Chapter 17 Reminiscing old days
8 Years Later:
While busy working constantly, her attention got caught by the gentle knock on her office door. Her eyes automatically went through the door expecting her secretary to come inside.
"Bea, here are the flowers you've ordered from the nearby flower shop." Liz- her Personal Secretary in the firm handed her flowers that just got delivered. She was stunned for a while then took out a deep sigh as she remembered what the date is.
"Oh yeah, thank you, Liz... " She took the flowers then gave her a polite smile.
It has been eight years had passed. Today was Mackie's eighth death anniversary, the good friend they lost at early age.
She often remembers him especially the month of his death. She still missed him and never forgets him even after eight years had passed. When you lost a good friend you love, you will never forget them no matter how time goes by. Hannah and she used to visit him in his grave annually and she was about to meet her today but she almost forgot the time if Liz never reminded her earlier.
Yes, Hannah and she had been reunited a long time ago. It's just so bad they decided to reunite and patch things up after Mackie died. As the saying: You'll only know the value of a person if you lose them, they decided to forget their issues and forgive each other for the sake of Mackie. They admit each other's mistakes apologized to each other. It's just so bad that they realized it after Mackie is gone. They knew somehow that Mackie will be happy for they decided to keep their friendship. Even when she left the town and changed school to study, she kept her communication with Hannah and tried to be there for her still. Hannah still visits her during school vacations and together they hang out and have fun together for quite some time. They kept their friendship and managed to have time for each other even they were miles and miles apart. She met and had new friends of course but she never lost communication with Hannah. They promised to always get in touch and get updated with each other's lives.
She remembered one time Hannah told her that Thyago was asking for her way back on her college days but she forbid Hannah to not talk about him. Hearing his name that time made her still wallow in pain. She can't stand talking about him for she was still on the brink of mending her broken heart at that time. She felt that Hannah still wanted to say something but just chose to respect her decision. That was the last time she could remember they talked about him. She could still remember when she got devastated and everything seemed to fall apart. At the time she has no one to turned to and it feels like she was so alone. She was glad her Dad came home and they moved to a different place to start over. He decided to buy a ranch in the North Province and venture into the cattle business. With the insults and humiliation that made huge damage to her self-esteem, she works hard to improve herself physically and intellectually. She starts changing her style and her looks to gain confidence. She love the changes she had made and the new life she accomplished. She managed to be the best version of herself and study hard to reach her dreams. Thankfully, she earned awards and recognitions before she graduated college. She took up Interior designing and passed the National Council for Interior Design Qualification (NCIDQ). She worked in a different firm and has been known in her profession. She earned lots and different awards and has proven herself well enough until she established her name as one of the famous and well-known interior designers in the country.
She was now a successful Interior designer and had established her own firm with no trace of the old weakling and nerdy looking girl from the past. She had worked very hard to put up that firm, it was actually the ultimate dream of her and now she finally made it at last. Her firm offered commercial projects, modern home interior design, and private residential homes. It provides a holistic range of services including space planning, design conceptualization, project construction, and management to a diversity of clients. She was now successful in her field and she was proud of her achievements. She was sure she made her Daddy proud too.
After driving for like four hours straight, she finally reached the old town at last- the town she left and the town she used to despise. She drives straight through the cemetery and meets Hannah there. Even now they were both professionals and have their own careers, they see to it to get updated in each other's lives. They never missed Mackies Death Anniversary and they see to it to find time to visit him in his grave every year. They embraced each other tightly when they finally meet and together, they prayed and talked to Mackie solemnly. They both cried and reminisce their childhood memories with their friend at the same time. Mackie will surely be happy to see them together wherever he may be.
After visiting on the cemetery, they decided to eat in their favorite Italian restaurant way back in their high school days like they used to do before. The place and taste of the food never changed, they still serve the best pasta and pizza in town. They chat and talk about each other's lives, their accomplishments, their jobs, and all that. Hannah is now a doctor, a pediatrician to be exact. She knew her friend loves kids, no wonder she chose that profession. Hannah knew all along that she wanted to be an interior designer and she was good at her work. She happily told her accomplishments in her career and some plans for the future while Hannah narrated to her about her love life and how she met his new boyfriend.
"You have always been talented and very good at your craft. I always knew you will be successful in the future." Her friend gladly stated looking so proud of her.
"Thanks for the vote of confidence. You are really my friend." She joked.
"So what's the update in your love life? Do now have a boyfriend?" Hannah then interrogated her.
