xxi. the renaissance (II)
[ debussy - la mer ]
JENNIE.
Aggravating.
It was an aggravating arrival to say the least. We booked a whole concord plane to New York since everyone was expecting our quick landing. Chaeyoung here decided to be impulsive and took the whole flight for ourselves.
Apparently, she just wanted this get over with so we could go back to Deauville again and pretend we never knew New York.
"Babe. I was thinking. Can we give Ella a quick tour of the city? Or take her on a walk to Central Park?" I prompted out in mid air as Chaeyoung was busy figuring out the agreement paper that her secretary prepared for us.
We were now in the hotel that my family owned. I had to kick out the tenant of the largest suite in the place last minute because we were coming. Just a few hours and the conference will begin at the city hall. We'll be meeting our parents again, some bunch of city officials and the rest of the business tycoons who wants to save their company investment.
And now about the invitation that I spoke to her, she paused in the middle of her meddling and just stared at me with an unreadable expression. "We don't need to have memories of coming here, Jennie. Ella doesn't need that." Her words bit me.
"It's no big deal, i mean, she's five. Kids can easily forget." I shrugged my shoulders in reason.
"Do you see her reactions when we mention New York? She thinks this is fucking Disneyland." I saw her wincing out of grave disapproval.
"Bu-" My rebuttal was interrupted when a loud budge in the door caught our attention.
It was Jisoo. My best friend. Barging in with nonchalance. "Oh thank god, you're here!" She raised her palms up in the air, as if thanking the heavens for receiving salvation.
"Jisoo!" Seeing her face made my heart smile, I then approached to embrace her. "I missed you!"
"I missed you too, housewife." Jisoo managed to tease.
After saying our greetings and brief small talks, we had to settle in and discuss what we should do during the meeting.
Apparently Jisoo found the reason why New York was in this fiscal mess at the first place, she had undergone an investigation hoping they could find alternative resolutions for the problem, so she spoke. "Five years ago some of the business tycoons have decided to manipulate their city tax obligation and have rendered documents that stated they have fully pay their dues every year when the reality was they've never given a cent to the city ever since. When the time came that the public service demand escalated, the local government surprised themselves of the lack of funds that they had. So they had to lend money from banks, but It just gotten worse and worse, the deficit has on its widest gap that it even affected those fraudulent tycoons that caused this in the first place."
"And who are these assholes?" I asked with eyebrows pointing at each other.
"I believe Park Chanyeol has been leading this illicited action. Ever since he got his heir rights to their sports company, he had been so duplicitous with his business endeavors, even the elite society can't touch him." Jisoo raveled.
"Oh god, when will that man die." I heard Chaeyoung curse as she placed her palm on her head, in frustration.
"Girl, I've been waiting too." Jisoo doubled the biting sarcasm on her tone.
Knowing this ignited my hatred towards the man who didn't had the slightest shame on his body. I had to do something to stop him. At least I could avenge Lisa.
...
It was time. My wife and I have just arrived at the city hall, we were welcomed by the doorman and led us to the concierge area.
I took a peek at Chaeyoung and saw her agitated face, which worried me more. I slid my hands through her wrist and reached down for her fingers and instantly intertwined it with mine. She flinched when she noticed my sudden contact, our eyes met, "Hey, everything will be alright. I'm here." I plastered a calming smile.
Then she reciprocated the same warmth as she held my hand tighter and mouthed a smooth "I love you" under her breath. My inhibitions shattered all at once as I was reminded of the unending love that I have for this woman. I responded an "I love you" back when we were already approaching the elevator.
But then a sudden tall figure taunted my eyes to swivel at the other direction.
I wasn't mistaken. It was him.
Chanyeol.
It was Park Chanyeol.
He wasn't the nineteen year old naive looking guy anymore who only had his heart for Park Chaeyoung and Fencing, now he's bigger than that. His shoulders were more broad as if he was literally carrying all the riches of his reign, his stance seemed like a impenetrable fortress, and his eyes were meaner than the last time I saw it. But there was still Park Chaeyoung, in his eyes was an immovable dribble of memory. She was still his source of power, but just in a darker and resented form now.
