They had dinner at a small restaurant of Maia's choice. "Are you sure that's all you're ordering?" Chuck said when Maia put down the menu after giving her order to the waiter. "Drinks?"
"Water nalang, salamat" Maia looked at the waiter. "Konting ice lang please"
Chuck gave his order as well and the waiter left them.
"Are you sure with what you ordered? Are you on a diet?"
Maia shook her head. She was just really shy. "Okay na yun" She said softly.
Chuck nodded. "So, tell me a little more about yourself"
"Huh?"
"Like, your full name or your real name? Like me, I prefer being called 'Chuck' by my friends although my family calls me, "Rj" "
"Ang layo naman ng Rj sa Chuck..."
Chuck smiled. "...and Chuck is not the usual nickname for my real name..."
"Ano ang real name mo?"
"Siegfried"
"Whoa!"
"Precisely!"
"Ang layo nga!"
"I used to go by 'Rj' until elementary school. I decided to change my nickname to 'Chuck" in highschool"
"Saan mo naman nakuha yung 'Chuck'?"
"From Charlie Brown"
"Charlie Brown?"
"Peppermint Patty gave him the nickname 'Chuck'..."
"Oh, okay."
"Eh you, Meng and Maia aren't very close either. What's your real name?"
"Athena"
"Athena?" Chuck was slightly surprised. Both their names were rather 'rare'. "Well, you're pretty...and I'm sure you're very smart"
"Di naman, pero thank you" Maia said, slightly embarrassed.
"Athena...Meng...Maia..." Chuck furrowed his eyebrows and looked at Maia quizzically.
"Buong pangalan ko, Maria Athena, kaya MA-EE-YA. Yung Meng, tawag ng Nanay at Tatay ko sa akin."
"Oh right, they like giving "interesting" nicknames to kids and these don't necessarily have anything to do with their names''
Maia nodded. "Sina Sister Berna at Mother Carmela, minsan, Iya ang tawag sa akin..."
"Now I get it"
Their conversation was cut when their food came. They talked about other things while they ate. "Wag ka magagalit ha pero gaano ka katagal abroad?"
"We moved to Canada when I was about five. First time kong umuwi ulit dito was when I was a sophomore in college..."
"Ang tagal..."
Chuck nodded. "And then, my Ninong hired me to work for his company after I graduated last year"
"Congratulations!"
"Thank you. I first worked in Vancouver after graduation then moved here. I only recently came home...mga 6 months..."
"Ah. Buti marunong ka pa rin mag-Tagalog"
"Well, my parents and relatives always talked to me in Filipino. My Papi Rico scolded us grandchildren if we didn't answer him in Filipino..."
"Ah. Maganda siguro sa Vancouver, ano?"
"Oh yes!"
"Na-mi-miss mo?"
"Of course. I miss my family."
"Hmm. Pag nakaipon na ako, ibabiyahe ko rin sina Nanay at Tatay. Dito na kasi kami sa Maynila lumaki. Dati kaming nakatira dun sa squatter's area malapit sa bahay ampunan. Nakalipat kami sa tinitirhan namin ngayon kasi nabiyayaan kami ng pabahay sa kabilang banda lang nung tulay."
"Wow!"
"Kaya ang laki ng utang na loob namin sa kina Sister at sa mga tao sa ampunan." Maia added. "Kaya mula noon, kung kaya namin tumulong sa bahay ampunan, ginagawa namin. At siyempre, di na rin kami sumasali sa mga pa-raffle at pa-contest ng bahay ampunan. Give chance to others naman"
Chuck nodded.
"Swerte nga ata talaga namin nung taon na yun e"
"Ows? Bakit?"
"Ayun, nagkabahay kami – 2 bedroom apartment na may tig-iisang CR bawat kwarto. Nanalo din si Nanay ng pera sa isa pang pa-raffle. Ako, nabigyan ng scholarship"
"Awesome!"
---
"I really don't know any other Athena's but are you the Athena Mendoza who sent me friend request on Facebook?"
Maia stopped walking and looked at Chuck. "Rj...Faulkerson..." Maia said softly.
"That's my private account. I have an alter account, Chuck Faulkerson. How did you find it?"
Maia looked straight into Chuck's eyes. "...familiar ka sa Samaritan's Purse?"
Chuck's expression became serious. "Yes. I've been a volunteer at our church since I can remember. I think I packed only one box when I was about 8 or 9 years old."
Maia softly said, "I think I got your box"
"No way! I never knew what happened to that box anymore. Do you remember what was in the box?"
Maia shook her head. "Kasama ata yung pouch..."
"Pouch?"
"Yung kikay kit ko na napulot mo"
"Oh no!" Chuck rubbed his face and grimaced in embarrassment.
"Huh? Bakit?"
"I think inaway ko yung kuya ko because of that"
"Ano?"
"Pag nagttravel kasi yung parents namin, they usually give us the vanity kit that they get from the airline. I guess nasama ko sya sa shoebox ko kaya di ko na mahanap sa mga gamit ko"
"Pero hindi ako sigurado dun sa pouch."
"So, why did you think of looking for me?"
"May letter at picture na kasama sa box. Yun, sigurado akong tinago ko"
"Picture? Ko?"
Maia nodded. "...My name is Richard Siegfried Faulkerson. I am 8 years old today and I live in Canada. I like cars and airplanes and drawing. I want to be a pilot when I grow up. I hope you enjoy these things and maybe one day, we will see each other..."
"Whoa!" Chuck felt goosebumps on his arms. "And what I was wearing in the photo?"
"Nasa may parang pantalan ka."
"Pantalan?"
"Tubig yung nasa likod mo. Naka-white t-shirt ka na may nakapatong na blue na Hawaiian shirt. Naka-shorts ka na may orange na guhit sa laylayan. Tapos, naka-sandals ka na itim."
Chuck could not believe how detailed Maia's description was of the letter and the photo. "Dito na ako. Thank you ulit sa dinner at sa paghatid."
"Huh?"
"Andito na tayo sa bahay ko."
"Ah"
"Thank you sa lahat."
"You're welcome"
"Ingat ka. Goodnight, Chuck"
"Goodnight" Chuck replied. He watched Maia get out of the car and enter her gate. Chuck drove away after Maia waved at him again after entering the door.
---
Chuck left his phone on his desk and he went inside the bathroom to take a shower. He heard his phone's message tone even if he was inside the shower and the bathroom door was closed. He picked up his phone and checked it as he got in bed.
"O ano? Alam mo, ikaw, istorbo ka!" Sam said on the other end of the line.
"Nagkakilala kami!" Chuck exclaimed.
"Huh? Sino? You better explain yourself properly or you will pay for my ticket to this movie I'm watching online!" Sam said.
"Si Maia."
"Maia?"
"Meng. Yung pretty volunteer dun sa orphanage. Yung cute yung smile nung birthday party."
It took Sam a few seconds to understand who Chuck was describing. "Ows? Paano?"
"Kita tayo sa Starbucks in 20minutes..."
"Hoy! Nakapantulog na ako! Bukas nalang sa office"
"...may ipapadala ako sa yo..."
"Okay. Ano to? POTAH! Ikaw ba to?"
"O...yes...that was me. I was about 8 at that time..."
"Okay...and?"
"She sent that to me"
"Whoa!" Sam was about to say he'd take on Chuck's offer to meet for coffee that very moment when lightning cracked, and loud thunder rolled. Within seconds, storm like rains began to fall.