Letters from Spring Street

Chapter 3

(Sometime around 2002)

Most adults would say that at a very young age of ten, Richard Faulkerson Jr. was wise beyond his years. He was too mature for his own good. His life was a routine —he wakes up at a certain time each morning, dresses in the same kind of clothes every single day, strictly following a self-imposed schedule. He grew up thinking that he had a legacy to live up to, that he had expectations to meet.

And to top it all of, he was a little OCD too. This boy was quite the perfectionist.

Imagine how he would have felt after his white polo shirt was ruined by some clumsy girl. And now, from where he was sitting, Richard could see that girl he literally bumped into that afternoon. That clumsy girl who spilled her ice cream all over my white shirt.

Richard almost choked on his water when he saw her drop a couple of sugar cubes on the marble floors.

Boy she sure is making a mess around here. Tsk. She really is too clumsy for her own good.

Hmm, but she doesn't seem to mind at all. And now she's even laughing about it.

She sort of looks good smiling.

Richard watches the girl as she talked animatedly to her mother and her friends, pointing at the window. He visibly shakes his head, internally reprimanding himself. I guess every other would girl look prettier if they laughed.

Richard saw the girl abruptly stand up from her plush chair and waived goodbye to her mother and her friends.

Teka, saan sya pupunta? His gaze followed her, in her yellow dress, prancing out of the hotel café—an excited smile plastered on her face.

Bakit ba nacurious ka, Richard? Nabangga ka na nga niya kanina, tapos gusto mo pa sundan? He continues to mentally berate himself. How did that girl pique his interest?

He looked outside the floor-length windows and saw the little girl walking, no, skipping towards the small garden maze. He cranes his neck some more to see her—and saw the edges of her yellow dress disappear against the lush green walls of the maze.

His mother noticed her son unusually fidgety, "Anak, what's the matter? Are you okay?"

Richard looks at his mother, and nods slowly at her in acquiesce. Yet he looked as if he trying to convince himself to stay put. He started to weigh the pros and cons.

She might get lost inside the maze. He shakes his head lightly.

But she's old enough. Kaya na nia dapat yun.

He stares at the window and looks over the maze walls. Although...the walls looks oddly higher than it usually does.

But what do I care? Kung hindi ko nga sya napansin today, I wouldn't even waste time contemplating on whether or not I should follow her.

Still...It's almost sunset. Kawawa naman sya if mawala sya sa loob ng maze.

He closes his eyes in annoyance, and at that moment he wanted nothing more than to bang his own head on the table. Richard had no idea what had gotten into him, but he just wishes he wouldn't regret whatever it was he ended up doing.

"Ah, Ma, wala naman po. Pero magpapaalam lang po sana ako."

Lo and behold, the curious side of Richard got the best of him. He stood up and kissed his mother on the cheek, "I'll just step out a bit, Ma."

It's true, what they say--curiosity killed the cat.

**************

Maine was leisurely strolling around the perimeter of the hotel's courtyard and spotted a garden maze at the far corner of the estate. She felt a sudden rush of excitement and went out on a limb and entered the maze. She tried her best to remember the way she came in, carefully taking note of the turns she was taking.

She felt the cool breeze as she closed her eyes and ran her petite hands over the leafy walls of the maze. Her eyes remained close as she walked, savoring the feeling of nature all around her. She had always loved nature, she loved the smell of flowers freshly watered, she loved the sound the wind makes as it ruffles through leaves.

"Araaaay!" She yelps as she lands on the ground, her hand instinctively reaching out for her ankles. She had tripped on a large protruding root. She tries to stand up but to no avail.

"Help! Help! May tao ba di to?" Her voice started to crack as she realized how the sun was turning into this dark shade of orange—the sun was about to set. "Anyone, please help!!!" She continued, panic suddenly filing her up, tears staining her plump cheeks.

"Please, I can't be stuck here. Someone please help." She cries, as she continued attempting to stand up and failing. She keeps her head bowed down as she cries, her palm on her now slowly swelling ankle.

"Hey kid, are you okay?"

Nicomaine looks up and sees the rude boy from earlier sprint towards her, and she instantly feels relieved.

Kid? You're not that much older than me, I think. Kung maka-"kid" naman tong lalakeng to. She shakes her thoughts away; because all that mattered to her was being able to get back inside safely. Richard helped her stand up as slowly and as carefully as possible.

Once out of the maze, he sat her down the nearest bench and made a spectacle about how tired he was for having to half-carry and half-drag her all the way. She was about to retort and argue with him, yet she decides otherwise, "Thank you. Kahit masungit ka kanina, mabait ka rin naman pala."

Richard just rolled his eyes at her and tried his best not to laugh.

***************

The two children found themselves sitting comfortable on the bench and Richard had managed to keep Nicomaine calm after getting her ankle sprained. As the day drew into a close, their first impressions start to fade. Nicomaine decides that Richard was not as rude as she thought he'd be, while Richard has come to the conclusion that Nicomaine was not completely annoying, and being clumsy could be endearing too.

"Menggay."

"What?"

"That's my name, Menggay."

Richard looked at her, trying his best to stifle a laugh. "Anong ningingisi mo diyan?"

He shakes his head at her quickly, "Nothing. It's nothing." He holds his hand in front of her, "Tisoy."

"Huh?"

"My name, Tisoy."

Maine grabs his hand and shakes it hesitantly; she raises her brows at him and then bursts out in laughter, "Tisoy??? Is that a real name? Niloloko mo na naman ata ako!"

"I'm not kidding," he looks at her half-amused, half-offended, "It's what my mother calls me. Eh ikaw, how about Menggay? What kind of name is that?"

She rolls her eyes at him and drops his hand, placing hers on her waist, "Eh yan din tawag sakin ng Mama ko, so quits na tayo."

Tisoy smiled at Menggay, finding himself unconsciously picking out fallen leaves off her hair, "Truce?" he holds his hand for her to shake.

It was starting to get chilly; the sun just set into dusk and the courtyard lights flickered open. The moon was the brightest Maine and Richard both had ever seen, and the sky was fading into a dark cobalt blue as the stars started to come out. She looks up at him, brown, expressive eyes glistening in wonder, as she placed her hands in his, "Truce."

At merely ten years old, Tisoy had set himself up for a life knowing that everything was planned out for him. He was brought up to be proper at all times, to take the time to think before he acts, to think before he speaks.

And then he met Nicomaine.