Letters from Spring Street

Chapter 15

Dear Menggay,

I'm still here. I got all of your letters, and reading them made me happy.

Of course, I remember you! How can you even think I'd forget my best friend?

And yes, I definitely want to see my annoying little Menggay again. Although I'm pretty sure you'd be far from little. I've always hoped you'd grow up to be this wonderful girl, who made waves wherever she went.

Let's meet tomorrow, Thursday, at our old hiding place, your little own sanctuary.

Always,
Your stuck-up, up-tight Tisoy.

*******

Richard stands in front of the golden letter box as he neatly folded his letter and placed it inside a white envelope. He had previously attached a yellow string on one of the corners of the envelope. He slowly eased the envelope unto the small opening of the letter box, careful that it doesn't fall all the way inside. He left the corner with the string attached peeking out of the opening and wrapped the rest of the string around the letter box's knob.

Ang obvious na masyado nito, but I can't leave the letter outside the box. I also can't simply drop the letter completely inside--Menggay would have no way of retrieving it. This will have to do.

********

It was early the next morning, the sun barely peeking from the clouds. Le Chateau's lobby was considerably more peaceful, with the faint hum of the vacuum somewhere nearby, and the sound of Maine's shoes clicking against the marble floors.

Maine in high sprits, headed towards the East Wing where the letter box was found. She wasn't exactly sprinting towards the letter box, but she wasn't taking her time either.

She desperately wanted to know if he replied to that letter. She had no idea how he'd do it though. Would he leave the letter outside? Hidden somewhere near the letter box? Behind it?

A smile slowly forms on her face as she inched closer and closer to the letter box, with a something oddly peeking out of its opening.

"Iba rin tong si Tisoy." She says out loud, chuckling lightly as she saw the yellow string wound upon the knob and the other end taped to the envelope. "Sinugurado niya talaga na makukuha ko yung letter niya."

She hasn't seen it yet, but she felt like this letter was hers, this letter was from to Tisoy.

She all but tore the envelope open and repeatedly scanned the letter, making sure she read it right.

Thursday? Tomorrow? So he means today, right? He probably wrote it yesterday! So he got my letter the same day I left it! He must be somewhere near!

So I guess today's the day.

She stares at the letter box, suddenly full of melancholy--it truly felt like a long chapter of her life was finally coming to a close. She spent all these years writing letters to someone she felt like she won't meet again. She had grown accustomed to that.

And now she's finally meeting that person again.

She wonders whether he grew up to be the man she imagined he would be. He probably won't be the same person, would he? What if he turns out to be obnoxious? What if he turns out to be rude? What if he isn't at all what I expected him to be?

She found herself walking towards the lobby cafe, nodding and smiling weakly at the staff who greeted her good morning. Almost like clockwork, she plops herself unto the plush chair at their favorite spot and states blankly at the floor length windows.

What if I get disappointed? All these years I've built Tisoy up in my head--what if he's the exact opposite of everything I thought he'd be? What if I don't end up liking who he grew up to be?

She knew she was being unnecessarily paranoid about something she should be happy about. But she couldn't help it, she had waited all these years, and had practically given up on ever seeing him again. It felt entirely surreal to her that she was going to meet him again.

But what if he's thinking the same things I'm thinking? What if he's also anxious about the same things I'm anxious of?

Maine was lost in her thoughts, still staring blankly ahead, when tiny rain drops started pitter-pattering against the floor length windows.

She closes her eyes and it all suddenly felt like everything just happened yesterday. She remembers her younger self, overcome with sadness, hand in hand with a be-dimpled little boy, running across the gardens of Le Chateau. Their clothes completely drenched from running despite the rain. She remembers laughing a little too hard seeing him uncomfortable with his wet clothes sticking unto his skin. She remembers him telling her how he hated the rain, how the ground gets muddy, and how the clouds grow heavy and dark within minutes.

She remembers realizing he did something he entirely hated, just so she could forget her worries--even just for a while. She remembers this uptight, slightly stuck-up little boy did everything he could to make her happy for the rest of the summer.

As the windows get stained by the raindrops, her view of Le Chateau's garden slowly blurring, she sighs out loud. "Why am I even worried?" This is Tisoy we're talking about. I'll still probably adore him, no matter how he turns out. No matter how things turn out later, he'll always have this special place in my heart--that spot will always be his.

She found herself taking out her phone from her pocket, starts punching in her message and immediately presses 'send'.

A/N: Wait for it....