Chapter 15 The Inevitable Encounter
Attending the class reunion years later meant everyone was bound to engage in comparisons, now that they had all entered the workforce. Once considered a top student, Maggie felt apprehensive about her current circumstances, which fueled her reluctance to attend these gatherings.
On the other end of the line, Dulcinea asked, "Maggie, are you listening?"
"Yeah," Maggie snapped back to reality. "I'm listening. As for the reunion on Friday, I'll see – if I have time, I might stop by."
Dulcinea knew of Maggie’s hesitations but didn't push further, knowing that relaying the message was enough.
Hanging up, Maggie stood pensively on the balcony, unaware when Fiorello moved to stand behind her.
He handed her a cup of tea, "Here, have some tea. It’ll soothe your stomach."
"Thanks," Maggie replied, taking the cup, her mind weighed down with thoughts.
Fiorello, with a hand casually tucked in his pocket, studied her and asked, "Something on your mind?"
Hesitating, Maggie shared, "Dulcinea just called about a class reunion next week. They want me to go, and our class teacher will be there. He's been really good to me—a mentor."
Fiorello understood Maggie Miller’s dilemma. "You don’t want to go but you have to, so it's tough."
Maggie nodded.
Fiorello continued, "Just follow your heart, it's late, try to get some rest."
There was only so much Fiorello could say since he wasn't familiar with Maggie's past.
Maggie couldn’t bring herself to admit that her ex-boyfriend was going to be at the reunion. She could only keep it bottled up inside.
"Right, you too, get some rest."
After wishing each other goodnight, they both retired to their rooms. Maggie locked her door, her earlier worries proving unnecessary.
She chuckled at herself for having such petty concerns.
The next morning, Maggie got up early to make breakfast. After Fiorello had breakfast and left for work, she cleaned the house, completed the chores, and started on her crafts.
She hadn't set up her stall the previous night and had missed out on some earnings. Today she planned to make extra jewelry and set up her stall early to make up for the missed income.
Fiorello was swamped with endless meetings at the office and evening engagements.
He couldn't always return for dinner, but on nights he had to attend evening engagements, he'd text Maggie not to wait up and not to prepare a plate for him.
Maggie kept busy too, with her crafts during the day and setting up her stall in the night market by five o’clock.
However, most of the time, by the time she returned from her stall, Fiorello might not be back yet.
Fiorello often stumbled in past midnight, reeking of alcohol.
Maggie would prepare stomach-warming stomach the next day and always kept a hangover remedy on hand.
Watching Fiorello come home inebriated, Maggie empathized with his struggle to make a living in the big city.
A woman could find a good husband if she wasn’t skilled at homemaking, but a man had no such option – he had to provide and support a family, holding up their world on his shoulders.
As busy as they were, the day of the class reunion inevitably arrived.
Dulcinea had called Maggie early in the morning to remind her.
The reunion was set for six in the evening. Maggie spent the day at home anxiously waiting. At five o'clock, she put on a simple dress and applied light makeup.
She couldn’t afford to look shabby among old acquaintances.
At half-past five, Dulcinea picked her up from Cityhomes West in her car.
Dulcinea had just found out that Maggie had moved into a new place, shacking up with Fiorello.
“Cityhomes West, I checked it out, a house there costs at least in the seven figures.” Dulcinea said, “It’s a shame, though, with your man’s salary, even if he saved every penny, it would take forty or fifty years to afford a place.”
As Maggie buckled her seatbelt, she said, “Capital city housing is expensive. Too many of us can’t afford to buy, renting isn’t so bad. Give him a break. He's out schmoozing till the wee hours and comes home late, Dulce. Let’s not bring this up in front of him, okay?”
“Okay, I’ll drop it, Maggie, but you should keep an eye out. Working at such a big company and being so handsome, he’s definitely going to attract some young women,” Dulcinea cautioned her. “If he’s coming home late every night, you might want to be vigilant.”
Maggie laughed, “I don’t think that’ll happen, he gives me all his money, and he really is just busy.”
“Look at that, he’s right on track, handing over his paycheck to you.”
Soon, the two of them arrived at MaSa, the venue for the classmate dinner get-together.
After parking, Maggie saw the fancy decorations of MaSa and involuntarily gulped, asking, “Dulce, are we going Dutch tonight?”
This place looked like it would be a splurge.
Sighing, Maggie had just made some money these past few days, and now it seemed it wouldn't last.
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