CHAPTER TWO
Margarita Gonzalo
A large bouquet of white roses had just been delivered from a flower shop when Margarita returned back to the mansion. White roses were her favorite. She smelled them.
The roses were from Carlos. It came with a note.
Margarita,
I’m really looking forward to see you again. I wish we can talk more just the old times.
Take care.
Carlos
Then her mobile phone rang. It was a call from Nina. She wondered why because they just talked before she left the hospital.
“Yes, Nina,” she answered.
Nina said, “Papa Conrado just died. Please inform Tito Alvaro.”
“Okay,” she said then asked, “Did you already call Carlos?”
“Yeah, I did. He gave me his business card when he visited this morning. I already told him,” Nina answered.
“Okay. Stay strong for Junie,” she told her best friend.
Nina replied, “Yes. I need to make more phone calls. Bye.”
Margarita Gonzalo was born on April 18, 1982. She was the only daughter of Alvaro Gonzalo with his first wife, Margaret Ryle.
Her mother was a daughter of a British Ambassador to Filipinas. Her parents met through the Legardas. Don Conrado’s father was then the Governor of Quisia and the British Ambassador along with his wife and his daughter came as guests of the Legardas. They stayed at the Legarda Mansion and were also honored through a Thanksgiving Party.
Alvaro attended the party being Conrado’s best friend and being from a wealthy and known family in Quisia as well. He came with his parents.
It was a mutual love at first sight between her parents. Her father even went to London to court her mother. After a year they got married. Her mother just then finished medical school and passed the board of medicine. Her mother wasn’t able to practice her medical profession. She just engaged herself in various civic activities. She wasn’t born right away. Her parents were already five years married when she was born.
Her mother died on a plane crash when she was just seven years old. Carlos’ mother took care of her until her father remarried to Dona Eleanor Sy, first cousin of Dona Carlota.
His father remarried when she was eleven. She then just finished her elementary education in an exclusive Catholic school for girls as valedictorian. Afterwards, she was invited by her grandparents by her mother to spend a vacation at London.
She decided then to stay with her grandparents and continue her studies there. Her father agreed provided that she would spend school breaks back in Quisia.
After finishing secondary school with sixth form, she was admitted to a prestigious medical school in London where she earned her medical degree in five years.
She went back for good in Filipinas and took her pediatrics residency in Filipinas General Hospital.
After passing her board in pediatrics, she joined the pediatric section of Olymvas Doctors’ Hospital.
Her relationship with her father’s second wife was good. They weren’t able to give her a sister or a brother because they got married by their forties already. Dona Eleanor treated her like a real daughter and she also treated her like a real mother. When she returned from London, they both became busy with church activities.
After the call from Nina, Margarita told her father and stepmother about Don Conrado’s death. Her father and her stepmother just descended from the stairs on their way to join her for dinner.
Dona Eleanor asked, “Who sent you the flowers, hija?”
“It’s from Carlos, Mommy,” she answered. “Dad, Mom, Nina called. She said Tito Conrado already passed away.”
Don Alvaro said, “We need to contact Carlos. He just gave me his business card this afternoon. It’s in my study room.”
The telephone rang and it was answered by one of their housemaids. It was a call from Carlos asking for Don Alvaro.
Her father immediately talked to Carlos.
At dinner, Conrado’s death and Carlos were their topic as they ate and talked.
Doña Eleanor said, “I’m sure Carlota would make it difficult for Carlos to attend the funeral.”
Don Alvaro told them, “We will accompany Carlos whenever he attends the wake as well as when he attends the funeral service. Carlota won’t do anything if we’re with him. You’re her cousin, Eleanor. You’re close to Junie and Nina, Margarita. And I am Conrado’s best friend. Conrado requested me about this. We need to give Carlos our full support.”
Dona Eleanor asked, “Was Carlos able to talk to Conrado before he died?”
Don Alvaro replied, “Yes. Nina made it happen upon Conrado’s request.”
Margarita added, “Nina told me that Tita Carlota was so furious when she saw Carlos with Tito Conrado late this morning. I saw her at the hospital. I went there to check on the baby she had just delivered prematurely via caesarian section.”
