Twenty

"ARIANNA!"
Arianna turned towards the loud call and was surprised to see Ruel climbing out of the driver's seat of his truck.
Then he ran towards them, a huge grin on his face, laughing like he won the lottery.
"What are you doing here?"
"I finally caught up with you. I was waiting right here. I was here yesterday, too, but I was in a different spot so I didn't see you. They said this is where you start selling your goods every morning."
It took a moment for her to understand what he was actually saying. "You waited here for us?"
"Yes," he replied while nodding his head repeatedly, too. Like 'yes' wasn't enough.
"What for?" she began to get down the tri-bike. She was pedaling today because Tommy had to be at the fishponds early.
"I can't visit you on nights anymore. They wouldn't let us in the gates. I have to be in the store when it opens a little later this morning to stand in for Dad while they are still in Manila so I could only leave late in the afternoons except on Sundays."
"Will you calm down and breathe," I reminded him because he was breathless.
He laughed like a kid, then did a few deep breaths that made her smile.
He seemed to calm down then.
"I tried to come here before six in the afternoon after I was done, but they still will not let me in. They said I have to get permission from the Quirozes but the Senior is not home and the son, well, they said he's been very busy and could not be bothered to talk to anyone right now."
She stared at him. "What do you mean the son?"
"Enrique Quiroz, the Señorito." He looked confused. "Isn't there just one son?"
"Yes... he's here?"
He nodded. "They said he is. Just busy." He even looked in the direction of the gates. "That's what they said. It was as if I was knocking on the door of Mt. Olympus to talk to the statue of Zeus!"
She tried to smile at him, but she felt frozen. It's probably just a coincidence.
She adjusted the cover of her vegetables to cover them from the sun because they were directly standing on it and for her hands to have something to do.
She was upset, she realized, to find out the señorito was actually here in the hacienda.
"I told you, Ruel, you don't have to do this. Whatever you do I still can't be with you. I'm trying not to lead you on."
When she looked at him, he wasn't smiling anymore. He looked like he was about to cry in dismay.
Uh oh. "Was it really hard trying to get in or waiting for me out here?"
He shook his head, but she had a feeling he wanted to nod. "I'll do anything."
"You really don't have to."
He looked like he was about to beg. "Arianna... when can you start accepting suitors?"
"It's going to be for a very long time."
"I am not going to give up..." he said stubbornly.
She shook her head and started to climb up the bike. "Look, I have to sell this. Don't… please, you don’t have to do this. I feel guilty enough as it is, Ruel. Okay? I still have a lot to sell." She started to pedal.
He blocked her path. "I will just buy all that. You don't have to do this. Where's your brother?"
She looked at him, suddenly irritated. "He's needed at the fishponds very early, otherwise he’d be here with me." And throwing a tantrum again.
“Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to imply he's not helping at all. Please, Arianna, I'll just buy all that. You don't have to go out and sell your vegetables the whole morning."
She laughed. "As if I'm going to sell them to you. Move, Ruel."
"I'll help you! I will pedal the bike. You can sit on the seat. I will shout to call buyers. You don't have to do all these alone."
She laughed again.
She couldn't really picture the clean and smooth Ruel doing all that.
"Will you stop that? Do you want your Mommy to get angry with me? Remember when she used to put a towel on your back in grade school because you were sweating for running the halls?"
A smile broke his face. "You remember me?"
She sobered up. "I remembered that you pushed me out of the way and stepped on my toe."
He blanched. “I did? Are you sure that was me?”
She shook her head, smiling. "That's for implying my brother is lazy."
He hung his head trying to be cute, and he was but it wasn't enough to sway Arianna's mind.
"I was just worried you're doing this alone. I want to help you, please. I can't just leave you here like this when you could just sell all to me."
She groaned impatiently. “You know what? I might just do that. You’re blocking my way and other sellers will reach my buyers before I can. Move, Ruel!”
They hadn't noticed this particular SUV because they were on the side of the road and cars have been passing by, of course.
But this one stopped very near where they were arguing.
They both turned, curious and surprised.
The window to the driver's seat rolled down.
When she recognized who was behind the wheel, Arianna's world stumbled.
The noise began to ring in her ears and there was nothing more she would want than to melt on the ground and disappear.
Ruel was the first one to recover from his surprise. "M-Mr. Quiroz?!"
Señorito Enrique shot the man an insolent look before fixing his eyes on her.
"We need vegetables in the main house. How much is all that?"
She barely managed a croak. "U-Uh...?"
"I said I'm going to buy everything. Go home and wait for someone to take all these to the house." He then took his wallet out and took bills. "Here."
She couldn't move. It was Ruel who approached the vehicle to take the money.
"Arianna… is five thousand all that’s worth?" he asked her, unsure.
She wrenched her eyes away from the man in the SUV. "H-Huh? What? That's too much. Just take the seven hun—"
"Keep it," Señorito Enrique said in a bored voice. The words were like rocks rolling down his tongue. "Go home. And from now on, bring your vegetables to the main house. You're not going to sell out here anymore."
She remained frozen.
His voice sounded cold and angry. Much like that night.
*"Kiss me, damn it! Kiss me back! You're like a brick, whore. Kiss me!"*
She shuddered slightly as she accepted the paper bills from Ruel.
She couldn’t protest.
She just wanted him to leave.
Señorito Enrique threw another insolent look at Ruel before he started the car while its window slid up close.
And as he drove away, they were left with dust that disturbed the road.