Visiting Kyla (Part III)

In the middle of Saturday afternoon, Kyla and I visited an iconic church nestled within the Makati Business District. Upon entering the premises, we could not help but feel a sense of peace and quiet amid the hustle and bustle of city life.

Suddenly, an old lady wearing a torn dress and sandals was eager to approach Kyla. Holding a bunch of sampaguita flowers on her right hand, she tried urging her to buy some of them.

Realizing her profound sympathy to the elderly lady, Kyla humbly purchased some of the sampaguita. She then wore the fragrant flowers on her neck, which genuinely pleased the elderly vendor.

On the way to church, Kyla and I dipped our hands on the holy water and gestured for the sign of the cross. Then we knelt on one of the pews and offered a prayer.

"Lord thank you for this memorable day," Kyla uttered, her innocent eyes closed and her rosy palms clasped together. "My beloved friend Michelle managed to return to the team and we never felt so relieved. Our prayers were truly answered thanks to you."

As Kyla continued praying, tears started falling from her eyes.

"Lord, what more can I say?" she tearfully continued. "It has been a challenging last few weeks for me. Times were tough, yet with your spiritual guidance, me and my team gathered ourselves through this adversity. I sincerely hope you will help us win the championship for our captain Michelle."

Kyla promptly stopped talking for a brief moment before concluding with one final plea.

"Lord, please be our guiding light in this year's tournament," she said fiercely. "We dearly need you so much."

After gesturing with a sign of the cross, Kyla bowed her head and paused for a short reflection. I promptly followed Kyla's lead.

Minutes later, we walked to the garden where statues of saints, Jesus and the Virgin Mary were located. At a candle stand, Kyla lighted a green wax candle for success while I illuminated a blue candle for happiness.

We offered another silent prayer for a few minutes. Upon leaving the church, Kyla and I went to a nearby convenience store for some snacks.

"So, do you visit the church often?" I inquired Kyla about her ritual.

"Affirmative, but only during my free time," Kyla gleefully responded. "I was taught by my sister Kelly to be more spiritually enriched and fearful of the Lord, therefore these church visits on Saturdays."

As I purchased two delicious cups of frozen orange juice, another question suddenly popped out of my curious mind.

"What about Sundays?" I sought Kyla. "Do you faithfully attend Mass?"

"To be honest, I stopped attending Mass once my parents died," Kyla revealed while buying two hotdog sandwiches at the cashier. "Since Kelly currently lives with her boyfriend somewhere in Quezon City, attending Mass as a complete family is next to impossible; hence my normal Saturday visits to church."

"At least you acquired a meaningful way to remain religiously involved," I commented favorably on Kyla's admission. "Perhaps I should go to church more often."

"Wait, you don't attend church services?" Kyla clarified to me as she took a delicious bite of the sandwich.

"Regrettably, my family doesn't often get together these days," I revealed to Kyla. "Charissa and Clark were extremely busy, especially my devoted father who is a full-time doctor. Regardless, I still find time to go to church whenever it allows me to."

After partaking heartily on some afternoon snacks, Kyla and I walked directly to Greenbelt and purchased new clothes. As we strolled out of the mall, a familiar face with a bunch of bags suddenly bumped towards us.

As a result of the collision, all of our bags wound up in various places. But upon looking at the man's face, I was shocked to discover Carson outside the mall.

"Christine?" Carson worriedly called me out with an anxious look on his face. "Sorry if I crashed onto you."

"No need to feel sorry Carson," I responded back. "Just help me and Kyla pick up these bags."

After we had retrieved all the bags, Carson, Kyla and myself proceeded to the parking lot. As he turned on his car, Carson began talking about our encounter earlier.

"So what were you doing in Greenbelt?" he inquired me.

"You can ask Kyla about it," I replied back. "She gave me a special request, something I could not turn down."

The three of us went inside Carson's car and drove directly to his home. During that brief trip, Kyla revealed to him that she invited me for a visit to her condominium unit.

"I was thinking if you can cordially invite me too," Carson commented on Kyla's profound remarks. "After all my house is not that far from yours."

"Carson, you're always welcome to my humble home," Kyla happily responded. "But only if I am living there right now."

Minutes later, we arrived at Carson's humble home. Upon stepping out of the car, Kyla could not help but feel nostalgic about it.

"What's the matter Kyla?" Carson inquired her.

"Carson, my family used to live here," Kyla emotionally revealed to him. "I spent my entire childhood on this very neighborhood."

As Carson and Kyla walked leisurely on the street, she could not help but feel enamored by the lush green trees and little birds flying in the moonlit sky. Suddenly, Kyla's eyes started leaking again upon gazing thoughtfully at her old home.

"You're crying," Carson said soberly as he offered his handkerchief to her. "Is there something you want to share?"

"My lovely sister Kelly sold this house and moved to Quezon City with her longtime boyfriend," Kyla pointed her right index finger to her former home. "It's so unfortunate. We could've been neighbors if not for the deaths of my parents."

Kyla wiped the tears from her eyes and continued speaking.

"But Kelly desired residing near her college, hence the reason why we no longer live here," Kyla continued her revelation. "Until now, I have never forgotten living in this elegant and extraordinary home."

"Kyla, you don't need to go very far," Carson commented on her compelling story. "We are still neighbors even if our lovely homes are a bit further now."

"Indeed," Kyla replied back. "You and I can visit each other during our free time. That's all I need to hear."

At that moment, the sun was setting fast and the night sky loomed. Carson and Kyla soon returned from a short walk and we all promptly entered his home.

A hearty dinner consisting of grilled t-bone steak, mashed potatoes and Caesar's salad capped off the night. As soon as dinner ended, Carson promptly drove me to my condominium unit, after which he fetched Kyla to her home.

My memorable day with Kyla has come to an end. But it was an absolute blast mingling with an extraordinary woman like her.

"Let's do this again someday," I vowed to Kyla before heading home.

"You said it," she joyfully responded back.