Dona Eleanor wondered, “Up to now, I still cannot understand why Carlota cannot even be civil with Carlos. Carlos and Amparo have always kept a low profile. Carlos didn’t even ask anymore support from Conrado when he was already working. Carlos even funded Conrado’s last candidacy.”
Don Alvaro said, “Not all people are like you, mahal. You are able to love my daughter as your own even if she’s not your biological daughter. But I also couldn’t blame Carlota. Conrado really loved Amparo. Carlos is a constant reminder of such.”
Dona Elanor said, “Conrado tried to become a good husband to her as well as a good father to Junie and Caroline. It wasn’t Carlos fault being his parents’ lovechild.”
Don Alvaro replied, “I agree. But that’s Carlota! We cannot force upon her to accept Carlos if she doesn’t want.”
Margarita asked, “Dad, are you really sure Tita Carlota won’t do anything if Carlos comes with us?”
Don Alvaro replied, “I’m also not very sure but being with us is Carlos’ best option.”
“Carlos needs our moral support.” Dona Eleanor added. “So why did Carlos send you flowers, hija?”
Don Alvaro answered for her daughter, “Carlos asked my permission to court Margarita when he came this afternoon.”
Dona Eleanor teased her stepdaughter, “I smell romance. White flowers are your favorite, right? Will Carlos be the one to conquer our princess’ heart, Alvaro?”
Don Alvaro joined his wife in teasing his daughter, “We’ll see. Carlos seems serious. He is back for good and he wants to get married and have kids. I’ll be happy to have him as a son-in-law. What about you, mahal?”
Dona Eleanor replied, “Carlos is a good man. And he has established himself on his own. For sure a lot of women are after him. But he chooses to court our princess. I can see romance to the highest level, mahal.”
Margarita’s face was blank. She tried hard not to show her real feelings. She had liked Carlos since they were kids. Knowing that Carlos wanted to court her and considered her as his future wife, she was just so happy.
But she was also sad for his lost. When her mother died, Carlos and his mother were there to give her moral support. Carlos had always cheered her up whenever she felt lonely over her mother’s death.
She wasn’t there much for Carlos when his mother died. She had to return to London for her studies just two days after Amparo died of stroke. She would have to make it up to him with his father’s death.
Margarita wasn’t able to sleep right away that night. She could still feel the warmth of Carlos embrace when he hugged her that afternoon.
She also kept on looking the white roses that were already arranged on her vase by the side table of her bed.
They didn’t see each other that much ever since he accepted a job offer from a corporation in Japan as soon as his mother was buried.
It was also one of the reasons why she opted to study medicine in London. Carlos didn’t live anymore in their mansion.
At first she studied secondary education in London upon her grandparents’ wish. They terribly missed her mother and they want her to stay longer and so she agreed. She had plans on going back to Filipinas after her graduation but since Carlos wasn’t anymore there whenever she went home for her school breaks she decided to pursue medicine back in London. She needed distraction because she missed his presence. Staying in Filipinas for her college education meant missing him more so she decided to choose staying in London.
As for her residency after medical school, she decided to have it in Filipinas General Hospital because of Nina. Nina was already in her second year in obstetrics and gynecology residency when she started her pediatric residency.
She attended her wedding to Junie Legarda as her maid of honor and she told her about the pediatric residency program in Filipinas General Hospital and so she agreed.
Nina was just two years older than her. Rhena, Nina’s younger sister, was her classmate in elementary. But she became much closer to Nina because they had the same interest – medicine. Nina was her best friend among her closest circle of friends. They called their group – HARMONY.
H stood for Hazel, their ramp model friend. A stood for Angeline, the environmentalist in their group. R stood for Rhena, Nina’s sister and their journalist friend. M stood for her. O stood for Olivia, professional singer friend. N stood for Nina. Y stood for Yvette, their dentist friend.
She, Angeline, Rhena and Hazel were still single. Nina, Yvette and Olivia were already married.
Among them, Nina was her only fried who knew of her long standing romantic admiration for Carlos.
When she met her at the hospital that afternoon, she told Nina about Carlos’ intention on courting her. Nina was so happy for her. But she also felt sad because of what happened to Carlos during his visit with his father.
Nina told her how her mother-in-law referred to him with a number of inappropriate names.
She also felt sorry for Carlos. Her stepmother was right when she said that it wasn’t Carlos’ fault being his parents’ lovechild.