"Melo," Mr. Daetes called on Melo, who was busy tinkering with his old chu-chu train.
" I was wondering…"Mr. Daetes paused for a while as he gently tapped on the seat next to Melo's working table.
"Hmmm?" Melo didn't even take a glance at his father since he was too engrossed in twisting and turning screws attached to his old model train.
Mr. Daetes looked at his wife who was standing by the door, signaling him to keep on talking. "Yeah, son, your mom and I were thinking. Would you like to come with us…"
A loud tch was heard across the room
"I mean me. Would…you like… to come …with me…ahm at work this…coming week?" his dad grinned.
"hmm uh-huh. Yeah. Sure, Dad. I don't think I have any other choice, do I?" Melo placed down his screwdriver and turned his chair around to face his dad.
"So Dad, what's up next week? We aren't going on a vacay as you promised, are we?" he asked with a bit of disappointment in his voice.
"Well, something came up at work, and…" Mr. Daetes paused for a while and looked at Melo. He stared at him as if trying to guess his emotions.
"Well?" Melo widened his eyes and raised his eyebrows.
Mr. Daetes puffed air from his chest and let out a slow blow.
"You see, son. Once in every three years, the Monarch holds a huge ceremony in Dychophalm to celebrate their years of success. They open Dychophalm to prestigious families from different parts of the land." Mr. Daetes paused for a while to stand up. He turned his head away from Melo.
Not understanding the whole situation, Melo faced his mom with confused eyes.
Mrs. Daetes walked towards Melo's side and tapped his shoulder to somehow assure him. "Tsk. Come on, John. Just tell him everything. It's not that bad. You are just being melodramatic." Mrs. Dates said as she rolled her eyes.
"The Monarch tasked our family to make the proper preparations–" Before Mr. Dates could finish his sentence, Mrs. Daetes jumped on him and gave him a kiss on the lips.
"That's wonderful, John! You did it! With this, our family's future is sure to prosper." She gave him another kiss. Melo laughed at how his parents acted and congratulated his dad but as he was turning his back to continue his work, his dad said, "By the way, Son. The Monarch wanted you to do the honors of doing the opening speech. We have at least four to six weeks to finish the preparations."
Mr. Daetes leaned closer to Melo and whispered in his ear. Melo's pupils dilated and he froze for a second. Bewildered by what he heard, Was that a threat? Did I hear Dad right? He thought to himself. He looked back at his father's face as he slowly moved away from Melo's ear. His seemingly distorted face with an eerie kind of smile. He could hear soft snaps in the corner of his ear. Voices turned slurry and he felt as if someone was shaking him heavily. He gasped as he grabbed his soul and pulled it back to his body. His sweat was cold and so were his hands. His heartbeat raced like a rampage of elephants, crushing his ribcage with every beat.
Out of nowhere, he heard a familiar voice. It was like she was talking in a vacuum. It wasn't his mother's voice or anyone in the household but it sounded as if he heard that voice from somewhere.
"Follow my voice."
Melo heard as his vision continued to blurry but the voice caught her attention.
"Slowly–- breathe in."
Melo tried his best to inhale as much air as possible.
"That's okay. That's okay. Here." The girl handed a paper bag and placed it on his nose and mouth. "Breathe through this but don't push yourself. Shallow breaths first and breathe through your nose, release through your mouth." the voice said.
Slowly, Melo drew air through his nose and puffed the air through his mouth. He kind of felt nauseous at the same time. But as he inhaled and exhaled, his heartbeat started to slow down as well.
Melo carefully opened his eyes. Everything was still blurry and all he could see were silhouettes but he somehow understood that he had to follow the finger moving in front of his face.
"Yep. He's responsive alright." The girl said as he faced Mrs. Daetes.
"Thank you very much. We're sorry to bother you." Mrs. Daetes replied.
"Oh no worries, hmm" The girl paused for a while and reached for the basket of flowers beside the couch. She pulled out a piece of note in between the bouquet of sunflowers
"Mhmm..by any chance are you Mrs. Daetes?" the girl asked.
"Why, yes! Yes, I am." Mrs. Dates responded.
"Well then, these flowers are for you. Mrs. Dates. Mrs. Buenaventura asked me to bring these to you. I also brought apple pies." The girl said.
"My, my. How thoughtful of Grace for these gifts. It's been so long since we last saw her." Mrs. Daetes reached for the basket of flowers. "By any chance, Are you her granddaughter?" Mrs. Daetes asked intriguingly.