"Come on Hannah, spare me that question please..." She answered her with a smirk.
"Don't tell m,e Bea, you haven't had a boyfriend still? You were almost twenty-five and still never have gotten a boyfriend yet. Come on Bea, what happened to you?" Hannah states in disbelief.
"I guess, I got too engrossed in my profession to pay much attention in my own love life." She answered laughing.
"Looking at you now, I can see a very attractive and gorgeous woman. It's just so hard to believe that no one bothers to hit on you. You've gotta be kidding me!" Hannah uttered while exaggeratedly shaking her head.
"There are some who tried though..."
"What happened then?" Hannah eagerly asked.
"I turned them down. Come on Hannah, just drop the topic about me. What about you? How's between you and Kent?" She diverted the topic to Hannah. Last time she knew, she was so in love with her international car racer boyfriend named Kent Soler.
"Kent and I already broke up two years ago."
"Oh, I'm so sorry. What happened?" She asked apologetically.
"It's okay. My boyfriend now is David Williams and we've been together for almost a year now. I'm sorry I forgot to tell you about him the last time we met. He was such an amazing guy, I mean he's thoughtful, sweet, and caring. We do really love each other and I think he's the one, Bea." Hannah was starting to sound like a teenage love-struck and she can't help to smile by staring at her.
"I'm happy for you." She happily stated.
"And you? Don't tell me you have no plans in having a boyfriend and settling down someday? You already have a good and successful career. What else could you want for? I mean, what stops you to do so? Don't tell me this still have anything to do with Thyago--"
"Enough, Hannah!" She cut her off this time. Hearing his name with Hannah once again suddenly pissed her off. Not that she was overreacting but that is the part of her teenage life she doesn't wanna remember because it embarrassed her every time she remember how she gone crazy over him and was rejected by him in the end.
"I got engrossed in my job but that isn't mean I'm closing doors in it. You don't have to include him in our conversation because you know how I hate him." She irritatingly stated.
She got over him, yes, but she just couldn't help to get upset and get uncomfortable when she was being reminded about her dark and embarrassing past. Thyago is nothing but a total jerk so there's no sense in bringing up his name in the conversation. Thinking about how foolish she'd been in her teenage days starting to make her upset still.
"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to--"
"Okay here's the thing, remember Matt?" At first, she has no intention of telling Hannah about Matt but hearing Thyago's name made her uncomfortable. It's better to talk about Matt than Thyago. She was not yet ready to tell Hannah about Matt but unfortunately, the situation asking her to do so.
"Who's Matt?" Hannah queried.
"Matt as in Matthew Grahamm." She elaborated.
"What do you mean? The hunk friend of yours who owns the huge farm next to your father's ranch? What about him?" Hannah's brows furrowed like she was eager to know what she was about to say and her looks were so excited as if she was a teenager agitated to listen to a love story.
"Last week, he talked to me and confessed his feelings towards me. He said he had been loving me for a long time and he no longer want us to be just friends no more." She couldn't help herself to smile thinking about Matthew.
Matthew is a close family friend. When they decided to left the town, her father bought a small ranch as a source of their living. The vast land near their ranch was owned by Matthew's family. His father used to be her Father's best friend way back in high school and as their descendants, they managed to be friends too. She even treated him like her big brother but not until he confessed his hidden love towards her.
"What! Geez, that was so sweet Bea!!!" Hannah screech in excitement that made her cover her ears with her loud noise.
"He told me that if I ever gave him a chance, he promised to love and cherish me. He's a good guy Hannah and I won't mind giving him a chance." She stated.
"What did you told him? Did you accept his confession of love?" Hannah eagerly asked.
"I never gave him an answer yet. He said he's willing to wait just as long I gave him a chance to show how cares about me. The moment I heard those words from him, my heart totally melted. He was a good guy and he deserves to be loved back." She said smiling at the thought of Matt.
"I'm happy for you friend!" Hannah said almost yelling in excitement as she hold her hand.
They both laughed as they continued chatting about each other's lives. They spent the whole day together having fun and going to different places they used to hang out way back in their high school days. Hannah invited her to spend the night with her house and she willingly obliged. She missed her friend so much so she never let that opportunity passed through. They continued the unstoppable chattering and banterings the whole night and lasted until dawn. It's fun to sleep over at Hannah's house, made her remember their elementary and high school days when their friend Mackie was still alive. They often do the sleepovers at Hannah's house and how they wished they can still bring back the past when they were innocent and happy just like in the old days...