Alex packed up her manual and hugged it in front of her chest, then walked out of the classroom. She was just about to turn left, which would lead to the teacher's faculty room, when her gaze fell on the little girl sitting alone on the long bench in front of the classroom.
She frowned. Trying to remember the name of the blonde-haired girl, she slowly sat down beside her, gently rubbing her shoulder. "What are you doing here alone, Jewel?" she asked softly. The child's name is Jewel Castro. Such a beautiful name.
The little girl named Jewel looked up at her. "Hello, teacher Alex!" she greeted with a bright smile. "I am waiting for my uncle."
Alex nodded in understanding. "Do you want me to accompany you?" she then offered. Although there were still many children her age playing on the grass-covered field, it seemed that the little girl had no intention of joining at all.
Jewel nodded enthusiastically. "Thank you, teacher."
Alex once again stroked the girl's hair in a ponytail. She always liked children. For her, children are angels from above.
"I like your voice, teacher. Your voice is great." Jewel confesses suddenly.
Alex smiled in response to the girl's words. One hour before the time to go home, she asked all her students one by one to sing in front of the class. And she sang along to them in assistance. "Thank you," she said. "Your voice is also good," she added again to the eight-year-old girl.
But Jewel's lips pursed. "It's not as good as teacher's voice though."
She chuckled softly, then she shuddered once she felt the wind blow a little hard. She glanced at the empty field and noticed that most of the students had gone home and get picked up by their parents or by the school bus, and only a few people were still waiting in the corridor. She saw some of the students she was handling and suddenly got an idea.
She ordered about ten students who were still in the corridor to enter the empty classroom. She had them wait there while she went to the music room to pick up an acoustic guitar and came back a few minutes later.
"Well, while waiting for your parents or guardians to pick you up, how about we sing a song?" she offered to the children
The children nodded enthusiastically, followed by a cry of approval. Especially Jewel. The little girl looked happier because she was singing.
Alex strummed her guitar and started singing.
'Cause, baby, you're a firework
Come on, show 'em what you're worth
Make 'em go, "Oh, oh, oh"
As you shoot across the sky
Baby, you're a firework
Come on, let your colors burst
Make 'em go, "Oh, oh, oh"
You're gonna leave 'em all in awe, awe, awe
Alex smiled as she continued to sing. Even the children sitting across from her started singing along as she entered the chorus. And keep following it until the song ends. As soon as the song ended, the children in front of her clapped excitedly.
And the applause not only came from the students but also from the outside of the classroom. She turned and found the parents already standing there. Seemed to be waiting for their children to come out. She felt her face turn red. It never occurred to her to sing in front of the parents of her students.
"Well, pack your things, kids," she said as she put her acoustic guitar on the table.
The children came out running to their parents. They said goodbye while waving to their dear teacher.
Alex answered them with enthusiasm.
She held her book again in her left hand while her right hand held the guitar. When she turned around, though, she was surprised to see Jewel standing in the doorway.
"Uncle hasn't come yet," she said sadly.
Alex was a little surprised to hear that. She hastily approached the little girl. "How about I buy you a hot chocolate while waiting for your uncle to come?" she suggested; trying to uplift the mood of the child.
"You want to accompany me, teacher?" Jewel asked hopefully.
She nodded. "Of course, I want to," she said with a warm smile. "You don't mind if we go to the music room first to drop off this guitar, do you?"
The little girl shook her head. "I can help you with the books, teacher."
"No, you don't have to."
"It's okay, teacher, " Jewel said quickly. "It's just two books, anyway."
Alex smiled, then handed the book to the little girl. After that, she stroked Jewel's hair again.
"Teacher Alex, do you have children of your own?"
She gasped in surprise. "I don't have yet," she said later. "Why do you ask?"
"Because the teacher is like my mom. My mommy likes to rub my head like you do."
Alex smiled. "Then where is your mommy?"
Jewel's face dimmed.
Oh no. She thought worriedly. Did her mother die?
"Mommy is going to Japan with my daddy."
She sighed in relief. Then she pushed open the music room door. She put the guitar in its place and went back to Jewel. "They went there to work?" she asked as she led the little girl to the teacher's faculty room.
"They went on their honeymoon." Jewel grunted.
Alex felt her face turn beet red. Good grief! What did Jewel's parents think when they said that to their little daughter? She shook her head in disbelief. Taking the book from the little girl's arms and placing it on the table. She took her bag, then brought the little girl to the cafeteria.
After their return from the cafeteria a few minutes later, and standing in front of the classroom, Jewel's uncle was still nowhere to be seen. She could have taken the girl home, but what if her uncle showed up and thought something bad had happened to his niece?
"Do you know your uncle's cellphone number?" she asked.
Jewel nodded. The young girl was just about to mention her uncle's cell phone number to her teacher when the person in question suddenly walked up to her. "Uncle Charles!"
Alex looked up at the end of the corridor, and she was surprised to see who it turned out to be Jewel's uncle. Charles Castro.
"Uncle is very, very, very late," Jewel sulks.
"I'm sorry, princess. Uncle has an urgent meeting. I will just buy you hot chocolate, how about it?"
But Jewel was just getting sullen. "I already had it."
Charles turned his head and was surprised to see Alex. "Alex?"
"If there wasn't teacher Alex, I would have been kidnapped." Jewel is still grumbling.
Alex chuckled. She rubbed the little girl's head again. "So he's your uncle?"
Jewel nodded with a sullen face.
