A Visit

Early in the morning at alvardo street, Binondo.Carissa got out of bed late since it was Saturday and she does not have classes today. She thought she would go to the resturant with Dyosa to help their mothers. She quickly brushed her teeth, shower, dressed up and went to the dinning room.

"Oh, Carissa you are awake?" Elvira said and smiled at the daughter.

"Mhm" she nodded and sat down on the chair across Dyosa. She looked at the table and saw so many dishes on the table. There was no special occasion so why will her mom prepare so much? She took a plate and served herself Kare Kare and she began to eat it slowly.

Today, Elvira's family and Isabelle's came together to eat today. The dinning room was not that big, but it can fit all of them.

Elvira looked at her daughter and asked, "Carissa, do you need rice?" Seeing her mother smiling, she could not say no so she agreed. She stared at her mother as her mother poured the rice on her plate. She did not understand why her mother was happy today.

"There, eat that" Elvira said as she finished putting the rice on Carissa's plate.

Carissa's eyes widened in surprise and she shook her head. "Nay, this is too much. Do you want me to grow fatter?"

She looked into her daughter's eyes and asked, "Don't you want to grow fatter?"

"Of course not"

"Eat before your food get cold" she said and she continued to eat her food.

Dyosa looked at Elvira and then at Carissa and brushed her arm gently. Carissa looked at her and gave her a questioning look. "What?"

Dyosa leaned forward to Carissa and asked in a very low voice almost in a whisper, "Why do you think tita is acting like this? Tell me if you know" Carissa looked at her and gave her an 'I DON'T KNOW' look. Disappointment was written on Dyosa's face.

"Nay, I noticed you are happy, did you get a promotion at work? Tell us" Carissa asked.

Elvira was silent for few seconds and then she later said, "Promotion? Of course not, can't I be happy again? I am just happy"

"Just happy?" Carissa and Dyosa said at the same time as if they planned it and then looked at themselves and continue to eat.

Mrs belen face showed a smile and she looked at this two kids.

Isabelle suddenly remembered something, she dropped the spoon and knife in her hand and turned to Elvira. "Elvira, I heard that Mr Bennet was later arrested. Who would have thought that that handsome, kind, innocent man will do such evil things" You know Isabelle has always been interested in gisting. "I later found out that he kidnapped children, transport them to another country and take part of their organs and then sell them to those who need them" Carissa and Dyosa were so surprised. Though, they don't know this Mrs Bennet.

"So people still do all those stuff?" Dyosa asked.

"Yes, I also heard that he has some quack doctors that operates on those children and take their organs" she paused and bit her lower lips. "I also had a crush on him"

Everybody spoon and knife fell on the plate as they stared at Isabelle. She looked at all of them and asked, "What?"

"It's a very good thing that tita did not marry him if not Dyosa would have been a victim of that MR BENNET" Carissa said as she looked into Isabelle's eyes.

"Now that it is weekend and we don't have anything to do, Ethan invited You to dinner" Dyosa turned and said to Carissa who did not notice that Dyosa was talking to her. Dyosa frowned her face and shouted, "I am talking to you Carissa!"

Carissa immediately turned to Dyosa and asked, "Me?"

"Of course, you" she was already angry.

"So what did you say?"

"Ethan invited you to dinner this night" she said almost shouting.

"But he did not tell me" she said and took a mouth full spoon of rice in her mouth.

"But he told me"

"So are we going together?" she asked and took the water on the table and drank it.

"He said only you should come" Carissa almost spat out the water in her mouth then she swallowed it forcefully and turned to Dyosa. This time her voice was high. "What?! Did Ethan really say that?!"

"Yes, he did. He told me yesterday, but I was not able to tell you on time"

Carissa did not understand why Ethan will want her to join him for dinner.

"What makes him think that he can just make me go out with him?" she proudly.

"Because he invited you. Didn't I tell you that Ethan likes you?"

"Keep your voice down, they are here"

"And what if they are here? Why? Why can't they hear?"

Carissa widened her eyes and narrowed them again. "Dyosa, I will kill you!" she screamed and reached out her hand to grab Dyosa, but Dyosa was fast, she stood up from the chair and ran away. Carissa followed her and they began to run round the living room like kids. "Dyosa, don't run, give up now and accept defeat"

"No"

The three sitting on the dinning table watched them as they played around like kids. Back then when that were young, Dyosa and Carissa will run around the living, but this time with their kites. Elvira will tell them to stop, but they won't listen. When they were tired of playing in the living room, they will run outside and play with other kids.

Carissa was a very young, beautiful girl, but stubborn. She doesn't like been controlled, she does what she likes and what she likes is the right thing to do even though they were wrong. Dyosa on the other way was a very quiet person. She doesn't get into fights like Carissa. Both of them have lost their fathers.

Carissa looked at the table and saw a lunch pack. She stopped and walked to it. Dyosa noticed this and could not help, but ask, "What is wrong, Carissa?"

Carissa looked at her and then at the lunch pack. They moved closer to it and studied it closely. "This belongs to mom, but why is it here?" she looked at Dyosa as if she knew the answer, but was disappointed later. "Nay, did you put this here?" she asked her mother and pointed at the lunch box.

"Yes"

"What is it for?"

"I am going to South cotabota"

"Huh? Why?" Carissa was surprised. She knew they have no relative in South cotabota so why is her mother going there?

"I am going to give it to Alex"

Everybody's was stunned. Is she crazy? Why did she suddenly think of going to South cotabota. Carissa did not understand her mom. She has already told her that kuya Alex is not father so why is she behaving like this.

Ever since Elvira saw Alex, she knew they we somehow related, but she don't know how. She had sleepless night thinking about Alex. She don't know why, but she suddenly wants to see Alex. Is it because he looks like Nicolas?

Elvira has misses Nicolas so dearly that she wanted to be with him. She will cry every time she remembers him and now that she has seen someone that looks like Nicolas, it's like seeing Nicolas in him.

"Nay are you crazy?"

"Tita"

"Anak, what is wrong with you?"

"Elvira, don't tell me you are going crazy?"

They all asked after each other not allowing her to answer just a single question.

She took a deep breath and said, "I am not mad. I remembered that Carissa told me that Alex best food is Kare Kare so I prepared it for him and I want to personally thank him for what he did to Carissa"

But she could not tell them that she wants to visit him because she misses Nicolas. She saw Nicolas in him.

"Nay, remember that he is not father" Carissa reminded her mother again.

"I know" before they could say another word, she stood up, grabbed her bag and the lunch box and started towards the room. "I am going now"

"But..."

"Don't forget to take good care of your Lola, Carissa" she immediately cut Isabelle off and waved goodbye and left.

There was an awkward silence for few seconds when she left and finally someone spoke, "I really don't understand that mother of yours" Mrs belen said and everybody looked towards her direction, but didn't say anything.

At south cotabato.

Elvira got to Alex's house and was about to knock when the door suddenly opened. Alex raised his head and saw Elvira. He frowned his brows and asked, "Your face looks familiar, but I don't know where"

She smiled, "My name is Elvira, Carissa mother"

"Oh, ma'am, What brings you here?"

"I came to thank you and I heard that your best food is Kare Kare so I brought this" she gave the lunch box to him, he collected it and smiled, "Thank you ma'am"

Her face filled with sadness as she looked at him. She smiles just like Nicolas, but who is he? She immediately shake her head to stop her from thinking.

"Can I come in?"

"Yes, you can" he moved from the entrance and she entered the house.