“Life is too short to live alone. I may not be able to get a chance to be married but at least I can have a chance to bear a child. In that way, I won’t be lonely anymore. Who will watch over me when I’m already senile and frail? Who will take good care of me when I got sick? Who will clean my shit and change my diaper when I can no longer stand on my own? Who will bury me when I’m dead? Who will be there for me to cry on my grave? Who will visit my grave and bring me flowers every Soul’s Day? Isn’t it my own children?”
Isabel smiled at Pretty’s ridiculous remarks.
“Look at me, dear. I’m already old but I never worry about tomorrow. If I can’t stand anymore to feed myself, then that’s not a problem because I will die anyway if I can’t take my hunger anymore. In that way, my agony will end sooner which is much better for me. If I’m going to die alone, the neighbors will be suffocated from the unpleasant smell of my dead body. That will leave them no choice but to bury me. If I’m already dead, why would I worry who will cry for me and visit my grave? I will not care anymore if there’s anyone who will cry for me and bury me once I’m dead. Besides, we will no longer be aware of the people around us once we died. Same with the living. We are not aware anymore what the dead are doing once they die. So why worry about death when there are still so many things to look forward to?”
“My life has no meaning or direction.”
“Like what I said, God has always something in store for each and every one of us. Patience is a virtue. Leo is the sour mango. And your prince charming who has not arrive yet is the sweetest mango in the world. Which would you prefer, the sour mango or the sweetest mango?”
“I prefer the sweetest mango of course. But the problem is I don’t know when the sweetest mango will arrive. We are not even sure if he really exists. Patience is a virtue but time is gold.”
“That’s why you have to wait because the sweetest mango hasn’t ripen yet. He is preparing himself for you. Trust me you can find your special someone when you least expect him. If I were you, I’d rather prepare myself for the arrival of my prince charming so that when the time is ripe, I’ll be more than ready to be swept off my feet.”
“How old are you again when you got married?”
“Twenty.”
“Did you have any regrets of marrying at an early age?”
“No. It was in fact the happiest days of my life because Emilio was the ripest and the sweetest mango and Don Armando was the sour mango.”
“Why didn’t you marry again after Emilio died?”
“I didn’t marry again because there is no one else who can replace Emilio in my heart. For me, he is the sweetest and the rarest mango in the world.”
“What if someone will come along who is far better than Emilio, are you willing to give in to marriage again?”
“It depends if that special someone has literally the same beauty and personality with Emilio. But I doubt if I can ever find an exact replica of Emilio because each one of us is unique in every single way.”
“But what if you can find someone who is really the exact replica of Emilio and ask your hand for marriage, are you going to dodge the inevitable?”
“Who am I to refuse to a miracle? Of course I’ll be more than willing to accept the impossible marriage proposal.”
“I envy you Isabel because you have found your other half at an early age. He may be taken away from you but you are still contented to live on to his memories.”
“Don’t worry my child. You will someday find your special someone. You’re still young. Why don’t you enjoy your single life to the fullest rather than giving in to the foolishness of this world? Leo is not worth it. You deserve better than him. Trust me. I have an angelic tongue. While you are so occupied enjoying yourself and preparing for the future, you will just notice it that your prince charming is already in front of you riding on his white horse.”
“Oh, Isabel! I don’t know what I’m going to do if I haven’t met you. You are such a very wise woman. I don’t know if you are an angel or something. But you just made my day.”
“It’s my pleasure honey. You remind me of myself when I was your age. We have so many things in common.”
“So what are your plans now?”
“I’m going to enjoy my life to the fullest, work hard to prepare my future, and most of all, I’m going to wait for my prince charming to pop-up.”
“Are you sure about it?”
“Yes, I am.”
“I’m looking forward to that.”
“Don’t worry I won’t come back in JJ’s house so that I won’t be tempted to make love with Leo.”
“Is that a promise?”
“Yes, I promise to give my virginity to the only person that I will truly love and who will also love me in return.”
“That’s my girl.”
“Thank you.”
“You are such a very amusing child. You are the biological daughter that I never have.”
Pretty and Isabel bid goodbye to each other. They went on their separate ways.
YOU ARE READING
Time and Again
RomanceCover By: @inksjm Heaven and earth collided when Isabel, a rich socialite, eloped with Emile, a poor farmer. They can't blame her for running away with a poor farmer. They're forcing her to marry an old man, older than her grandfather to pay of...
