People won't stop screaming very loud. They are all shouting his name.
"GAEEL! GAEEEL!", crowd screaming.
The girls are all shuddered with the guy who were standing in front of them. Especially when he smiled and waved back his hands to the crowd.
Even Rae's father was screaming together with all the people in the crowd. Except for Rae who was still in shock, she's even wandering her eyes around the crowd ---CONFUSED. Like what's with all the fuss?
"Father, Do you know that guy?," Rae asked loudly to her father because of the noise her father wouldn't hear her so she talked loudly enough to hear by her father while she is looking at the guy on the stage.
"What?! I can't hear you!", loudly responded by her father.
Then suddenly someone next to him answered her.
"Girl! He is the famous singer who shuddered by all the women in the world, yet you don't know him?!", loudly answered to her question.
The announcer spoke while the crowd was still screaming.
"Do you want him to sing us a song?!", he asked the people in front of him and point the mic to them.
"OH! YESSSS!", people loudly answered back.
"Well, we will later on.", he smiled while trying to hang the people.
"But before anything else let's us get to the highlight of the festival. the Triduum Prayer in honor of St. Peter. And after which we will continue the celebration of the Holy Eucharist and the blessings of fishing boats.", he continuously announces to all the people who are in the square.
They called the Malacca-Johor Diocese, Bishop Anthony Paul and lead the Triduum Prayer and the Holy Eucharist together with the chief minister and Mr. Gael.
After that, a perfect time in the evening having a dusk at the golden hour where the skies are dark purple with lashes of deep orange-----a beautiful sight for a ritual especially to all the first timer. They all focused their attentions to the sea front with all the beautiful refurbishing boats that was all lined up for the blessings. It is undertaken to seek God's blessings for a better and bigger catch. All the owners of the boat went to their respective boats.
Rae and her father went to their boat and boarded.
They have taken out the statue of St. Peter to the sea with their offerings and blessings taking place by the priests and religious leaders.
While Rae was in the boat with her father, she secretly wander her eyes looking for the guy whom they were screaming his name just now. And she saw him standing next to the Chief Minister of Malacca.
"Of all people, why should I be bumping into someone like him?", she mumbled to herself while looking at Gael.
Suddenly Gael look at the boat they were boarding at and he saw her looking at him.
Their eyes met.
Rae immediately turned her gaze to the boat next to them when she saw him looking at him. Her cheeks went red--she's blushing in shamed. She hid behind his father and she secretly look back again to Gael but she can't see him anymore. She wander her eyes around but still she can't find Gael.
"Did he recognize me? Hope he's not," she said to herself.
The blessings of boat were done and they are all excited for the most awaited announcement. Announcing the winner of the most beautiful and unique refurbishing boats.
"We already looked into your boats when we have a chance earlier. Judges have already made their decisions who they are going to choose as winners.", said by the announcer.
"I already have here the three lucky winners", the announcer continues while he raised his hands in the air holding an envelop in his right hand.
Rae and her father were holding both their hands while looking at each other and at the same time listening to what the announcer were saying.
"Okay, here it is. With thorough discussion by the judges, they had come up with these results", announcer said while raising the envelop he was holding.
He opened the envelop. And read what was written in there and then he smiled as he turned his gaze back to the people .
"Third Place ---BOAT NUMBER SIX (6)", the announcer exclaimed. People are screaming while Rae and her father were still shaking in nervous. The third placer went to the stage and the Prime Minister gave their reward ($500) and shake their hands.
"May we call on the other participants to please take your steps here in front", the announcer said while pointing down the stage. And all the participants take their steps closer to the stage.
"Second Place---BOAT NUMBER NINE (9)", shouted by the announcer. The Second placer went to the stage together with the Prime Minister and gave their reward of ($800) and shake their hands congratulating them.
"The very exciting part is who's the very lucky WINNER, the best of the best from all the BOATS out of all the participants!", announcer loudly exclaimed while he is smiling and raising the envelop he was holding in his right hand.
"Father this is it!", Rae said to her father while her hands are shaking holding her father's hands. Her father were very excited too while holding his daughter's hands tight.
"The WINNER is-----Congratulations to BOAT NUMBER ----- TWO (2)! ", the announcer screamed.
All are screaming and jumping especially the winner. The winners run fast and come ups to the stage to get their rewards of ($1000).
All are screaming except Rae and her father.
They were as if heaven and earth had fallen on them, they were thinking about their efforts they have invested in refurbishing their boat.
"It's okay.", her father said while tapping the shoulder of her daughter Rae. But Rae was kind of not that okay about it because she was expecting too much from what they have done with their boat.
"Let's go home", she said to her father. You see the disappointment in her face while looking at her father.
"Are we not going to finish the program? You said you wanted to buy fish in a banana at the stall we have seen earlier?", her father said to her while looking at the stage.
"Let's go", Rae insisted her father.
At the backstage...
Gael went to the restroom before they announces the winner and he just stayed at the corner of the stage with Mr. Co and Amelia. He were trying to enjoy a bit of his stay in Malacca but his body wanted to take a rest since the accident happen, all he wanted was just to lye down in his bed.
"Oh! Before I forgot! The judges decided to have a consolation prize for one of the boats that they think deserve a reward too", state by the announcer.
Rae and her father walked their way out to the crowd.
"They will be giving four hundred dollars ($400) serve as their reward for having a very unique design of their boat", the announcer continues.
"We would like to congratulate boat number----FIVE (5)!", the announcer exclaimed.
Upon listening to the announcement Rae in a shocking face turned her gaze back to the stage where the announcer is. Her eyes widened when she heard their boat number called by the announcer.
"That's our boat number!", her father shouted and he raised his hand in the air while Rae was still in shock nodding to her father and can't even explain her happiness with what she just heard.
"May we call on boat number five in the stage please", the announcer said while he gazed her look to the crowd.
Rae and her father walked their way fast to the stage with a wide smile in their lips. Rae can't still believe that they have been chosen for the consolation prize. They are standing and smiling in front of the people who are looking at them while they are waiting for their consolation prize.
"May we call on Mr. Gael to please award the consolation prize to the winners", the announcer said.
Another shocking announcement to Rae. While the girls on the crowd were screaming loud.
Gael quickly got up on the stage. He reach the white envelop that were handed by the chief minister and gave it to them. Rae's father is the one who accepted the envelop with the cash in it. Gael reached out his palm to shake hands with them. The last one he handshake were Rae. He held out his palm into hers. Rae at first were hesitant to shake hands with him.
"Congratulations.", Gael said while he bent down his face near to her ears and smiled at the back of it.
Rae was dumbfounded by Gael's last words.