The Stream of Fate

"His name is Philip Bedevere Saccoth. Not only is he a Congressman, but he is also an eccentric multi-billionaire business tycoon. He owns multiple hotel and restaurant chains around the world. He is fifty-six years old and is married to a beautiful wife, with three children. Before he became a Congressman, he was once a derby racer and was tagged as one of the world's best. He was even on the high road to become the world's second-best champion derby racer. However, he resigned just a few years after he got married and settled to become a businessman. A few years later, he was appointed as a Congressman and has held the position for the past eighteen years," said Nicole, whilst briefing Patricia and Isaac about the information she gathered about Congressman Saccoth.

They were seated in a café. They did not meet at their usual place because they were worried that it would raise suspicions and they might soon be discovered. Isaac was wearing a casual shirt with jeans and a cap, with his eyes covered in shades. Patricia was wearing a casual flower-printed dress with her hair flowing freely over her shoulders and back. Nicole was dressed in a casual t-shirt with jeans, with her hair tied into a ponytail.

"Well, that's interesting enough!" said Patricia, as she slumped into her chair with a sigh, holding her milkshake bottle and taking a sip from it.

"There is nothing big to report about him for now. Our Congressman is a very careful man and he conducts his shady dealings well, unlike the rest of the dogs in his league who are greedy and selfish. This gives us more reason to be very alert and cautious about him because the more careful ones are likely the most dangerous. So, we have to be careful," said Isaac.

"The race is tomorrow. I had no idea that the bastards wouldn't even give me enough time to prepare for this. They declared the race the day before yesterday and now they want us to race tomorrow. Unbelievable!" complained Patricia.

"Well, I guess they are hellbent on making things hard for you since you are the first woman to want to become a derby racer. I don't understand how they could still be so backward even after all these years since women have been emancipated to do things that men used to be the only ones doing. I mean, come on! This is not the middle ages and they need to get accustomed to the new changes and not shy away from them!" said Nicole.

"But I do believe that you can do this, Patricia. I have never met a woman as daring and courageous as you. Although I haven't seen you racing before, I believe you have great potential to achieve whatever you set your mind on. So, I believe you can do it," said Isaac, giving Patricia a dashing smile of assurance.

"Thank you, Isaac. That really means a lot," replied Patricia, and she smiled back.

Nicole watched the two intently and smiled inwardly. She was happy that her friend was starting to move on from her devastating heartbreak with Jonathan and hoped that Isaac would be the one who would finally value her, love her, and protect her as he should. Her dear bestie went through a lot and she really needed someone to lean on. Just as she was thinking this, she thought of an idea and suddenly stood up and said,

"Oh my gosh! I totally forgot! Come on, you guys! We need to go somewhere ASAP!"

"Wait, like now?!" asked Patricia.

"Yes, now!" replied Nicole, grabbing her bag and racing out of the café. Patricia and Isaac looked at each other with bewildered expressions before following Nicole out.

.....

"Four entry tickets, please!"

"Okay. There you go! Have a nice time!"

"Thank you!"

The air around the place was noisy, filled with excited murmurs and joyful shouts, and it was packed to the brim.

"A festival! Really, Nicole? This was the important thing you wanted us to see? For real?" exclaimed Patricia as they stood just outside the gate to the festival.

"Oh, Patricia, come on! It's the Lovers' Stream Festival. It only comes around once a year, and I truly wanted to be a part of it this year. For the past five years, I've been missing it because of work and also...since I didn't have a boyfriend...but now I get to experience it. And I bet it's going to be fun!"

"But how are you going to enjoy it, Nicky? I hate to burst your bubble, but you still don't have a boyfriend! So how are you going to enjoy the festival?" asked Patricia.

"Don't worry, Patty, my friend! But I have to correct you because after three years of...heart-rending loneliness...I finally have a boyfriend," said Nicole, smiling sheepishly.

"What! Really! Who? And why are you telling me now?" said Patricia.

"I'm sorry, Patty! It's just that...my boyfriend is too shy, and I...also thought maybe he was goofing around, but then I realized he just isn't comfortable around people. So he has been following us in the shadows ever since we started dating because he just didn't feel comfortable being known. But now, since we are here at the Lovers' Stream Festival, I think it's about time that I finally introduce you to him," replied Nicole.

