Maya's POV
I can feel the coldness of my entire body. I am even shivering, and I don't have my umbrella because I gave it to my sister. After all, I don't want her to become soaked when it rains and exposed to the sun during sunny days. I do not know why the heavy rain suddenly fell when, in fact, summer had just started.
"Maya, why are you soaking wet? You could have taken shelter in the waiting shed?" Mary asked with a surprised tone after she opened the door of our tiny house.
"It is getting late; there is no bus at this hour, and some power poles have no streetlights. I don't have a flashlight with me. That is why I continued walking since it would be better if I got wet in the rain than coming home late." I replied to her as I shivered.
I take the tray that contains my shampoo and soap and run back outside to take my bath. I need to get out of the house since our bathroom and the shower room area are at the back of the house.
I quickly took a bath because I wouldn't say I liked the freezing water. We don't have a heater, so we always endured the cold water from the spring.
I went back inside the house after I wrapped the White towel around my body. I wore my worn-out dress before I joined my sister in our cute dining room and sat at the dining table suitable for four.
"I am sorry, Maya, I could not attend your graduation; you know I can't leave Grandma alone while Grandpa is working at the farm," Mary said.
"Don't worry, Mary, I understand; Grandma just got out of the hospital; she needs to rest," I replied, smiling at her.
"I am so proud of you, Maya; you graduated as the Class Valedictorian. I wish I were like you. Well, I am sure I will be in the top five, but it will be very tough for me. To become like you." She stated.
"Mary, it is okay, don't pressure yourself; I need to graduate as the valedictorian to have the full scholarship; it is the only way for me to go to college, and thank God I nailed it," I replied.
It was hard studying and having a part-time job, but I didn't have a choice. My grandfather can't support me, especially now that my grandmother is sick.
"Congratulations again for gaining a scholarship! I believe in you, Maya. I know you will become a successful Civil Engineer someday, and I am so proud of you." My sister proudly said.
"Thank you for believing in me, Mary, and I believe you will become an outstanding flight attendant someday." I responded and I know that is her greatest dream.
"You will travel around the world, and you will send me pictures and postcards. You will be friends with different races, and you will be so happy. We can build a house for grandpa and grandma," I added.
"Yes, Maya! I wish I were already twenty-five years old right now."
"Why is that? You want a shortcut?" I asked, and I was curious why she wanted to be twenty-five.
"I just wish to see you successful. I don't want you to suffer, Maya. You work hard on the farm to help Grandpa, you give me an allowance, and you even buy me a cell phone while you don't have one." My sister declared as I saw tears welling up in her beautiful brown eyes.
"I don't need a cell phone, Mary, and I choose you to have it; one cellphone is sufficient for one household." I replied.
"It is adequate for me that Lisa can call you if she wants to talk to me, besides I always go to the school library for my research, you need not worry about those things, besides all the hardships I have been through makes me what I am today," I added.
"I know, Maya. Thank you so much for being a wonderful sister to me." She answered, then I was shocked when my sister hugged me.
"Grandma and Grandpa are sleeping already; I let them eat ahead of us; I told them not to worry about you, grandpa will wake up very early tomorrow to work at the Hacienda Monleon." My sister added.
"They wanted to attend your graduation, but I told Grandpa that Grandma needs to rest, and I am glad that they listened to me," Mary continued, I am so proud of her too; she became more mature now at sixteen and very reliable.
"Wow! Thank you for this food, Mary; you cook spaghetti just for me; you need not do this." I said as I looked at the table; I felt like crying. We only cook spaghetti on special occasions, like birthdays.
"Maya, I notice we don't have enough money. Our celebration should be spectacular because you are the Valedictorian, but since we don't have enough money to spend, we should enjoy the spaghetti.." She replied.
"I am sure a lot of your classmates are eating lavishly right now, and some are celebrating at the finest restaurant in the town capital." She added as I could see the sadness in her eyes.
We may have some physical similarities, but we have distinctive personalities and wants in life. My sister always wanted to be friends with the wealthy kids in our town, while I have always stayed away from them, except regarding Ariana and Rich.
Ariana reached out to me. Rich has continuously been there; he is unique among the rich boys in our town; he is friendly, fun, and down to earth.
"Hey! Maya, let us dig in before the spaghetti gets cold." She said happily, and we ate in silence; she is an excellent cook too; well, both of us learned all the housework when we were young.
We always wanted to help our grandparents. We are very grateful to them for raising us. There are times I yearn to have my parents, but I know it is an impossible dream; we have been orphaned for a long time now.
