Who Is This Alex

Elvira walked into the house and sat down on the couch.

"What do you want me to give you ma'am"

"Anything will be fine" she smiled.

"What about soda?" she nodded her head and he went to the kitchen to prepare it for her. Elvira looked around the room. The living room was painted in white, and the wall was decorated with photos . The room is quite large, bigger than her living room. There was photos of his parents and him growing up, and also of him graduating from the police academy.

"Here is it ma'am" he walked in with two glasses of soda, he placed it on the table in front of her and sat on the chair opposite her. She took the soda, sipped it and placed it back on the table.

Without wasting more time, she began to talk. "I came here to thank you for taking care of my daughter. You know, Carissa might be so stubborn that she will do whatever she wants" she smiled and continued. "And I know that she forced you to allow her stay here, right"

Smiling, "Carissa is really a stubborn girl. At first when I saw her, she was so persistent. She stayed here all day, she never wanted to go"

"That's how she is, so stubborn" The two burst into laughter and then there was an awkward silence. Elvira has so many things in her mind, so many things to ask Alex.

She looked around the house as if she was looking for something then later she looked at Alex and asked, "When I first saw you, I thought you were my husband. You really look like him, but you are younger"

"Tell me ma'am, where is he now?"

"In heaven" she said and laughed. "My husband died fourteen years ago. That time Carissa was only three years old, she was too young and my son too, Leonel, he was seven years then. That night when he died, he told me that he wants to go out with his friends and he left then I waited for him for hours to come back, but he never came" she said and tears dropped down her eyes and covered her mouth with her hand to stop herself from crying out loud. "I later got a call from the hospital that he was rushed there. I left my children at home and went to the hospital only to find him dead" This time she shouldn't stop herself from crying as she cried her eyeballs out. "The police told me that he was shot in the chest and they have no lead. I was angry with his friends for not protecting my husband. He was buried and after some days, a fire broke out in my house and my son, Leonel died in that fire. It was so painful" she shook her head and she continued to cry.

Alex walked to her and began to console her. "Wipe your tears ma'am. I have a question for you" Elvira raised her head and looked at him. "What?"

"Where are your husband friends now?"

"I don't know. Ever since my husband died, I have not heard of them. Why did you ask?"

He placed him and on his laps and thought of something. "Nothing. Have the murderer been caught?" Elvira shook her head.

Ever since she left Novaliches, no one called her about the case of her husband's death, but she always prayed to God that one day the murderer will be caught.

"Have you eaten?" she changed the topic.

"No ma'am"

She walked to the kitchen and brought a plate with a spoon and fork and placed it on the dinning table. "Come here" He stood up and followed her to the dinning. He sat on the seat and watched her serve him Kare Kare. "I hope you like my Kare Kare" she smiled and gave him the food. He took it from her and eat it then his face expression changed immediately. He looked up at Elvira and then at the food.

"The taste...why does it look like I have tasted this food before. I don't know where, but it looks like I have tasted this food" he thought.

Elvira looked at him and thought the food was not good so she asked, "Is the food not good? Is it too salty?"

He shook his head. "The food is delicious" he said and she smiled.

"I learnt that from my husband. That was his best food when he was alive"

"Tell me, have you ever worked in any resturant" Alex asked her.

"Yes, I am currently working in a twapakto restaurant"

"No wonder" he said subconsciously.

"No wonder what?"

Then he noticed that he said it aloud. "Nothing"

He said no wonder because he thought he has tasted her food somewhere, but he has not been to twapakto restaurant so where did he taste her food.

"But I have never gone to twapakto restaurant so how did I taste her food? Or maybe because my best food is Kare Kare" he thought.

She watched him until he finished his food. She will ask him repeatedly how the food is. After eating he took the plate to the kitchen to wash them. Elvira saw a photo hunged upside down. She walked to it to put in the right position then her hands began to shiver when she saw the photo. It was a photo of Alex parents and a young boy, but this young boy looks like Leonel.

"Is this Leonel? But Leonel died fourteen years ago so how did he get here? No way" she thought.

It is a photo of Leonel with Alex's parent. She was confused. Leonel died in the fire some years ago. She really don't understand why she is seeing Leonel in the photo. She rubbed her eyes to be sure that she was not seeing things and she looked at the photo in her hand and she was now sure that she was not dreaming. This is really Leonel in the photo.

Alex walked to the living room and saw her looking at the photo. He walked to her and smiled, "Ma'am what are you looking at"

She turned to him and asked, "Is this you?" she pointed at the boy in the photo.

"Yes, that is me"

A cold shiver ran down her spine. She could not believe what she heard. Is Leonel really Alex? He died fourteen years ago so how is Alex Leonel. Who is this Alex?

"Why did you ask?" he asked.

She could not tell him that he looks like her son, Leonel. She only shook her head, dropped the photo in her hand and turned to leave.

"I will be leaving now and also I want you to come and visit me when you have the time" she smiled.

"Yes, I will" he said and she left.

Half way, in the bus.

Elvira was thinking about the photo she saw at Alex's house. Leonel could possibly not be alive, he died in the fire that night. She immediately shook her head, "No, Leonel is dead"

At alvardo street, Binondo.

The door slowly opened and Elvira came in. She has a sullen expression on her face.

Carissa, "Nay, what's wrong?"

Elvira, "Nothing anak. I think I am just tired, hahaha" she laughed and walked to her room.

She laughed so no one will notice the sad expression on her face.

Isabelle, "What is wrong with your mother?"

Carissa, "I don't know"

Mrs belen, "Go and check on her Isabelle"

Isabelle, "Okay" she said and went to Elvira's room.

Elvira in her room dropped her bag and sat on the bed thinking of the photo. "Could he be my son? Was he saved from the fire?" she thought. She was later brought back to earth when someone tapped her shoulder. She looked up and saw Isabelle looking at her.

"What were you thinking of that you did not even hear me knocking on your door?"

She pulled Isabelle's hand to the bed and made her sit down. "I think Alex is Leonel"

Isabelle was surprised. "What? You mean your son?" Elvira nodded her head. "You are going crazy already! I knew it, you shouldn't have gone to that boys house! You are crazy!"

Isabelle did not expect her friend to say that. It was like she was going crazy. Why will she just think that Alex is Leonel.

"No, I am not"

"What made you say that?" she asked in a low voice.

"I saw Leonel's picture in Alex house"

"What? Leonel's photo? How?"

"I don't know, but I asked Alex and he said he is the one in the photo. I just can't believe it"

"What are you trying to say? That Leonel is alive?"

She stood up and walked to the window. "I don't know, but I have to find out"

"So how are you going to do it? Will you drag him to the hospital for a DNA test?"

"No" she said and turned to Isabelle. "I invited him to come to my house"

"So what will you do?"

Elvira leaned forward and said something to Isabelle in a very low voice. Isabelle nodded her head in agreement.