She moved away from them and went into the nearby crowd, hooking her arm around a man wearing a black T-shirt with black jeans, a black cap, and shades. She pulled him towards Patricia and Isaac.

Isaac's eyes widened with disbelief as he immediately recognized who it was. "Patricia, Isaac, I would love to introduce you to my boyfriend, Davis. Davis, these are my friends, Patricia and Isaac."

Davis gulped in fear as he could clearly see Isaac's eyes peering at him through the shades as if they were gunning him down right there and then. Patricia looked at him intently; he looked kind of familiar to her, but she just could not point out where they had met before.

"Mmmm...Babe, aren't you going to introduce yourself?" nudged Nicole. Davis looked at Nicole for a second and saw a fiery glint in her eyes that hinted at murder if he did not do what she asked. Then he turned to face Isaac and Patricia and stammered.

"Nice...to...meet you guys. I am Davis..." he paused only to hear Nicole clear her throat, and he continued, "Nicole's...boyfriend...mmmm," he also cleared his throat.

"Well, nice to meet you too, Davis. I am Patricia, Nicole's best friend, and this is Isaac," said Patricia.

"Hi!" said Davis, but Isaac just hummed and slightly nodded his head.

"Well, enough with the introductions. Come on, you guys, let's go inside and enjoy the festival. Here are your tickets, and we got ours. So enjoy! Come on, Babe, let's go!" said Nicole, dragging Davis inside the carnival, and the two disappeared into the crowd.

"Oh my god! I don't believe this! Did she just...!" exclaimed Patricia.

"I guess she did..." said Isaac. Then he moved towards Patricia and held out his hand. Patricia looked at him bewildered, and then he said, "I guess we better enjoy ourselves as well...since we don't have a choice." Then he gave her a dashing smile.

Patricia sighed and averted her gaze from him for a moment until she reluctantly placed her hand in his and said, "Fine...since we don't have a choice. Might as well not waste this opportunity." Then she faced Isaac and met his striking blue eyes gleaming at her whilst he wore a smile on his face. Patricia felt her heart skip a beat as she looked at him, and she felt her stomach fluttering with mixed emotions. After realizing that she had been staring at him for so long, she averted her gaze and blushed slightly and said, "We should get inside."

After that, Isaac held her hand tighter and led her through the gate into the lively festival.

The area was filled with different kinds of beautiful flowers and glittery heart-shaped decorations. Different colored lanterns lit up the night sky with other captivating glowing lights. Different stalls were lined up with various games and amazing prizes. The air was also filled with the delicious smells of tasty food.

Patricia looked at the surroundings with awe and admiration, smiling and sometimes even laughing after watching some couples play the games and feed each other food. Seeing all this, she subconsciously held Isaac's hand tightly while they navigated through the festival.

Isaac felt his heart warming up due to the proximity he was sharing with Patricia. This was the second time that Patricia held his hand tight like this, and he just couldn't help but feel the swarming feelings he had for her right now. This is what he always dreamed of, holding Patricia's hand while they attended festivals like this. He would be doting on her every second while also playing games, winning prizes for her, and feeding her food like the couples they saw. It really would be a wonderful time.

"Aaaa...the cupid game! Oh, I always wanted to play this game!" exclaimed Patricia, dragging Isaac to the stall where the game was played.

"Welcome, lovers and all, to the Lovers' Stream Festival's favorite game. If you and your lover manage to hit your arrow on the bullseye target, you can win a very special prize," said the game instructor.

"Too bad we are not lovers...I really would have wanted to play the game...I always wished I could but never got the chance," said Patricia sadly.

"Are you going to play?" asked the game instructor.

"Oh no...we are not...it's just that..." replied Patricia, but she got interrupted when she felt Isaac move behind her, lifting up her left arm to get hold of the arrow that was in his hand. He then made her hold the bow and arrow while he placed his hands on top of hers. Then he moved to her side so that they were standing side by side while holding the bow and arrow together.

"Keep your feet slightly apart. And close your left eye slightly while keeping your right eye on the target. Don't pull the bowstring so hard and keep the arrow steady. On three, we are going to let go," whispered Isaac in Patricia's ear.

