Chapter 20: The Discoveries

We traveled by taxi cab going to Al Nasr Leisureland situated near Karama Center, got inside, seated near the round-dancing floor and I ordered one mug of draught beer and a margarita cocktail for Vivian. We settled with our drinks, and she stood and asked me to dance. I smiled and said, "Okay." We continuously danced for an hour, making us perspire profusely, take our seats, and rest while drinking our drinks.

"Marco, I released my bad moments, I felt revived!"

"Yes me too, perspired like a dog, Ha-ha-ha-ha-..."

"Ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-...," she laughed.

"Let's talk something special, this moment in time."

"Okay, what about? How special is that special?"

"About us...if we can be partners? I mean special partner?"

"Marco Fernando, you're too fast....what kind of partner?"

"Here in Dubai only...if you like, if not...then, friend?"

"Ohhh come on, Marco.....can you give me some time?"

"Of course....yes...let's dance....sweet music for us...."

"Okay, Marc."

I held her soft hand going to the dance floor, looked into her eyes, touched my two sweaty hands on her hips, smelled her sweaty neck and perfume, felt her body into mine, and her heart beating like a raging bull. I touched tightly into her hips which made her hold me tightly. The music halted in time when I released her. We're holding our hands together approaching our seats.

"Marc, I think we're going home now...please..."

"Okay."

We halted a taxi cab going to Al Riqqa Road near her apartment where she stayed. She went down the cab without a word.

"Vivian, thank you for this special night with you," while holding her left hand. She looked at me straight in the eyes, and said, "Welcome, Marco Fernando." I continued riding a taxi cab going to the Satwa area. I went inside the building of our flat when Ruel Mondragon met me at the stairs.

"Still awake, how's the store operation?"

"It's fine Sir."

"What's the problem?

"Sir, thank you for helping me with my problem, I thank you so much."

"No problem, we'll talk inside my room. Come." I opened the door, and we were seated. "Ruel, give me a strong coffee."

"Okay Sir, for a while."

I observed him while making my coffee. He's back, gave me my coffee, and seated beside me.

"Sir, you're so kind and very helpful to me. My conscience to keep silent about this matter hurts me. Sir, this is about Ronnie Ramirez."

"What about him?"

"He reported you to our Area Manager about taking cough syrup, attending a party, drinking liquor, absenteeism, and other things about your performance inside the store. Besides, I've got his letter for him. Kindly give it to him."

"Ruel are you sure about this?" while accepting the letter.

"Yes Sir, I heard their conversation personally."

"Okay, I'll give this letter to Ronnie and I'll talk to him. Thanks, Ruel!"

"Okay sir, but don't divulge this to Ronnie...for what I said to you?"

"Okay, trust me with this."

I drank my coffee with heavy feelings towards Ronnie. I fingered the letter in my hand, seated at the sofa, and looked again to the forwarding address.

From: Edward Ramirez

Ilonggo Inasal, Inc.

P.O. Box 555 Lacson Street

Bacolod City, Negros Occidental, Philippines

It's two o'clock in the morning and all the evening shift employees were resting, washing, or cooking their food after the day's operation. I hurriedly come down the stairs to the first floor of the building and looked for Ronnie.

"Ruel, where's Ronnie?"

"He's washing his uniform in the washing area. I'll call him Sir?"

"No, I'll go there to the washing area to talk to him. Kindly refrain from walking in there, okay?"

"Yes Sir," Ruel answered.

I went to the washing area where I found him looking at his clothes inside the washing tub. I distanced from him a meter away to give me enough space and time for him. I think he noticed someone was coming inside because he moved his head a little sideways.

"Ronnie, it's me, Mr. Fernando!" My greeting, echoed inside the washing area reverberated which made him face instantly.

"Sir, Fernando, it's you, why...why Sir?"

I heard a report that you told our Area Manager about my vices, and what's your right to do that, huh?"

"Sir, it's just...."

"It's just what?" I held my anger which he noticed and kept silent. "Tell me, Ronnie, it's just what!!!"

"Sir, I'm so....sorry, I cannot....explain....," he pleaded.

"Cannot explain.... what!!! Why!!!" I shouted at him and punched his face but he kept on pleading, "I'm sorry Sir...." Blood oozed from his nose and I called Ruel to bring him into my room upstairs. Ruel got a hand towel and pacified the flowing of the blood. He was back to normal when I spoke to him in a low voice.

"Are you alright now Ronnie?"

"Yes Sir...I'm sorry...." He started to cry silently.

"You have a letter coming from Edward Ramirez. What's your relation with him?"

"He's my father Sir."

"In Bacolod City? Do you have a picture of him?"

"Yes Sir, here..." Ronnie's hand in the picture, I looked at it, did not move at first, I was shocked because the person in front of me was Edward's son. I knew Ronnie with his family name was Ramirez but didn't expect that Edward Ramirez, my best friend in Bacolod City was his father. I observed him while he was drinking coffee given by Ruel. He's really like his father, but why? It's been almost seven years now.....Edward my friend in Bacolod City helped me.

"Ronnie, where's your father now?"

"In Bacolod City Sir."

"He married again?"

"No Sir."

"Is he working right now?"

"He has a restaurant business Sir, Ilonggo Inasal."

"I see...Ronnie, next time don't do this again, okay?"

"Okay, Sir."

"You can leave now; you too Ruel. Thank you."

That night I can't sleep thinking of my past life in Bacolod City, and the new events that kept on popping up. Was it my way of living? Or was it the result of dreaming something big? Or was it I'm weak or my way of thinking about the future?

