The father, who was evidently the 'uncle' in Clarence's email, was silently contemplating.
"So she newly graduated from senior high and was probably around the same age as you. Was she really asking for payment for these photos or for her designs? Why would she show these photos to you?"
Both father and mother, the lady in black, looked at Clarence at the same time, waiting for his response.
"The truth is she didn't ask for payment. It was only my idea to help her. She was only concerned that you might copy or claim the idea and designs as ours. Paying her wouldn't be bad for a start unless you have other plans."
"What's her name?" his father asked, with curiosity in his eyes.
His mother, being sensitive as a woman, asked something out of the blue between the father-and-son talk. "Clarence, you seem concerned with this lady. Do you like her?"
His mother asked such a delicate topic since it was all about the love life of their only son. He was the only son and the youngest out of five children. Clarence laughed and brushed off his mother's assumptions.
"No, Mom. Her name is Beauty Ferol." He answered them with a silly smile. Then he went to the window and closed his eyes, showing a pondering face.
As he opened his eyes, with a solemn face, he deeply sighed and then elaborated, "I was kind of one of the reasons why she was being bullied. We met when I went to disguise myself as a student of her school so that I can bring Chevy out for a trip during class hours. Kind of, cutting classes.
"I was sad that she stopped coming to school after that incident. I didn't know she suffered that much. It wasn't entirely my fault, but it started there. Long story short, I just want to help her gain back her confidence," Clarence blurted out, feeling ashamed for Beauty's sake. He also knew that his mother would dig deeper, so it was better to tell them the truth now.
"What really happened? Why was she bullied? What did you actually do?" piped her mother concernedly.
"We only bumped into each other at the classroom door. Since she was bigger than me, I was pushed back to the door frame, and I hurt my shoulder. I got angry a little, and then her classmates started to call her names. I actually tried to settle the problem, but her classmates wouldn't stop. She ran away and didn't fight back, so I thought she was still fine. I just learned later that she stopped attending school even until graduation."
"I told Uncle Len (the principal of Beauty's school) for the whole situation and asked for her email address. I sent her an email to encourage her. Later, she mentioned her hobbies, so I asked for a photo of her work. So that's how it happened." He said the whole story hurriedly, like telling them there's nothing more to it, for it was just a trivial thing.
His parents looked at him, unconvinced. They believed that there was something strange about the whole circumstance but couldn't pinpoint what it was. So they just remained mum and continued with the subject of paying her if she sold the photos to them.
Actually, the truth was that he shouted 'fat and ugly' at Beauty out of anger when he felt the pain on his shoulder at that time. He really felt guilty afterward, but he still couldn't get himself to admit to them; that he said that stupid phrase.
"She's still young and needs to improve more. I'll be glad to pay for these. She can send more if she's willing to sell them. This will be good for our photo collection. What do you think, Claire?" the man asked his wife for her agreement.
"That's fine with me. I like these food presentations a lot. By the way, is she aspiring to be a food photographer or a chef? Did she cook these before taking the photos?"
"She made them all from scratch: from cooking up to the presentation. I bet they taste good as well," Clarence proudly said with a smile on his face.
"If that's the case, then she can keep the rest for now. I prefer she gets a culinary course and become a certified chef. Later, her collection of designs will be useful for her someday to advance her career. Maybe, we can help her join a competition, and she might win. No one knows."
They looked at each other with a knowing smile. The family talk ended in that manner. Clarence left the office with excitement. He couldn't wait to tell Beauty about what his parents told him, in the guise of Your Romeo and his "uncle and aunt."
(Beauty,
My uncle and aunt like your photos and will pay for it. They also asked if you have more with the same quality, then they'll be happy to pay if you sell it to them. Don't worry, they'll pay with a good price.
Your Romeo)
(Yay! I'm happy. OK, I checked my folder and found nine more photos I think these are part of the best ones I have in my collection. Check for attachment. You'll be in charge of the price. I'm not so sure if it's up to their standards.