We haven't seen our real mom, only in pictures, and our father nobody knows about him, it was so sad, sometimes, I questioned my grandpa how come they didn't know who our dad is?
"Your mother has consistently been secretive; she came home one day and told us she was pregnant. She won't tell us who is the lucky guy, but when you were born, I didn't ask her again, hoping that someday she would tell us the truth." Those were the words of Grandpa Bert every time I asked him about my parents.
Two years after I was born, the same situation took place repeatedly, my mother got pregnant with Mary. My grandpa was angry about my mother's deeds, especially when she left the two of us without saying goodbye.
But my grandfather always reminded us that Mary and I would forever be the best things that ever happened to them.
That is the reason why I got tired of asking. Since my mom died a long time ago, my father's identity perished with her in her grave. For Mary and me, our birth parents are our grandparents, nothing more, nothing less.
My grandfather works hard every day to provide for us; that is why I learned how to do things on the farm. I started helping him; he is old, and I wanted him to feel we love him.
"Why do you look so sad, Maya? Anything you wish to talk about?" Mary asked.
"I have seen Ariana and Adonis today," I replied, and I sighed.
"Yes! I saw they passed by here. He was driving a red sports convertible." Mary said, my sister is looking at me in the eyes.
"They stopped, and Ariana got out of the car; she is so beautiful, Mary, and she smells so good," I spoke; I remember the face of Ariana.
"How about your prince charming?" She teased me.
"As usual, he is still haughty, yet I can't deny it; he turned out to be so handsome, Mary. I can't take my eyes off him. I wish his look was the same as his attitude," I said.
"You realize my theory will never change. Adonis likes you. That is why he always hurt you; remember the saying that goes, the more you hate, the more you love." She said.
"Stop it, Mary; it will never happen; you know the rich kids will find someone they want to play with their stupid bets and games," I responded.
"That is why I was chosen by Adonis last year. They made a bet, and I was such a fool to believe in him." I added.
"Maya, you don't know the truth. They left after that incident." She said.
I could see that her eyes were sparkling. Mary always wanted me to be with Adonis because since I was in grade four, Adonis has always been my crush; no matter how many times he crushed my heart, it never changed.
In all the scrapbooks I filled up in school, from Elementary to High School, even in my scrapbooks, I always put his name to the question who is your crush? It will always be Adonis Monleon.
Even in my last year in High School, my other best friend Lisa, got angry with me last June because after Adonis hurt me, I still wrote his name on my best friend's scrapbook. Lisa wanted me to change my answer to the question of who is your crush. Still, I don't have any desire to change it, and it will always be him.
"Well, sooner or later, we will know the truth," Mary said. I wonder why Adonis treats my sister differently; he always talks to her every time we go to their mansion, and then he also gets along just fine with the farmhand's kids. They adore Adonis. I think I am the only person in the entire plantation he hates, and I am the only one who hates him.
"Stop it, Mary; Adonis and I will never be together; you know he may be my only crush, but I hate him," I said. I stood up and washed the utensils.
"Whatever, Maya, but someday I will say it to your face. I am right," Mary said; she smiled at me; her perfect white teeth were glowing.
"Mary, do you know that he told Ariana in front of me I am not beautiful at all?"
"Really? Wow! That is interesting; now I could say he likes you."
"What? And why do you suggest that?" I asked her, and I was becoming more confused.
"Look, Maya! When he claimed you were not beautiful, he was lying; all the people here in our place knew that you are the most splendid maiden in the entire town." My sister answered.
"Well, the wealthy girls are fascinating, too, but they use beauty products; you have always been beautiful in your way, and your skin is perfect." She added.
"Even Richard once said, you have the face of a Greek goddess and a wonderful body that many men will die to have you as their girlfriend, and the female population will die in envy." She continued, and I laughed hard; I shook my head. I couldn't believe my sister was talking nonsense.
"Mary, you don't need to flatter me; I will always love you because you are my sister; you aren't required to do that just to make me feel better. Don't worry this time. I won't let Adonis ruin my summer," I said.
"Maya, I am telling you the truth, if you give a chance to others, maybe you have a boyfriend now. There are many rich boys over there dying to have a date with you, but you always turn them down."
my sister replied.
"I wish you to be happy. If you want to forget Adonis, then give yourself a break. Try to date this summer; it would be fun, Maya." She responded, then winked at me.
I am already on my bed; Mary has been fast asleep already; we share the same room because the house has only two bedrooms. I am keep turning on my bed; I can't ignore the words of my sister that keep repeating in my head. Yes! I need someone to help me forget about Adonis; what he had done to me was unforgivable. I can't believe he shattered my heart into million pieces last year.