Charles pinched his niece's nose in annoyance, then in one jolt carried the little girl. "How about we have lunch?" he persuaded.
"Jewel doesn't want to if teacher Alex won't come with us," said Jewel.
Alex gasped. "What?"
"Do you mind, teacher?" asked Charles.
*****
"Who did you have lunch with again?"
Alex took her dolphin doll, which was the size of a bolster, and hugged it tightly. Making her support her elbows while she lay face down on the bed. In front of her is a laptop that is on, showing Adrian's disbelieving face.
She uses the social network Skype to talk to the man. And nope, he is not out of town or abroad. The man is still in Manila, still in his apartment. But Adrian always reasoned that talking without looking at the face of the person you are conversing with was not fun.
"Charles. Charles Castro," she snapped. "How many times do I have to repeat that?!" she protested in annoyance.
"How could that be?"
"Well, one of my students is his niece. He was late picking her up, and I accompanied the little girl. Her name is Jewel. She is a beautiful child, just like her name." She said as she re-imagined the face of the little girl. "You have to meet her and see her with your own eyes."
"Me? Who do I have to meet? Charles?" Adrian snorted. "Why do I have to meet that nutty playboy?"
Alex looked at her best friend, annoyed. "Not Charles, but Jewel."
"Oh, sorry." Adrian said, without any remorse at all.
And then silence enveloped them.
Alex turned her gaze to her bedroom window. The curtains of her room were still not closed, showing the view of the pouring rain. The day after tomorrow is July, and that means Adrian's birthday is also coming. She actually started to think of what gift will he give the man?
"Baby, can you still hear me?"
She flinched at the call and glared at Adrian. "My name is Alex, in case you forgot."
"So what are you thinking about, baby?" Adrian asked again, ignoring her curt words.
She rolled her eyes at the man's attitude. Lazy to argue, she chooses to ignore it. "I didn't think of anything."
Adrian smirked. "You're thinking about me?"
Alex snorted loudly. "No. Why would I?"
The man chuckles. "Look! You're blushing!" he exclaimed happily. "If you were here, I would have kissed you already," he said with a chuckle.
"If you were here, I would have thrown you out, and let your body freeze outside," she replied cruelly.
But Adrian smiled. "But you will be lonely if I freeze."
Alex was sure that her eyes would pop out of their socket if she rolled them any faster. When will this man stop teasing her?
"Ah, the day after tomorrow is my birthday," Adrian announces.
"Then?" she asked lazily, as if not interested. "Do you want a gift? Sorry. But you are already thirty years old, so stop asking for gifts like a child," she said in a flat tone.
Adrian shook his head disapprovingly. "It doesn't matter how old I am. Every birthday there must be a present, especially from you."
Alex sneered. "No. I will stop giving you gifts."
"Is that true?" the man frowned as if he was thinking. "Ah, right. You said it on your fifteenth birthday, didn't you? At that time you asked me for a present, but when it was my birthday, you didn't give me a present at all."
She pouted because of that. "Don't bring it up again."
Adrian laughed. "You are the type of person who wants to win on her own. You want to make a profit but don't want to lose any." he then laughed again.
Alex looked at the man flatly. Letting the guy laugh all he wants.
"Anyway, I want a gift. Period," he said undeniably. "And it must be special," he made sure to add.
"If I remember to buy it, you will have your present," she said nonchalantly.
"In the afternoon, come to the sapphire restaurant."
"You want to treat me to another meal?" she asked hopefully. Imagining the lunch she had with the man at the restaurant two weeks ago.
But Adrian shook his head. "Not me, baby. But your future mother-in-law invited you."
She frowned. Thinking about the man's words. Once she understood what he meant, she immediately threw a death glare. "Yaaah! Since when I become your future wife for you to mention your mom as my future mother-in-law, huh?!" she snapped out of patience. "And don't call me baby! I am not a baby."
"But I love calling you that way," answered Adrian casually. "Mom wanted to celebrate my birthday with dinner as usual. So she invited your family. She said she misses your mom so much."
She sighed. "Of course. They haven't seen each other in five long years."
Their mothers have been friends since they were children. Their meeting began when Adrian's mom moved in front of their house when she was five years old, while Ace was nine. One afternoon after school, their mom introduced the two of them to the Herrera family's children. The eldest is Alice, who is five years older than her, and the second is Adrian himself, who is almost the same age as her brother. Their parents became friends, and so were they.
"Alice will also come," said Adrian.
Alex's eyes lit up, suddenly remembering Alice's first daughter, Sayn, who turns five years old this year, and her second daughter, who was born three months ago. "Okay. I'll be there. What time?"
"Five o'clock in the afternoon." the man groaned. "Mom never misses the candle-blowing ritual."
She laughed at that. Adrian doesn't like the ritual of blowing out candles and cutting cakes, but he doesn't want to miss gifts either.
"I'll kill you if you came without a gift," her best friend threatened. "And one more thing, I won't be talking to you for the next couple of months if you're late!"
Alex yawned after the man finished speaking. She didn't mean to mock him, but she was getting sleepy because it was already twelve midnight. She shuddered. "Don't be angry, okay? But I'm really sleepy," she said quickly before Adrian scolded her for being rude again.
The man closed his mouth, and his face brightened again. "Okay. Good night. Have a nice dream, baby!"
She was about to say something back when the man immediately cut off the connection, making her even more annoyed. "Since when did my name change to baby?! Ugh!"
*****