Patricia felt her heart racing and her ear tingling as Isaac whispered in her ear, and she felt a blush creeping up her cheeks due to the close proximity they were sharing. She felt her body heating up with the sensation of being held close by someone she was starting to have feelings for. She had never felt like this before, even when she was with Jonathan or Richard. This was something new, and her heart raced even faster with the thought of what if all this was real and they were really lovers. Could the situation have been different from what it felt like right now? Would it be more magical and dreamy? What would it feel like if I was his and he was mine? She truly wanted to know.

"One...two...three!"

They released the arrow, and it went straight to hit the bullseye, right at the center. Patricia chuckled heartily and said, "We did it...we actually did it!" Then she turned her face and looked at Isaac, who was also smiling at her. She then looked into his eyes, and for a long moment, they stared at each other, exuding a lot of different emotions. Their captivating moment was interrupted by the sound of applause from the other people who watched them play the game. They immediately averted each other's gaze and turned their faces to the sides with blushes of embarrassment coloring their faces.

"Congratulations! You two are the first couple to hit the bullseye at tonight's festivities. Here is your token. Your reward will be announced later in the evening. And here is another special prize for the beautiful lady. Let's hope it keeps you company when he is not around!" said the game instructor, handing Isaac the token and Patricia a very big fluffy pink teddy bear with a heart-shaped bow tie.

"Ooww, a teddy! Thank you so much!" said Patricia, chuckling.

Isaac looked at her for a brief moment, then said, "Let's go get some ice cream."

Patricia looked at him and smiled.

....

"Here are your vanilla ice creams."

"Thank you."

Patricia and Isaac collected their ice creams. They found a free space on a sitting booth and sat down to eat their ice cream. After savoring their ice cream, they both moaned in satisfaction at the delicious taste. They looked at each other after realizing what they had done, then let out a hearty chuckle and shyly averted their gazes with embarrassed blushes on their faces.

"I didn't know that vanilla was your favorite ice cream flavor too. Guess that's one thing we have in common," said Patricia.

"Mmmm...but...vanilla wasn't my favorite ice cream flavor before," revealed Isaac.

"Oh really?" said Patricia, looking at him.

"Yes. My favorite flavor was caramel...I used to crave it like crazy back in the day," replied Isaac.

"So what happened? What made your taste buds change their interest?" asked Patricia.

Isaac turned and faced her. He looked at her intently, his eyes filled with unspoken emotions. Patricia got captivated by those striking blue eyes looking at her intently. She saw them holding a lot of emotions and wondered if she had touched a sensitive subject because she could feel the weight of emotions exuding from him.

"I...fell in love," uttered Isaac.

Patricia looked at him, baffled by his words.

"I fell in love with a girl who loved vanilla-flavored ice cream. I loved her so much that I even paid the ice cream man to pass by her house every day so that she could always buy some," he continued.

Patricia looked at him in disbelief and asked, "But why would you do that?"

Isaac smiled and replied, "Because it was my way of showing her how much I loved her...even if she didn't know..." His expression became gloomy.

"Wait? Didn't know? You mean you sacrificed your money to do such a wonderful, sweet, selfless act for a girl you never confessed to? Seriously! Haa! And you said I am dumb and naïve, but now it is clear who the dumb one really is! I can't believe you did that!" exclaimed Patricia, finishing her ice cream. Isaac just shook his head and continued to eat his ice cream.

"Anyway...thank you for what you did for me today. (Sigh)... I guess I need to honestly say that...both of us are dumb and naïve." She took a deep breath and continued, "I also hit rock bottom when it comes to love relationships. My first boyfriend from high school cheated on me with two of my friends. I swore never to fall in love again until I met another one who pretended to be the right guy but...he was just a swine wearing a cool suit and shades." She paused again as she felt tears stinging her eyes. "I really thought I had found the right guy for me. He came to my rescue when I was at...the lowest point of my life. He supported me, encouraged me, and gave me the strength to face all my challenges...Humph! Little did I know that he was playing me like a fool...but I guess I was the one who allowed him to play me like a fool since I was so...naively and dumbly in love with him...we did come here...once." She paused again and looked at the lively surroundings.

"I wanted to play the cupid game with him. But he called it dumb and childish, and after saying that, he duped me and left me alone at the festival, saying that he was called for an emergency at work. Hahaha!" She laughed bitterly as silent tears fell down her cheeks. "An emergency at work, my foot!! Ohh...how I wish I could have seen the truth sooner before I fell hard for him...maybe this pain of regret wouldn't have been there..." Then she started sobbing.

