OIKOS: MaiChard Drabbles

18. Prosciutto

"Good morning, Ma'am Maine, Sir Richard."

"Uy, Hi! Sari! Tagal nating di nagkita ha."

"Oo nga po, Sir e. I had to take care of some stuff at home sa province kaya nagleave muna ako last week."

"Oh, Mam Maine, parang iba yung glow mo. Anong meron?"

"Hindi naman masyado."

"Glowing naman talaga lagi tong si Mahal, e. Pero baka eto yung napasin mo kaya ganon," he said with a smile as he took Maine's hand and showed Sari the diamond ring that adorned her finger. Maine blushed and beamed at her fiance then smiled shyly at Sari. She saw something cross the store clerk's eyes that she couldn't place but decided to ignore it.

"Wow! congratulations po! Anyway, what will you have today?" She asked, effectively changing the topic. They were in an Italian deli shop and cafe for their usual deli sandwich-coffee take out for lunch and to restock Maine's supply of proscuitto. They worked for an ad agency right next to the deli.

Sari had since become cold but still polite towards her. What was wierd is that she never changed the way she treated her fiance. Maine mentioned this to him once but he only brushed this off because after all, why would he care about another woman when he already had his eyes and future set on Maine?

A week later, Richard was out sick and requested Maine to drop by the shop for minestrone and his usual pastrami sandwich before going home. It was a slow night and it seemed that she was the only customer when she walked into the deli. Sari greeted her sweetly leaving her confused. She decided to play it off and jest with her instead.

"Uy, Sari, good mood ka ata."

"Totally, Mam Maine." She clapped her hand as if remembering something. "Ay, oo nga pala! Kakadeliver lang nung favorite mong proscuitto from Como!"

"Wow! That's great! No offense, ha. I love proscuitto in general but I love Como's proscuitto the most!"

"Hahaha. Tara, Ms. Maine. It's out back. Di ko pa kasi naaayos e. "

"Ok lang ba? Nakakahiya naman. I could pick it up naman bukas."

"Ok lang po, sus! Tara. dito po tayo." Maine followed her to a narrow hallway towards the stockroom but as they entered it, Sari opened another door that had a sticker on the it saying "OFF LIMITS".

"Come." Sari said in a low sultry voice, inviting her in. She felt goosebumps travel up and down her arms at this sudden change in her demeanor.

Her eyes widedned in shock at what she saw in the room that she didn't realize the clerk already bolted the door shut. On the wall of the small room were pictures of her and Richard together, with an 'X' on her face on all them.

"Sari, ano to?" She asked in a trembling voice.

"Di pa pa obvious? Ayaw ko sayo for Richard. You don't deserve him."

"What?" She asked in tears and disbelief.
"My plan was on track e. I'm gonna make him fall in love with me, we'll get married and have beautiful babies. Then you came and ruined everything!" she screamed at her.

"Please, Sari. Wala akong ginagawang masama sayo. Please let me go. Sige ka, magagalit sayo si Richard pag sinaktan mo ko." She pleaded in a sweet voice like a mother trying to pacify a kid.

"Hindi nya naman malalaman e." She said as she hit Maine's back with a wooden chair rendering her unconsious on the floor.

/

A few hours later, Richard would wake up, drenched in sweat, at the sound of his door bell ringing. He would find no one but a shoe box when he got to his door with Maine's bloodied engagement ring in it and a note on the deli shops's receipt that said: "Marry me or she dies."