He was walking towards us, gladly Chaeng didn't notice him yet.
It was my time to reprimand him before the meeting. It's the right time to confront him after so many years of avoiding the fear of seeing him face to face. Now the wounds have turned into scars, although the depth of the pain still remained I can handle the intensity now.
When the elevator opened. I rushed my wife to go in, "Uh, you should go ahead. I forgot some of my files in the car. I'll be with you in a sec." I pushed her slightly from her back as her stilettos camped inside the elevator.
"W-what?" Chaeng of course was confused and surprised that she did not had the time to recollect what I've said. "But babe I-" The elevator already closed before my wife could say anything more.
An instant anger cradled my bones, conforming a dark cloud up in my head when I saw Chanyeol walking down the hallway, and has already seen me. The exasperating tap of his shoes against the glossy marble floor has sparked an irate flame at the back of my stomach. Seeing him infuriates me.
He's dressed so well, face reflecting an impenitent smile, and eyes full of no guilt. After all these years, he never suffered or received any consequences of the death that he had done to Lisa.
I want to peel his skin, gnash his bones, break his ribs, and run over him a thousand times just so he could feel a pinch of the mortifying pain we've been through. Yet he's standing in front of me, unscathed and boastfully looking down on me. I despise his presence a lot.
"Long time, Jen." His voice disgusted my guts. I tried to compose my irritation.
"Yeah, it's been so long that I thought you were dead. But that's just me." I slyly implicated.
He scoffed as a mockery, "You wished ill of me? Now that's just not good."
"Wishing doesn't seem to work for you. You're not in bars now as what I can see." In a click, the ambiance intensified. Long years of remorse, hatred and unsaid contrition had vigor us to this moment. The bitter taste of confrontations.
"Oh, come on!" He scoffed a grunt, his arrogance is intoxicating my skin. "You're still that bitter about a decade old accident. We've moved on, Jen." Chanyeol continued with eyes so stealthy.
"You killed the person I loved." I bit.
"You took my fiancè away from me." Chanyeol almost gritted his teeth as I saw his eyes piercing me with so much aversion.
"She chose me, you didn't accept that. You made Lisa pay the price of what should've been your death." I reminded him of his sin.
"You think I didn't mourn for her? Lisa and I have gone so much together before you." He suddenly appalled. "But I had to overpass that feeling, I had better things to do."
"That doesn't give you an excuse to deny your responsibility of her death. You didn't even dare to. Not once." I rebutted.
"I guess, I had enough luck in this lifetime. Lisa didn't." He coughed a loud brag. I rolled my eyes.
"Not for long." I took a step forward, inhaling all of his immodest ego. I clenched my jaw. "Listen. Once I step inside that conference room, it's going to be my turn to drive and you'll be the one standing in the middle of the street."
"Hm, is that an allegorical threat?" He ridiculed my statement. When did this beast had the audacity to belittle me? What an ugly trait.
"Hmm more like a preposition." I hissed as I cued a sly smirk. "Along with the city mortgage agreement, comes the chance of letting New York be the greatest city of America again and Chaeng and I will only sign it if you promise to leave the city and move all of your companies, investments and properties out in the area. I don't care which part of the world you'll spread your unlawful monopoly, just don't ever touch New York again."
"And if I don't?" I can feel his eyes heat up.
"Then we go home to France, leave the mortgage agreement, watch the city go bankrupt and make sure they'll blame you and your family for it." Every word that I spoke served it's intention, and it was to make Chanyeol fear for his own life.
"Listen here you devil." A strained expression dilated in Chanyeol's eyes as the veins on his neck blushed and popped in tension. Now he's threatened. "You can't scare me so easily, my family's business empire is one of the foundation of New York's urbanization and you can't just throw us out, the people won't let you."
I came at him with the same force, "That monopolist foundation of yours has crippled the city, the people just don't know that yet because you've made them blind. But if you still won't accept my preposition then I can unravel all of your disgusting corruption." I shrilled.
"Fuck you!" An irrational reaction from Chanyeol cued his frustration. I could only laugh at his vanity.
