Donna Fu was surprised to see the head of the building association outside the door. Beside him was the daughter of one of her neighbors, Bettina.
Bettina was a good girl and has been helping her since she started living at Hope Residence a year ago by coming to check on her, talk or even give her some of their viands.
But Donna also knew that Bettina's mother was so against it. Donna Fu smiled. "Sir Xian, Bettina what is it?" Donna Fu asked, her furrowed eyebrows smoothen.
"Aunt Fu, it was Sir Xian who came to our door asking for your room so I guided him here. He has something to talk to you about." Bettina replied.
"Sir Xian, Aunt Bettina, I'll leave both of you to talk."
"Thank you Bettina." Sir Xian bid the young girl goodbye and turned to Donna.
"Can I come in Maam Fu?" Sir Xian asked politely. Since she moved a year ago, the woman in the neighborhood is known to live a lonely life by being an old maid.
That's the only rumor that could be made out of her because her routine everyday, for a year, has never changed that her neighbors could even memorize the time she would walk out of her apartment to go to work and the time she would also come back home.
They assume it's job but they don't even know what her job is because this woman is not sociable, except to one of her neighbor's daughters, Bettina.
Donna Fu opened her door for the building head, despite her unsociable nature, she still never forgot how to be polite to others.
Entering the small apartment, Sir Xian nodded as if in agreement.
Who wouldn't do this after seeing the room. Even by it's smaller size, the lady has managed to decorate her furniture in a neat manner.
Aside from the fact that it could be said the woman is living a minimalist life.
Just a small table with two small chairs, a cabinet that contained her essential groceries at the corner, a single cooking burner atop another small table situated in front of the opened jalousie window and there was another corner partitioned by a clean, peach curtain with subtle flora designs.
To summarize, the small apartment was fresh, neat and clean.
When he looked back at the woman, she already approached him and placed a small cup of coffee.
"I hope you don't mind Sir Xian. I could only afford to serve you this."
"It's fine. Maam Fu, I hope you also won't mind me asking but, do you have relatives outside?"
Donna Fu was surprised. She already had her name changed so how could her relatives be able to locate her?
"They might have been searching for the wrong person."
Seeing the calm expression on the woman's face, Sir Xian became confused. "You mean you no longer have any relatives left?" He asked carefully.
"I have. But they live in another region and they're also financially lacking so I doubt they could come here to look for me."
"Hm. There's this young man who personally went to my home last night. He came to ask for me to deliver this." Sir Xian pulled something out of his pocket. It's a small brown envelope.
"He said that there was also a letter for you."
Donna Fu stared at the envelope. She didn't move to take it so Sir Xian could only push it to her above the table. After all, the man has even paid him handsomely that his wife, who usually
bad-mouths the woman, presented herself to deliver it after the young man left.
The young man paid for this favor so naturally, a good man like Sir Xian won't disappoint the man.
"I think it's someone who knows you Maam Fu. But when I asked him why he won't deliver it himself, he told me that he was only tasked to also have it deliver to me." Seeing the reluctance on the woman's face he added,
"To be honest Miss Fu, that man also paid me to deliver this envelope to you. Please consider. I think there would be no harm in checking it. I will leave first."
Donna Fu no longer tried to be polite to Sir Xian and send him out. The man understands, after all, he's quite indirectly meddling in the woman's private matters by accepting the duty of delivering the envelope and being paid in return from a total stranger.
After Sir Xian was out, Donna Fu stared at the envelope.
Then she laughed mockingly.
After many years, that man finally remembers. But no matter if he remembers or not, the fact he was the reason why her son was gone in her life won't change it.
Donna Fu touched her chest as she felt pain from the heart ache she was once again feeling everytime she would remember her only son.
"Stephano." She uttered while crying.
After her emotional break out, Donna Fu stood to pick the envelope and walked inside her makeshift bedroom. She knelt under the bed and pulled a rusty metal box. And just like the rest of envelopes, she threw the brown envelope inside thinking it came from the same person.
Not even remembering the letter that was mentioned earlier by Sir Xian.