Chapter 15: Chapter 15
ESMERALDA devoted her time taking care of her neighbors who were still staying at her place. It was already widely reported from the battery-operated radio, the only thing that working as of the moment, about the landslides, the damaged properties, and casualties. It was scary and surreal that they were still safe in their village. They were not wealthy, but they had prepared for the calamity, and they were all safe.
“What about our guest? They are most likely to stay for a while. He had not called his family yet. They must be worried about him,” Kadyo said, who was busy lighting the firewood for cooking lunch. They need to cook a cauldron of rice and the main dish.
“And he looked like he’s already bored. Maybe he was used to the city. He refused to come out of his room since morning. He was not mingling with us,” Dorya said. “I can’t blame him. He was left with nothing. He could not just go back to his normal life. The power supply had not returned yet.”
"We can't do anything about it for now. We could not give him the luxury he used to enjoy. What matters most right now was that he's safe in a shelter. He could go home once the typhoon has passed and the roads are clear. He had to endure this for now and accept what we could offer."
If it was only up to Esmeralda, she’d prefer Richard back in Manila. He was a threat to her sleeping heart. She could not understand how she was deeply affected by his presence.
She was accountable for whatever happens to him while he was under her care. He was still her responsibility, and she had to set aside her personal feelings toward him.
Cynthia Lyn appeared beside her. “He did not want to eat.”
“What do you mean he did not want to eat?”
“He did not touch the breakfast I brought him. And he said he’s leaving.”
“Leaving? And where does he think he’s going?”
“He’s going home. He said he needs to return to Manila. It looks like no one could stop him.”
That man must be out of his mind. “I’ll go talk to him.”
She had been avoiding him for the rest of the morning, but she needed to face him now. She marched her way to his room and knocked on the door.
“Come in!” Esmeralda heard Richard called.
“Is there something wrong?” she asked and leaned on the door frame as she watched him pace back and forth.
He stopped the moment he heard her.
“Thanks a lot for taking me in. Thanks for helping me. But I’m probably a huge burden here. I want to leave already,” he said.
Her eyebrow arched. “What made you say that you’re a burden?”
"I hate being a charity case. You did not have to care for me and look after me. I'm sure there are other people who need your help more." He lifted his chin as if telling her that he did not need her help in the first place because her status in life was lower than him. He did not want to ask anything from her anymore.
Richard had great pride. And too many people got in trouble and were blinded by pride. She just had to understand him in this case.
“When tragedy strikes, there’s no rich or poor. We are all affected. We could just help each other. It’s was always like that here in our village. We are always ready to help everyone to recover. So don’t ever think that you are a burden. Stay here until you’re better and ready to go home,” she explained calmly. “Please eat. You need to be strong.”
"I am fine! And I'm not hungry. I can't be at peace unless I go home. I… I have so many responsibilities. I need to go back to work because many people depend on me. I will report what happened to my car and my other stuff. I'll ask someone to collect me."
Esmeralda took her cellphone out. “There’s still no signal here. Sorry.”
“I need to find a place where I can place a call. If I don’t leave, it might be impossible to ask for help. And my company will be in chaos. You have no idea what kind of panic my loss would bring to everyone,” he said and ran his fingers through his hair. He continued to pace back and forth.
She glanced at the untouched food on the table. Or maybe he'll go crazy if he stayed longer in a place without electricity, a cellphone, delicious food, and someone who would treat him like a prince. They were trying their best to make his stay comfortable, especially Cynthia Lyn, who would willingly wash him if she had the chance.
But maybe that was still not enough for him.
“I’m sorry, but you can’t just go back to Manila yet,” Esmeralda said in a cold tone.
"Why the hell not?" he asked in an authoritative voice. The kind of voice that he expertly used when talking to his subordinates. "There's no heavy rain or wind anymore. Why can't I go back to Manila yet?"
She stood straight because she was agitated every time she heard an authoritative voice. He reminded her of Amadeus, Aiden's older brother. She hated that kind of tone. As if it could possibly make something impossible possible in just a blink of an eye. When all he knew was to give a command.
"First of all, the water is still high in the river. Since the bridge was broken, it's impossible for cars to pass through and for people especially. Second, if ever by some miracle you successfully passed, you'll meet landslides and flood along the way. There's still rain and strong winds in other places. Probably no buses are operating yet. You can't easily go back to Manila as you like. You're still safe here," she stressed.