Second Chances (Kathneil FF)

Second Chances - 3

Second Chances - 3

So, he had dinner alone, unable to convince the driver to join him.

It was at a lovely open air restaurant, accompanied by traditional Portuguese dance and music performances.

The food was hot and delicious. Spicy too.

She would have loved the food, he thought, suddenly thinking of her.

---

"Urgh..! I don't know how you can eat that?" He scrunched his nose in distaste. "It's too spicy. Not to mention the MSG overdose."

She was munching on a bag of chillie cheese corn chips. One of the rare things that made her happy.

"No, it's not," she replied. "It's more salty than it is spicy. Even so, the salty taste is cheese, not articificial flavourings."

She peered into the bag, pulled out a long corn chip and thrusted it in his face, "Here, try some."

"Urgh.." He pushed her hand away. "No thanks. Why don't you try munching on some fruits instead."

"Healthy food is for girls," she said nonchalantly.

"Well, ya... Aren't you one?"

---

He was a health freak.

Which totally turned 360 when she left.

It was like he was on a personal strike against her.

Yet, he smiled at the memory.

Reminiscing about her was one of his favourite pass time activities.

In fact, it was seldom that he did not think of her, except when he was working.

But when he did think of her at work, it made it ten times worse.

---

He slowly leaned in towards her.

She could do nothing except to stare into his.

And she was lost.

Lost in the sincerity of his feelings for her.

Making her unable to contain her own overflow of emotions.

This is my best friend, she thought. Can he be more than that for me? Can I let him?

He touched his nose on hers, while at the same time holding her hands tightly in his sweaty palms.

I'm so nervous, I can pee in my pants, he thought. But I must do this, she must know how I feel.

"Aaa... I...," he started.

"Cut!" The director shouted. "Great! Take 5 everyone!"

Yet 13 year old Kevin Rodrigues could only stay glued in his spot.

"Excuse me," she called from her leaning position against the wall. "If you could kindly take your wet nose away from mine, I can actually get up from this uncomfortable position."

And she gave a smirk that never failed to aggravate him to hell and back.

---

He chuckled softly, recalling her cute face.

A feat that was not possible the many years after she left.

Left.

That was how everyone described her being gone.

She was their sweetheart.

An adorable child actress who grew up into a talented young artiste; and no one had the heart to say that she has passed or that she was dead.

Dead from a plane crash on the way to Hong Kong with her mother.

Maybe it was because all the other passengers and crew on board the flight were recovered from the wreckage, while hers and her mother's were not.

If they had found her body or even her mother's, at least, there would have been closure.

At least for Kevin.

But as it was, the fact that she disappeared without a trace, remained a mystery.

And the cause of his constant heartache.

But still, he never forgot her.

And probably never will.

+++

After dinner and another good hour of cruising the town, the limousine finally turned into the road leading to his hotel.

It was close to 11pm then, and he hoped his mother was safely in bed.

He did not even want to think where Veronica was.

The limousine slowed down to turn into the drive way.

And he saw her.

She was standing by the curb, bending towards an awaiting car, poised at opening it's passenger door.

Surprised, Kevin practically jumped and turned in his seat to take another look as his limousine passed her by.

But, by that time, she was already stepping into the car, and his vision of her was blocked by the open door.

Before he could ask his driver to stop, her car drove by and was swallowed by the night, leaving Kevin looking after her in shock.

"Inessa..." He whispered.

+++