Accrued Interest

Chapter Eight

THINGS COULD have been worse but the odds were in his favor lately. Today, he decided to take a chance, to take another step, to take a leap of faith. In a more shallow explanation, Aga decided to accompany Lea to her physical check-up today after her shift.

The only difference this time is he chose to make his plan known to her by calling in her office. He hasn't had the chance to speak to her but he made sure that he left a considerable amount of threats to the intern who answered his call just in case his intention doesn't reach Lea. He told the intern that Lea's fiance will be picking her up at 3:00 PM since she's always on an early out every Monday and Wednesday. Of course, Aga wasn't being truthful about the 3:00 PM part, he knows that at the moment, iniisip na ni Lea kung paano siya tatakas. He decided to be there at exactly 2:00 PM.

Aga can't help but feel foolish and childish. He's already 37 but a woman has got him twisted as if he's just a teenage boy in his masturbating years. He's an authority in his workplace and to the people who know him but at the sight of Lea, he's always shaken to the core.

He doesn't like chasing girls around, in fact, siya ang hinahabol. Been there, done that. He doesn't know if it's Lea's alluring and weird beauty or her undeniably annoying personality, plus there's an obvious attraction between them. Things are hard to figure out about Lea as of the moment but there's only one goal he has to achieve just before he goes back to New York, that is to secure his place in the life of his child and Lea.

What happened in their last meeting was progress. Malapit nang mapalapit ang loob ni Lea sa kanya. When he says "malapit", he means three percent. But at least, three percent is still progress. The daily challenges make his blood runs at a swift speed.

He is still hoping that she'll forget about the lie he made about his sister and "his niece", although that is highly unlikely considering that she asked about it five times. The world might end but he is sure that his sisters will never get their selves pregnant and he is betting all his fortune on that. The lie came out of his mouth unintentionally and he just can't take it back because, for the first time, he felt like she trusts him.

His great desire for a child keeps on coming back intensely. Lea trusting him is an inch closer to his unborn baby. At first, he thought it was not destined to happen but then he realized just now that he was intentionally rejected of the opportunity before because a time like this will come.

He revs up the car as he entered the freeway. It's only 12:00 PM and he is on his way to Monte Verde. Ayaw niyang mamatay sa galit ang mama niya just because of some unanswered calls. He didn't bother telling her he'll come since the woman is always home lately, perched up at the telephone table, trying to call and bother him as much as she can. The Monte Verde mansion has a huge amount of staff so they always have feast-like meals. His mama always shares the massive table with the helpers and the staff. She treats them as equal and as her friends, so with that, she wouldn't feel like she's alone. Today, Aga decided that having lunch at his mother's mansion wouldn't hurt as he thinks.

A BIG WHITE van was parked askew right at the bottom of the stairs just before the main doorstep. Aga has always been fascinated with vehicles and no matter how cheap or expensive they are, he believes that they should all be taken care of. For him, a car that is parked in the wrong position is as terrible as a woman who was left hopeful after a one-night stand. Mang Anton has always been careful with cars- cause he'll be fired if he's not- so this is definitely not his doing. Aga took wider strides and stormed inside the house.

"Who the hell parked the van outside?!!!" His loud voice boomed inside the expensive yet vintage-looking living room. Everybody knows about his temper so he didn't make an effort to hide his irritation. The house is uncannily quiet. It's always quiet but not this type of quiet and just when he faced left did he find out why.

He first saw his mother, seated in an ivory baroque-style high-backed single sofa, looking very much like Queen Elizabeth II on her throne. Pearls are all over her neck and wrist. She's looking very regal in her red buttoned-down dress with matching scarpin shoes. She's giving him a smile but he knows better than to believe it's genuine.

He felt like he just entered a different dimension in the universe when he spotted the nun sitting at the far right side of the long vintage French sofa. He can't describe exactly what she's wearing but he's sure he can see veils, rosaries, tunics, and such. Her face remains the same, free of make-up but full of judgment. Lynnette, who he thought is in training in Rome, is his youngest sister.

The woman sitting beside Lynnette, right in the middle of the chair, is giving Aga a look of mischief. Her usual look of 'I know what you just did'. She fixed the large round sunglasses over her head, resting just in front of her big stylish bun. On the contrary to Lynnette, this girl obviously loves make-up and fashion. She's wearing an oversized brown blazer over a white tank top tucked in leather pants, and a pair of boots. The woman who can't stay at home is at home. Who knows which countries a pair of expensive shoes and a huge traveling bag have brought his second sister, Joanna.

Not too far from Joanna is the 35-year-old Christine, the eldest of his sisters. She has a clear and visible tan on her skin due to frequent exposure to the sun, doing environmentalists' stuff in 'who knows where' in Iceland. Despite being dressed in a simple white shirt and a pair of tattered pants, she has the most overbearing presence of the three. She regarded him with a nod of respect but her angst is still the same.

He looked back at his mother again, making sure she's alive and breathing while sitting on her throne. Sinong namatay? Bakit nandito silang tatlo? His sweat could create an ocean right now and every second of silence makes his heart beats even faster. He won't deny that he missed them. He missed them so much. His baby sisters, now fully grown, strong and independent. They have never seen each other in six years. When he left for New York, the three saw it as an opportunity to leave as well, and just like him, they never came back until now. So what brought them home?

Aga is almost happy with their existence. Almost. But not when he saw the woman sitting at the far end of the living room, looking straight at him. Her fists are balled and her hair is messy. Her clothes are slightly ruffled and creased. Her face tells a different story; calm, tranquil, name it. But as a man, he knows that he should learn the art of reading through women's facial expressions and he is certain that to her, he is already buried six feet deep. Dead. He is definitely seeing his hope slipping away.

When shit happens, there's no warning. Shit. SHIT!

"Lea, what are you doing here?"