With Or Without You

Episode One : Someone You Loved

Sputnik :

Okay, will do. Are you okay though? Tawagan mo nga si Tatay Tony. Worried sya sa 'yo. Hindi ka pala nagpaalam na aalis ka! Pati ako tuloy, nai-stress!

Billy :

Secret trip nga eh! Walang dapat na makaalam, kahit na si Tatay. Wag kang mag-alala. Okay lang ako. Eto, masakit ang paa, pero ayos lang. Kaya pa naman. Medyo kabisado ko pa rin kahit papaano itong Croatia. Basta, ako na bahala kay Tatay. Wag kang ma-stress. Babalik din naman ako kaagad. If everything goes as planned, I should be back by Friday. Wish me luck?

Sputnik :

Good luck! I'll see you when you get back.

Billy continued eating her meal. A couple of tables away from her, there was a commotion. Another customer was yelling insults at the server, complaining that the girl got his order wrong. This brought back memories for her, when she and Gabo used to work at a restaurant very much like this one. She was also reminded of how hard it is to be a woman in a man's world. Always prone to insults and humiliation, while having to prove your worth twice as hard. She quickly stood up and went to the server girl's defense.

"Hey! You don't get to talk to her like that! She may just be a worker here, but she's a human being too! Treat the woman with respect!" she yelled at the man in Croatian. Frankly, she surprised herself as well. She wasn't sure that she could still speak the language. It wasn't until the manager stepped in, that the dispute was settled. She made sure that the girl didn't get fired, before she paid her bill and left the restaurant.

She navigated around the city pretty well, considering it had been several years since the last time she had been there. She looked at her watch. Medyo dumidilim na. She forced her feet to hurry faster to get to her destination.

She finally reached the location, which used to be the old bistro where she and Gabo used to work at. That place was gone, and in it's place now stood a bakery.

BREADSURRECTION, the sign read, in big bold letters. He did it. He really did it. Natupad n'ya yung pangarap namin. Natupad n'ya ng hindi ako kasama.

She saw the CLOSED sign at the door. Well, shit, she muttered under her breath. She sneaked a peek inside and saw movement. She tried the door, and it wasn't locked, so she went in, with her luggage dragging behind her.

Inside, a familiar man, a man she knew very well, or at she least used to, was helping another familiar woman off her seat and was headed towards the door.

"We're closed," the man said in Croatian, without even looking at her.

"It's okay," she replied. "I know the owner." That got his attention.

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"Come on, Antonia," Gabo said to the woman while helping her off her chair. "I'm closing. Up you go." He heard the door open and someone come in. "We're closed," he said without bothering to look.

"It's okay," he heard a familiar voice reply. "I know the owner." He didn't need to look to know who that voice belonged to. That voice still haunts him at night in his sleep. The same voice that could build up his spirit and tear him apart without even changing tones. He slowly turned to look towards her. "Billy," he whispered.

"Well, if she's staying, then I'm staying too," Gabo totally forgot that Antonia was still there.

Billy slowly approached them, "Hello, Antonia," she greeted her with a fake smile. She picked up Antonia's purse and headed for the door. "Goodbye, Antonia," she said with a menacing tone, as she tossed the girl's purse outside the shop.