©Telay Robles
FICTION|KATHANG ISIP
He heaved a heavy sigh as he turned off the ignition of his SUV. Aahhh! Peace at last! The sound of crickets and the soft crash of the waves on the shore are welcome treats for his weary body and soul.
Twenty seven years old and he feels like he's lived for ages! He just feels tired, of his life, of the people in his life, HE IS JUST SO FUCKIN' TIRED, PERIOD!
He picked up his keycard from the reception desk and headed straight to his beach-front cottage. Wow! Impressive! A king-sized bed in the middle of the room, there's ample space for his work area. The bathroom is spacious. Hmm! Most people use this resort for their honeymoon, hence the extra space. He smirked!
He didn't bother unpacking, he crawled on the bed and quickly fell into a dreamless sleep.
Richard Faulkerson, Jr. or Alden to his friends and close associates, is living the dream. Graduating at the top of his class, he quickly rose to architecture stardom when he was awarded the Gold Medal of Merit for his avant-garde designs. He was the youngest architect to be given that award, just three years after getting his license.
It helped that his father is a real estate mogul but he was made to work for the position he holds now. His father does not believe in free passes. He firmly believes that if you want to get ahead in life, you have to work for it. That kind of discipline sets Alden apart from his other "trust fund" counterparts.
Being an only child made him an over-achiever. He took advantage of every opportunity presented to him as a child. He plays three musical instruments, he plays golf, basketball and frisbie. He's smart and a very loving son to his parents. To top it all, he's also blessed with good looks.
So what's the catch? Why is he so unhappy?
At 27, he feels his life is empty. That it lacks purpose. He wants to make a difference. He finds whatever success he achieves, at the end of the day it still leaves him empty inside.
That's one of the reasons why he insisted on doing this project in Batangas. He wants a change of scenery. He thirsts for space to breathe. To re-asses his perspective. To re-group.
/////
She stretched, then slowly rolled her rigid neck in a circular motion, her muscles feeling stiff from her perch on her working stool for so long. She's been working for almost four hours straight. She's taking adavantage of this sudden inspiration to paint.
The inspiration hit her after her swim under the moon and stars. She didn't have the time to change and painted as soon as she went inside her cottage.
She stood up and took off the old, oversized shirt she's wearing over her bikini.
Her stomach grumbled, letting her know it's been empty for hours now. She went to the adjacent kitchen and made herself a sandwich. Just then she noticed a man looking straight at her from across her open window, both of them surprised.
HOLY FUCK!!!
The guy remained unmoving, she went to her window to close it, then her drapes. She hastily reached for the phone to call Reception.
"Why is there an occupant next to my quarters?" She queried.
"Ma'am, sorry po but his assistant insisted to get the cottage away from foot traffic, away from the crowd, is what he specifically asked."
"Next time, give me a heads-up, will you?"
"I'm sorry, ma'am!"
"Goodnight!"
/////
Alden was roused from his sleep by the music next door. It's not loud but it ruined the tranquility of the place, plus he's a light sleeper.
He stood up to get water from the minibar and noticed the lights and the music next door. He went to peer out of his window. And was surprised to see someone still up at this hour.
He saw her staring at something in front of her, both arms on top of her head. She's perched on a wooden stool, legs crossed, sitting Indian style.
Then she stretched, his breath caught. He's mesmerized. Her movements are so graceful, paralyzing him on the spot. Then she suddenly stood up and undressed, right in front of him.
Her hair is up in a messy bun, she turned and noticed him. Her eyes meeting his. Even under some stray fringes of hair, he saw how amazingly beautiful her eyes are. And those lips!!! Jesus!
They both stood unmoving for what seems like an eternity. Then she moved to close her window. Making him hide in shame at what he just did. Shit! Peeping Tom? Creepy, man!