The next day, I received a memo from the Main Office from Sharjah about my transfer to Al Ain, United Arab Emirates branch. They gave me a week to endorse the incoming manager of the store and to vacate the room. It was Ronnie Ramirez being promoted as a store manager and the new occupant of my room. I was glad about his promotion and at the same time, troubled and felt that he was using my vices to put forward his ambition.

I talked to my Area Manager, that I will take my vacation first before working on my new assignment in Al Ain. They scheduled my flight to go to Manila, Philippines where I met my friends one by one. I visited Ryan Mallari at his flat unannounced which made him a little surprised.

"Friend Ryan good morning!" I greeted him.

"Fine my friend."

"You know what happened to me? I mean in my work?"

"No, what about?"

"Been transferred to Al Ain, but I asked for vacation. I come here to say goodbye to you."

"You want a farewell party? Or something exciting?"

"No, my friend thanks."

"No, no, so that we can give you some gifts or money for your vacation? How about that? Excuse me first, I'll take a bath first...have a coffee first..." He went to the bathroom when the phone rang. I knocked on the bathroom door and told him about it. "Marco, maybe it's Glenda, answer the phone for me, that we're coming in 30 minutes..." I lifted the telephone.

"Hello, Ryan's residence, good morning!"

"Are you Ryan's friend?" A lady's voice at the other end.

'Yes, mam!"

"Tell him to call me here in Manila Office."

"Okay madam, may I know who is calling so that I can tell him?"

"Tell him, Danielle Gustilo."

"Okay....okay bye." I returned the receiver doubting Ryan Mallari at once. I wanted to be sure if Danielle on the other side of the phone was the same Danielle Gustilo that made a scar on my forehead.

Ryan finished taking a bath, drying excess water on his hair, and seated on the sofa near me.

"Friend Marco, who's calling. Glenda?"

"No my friend wrong number."

"Ahhhh okay..."

"Where's the happening today?" I asked.

"At Glenda's flat in Karama. Come and we'll introduce you to her friends."

"Okay, then, I'll come with you."

We settled in his sports car going to Karama. Along the way, I tried to find something about him.

"By the way friend Ryan, what's your business here in Dubai?"

"Ohhhh...I'm the manager of Aquarius International Manpower Agency at Al Maktoum Street. We have a branch office in Makati, Philippines. Didn't I tell this information to you?"

"No, just now."

"Yes, we're here in Karama now, at least no heavy traffic today."

We arrived at Karama apartments, which housed different nationalities, and were very accessible to the city life. We entered the apartment on the second floor with a large guest area, five rooms, and a kitchen. Glenda and a female guest were busy preparing the food and drinks. Other females and male guests were sitting on the carpeted floor already drinking liquor. I settled near the kitchen drinking bottled beer and talking to Glenda about food preparations.

"Glenda babes, can I use your landline phone, I'll call in the Philippines," Ryan asked.

"Okay, babes, go on, over there, near the guest's area."

Ryan went directly to the guest's area and dialed the phone. I immediately excused myself to Glenda and followed him to the guest's area near him. I talked to a male guest just to be near Ryan.

"Hi, my name's Marco Fernando, and you?"

"Ohhhhh, handsome, me, my name is Julio....during the day, and Juliet at night...."

"Ahhh, I see, nice meeting you. Can I sit beside you?"

"Ohhh, sure, sure handsome."

I drank my beer and settled my ears to Ryan's conversation over the phone.

"Madam Danielle, good morning."

"No, Madam, I didn't know about it."

"Maybe one of my friends."

"He's scheduled for vacation there."

"Within a week's time."

"Well, it's okay, there's no problem."

"Yes, Madam, I'll do that."

"Thank you, bye."

I was surprised when Ryan patted me on the back. "Hey Marco, why are you there beside Juliet?"

"Just drinking....that's all."

"Come, I'll tell you something."

We entered Glenda's room and were seated at the edge of the bed.

"You know what Marco, that Juliet has a crush on you. He'll pay a large sum of money if you're good in....you know...."

"What.... why me?"

"He finds you handsome, and you need money for your vacation that's all."

"Ahhhh, let's drink outside, come on!"

"Okay friend."

"By the way Ryan my friend, why Glenda been working in Jumeirah, and also, she rented a flat here in Karama?"

"You know, here in the flat, she rented it and accepts bed-spacer to augment with the apartment rental. Isn't it practical?"

"Yes, really my friend."

We enjoyed the night with Glenda's friends; telling amusing stories, and jokes, watching movies and listening to music. Around eight in the evening, Ryan invited us to the nearest hotel where there was a newly arrived Filipino music band.

We were ten in a group going to the President's Hotel for another event of the day. The façade of the hotel was stunningly beautiful with multi-colored murals on the ceiling. The place was conducive to the city center, wherein almost all resident expatriates spent their evenings listening to the music band.

The manager greeted us, finds a long table for the group, and got our orders with appetizers. We enjoyed the night with contentment and satisfaction. I got a taxi cab for me, but Ryan told me that he will drop me at my place in Satwa, I nodded positively.

"Marco, friend, the next day after tomorrow, we will have a farewell party in my apartment. Be ready my friend, this is the big night for you."

I heard him and only nodded my head. He dropped me at the other side of the road and left. The police car saw me walking along the road going to my flat. They approached and asked me.

"Good morning kabayan?" The police greeted me.

"Ohh, it's morning now, sorry, I thought it's still evening time; good morning too officer."

"You're drunk my friend, go to your flat now."

"Yes officer, thank you."

"Thank you kabayan."

XXX