One Encounter, Rushing Memories

My heart was racing as I was approaching her, it has been eleven years since we last talked in person, I was still a juvenile back then, barely knew anything.

I could not really process what happened in our lives, could not understand the weight of the crime that my mother committed.

As years passed by, I started to get mature and would ask my father questions related to their marriage and her whereabouts. He told me everything I deserve to know, and it started to sink in.

I felt wrath and sorrow suddenly forming in my heart that I knew I could not get off. It was just too hard for me to bear. She really had the audacity to leave us and all of the memories we had behind.

When I saw her up-close, all the memories started to come back, it made me feel mad and gloomy in many ways. She still had her back turned on me, leaning on the door frame.

I gave her a tap on the shoulder, she looked over her shoulder at me and then turned to face me. She manifested a visage of sadness and nervousness, also a little bit of surprise.

She was fiddling with her fingers as she was too nervous to say a word, so I initiated the conversation to finish things quickly. I still need to pay grandad a visit and I also have a flight to catch with my bosom buddy, Kody.

"Father said that you wanted to have a word with me." I settled, "What do you want?"

She was still fiddling with her fingers, "I just wanted to talk to you about everything." she whispered, "I just wanted to talk to my only son."

Wow, she still has the audacity to talk to me after everything she did, "Of course we need to talk about it." I fumed, "You had forsaken us eleven years ago and you show up like we're okay, that we're not hurting."

Tears streaming down her face, "I know, I'm sorry for what I did to you and your father." she sobbed, "It was a mistake that I made and it ended up breaking us apart."

"A mistake?!" I hissed, "Cheating is never a mistake, it's a choice. A choice you made that broke our trust, our confidence and our family."

"You just proved it to me," I wept, "That the people you love will most likely be the ones to hurt you."

"I promise to change for the both of you." she sobbed, "Please, give me this chance."

"I've had enough." I said firmly, "It's better if we stay like this."

As our conversation was close to finishing, Kody arrived to pick me up, he pulls into our driveway, turning off his engine and waves at me.

Kody Williams. The typical shy, geeky friend I've had for a long time now. We met each other 11 years ago, it was at The Chesterfield Mayfair.

His father, Todd Williams, held a business event there and my father was invited over to it, so he took me with him to meet Todd's son, which is Kody.

As soon as we arrived at the venue, we approached the receptionist to show our invitation before we can enter the function room.

When we entered the function room, I saw lots of people, rich people to be exact. They were wearing luxurious clothing, but only one person caught my attention and that is Kody.

Who wouldn't notice him, he was seated at the back of room, with his headphones on, he was busy tapping away on his phone.

After my father introduced me to Todd, I was asked to approach Kody, at first I was hesitant to, I wasn't a social butterfly. I was always scared to meet new people but then I gave it a try.

I slowly approached him and gave him a tap on his shoulder. Surprisingly, he noticed me and then stopped playing his game, he was a bit shy, but we were able to talk and from then on, we became friends.

Todd and my father had been friends since they were in highschool, both of them had congenial minds, since they developed a love for business or in short they are both business minded.

Their individual parents owned a large men's clothing chain in United Kingdom and so they decided to follow their paths and to continue their legacy.

That's a quick backstory of how I met Kody and the friendship between Todd and my father, also about their business.

He walks over to the back of the car to open the car trunk in advance to avoid any hassle whilst loading it with our luggage.

He approached us, then stopped to greet my mother. He seemed surprise and a bit shy.

"Good Morning Mrs. Josefina." Kody greeted as he bowed down, "Sorry for interrupting."

Mother smiled at him, "It's okay, we were just getting finished."

"Kody, wait for me at the terrace." I requested, "I'll be done here in a minute."

Kody nodded and went on his way.

"As I've said it's better if we stay like this." I frankly said. "I have to go."

As I was heading toward the terrace, she grabbed my arm.

"Before you go," she said in an empathetic tone, "Take this."

She took out an album from her bag, it was our family album.

"I know you won't forgive me." She wept, as she held out the album, "But please take this."

I accepted it and then left her, going to the terrace. Kody immediately stood up as he saw me.

"What was she doing here?" Kody asked, "Didn't she leave a long time ago?"

"She came back a week ago." I replied.

"For what?" Kody continued asking, "Did she leave her family?"

"No, she just came by to have a word with me." I replied, "I recently knew that I have a sister."

"Really?" Kody asked, "Did she tell you?"

I shook my head, "I eavesdropped on their conversation."

"Who's 'their'?" Kody asked.

"My mother and father's conversation." I replied, "I don't know my sister's name though."

"Are you willing to know your sister?" Kody asked sincerely, "Even if she came from another man?"

"Yes." I replied, "My mother's sin will never be my sister's sin."

"She never wanted it to happen." I added, "Therefore, she shouldn't be blamed for it."

"You're right." Kody said, "When will you search for her."

"The day after we arrive at Philippines." I replied.

"Okie Dokie." Kody agreed.

"Where's your luggage by the way?" Kody asked, "Is it in your room?"

"Yeah, it is." I replied, "Could you get it for me?"

"Sure." Kody said, "I'll call you when I'm heading toward the car."

"Okay, thanks." I replied, "Could we visit my grandad for a while?"

"Yeah sure, we still have time." Kody said.

I nodded and then Kody leaves the terrace. I took a seat and flipped the album open, it brought back so much memories, although the photo's colors are slowly dissipated and a bit tattered, the faces can still be seen and identified.

The carefree days of being a kid, good old memories.

My childhood was whopee until my mother left, I felt upset but I never knew the reason until I grew up and got matured then I started to understand how things happened and what went wrong.

To be honest, I never want to lose the childishness in me cause it's probably one of the reason, why I'm still a happy person.