JOAQUIN was later than he planned to go home that night. Although he didn't admit it, he knew it was because he had spent so much time talking to Patrick earlier. At the thought, the young man just shook his head and laughed at himself.
He was busy in front of the steering wheel when he heard the ringing of his cellphone in the passenger seat of his car. When he glanced at whose name was registered there, he just shook his head and decided that it would be better to ignore the call.
It's Tessa.
They haven't seen each other for two months now since the woman broke up with him. That's what often happens to those with whom he is in a relationship, which is even better for him.
He means it’s not him who insists on break-ups but them.
But he admitted and he had to admit that he was the one making the reason for the women to break up with him. Fortunately, he is very grateful that he has never met a woman who is too patient and able to justify the shortcomings that he deliberately makes when he gets tired of the relationship.
He knew what he was doing was wrong but that was part of who he was and he could do nothing more about it for now.
For him, if anyone he is with cannot accept him, it is better to just drop the relationship.
He recently heard from a friend that Tessa had a new date. And that was the reason why she chose to leave him. Actually, that was also the same reason the woman said to him. That she already loves someone else and that man is the one she thinks she really loves.
He probably didn't know that he had slept with many beautiful women. And just like he said, he didn't know if Tessa knew that, but he decided to let her flatter herself if that is what would make her happy.
And now here she is calling him again?
He just shook his head because of that and then let his cellphone ring until eventually, it turned completely silent.
*****
LARA's schedule for that day is closing so it is expected that she will come home later than usual.
As a Branch Manager, she still has a lot to fix before she can finally go home, especially to the cashier counters of the store.
Cynthia, her Assistant Branch Manager, walked with her to the highway where they had to wait for a taxi to take them home. Rona and Rose, like them, were also officers who took the opening schedule earlier returned home at seven in the evening.
"Why is it so hard to get a car this time?" Cynthia complained after a taxi with someone on board once again passed them.
Lara laughs softly. "The way you talk it's like you have never experienced going home this late," she told her. "You'd better buy a car and then I'll ride with you," she added while watching her friend with amusement.
"It's because I still need to do the laundry, Lara," Cynthia replied laughing. "Oh there is another one, I hope no one is on board yet," her friend even prayed.
When the taxi stopped in front of them, Cynthia even applauded. She obviously wanted to go home.
Cynthia is still single, but because she is the only one in the apartment she is renting, she has nothing else to rely on for household chores but herself.
"Let's go?" Cynthia asked her.
It was then that Lara shook her head consecutively before she opened her mouth to speak. "I will be okay, it will take longer if the driver passes me at our house, you go ahead and I'll just wait for another one," she told her.
The house where she lives is actually closer to that place than Cynthia's, so she decided of letting her go first.
"Are you sure?" she asked her.
Lara nodded then kissed her friend on the cheek. "See you on Monday," she added.
It was only a matter of time before the taxi that Cynthia was riding in disappeared in front of her. In fact, her friend was right earlier. It's harder to get a taxi now compared to the previous nights when they had the same closing schedule. But instead of being upset because she is feeling so tired already and wanted to have a well-deserved rest, including the fact that she really wanted to go home, Lara just endured the waiting.
Nothing would happen if she would be angry so she decided to take that emotion away from her even though it had been almost half an hour since Cynthia had left her and the taxis she was calling were still passing her.
Lara was in such a state when she saw the three men staggering towards where she was standing. Fear quickly ran through her chest because of that. She did not know if she had a phobia because of what happened to her years ago because she had not been able to see a specialist.
But whenever she sees someone like this she really easily gets scared.
It always works in her mind that they might hurt her and that is what brings her so much fear.
"Wow, dude that woman is really beautiful and sexy," one of the three men she saw staring at her.
No matter how hard Lara's chest was pounding at that moment, she still decided to take a small bottle of alcohol spray out of the pocket of her bag. She actually intentionally put that in there in preparation for this kind of situation.
She knew they would approach her because she saw them went in her way but Lara still prayed that they would never reach there. She hopes a taxi would pass by so that she could board but destiny did not listen to her.
When she saw them approaching her she ran quickly and then screamed. But that part of Epifanio Delos Santos Avenue or better known as EDSA is dark.
Despite how vague the chance that she could escape the demons that were chasing her now, that are even laughing as if they love what’s going on, Lara still tried. Until unforeseen circumstances, due to fear and panic that she feels she did not see the hole in the sidewalk.
Her foot got stuck there so she fell. And because she was wearing a skirt, she felt the pain in her knee when it hit the paved cement of the sidewalk.
Lara had expected three drunken men to catch up with her, but something else happened and that shocked her.
*****
FROM inside his car, Joaquin could see a woman running on the side of the road as three men chased after her.
The three men seemed to be drunk and obviously having fun because of their loud waves of laughter.
The young man's mind worked quickly when he saw that and then immediately felt anger for the three rambunctious men who obviously enjoyed what they were doing even though they could see that the woman is terrified.
It was then that the young man stopped his car on the side of the highway.
"Sonofabitch!" he said cursing angrily when he saw the woman stumbled from her running as he saw that three men were about to catch up with her.
Joaquin then took action and grab a bundle of money from the glove compartment of his car.
"Hey, stop right there!" he shouted which made the three men stop running.
Joaquin wasted no time. He then quickly threw a bundle of one thousand peso bills at the three men.
"What the fuck, money!" the simultaneous cries of three men who are now in commotion because of the bills that seem to be flying on the side of the road.
Joaquin then immediately approached the woman whom he immediately picked up and hurriedly boarded into his car.