"Yes, Madam. My name is Cassandra or you can call me Cassie for short, Madam." She smiled sweetly and offered her hand.
Mrs. Daetes stared at her hand then looked at her, eye to eye before smiling gently instead. Cassie understood the gesture and retreated her hand. Cassie saw Melo carefully sitting up to drink a glass of water. Her attention went back to Melo. "Does he frequently have blackouts like that? Doesn't he have asthma or something?" She asked but as she turned her eyes to Mrs. Daetes, she saw darkness loomed over his face. Despite the fear she felt, she shrugged it off with another smile.
"Oh, Mrs. Dates. Before I forget, Mrs. Buenaventura would like to order a cake and 14 cupcakes for next week. She would like to know if you still have available slots for next week?" She smiled again.
"I'll check later with my staff. I'll probably give Grace a visit tomorrow. If that is all, Ann can help you to the door." Mrs. Daetes replied and gestured to Ann to accompany Cassie out. Cassie bowed and smiled as her farewell before leaving with Ann.
"Who was that, Mom?" Melo asked.
Mrs. Daetes didn't seem to hear what Melo asked. "Sweetie, what happened back there? Are you that nervous?" Mrs. Daetes asked with worry in his voice.
"I'm fine Mom," Melo replied. "Who was that?" he asked once more.
"These blackouts are getting frequent. Maybe we should have you checked before the event? What do you think, John?" Mrs. Daetes asked Mr. Daetes, dodging Melo's question.
"Mom, I told you. I'm fine. I'm asking who that girl was earlier." Melo once again asked but this time Mrs. Dates lowered her head. He wasn't sure what he saw but it seemed like his mother smirked at him.
"Oh that girl? That's Mrs. Buenaventura's granddaughter. Remember the old lady who lives adjacent to us? It's been a while since I saw Mrs. Buenaventura." Mrs. Dates explained while stroking the sunflowers given to her by Cassie. "Well then." Mrs. Daetes stroked a hanging hair to the back of her ear. " Why not proceed to your room and take some rest? You must be in shock with the responsibilities awaiting you but don't worry, Sweetie. Your father and I will help you out. For now, Nanny will be with you to help you later pack your things. Your father and I still have the stuff to discuss" Mrs. Dates said.
Nanny slightly bowed her head to Mrs. Dates before approaching Melo. One last time, Melo glanced back at his parents. Mrs. Daetes blew him a kiss while his father had his palms on his forehead. He looked worried, Melo thought. Maybe I misheard my father once again.
The moment they reached his room, Melo looked at his Nanny with puzzled eyes. Before he could say a word, Nanny smiled at him and said, "You must be having a hard time, young master. I have to admit. The news was shocking and at the same time, it is a great honor. Many young men from prestigious families would kill to get that opportunity that you have on hand."
Melo lowered his head. He slowly walked to his bed and threw his body weight and fell to the mattress. The bed creaked as he bounced slightly up and down. He stared at the ceiling and with a heavy sigh, he replied, "Nanny, I don't understand what is happening to me. I have to admit I was a bit nervous but I also felt a sudden rush. But that wasn't my problem, I'm…" He paused for a while and shook his head. "I might sound crazy if I say this." He said with his palm on his face and his face spelled confusion.
Nanny sat beside Melo. "You can always tell me anything without sounding crazy." She said, stroking Melo's hair.
"Nanny…" He paused for a while. "I'm hearing voices but not just voices. I hear Dad sometimes saying stuff but he didn't say anything. At times, it's mom. I think I'm having hallucinations before I have blackouts. I'm terrified. Not only with what I am hearing, but also with myself. Is there something wrong with me? I don't want to be a burden to Mom and Dad."
Tears fell down Melo's cheek as he expressed what he felt. He was feeling confused and he was caught in a whirlwind of emotions at the moment that he couldn't help but cry and whimper. Nanny tried her best to reassure him. "Young master, fear can sometimes take other forms. What you are experiencing now is a normal response of your body. Don't worry it will all go away. I'll fetch you some chamomile tea. It will help you calm down then, we'll prepare for your trip."
Before Nanny left the room, Melo reached for her hand and asked, "Will they still love me if I'm defective?"
Nanny smiled and placed her hand on top of his, squeezing them gently, "Of course, they will. They are your parents. Only your parents can love you the most in this world." she replied and left.