DOLORES found it hard to sleep that night.
It was because she was still thinking about Erik. And what she saw earlier was like a movie scene that kept coming back to her mind.
Yes, she saw with her own eyes very clearly how Erik kissed Mia on the lips. Just proof that something is going on between the two. And that is for sure not simple as the employee and employer relationship.
“Hey, what’s the matter with you? I’m trying to sleep here!”
In the tone of her husband’s voice, Nestor is annoyed.
They have been lying in there for a while now. And because she kept turning on the bed, the mattress was shaking. This is why she disturbs his sleep.
Nestor is a clerk in their city municipality. They don't have children, so she can say they are somehow having a comfortable living. And that thing was the reason why she didn’t find it hard to see Erik as her own son.
At that point, the scene when she and Erik first met a few months ago when he returned from Canada quickly returned to her mind.
*****
A FEW MONTHS AGO…
“It’s a good thing you decided to come home here, son. You can say that we already have the internet nowadays, but seeing you face to face is still something different. I would still prefer to see you and bond with you like when you are a little,” she said excitedly after releasing herself from the young man’s tight embrace.
Erik smiled at her and then distance himself from her.
“Thank you so much Nana Dolores for taking care of the house,” that was what Erik replied to her instead.
She stared at Erik for a while.
She and this young man’s mother, Aurora has been friends since high school. And because she was not able to conceive a child because of her husband’s infertility. She did not have a hard time getting her heart close to Erik and seeing him as her own son.
“Tell me, son, what do you want to eat so I can cook it for you,” she asked him.
She knew that Erik loves Sinigang na Bangus. But since he has been in the other country for a very long time, she is sure that he is excited to eat Filipino dishes. The reason why she will be cooking not only one recipe for him today.
“Sinigang na Bangus and of course Chicken Adobo,” Erik replied.
Dolores nodded consecutively and once again stepped closer to Erik only to hug him.
“I can’t tell you how happy I am that you are home. I just hope for you to stay here a little longer,” she even added.
Erik once again smiled at her. It was also then that she left to go to the market.
*****
Dolores sighed at the memory. Then she finally got up and went to the living room with her cell phone.
But she didn't expect Nestor to follow her when he felt her coming out. That's why she was so surprised when the man spoke behind her.
"What is happening to you and you seem to be anxious?" Nestor asked her.
Dolores took a little breath and then turned to her husband who saw her step closer to the refrigerator. He opened it and took out a pitcher of cold water. He took a glass, poured it, and drank.
"I just can't rest because of what I saw earlier," at this point she decided to admit the truth to Nestor.
She saw Nestor's eyebrows meet because of what she said. "What do you mean?" he asked her.
"Because I saw Erik earlier and Mia was with him," she began.
Nestor's eyebrows rose after hearing what she said. Then he moved and put the pitcher back inside the fridge. While the glass he was holding was lowered to the sink.
"Yes, by the way, I saw Erik and Mia at the municipal hall earlier. I’m not sure if he saw me. Maybe not because he didn't greet me. And based on what my colleague told me who assisted them, they are taking care of their wedding."
"Wedding?" she asked in disbelief.
Her husband nodded. "Yes, he will marry that young lady you are talking about," Nestor confirmed.
Dolores' chest was immediately filled with worry. "That is impossible! Aurora needs to know about this," she said.
"Do not interfere in their lives, Dolores! You are no longer their caretaker. And one more thing, just in case, what's wrong with Erik marrying that young lady?"
The tone of Nestor's speech showed his irritation for her. But even so, Dolores still didn't budge.
"She is not the right one for him!" he said loudly.
"Don't act like you're that young man's mother, Dolores. Why, I think you are overdoing it with your meddling."
At this point, she knew that her husband really didn't like all the reactions and things she was saying.
"I love Erik like my own son, Nestor," she insisted.
"Stop it, Dolores. Come on, tell me, how long have you been with Erik other than the times you visited them to see Aurora?” Nestor said unconvinced.
Dolores was hurt by what her husband said. "What do you mean? That what I say is not true? That you don't believe that I love Erik like my own son?” she asked.
"You're right. Because if you love her like the way you say, you won't destroy her life," Nestor said calmly but firmly.
"You will not understand me, Nestor. And one more thing, Mia is not the right one for Erik. Didn't that whore use to live with someone else back then? Some even said that she got pregnant and had a miscarriage. And now here she is targeting Erik because her former lover didn't marry her?"
That's what she really heard. And those pieces of information came from Mia’s neighbors. So as far as she knows her sources are truly reliable. They even told her that they witnessed when Mia’s former partner came and tried to get the woman back but he ended up unsuccessfully.
"Stop, Dolores. I'm telling you, if you do that, you'll just push Erik away from you," that's all Nestor said and he left her.