"I'm the person behind the wheel now. I'll decide whether if I'll run you over or take a turn. I'm giving you the chance to run away before I step on that pedal and kill you, now it's your move." These were his last intake of my poisonous words then I went ahead to the conference room with head up high and the will to finally give the pain that Park Chanyeol deserved.
...
CHAEYOUNG.
The conference meeting had an inimical atmosphere, almost like a battle for survival. Mr. Abraham Beame, the respective mayor of the city, had to controlling the detrimental tempers of the businessmen who were with us. They basically just wanted to skim all the prompted agreements in the contract and get their businesses going.
My little patience has burned out as I bare with these corrupt tycoons' audacious behavior. How bold of them to demand instant redemption when they're the ones who caused this downfall on their own. So I had to say something. But before I stood, I made sure Jennie's hands were in mine, because she calms down my anxiety.
"Listen. If you demand such immediate financial aid, don't be annoyingly boisterous of your self-agendas. I know you really don't care about the city, you only care about the companies you've rooted here and not the people. But Jennie and I care about them, we care about their future welfare. We're trying to help because this was the city that weaved us to be the best version of ourselves. And I hope you realize that this is more than just a business salvation. This is also the future of the New Yorkers out there." I scowled with the intention of them to realize what jeopardy they've had done out of selfishness.
After what I've said, Jennie added another counterpart, so she stood up beside me with the same courage, "And to make this deal short and simple, let me reiterate this. We will release the money only if those people who were involved in this constricted tax evasions against the city will camp out and leave New York. We've done some comical research beforehand and I see heads who are about to be cut off. Now stand up before we leave you with a city of bankruptcy." I noticed Jennie's eyes were specifically nailing at someone. And it was Chanyeol, who was deliberately anxious.
Everyone murmured, looking pathetically at each other, trying to pass the blame to their right and left but to no avail. Seconds later, surprisingly someone stood up. Eyes were all at the man who shared a deep past with Roseanne. And an unfamiliar hurt still stings me on the inside, whenever I see his face.
"We'll defederate all of our investments out of New York." A pleading Park Chanyeol rose amongst the crowd that was gasping in shock, "Just please, save this city." He continued.
"What the hell are you doing, Chanyeol!" There stood Kai, with mortifying veins as he grabbed Chanyeol by the collar. "Let's stop this. New York deserves better. And Lisa..." Chanyeol's words trailed off as his head went low. "Lisa doesn't want this." His eyes watered, with great sentiments brimming out of his chest as he looked back at his brother, Kai.
"She doesn't matter anymore." A defying Kai tightened the grip on his collar, resisting to falter. "She was family. When everything was simple and when the world didn't matter to us, she was our family, Kai. She will always be." Chanyeol paralleled his brother with eyes of culpability. And slowly, Kai's heavy breathing and horrid eyes came at ease, like sea landing on its shore, he found his resolution. Kai knew his brother was right, it was time to face the truth.
An ache that has been sketched for years started to heal now. I suddenly felt the warmth of Jennie's hand that was intertwining with mine, it reminded me, so I looked at her direction and smiled. "We've done it." I uttered in victory.
"For Lisa." She reverberated the maiden who gave us the reason to fight for New York.
"For Lisa." I finally echoed.
Then I looked across the room, a weeping Chanyeol caught my orbs. i couldn't help but sympathize with him as he put on a frowning smile at me as he mouthed, "I'm sorry..."
...
After we signed the agreement, the local committee and the mayor processed the transaction together with the French government, since our money was in France and we were making a big transfer so we needed to be very heedful, we made sure to publicize this event, so that the New Yorkers will finally see hope in living peacefully on their motherland again. We've also declared that this renaissance of New York was made possible by the Times Empire, Lisa's family conglomerate. Taehyung received great gratitude from the public and also from his father. Just a small thing to give back to Lisa's family after all they've been through.
As promised, Chanyeol relocated immediately. Together with his brothers, they're planning to refocus their investment in the Middle East and Asia. I've heard that Singapore was their main target to establish their headquarters, but that was just initial options.
It was time to celebrate, the Renaissance of New York has come its epitome. This place has gone through a lot of movements that transitioned the current generation into a new way of living or lifestyle. Amidst the contradiction of ancient culture and the brimming of new beliefs and trends, we hope to establish a common ground between societies. It was time for New York to change, and embrace the inevitable exposition for a Renaissance.