Beauty)
------------
She thought of selling some for money; opening a savings account of her own would be a good thing.
(Beauty, the payment for the whole collection will be 12,000 pesos. I'll send it to you through wire money transfer. Send me the name of the office I could send it to, your full name, mobile phone number, and address. What are you going to do with this money btw?
Your Romeo)
(Wow, that expensive? Actually, I was planning on taking up culinary. I thought of opening my first bank account and saving for my tuition fees and other expenses. This way, my parents won't be burdened paying.
Beauty)
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(OK, noted. Just open your bank account first, and then send me the account number. I'll send the money directly. How about that?
Your Romeo)
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"Grand Mommy, can I ask a favor from you?" Beauty was now coaxing her grandma as she was playing the sweet granddaughter.
"You're acting abnormally today. What do you want? Just spit it out," said the elder.
"Can I not whine and coax you a little? ... OK, please help me open a new bank account. I sent some photos to a friend and sold them. I'll be paid, but I need a bank account for the money to save it."
"Is that all? No problem. This afternoon, we can go to a good bank that has branches all over the country, so it will be easy for you to withdraw anywhere anytime."
. . . . .
After preparing all the requirements for opening an account, she got her debit card to use on the Automated Teller Machine (ATM).
(Your Romeo,
Here's my bank account:
Beauty Ferol
XXXXX54238
Bank of the Philippines
Beauty)
(Got it. Sending the money now. Just open an online account of that bank, so you can access it easily.
Your Romeo)
-------------
Clarence sent her money online. She couldn't believe what she saw: 12,000 pesos. That was too much for twelve pictures. For her, this was very lucrative as she was not a photographer at all. She only took the photos on a whim.
An apprentice photographer would surely grab this opportunity to sell to Clarence if this was really the exact amount as it was worth, even though professional photographers probably received more than that. Unbeknownst to Beauty, Clarence sent more than what his father gave him; a part was from his own savings.
Since young, the Peres siblings were running these shops and restaurants while studying in schools. They had been given jobs and been paid as well. So, Clarence had money. All his allowance was from his salary while other kids had to ask their parents for some every day. Though he was receiving more than the normal wage, still, he worked hard for it.
His parents did this to integrate budgeting and planning into their being. More importantly, the ways of running their company became a part of them.
In actuality, their company was very big, covering a lot of both consumable and non-consumable products for restaurants. It had small shops like coffee bars and pastry shops all over the country, aside from their expensive restaurants with a large number of patrons daily. They knew their children would inherit all of these. Therefore, they equipped and prepared them for their future while they were young.
. . . . .
On Camotes Island ...
At this time, Beauty's grandparents were really happy seeing the money she received. They were overly concerned with her well-being, so they were very supportive of her exploits. Somehow, they couldn't just turn a blind eye that it came from an anonymous person, probably a man, with money dealings in between. They did ask her from who did the money from and for what reason was she paid for.
Without thinking of hiding the truth, she told them about Your Romeo.
"Beauty, are you sure this is a good person? He didn't even give you his true name, only an alias," Grand Mommy spoke of her fears.
"Yeah, an anonymous person might be just alluring you through your photos, promising payment in exchange. You might have told him you are saving for your tuition.
"Then later, he will meet with you personally, with a bad motive. Since he had done you a favor, you'll accept to meet up with him. Bad, bad, this guy might be a human trafficker," added Grand Daddy.
"Oh, come on, you both. Your imagination truly can be beyond mine. There are no strings attached between us in this payment. I don't know anything of such favors. Don't worry, I won't easily meet up with him. Feel better?"
"We're just reminding you, dear," said Grand Mommy.
Grand Daddy just shrugged his shoulders and made a deep sigh.
For now, life on the island was uneventful, but a government project would make the locals' lives a bit exciting in the following days. Within the local government building on the island, the local mayor had a meeting with his officials and important individuals in every community in the island, including Grand Daddy.