Dolores sighed and then sat down on the long sofa in their living room.
Maybe she didn't have many opportunities to be with Erik. But due to the fact that she is Aurora's best friend, it was not difficult for her to love the young man.
Even if Nestor doesn't believe her, it doesn't matter to her anymore. After all, she didn't ask for anyone's approval either. Only she can understand her own feelings.
Sometimes she thought, if they had a child with Nestor, maybe she wouldn't be like this. But because of Erik, she saw the qualities of a son she would want to have. The reason why it was no longer impossible for her to love him.
As she said, she doesn't need anyone's understanding.
She didn't even ask her husband to believe her.
She is concerned for Erik. For her best friend's son. After all, she also had to admit that she got offended when the young man chose to hire someone else to clean and do laundry for him. While she is available.
Eventually, she just thought that the young man might be ashamed to tell her.
"Aurora still needs to know everything," she whispered then looked for her best friend's social media account.
Dolores smiled and was even secretly thankful when she saw that Aurora was online. That's when she thought that maybe even heaven supported what she wanted to happen. Because what she is planning is also for good.
Aurora did not make her wait because she also easily accepted her video call.
"Oh, Dolores, why is it that you are still awake?"
That was Aurora's open greeting to her.
"Aurora, I'm not going to hang around anymore because I'm in a hurry. Nestor doesn't want me to tell you about it. But since you know that I love Erik as if he were my own son, I think you need to know this," she said, deliberately lowering her voice.
She saw in the aura of Aurora's face that she was interested in what she said. That's why she took advantage of the opportunity.
"What do you mean? Has something happened to my son?” she asked her one after the other.
"I don't know if you know that there is something between him and Mia?" she said bluntly what she wanted to say.
"He didn't mention anything to me. Wait, is that Mia, Miss Sanchez's daughter?" Aurora clarified.
“Yes. Did you know that your son hired her as a maid? Oh, I wouldn't bother about it. But I saw them earlier. Erik kissed Mia on the lips," she added.
Aurora laughed softly at what she said. "Oh, if they're really lovers, there's nothing wrong with Erik kissing Mia on the lips," she answered.
Dolores shook her head. “You don't understand me, bff. Mia, she is not the right woman for Erik,” she insisted.
"What? Mia is very kind. Do you know that ever since they were in high school I've wanted her for my son?"
"It would have been better if someone else didn't get Mia pregnant," at this point she decided to tell Aurora the truth.
The aura on Aurora's face immediately changed after she heard what she said.
“W-What did you say? Mia got pregnant?” Aurora asked in a tone of disbelief.
"You listen. When you left here, Mia enrolled in college. But he didn't finish her course because Miss Sanchez got sick. She had to work. And because she was tight with money, she applied as a waitress at Pegasus," she began her story.
"Pegasus? Isn't that a nightclub?” from the tone of Aurora's speech, it was obvious that she could not believe what she heard.
“Yes. We all know what those who work in such a place do. That young lady was with a guy. She got pregnant. The story that Mia's neighbor told me was that the man tried to get her back and went to her house. Mia refused. The news is that she and Erik have been going out a lot since then, so maybe that is the reason why she didn't come. There are even times when your son was sleeping at Mia's house and sometimes, he went to her to bring her flowers."
When Aurora did not speak, she continued her story again.
"And earlier I saw them walking on the road. People are constantly staring at them. Because here in our area Mia's image is not good. What her neighbors say is that the first man she was with did not marry her. If I am not mistaken they also told me that Mia’s former lover was their classmate. Aren't they in the same class in high school back then? So, when I saw earlier that Erik kissed her, well, I really didn't like what I saw. So, I thought I'd tell you. I only care about you because I am your best friend. I don't understand Erik as well. Why hire someone else to clean and do the laundry when I'm here," she continued.
"Erik isn't telling us anything," was all Aurora replied to everything she said.
"Maybe it's a good thing that I told you because my husband mentioned to me that he saw the two in the municipal hall," she said.
"What are they doing in there?" Aurora asked.
"Oh, bff, don't tell me you can't guess what your son is doing there with that sinful woman?"
"What is it?" Aurora asked annoyed.
Dolores sighed before opening her mouth to speak. "Nestor said that they are taking care of the wedding. Erik will marry Mia.”
"What? Why doesn't he tell us anything?" Aurora asked in a high-pitched voice.
"Maybe because he knows you will hinder their plan just in case. If I were you, bff, come home here so you can personally stop the nonsense your son is planning. As for me, I can't tell him, so I just told you. This cannot be fixed with a simple video call. You need to act quickly before Erik gets tied up with that dirty and sinful woman.”
"All right, thank you for informing us. Fidel and I will get our tickets right away so we can talk to Erik personally," Aurora answered her.
Dolores just nodded and the line was cut.