The Fifth Star Of Ophiuchus (COMPLETED)

Chapter 3

Richard landed and sighed. This was the third stop, Maine's hometown where he remembered visiting her parents and asking for her hand in marriage.

The first two stops of his search were unrewarding, nobody remembered them in the condominium building that they lived in and she was never in the city she dreamed of living across the sea, but he was never going to give up and went on.

"Maine, please be here." Richard prayed.

He touched on the window to his left and a touch screen monitor appeared in its place. He swiped and dragged on it a few more times until he found the right map he was looking for. From where he landed, her house was only about several kilometers away.

After grabbing his backpack, Richard disembarked. He took one deep breath of the fresh air as soon as he stepped out. He closed his eyes and basked on the fading sunshine that shone on him at dusk and the cool breeze that touched his face. He smiled at the beautiful memories that came with them.

While he walked along the sidewalk to the direction of her parents' home, Richard could almost feel her soft hands in his as he held it firmly, their fingers laced together. They held an ice cream cone each with their free hands and enjoyed the cold creamy sweetness of the dessert with the picturesque view of the small town against the green mountains and farms in the backdrop. She would giggle as he nuzzled in her ear, blowing cool air on her skin. She would smile up at him and her eyes would sparkle and at that moment his heart was filled with warmth.

As if that wasn't perfect enough, she would lean her head on his shoulder and whisper, "I love you, Richard. Can we stay this happy forever?"

He would stop in the middle of the path, as the other pedestrians circled and walked past them, and turn to face her. He would gently rub the back of his hand that held the cone on her cheek, look deep into her eyes and say, "I love you more, Maine. As long as we have each other, we will always be happy and I intend to be with you forever."

Then as if nothing else mattered in the universe, he would lean in and kiss her lips slowly and lovingly as they slip their arms around each other and get lost in the passion of their embrace with sticky liquid dripping on the sides of their shoes and saggy cones drooping in their hands.

Richard stopped in front of a huge three-floor house with an intricate iron black gate with gold accents. With a deep breath and a heart full of hope, he rang the bell. A short elderly woman came running from the front door. He recognized the woman as Maine's childhood nanny and the Mendozas' trusted help, Pepe but she looked at him like she has never seen him before and he understood why.

"Ano po yun? Sino po sila?" The woman asked.

"Is Maine here? Uhm... Nandiyan po ba si Maine? Uhm... Ako po si Richard. Asa.. Uhm... Kaibigan po niya." He answered.

"Naku. Matagal nang wala dito si Meng at mga magulang niya. Sina Sir at Ma'am nag-abroad na. Yung alaga ko naman at yung anak niya palipat-lipat ng lugar eh depende ata kung saan made-destino yung asawa niya."

Anak... That's my Celestine...

"Asawa po?"

"Di pa naman sila kasal pero malapit na din yun. Halos magta-tatlong taon na din silang magkasama." The woman elaborated.

Yes... I have been away that long... Longer...