang nakasakit kay Alden noong panahong iyon at siya din ang patuloy na nagpapairal nang pride niya para hindi sila magka-ayos.

But death had a way of stripping you down into the most important things in your life.

And for Maine, the most important thing was Alden. Walang iba.

"Kapag kaya ko na na hindi magalit..." the man now responded "... kapag kaya ko na tanggapin na I let the best thing that could happen to me walk away without..."

He broke down.

----

It has been three months since she passed away.

It has been more than 365 days since Maine read to Barbie a passage from that letter

"Ang gusto ko lang malaman e kung kumusta ka na at kung masaya ka ba. Yun lang naman ang mahalaga sa akin. Yun lang naman ang gusto ko para sa'yo."