JENNIE.
Change of plans.
Gratefully, my wife was feeling very generous and allowed us to go on tour around the city together. Of course, Ella was ecstatic after hearing the news that we planned to start the tour as early as 7 am Both of us weren't morning people, but Jisoo was, and she insisted to accompany us because she missed Ella so much, so we compromised.
"Here's your coffee, love." I handed out a macchiato to Chaeng as we belled out of the hotel and wait for our chauffeur to arrive. "Thanks, babe. Ugh. I can't believe we woke up this early." She uttered a complain as she sipped a tad bit of her coffee.
"Let's just give this to Jisoo for today. She's trying to be the best aunt in the world." I echoed. Jisoo and Ella were ahead of us, whimsically holding hands, as my daughter was already playing with Jisoo's promised snowball on her other hand.
"Hm, Ella likes her too much that won't be a trouble for her." Chaeyoung commented timely when our ride arrived. We then settled in after.
Our tour started in Greenwich Village. We wanted to tell Ella the place that started this all. We visited NYU, specifically the music department and the business department, we've just told Ella the parts of the story where she could understand for now. But soon, when she's ready, maybe we can tell her everything that bounded all of our lives. Especially mine, oh god, how the universe wanted me to suffer.
We then headed to the studio at the hidden corner of an alley. My paintings were still there, covered up in white linen. I didn't want to change or move something inside, since it was a memory bound to be untouched. Everything inside there reminded me of Lisa and that should stay as a precious reminder of her existence.
Our driver headed us back to Manhattan and did a quick museum tour at the Metropolitan Museum, it was quite fluttering to see Ella being so interested in art. At her age, he curiosity grows rampantly and wants to learn everything she has laid her eyes on. I was a proud parent.
"Hey, I was thinking. Why don't we have a quick detour at the statue of liberty." I offered a suggestion as we were already planning on heading home.
"Yeah, I haven't seen New York at its full presence for a long time." Jisoo seconded my plan.
Chaeng pleasantly smiled, "Of course. Besides, It's Ella's tall tall lady friend."
...
The sun has given its throne to the crescent moon and the sprinkling stars in the dark sky. It was night and New York never glowed brighter before. The four of us were all alone experiencing the view that the urban city gave. It was breathtaking. The landscape looked like buzzing fireflies, which Ella found very amusing.
While admiring the majestic view, I went closer to my daughter. I embraced her and spoke from behind, "Did you know mommy met a very special lady here before?"
"No." Ella conducively shook her head in response. "Mommy was very sad at that time that she wanted to fall from here." I continued as I reminisced the time when my soul saw Lalisa Manoban for the first time.
I can clearly remember her first words.
"God, I wish I had this view on my apartment." She said in admiration of the scenic sight, still fully unaware of my presence.
"Isn't it beautiful?" Then I unconsciously responded to her.
"Holy sh- ! You scared me!" She startled herself so hard that I found it quite amusing before.
That was it. That was my first memory of Lisa. That was the first time I looked into her orbs, and the first instance where our fate has been intertwined. She was somehow intangible in my life. The first time Lalisa Manoban has grimaced me into a love that she gave so much. The memory of it, of her, of us just sparks a certain feeling inside me. Like a hope that someday, somehow, somewhere. There would be a place for our souls to collide. And I was sure of it.
"Did the lady appeared because you were sad?" Ella asked as a small frown formed in her lips.
I nodded as I smiled in response. "Yes, sweetie. She saved mommy from falling."
"She must have been like Miss Liberty! She protected you from danger mommy!" My daughter happily concluded her thoughts and I couldn't agree more. "She did. Many times, baby. Many times." I hugged my daughter tighter from behind as we continued to enthrall ourselves with the view of the rebirthed New York City.
Whatever soul Lisa was, her heart was still the same when it came to loving me. Just selfless. Brimming with unlawful passion, the kind i didn't deserve. I shall always remember her, and I shall see to it that everyone in New York will also remember her, in all forms and in all lifetimes.
...
a/n: next is the last chapter