She felt two warm hands touching and lifting up her face. Her teary eyes met with blue eyes, and she felt his thumbs wiping away her tears.

"I'm sorry...Isaac...I didn't mean to pour out my heart's turmoil on you. I..." said Patricia, but she was silenced by Isaac, who placed an index finger on her lips.

"Shhh...don't say anything more." He continued to wipe her tears with his thumbs, then looked around and said, "Come on...let's go...there is something I want us to do."

He gently took hold of her hand and led her through the crowd of people enjoying themselves at the festival until they came to a bridge where a river filled with glowing lanterns flowed freely.

Isaac turned to the side at a stall where the lanterns were being sold and bought a pink one with printed heart shapes on it. He came back with it to Patricia.

Patricia surveyed the area and asked, "Where are we?"

"The Lovers' Stream. This is the stream that the festival's theme is based on. It is said that a man and a woman fell in love at first sight right here at this bridge. But since they were unsure of their feelings for each other, they made a wager that if they were meant to be and stay together in their union, every year at this time of the month, they would come and float a lantern in the stream as a memorandum of their life together. Every lantern would carry their wishes and blessings for another year." Then he lit the lantern and took hold of Patricia's hands and said, "This year...this time...this moment...I am going to make a wish...My wish is that...next year...this month...on this day and at this time...I will float another lantern like this...with you...by my side...Patricia..."

The light from the lantern burned brighter, illuminating Patricia's face to show her beautiful shocked expression. Isaac could not help it; he gently leaned forward and pressed his lips onto hers.

When she felt Isaac's lips touching hers, Patricia did not fight him off, nor did she move, but she let him claim her lips, and she didn't respond. The kiss sent a warm, thrilling feeling inside of her. Something she had never felt before, and she liked it. In fact, she loved it and didn't want the moment to end. However, Isaac pulled away, looked at her, then smiled and held her hand, leading her to the edge of the bridge. He guided both their hands to place the lantern into the stream. As soon as the lantern landed in the water, it started floating away. They stood by, watching it as it floated away with the others.

Just then, a loud voice on a mic rang through the festival, saying, "Good evening, ladies and gentlemen. Thank you so much for honoring our festival again this year and also taking part in our very special game called the cupid game. And just like every year, winners are given special prizes, and today we had a very lucky couple who were the first ones to hit a bullseye in the game. So, couple with token number 13, it is my honor and pleasure to announce that you have just won a one-way ticket to your honeymoon on a luxurious cruise to the world's most romantic country, Romania. This cruise is a six-month voyage from San Flora to Romania and also around the world. So congratulations to you and enjoy yourselves."

Isaac snorted and said, "Honeymoon...hell, who would have thought, Sweeches. It seems like you and I are going to be stuck together after all..." He didn't get to finish as he was given a surprise kiss by Patricia.

"Then I guess it was the right gift. I guess you won't be whisking me away on a horse but a cruise ship instead, my handsome knight," said Patricia, chuckling.

Isaac cleared his throat and said, "Well...I thought you preferred the horse better? You are changing your mind?"

"Don't worry...we will be taking both the horse and the ship. I am sure they won't mind." Then she chuckled.

She leaned towards his face and asked in a low, sweet voice, "So...what else did the couple do after floating their lantern...mmm?"

Isaac did not reply but held Patricia's waist and drew her near to him. He looked at her intently. Patricia subconsciously closed her eyes for the kiss, but when she felt nothing, she opened her eyes only to see him just smiling at her, and she asked, "What?"

"And you said you are not dumb and naïve," teased Isaac.

Patricia got baffled by his words, and her face flushed red with both anger and embarrassment. She wanted to protest, but the words failed her. So she grunted in anger and turned to leave, only for Isaac to pull her back into an intimate hug and claim her lips in a passionate kiss.

After a while, he parted from her lips and whispered, "I believe they did this..." Then he smiled and captured her lips again, and this time Patricia responded with the same passion, their hearts racing in sync with each other. All their pain, sorrow, longing, and yearning for each other melted away as the promise of a new beginning was alighted with their kiss.

Just then, a sudden light illuminated the sky, and people started shouting and screaming with joy as fireworks boomed in the sky. Patricia and Isaac parted from each other, smiling, and turned to look at the fireworks display. They watched in all smiles whilst holding each other's hands. Yes, this never felt so good and so right.