**Six**
** RHEA'S POV **
"Rhea! Rhea!"
I hear a familiar voice gently shaking my shoulder.
I slowly raise my head and see Sister Cyrel frowning at me.
Sister Cyrel???
"Table manners, Rhea! When did you learn to sleep in front of food!?" She gives me a quick sermon.
I suddenly think. By the way, I cooked the Kare-kare recipe that Ceejay prepared and served on the table for him to come back; we are about to eat. I stare at the food for a while, and it looks like it has cooled down and that guy hasn't arrived yet.
"Did you cook Kare-kare?" My sister asks, then takes the serving spoon that is next to the bowl of kare-kare and tastes it. "It's delicious. When did you learn to cook?"
"Why are you here so early?" I ask in surprise.
"Really? Is 8 PM too early for you?" she answers while sitting in front of me. "After all, the table is ready. I'll eat first before changing my clothes."
It's late? Looks like I slept for a long time. And let it go; that bastard never came back. He really sulked. But that's better than regretting it because the fire burned him again.
I just look at my sister while she enjoys the food. She likes what I cooked, and her gluttony comes out.
While I am drowning in the thought of whether I should go to them or not, maybe I'll just go. After all, it's my fault. Oh no, he was insistent; that's why I lied to him. Well, anyway! I'll just go.
Deep in my thoughts, I get up from my seat and go to the kitchen to heat up the remaining kare-kare in the pot.
"Aren't you going to eat?" Sister immediately asks when she notices me standing up.
"I'm done," I answered from the kitchen while looking for Tupperware from the yellow hanging cabinet above the electric stove.
"Hey, the food didn't seem to have decreased when I arrived," she says with her mouth full of food.
"I prepared that for you," I lie as I turn off the gas stove and carefully move some of the Tupperware I had prepared.
"For me? But you put two plates on the table," she reasons. "Who were you here with earlier?"
Here is my protective sister again. The drama starts again.
I sigh as I close the Tupperware that I put the kare-kare in. "It's Ceejay. He said goodbye earlier to buy some food, but he didn't come back," I explain and put the Tupperware in a paper bag and head for the door.
My sister frowns. "He bought a dish; why did you cook?"
I open the door and turn slightly to see my sister looking at me. "Long story." And I leave the house, leaving my sister eating alone at the table.
As I walk towards the jeep stand, my feet suddenly stop. Do I really need to do this? I feel guilty. I will get back to him. Because I can't tell him that it will start a fire when he cooks. Besides him laughing at me, that is against the balance of the future. I will lose my wings.
I am in front of Ceejay's house when I suddenly have second thoughts. I'm nervous. I don't know what will happen. I did it before, but I feel different now. Whatever! Come what may! I'll just face what's waiting inside.
*ding-dong*
I ring the doorbell twice, and soon the door opens. I sincerely smile when I see that Ceejay opened the door. It is obvious from his face that he is surprised by my arrival.
"Rhea??" he exclaims in shock.
Of course, he didn't mention where he lives, but I know.
"I thought you were going to buy a dish? You never came back," I start.
"What do you need?" His cold question.
This handsome man is really sulking.
"Here." I handed him what I brought, and he just stared. "Aren't you going to accept it?"
He looks at me when he accepts what I handed him, then he carefully opens it without saying a single word.
"I cooked what you prepared so it wouldn't go to waste," I continue as he opens the Tupperware.
"I thought your stove at home was broken?" he wonders.
"I cooked with the neighbor," I lie with a smile.
"Really? Maybe you just bought it somewhere," his sarcastic answer.
"It's up to you if you do not want to believe," I reply.
He is smiling ear to ear as he closes the Tupperware, then replies, "Alright. Is it good?"
"I don't know," my short answer.
"Why don't you know? You cooked," he asks.
"We have different tastes. Maybe what tastes good to me is fat to you," my excuse.
"You have a point too," he says. "Come in and let's eat together."
"No need," I immediately answered. "I'm done eating. Besides, I really just came here to deliver it."
"You can't say no to me," he insists.
"No need-"
I can't finish what I am saying when he suddenly reaches for my hand and pulls me into their house.
I can't refuse; I'm already inside...
** JOHN CARLO LAPORRE'S POV **
I am walking in an unknown place full of happy people. I'm not familiar with that place. I don't even know where it is. I don't even know how I ended up in a place I don't know.
I just continue walking while observing the happy faces of the onlookers. None of them are familiar to me. But they are very happy in that place as if there is no trace of the pain they are harboring.
Until I see a young woman standing next to a bench under a tree. She seems to be alone, so I approach her.
As I get closer, I gradually recognize her. Even though she turns her back to me, I am sure who she is because of her blonde hair. I speed up walking because of the joy I feel. And when I am close to her, she faces me.
I am suddenly stunned to see that her face is very blurry because of the light that surrounds her. I can't look directly at her face that I want to see so I can prove it's her.
After a while, something red floats on her body that gradually covers her.
My eyes widen as I stumble backward. She slowly walks towards me.
I am horrified by what is happening to her, and my heart is beating so hard that it feels like my chest is going to explode. I am stuck in my place. I can't even move my legs.
Until she reaches me and hugs me tightly.
"C-Christa??" I doubt it. The name I want to call comes out of my mouth spontaneously.
I am about to touch her when her body becomes brighter. It is so bright that I can hardly see her. It continues to light up until I can't look at her anymore, and I close my eyes.
I can feel the blinding light slowly fading, so I carefully open my eyes.
I roll my eyes, and my feelings calm down when I realize that I am in my room.
I sit on my bed and think about my dream again. This is not the first time I have dreamed about Crista.
Does she really not accept in her heart that she is really gone? Or is it also the result of my nightly praying?
Whatever the reason is that my intelligent mind cannot understand, God will take care of whatever it is. I leave Crista's life to him.
I will just pray to the Lord for the peace of her soul.