Beautiful Stranger

July 2012.

Baclaran, Manila.

The rain was pouring heavily, but there was no sign of rush in Elaine's steps. Meanwhile, others were running and rushing to the nearest shelter to protect themselves from the rain. But Elaine didn't seem bothered as she made her way towards the Baclaran Church under the heavy downpour, taking only her backpack with her.

She halted at the corner a few steps from the church, not caring that she was already soaking wet. She looked up at the sky, letting the rain drip on her face. Based on the sky's dark and thick clouds, Elaine could tell that the rain would not stop any time soon.

She was unsure if the sky was sympathizing with her or was just plain mocking her, just like the people around her. It must be the latter.

She continued moving forward.

Elaine was an illegitimate child. She grew up without her father and spent her whole life under her mother, Bettina. 

Bettina owned a small pub house in Paranaque. She would beat the hell out of Elaine every time she came home drunk. Bettina cried hysterically, blaming Elaine and the father she had never even met her mess of a life. Just like right now. The side of Elaine’s lips were swollen after Bettina hit her with a bag when she answered rudely. 

As a child, she felt pierced right through her chest every time her mother beat her or spat hurtful words at her. She was emotionally abused not only by her mother but also by their overcritical neighbors. She grew up in a toxic environment.

There were tons of rumors about her existence. Rumor had it that her mom flirted with different guys and ended up getting pregnant at an early age. Another rumor that spread like wildfire was that she was having an affair with a married politician, and that's why she could not tell Elaine who her father was. 

A few years ago, she prayed desperately every single day that she would finally get to see her father, hoping he would take her away the miserable life she had with her mom. She had tried walking on her knees towards the altar. Not only in Baclaran Church, but she had gone all the way to Quiapo Church and to different worship places. 

Now, she's seventeen, fearless, and ungracious. The tears from her hurtful past slowly turned into grins. She's no longer the kid who hid in the corner of the house to pity herself. That kid started to stand up for herself, even if she appeared rude to others. It was as though she had grown fangs and horns over time.

She wanted it to be like that. It was rather fitting for her image. At her age, Elaine had finally put herself together to wonder why she existed. She wanted to know about the man behind her existence: her father. Elaine wanted to meet him. She wanted to hear from his mouth why he didn't show up, why he didn’t try find her, and why didn't he have the balls to do the right thing, even though he had the balls to create a life out of lustful desires. 

Elaine turned when she reached the corner of the street. Behind the Baclaran Church was a small-scale bistro bar owned by an old man named Chito. That was her destination. 

He was a former fortune teller. She met him when she was fourteen. She often saw him hanging around Baclaran Church's entrance, and he sometimes offered her bread or something to eat. 

She had gone to his bistro bar many times, especially when she had nowhere else to go when she ran away from home. It was six in the evening, but the place wasn’t very busy that night. There were no customers around except an old man who sat with his back facing her, so she could not recognize who it was. They were having a conversation with Drew, the bistro bar's waitress.

Elaine gestured to Drew, asking if she could just go directly into the small room at the end of the bar. The 25-year-old waitress nodded, indicating approval. She had a few clothes hidden on the premises. Some of them were given to her by Mr. Chito. When she found something to wear, she didn't waste time getting dressed and headed towards the glass door of the beer cooler. She pulled it open and grabbed herself a bottle of beer. She then walked towards the bar counter and sat comfortably on the stool, waiting for Macon, the bartender, to come to her.

"What happened to your face?" Drew asked her.

"Where is Mr. Chito?"

"You’re the third person looking for the boss today."

Elaine’s forehead creased. "Who were the other two?

"Well, it was Jemuel. He ran into me this morning and asked where the boss was. And the other one was him." With her lips, she pointed to the guy who was sitting not far from us. "Mr. Tall and Yummy." 

It was the guy that Drew was talking to earlier. He was occupying the seat near the entrance. Since the place was a little dark, she could not see his face. Was he a debt collector just like Jemuel? Or was he in charge of the loan shark that Mr. Chito owed? 

"He’s been paying his obligation well, hasn't he?" she asked, referring to the loan shark payment obligation.

"The bistro was slow these past few months. The rent alone was buried under the debt payment. As far as I remember, it's been four months since the last time we paid rent and six months of payment delays in 5-6 lending."

Elaine took a swig. She winced when the beer hurt her gums. She had consumed two bottles already, and numbness began to creep up when the door slammed open. Two figures appeared. It was Jemuel and one of his staff members. They headed to the counter and hissed a call to catch Macon's attention. She glanced at Macon, and he looked rather tense, seeing the newcomer. 

"Isn't Chito here yet?"

"N-not yet, sir."

"You're trying to hide him from me every time we come here, aren't you?"

Macon shook his head immediately. "No, sir. We're not…"

Jemuel took his hat off, and without a word, whacked Macon's face with it. Macon was shocked but stayed calm even though he looked scared. Elaine took a series of deep breaths and chose not to comment. She watched Jemuel grab the poor bartender by the collar. She gulped her beer at once. If there was something she couldn't bear to see, it was someone getting bullied or assaulted. She knew how unpleasant it was to be helpless while someone was trying to hurt you.

"Tell your boss if he's not going to pay his debt, I'll burn this bar down. Do you understand?" Jemuel threatened, tapping the bartender's face with his palm repeatedly.

"Shame on you," she grumbled, interrupting the fuss. Her eyes stayed fixed on the beer.

Jemuel's attention shifted to her. Without looking, he knew how sardonic her grin was when he let go of Macon. He edged near her.

"Hey, kid. Listen up. You should not interfere with the elderly if you don't want to get hurt. All I know is violence when I'm cranky, and I don't care if you're a kid."

Elaine scoffed. She finally turned to face him. "I can see how old you are. You're wrinkly and all, and yet you're still acting like a childish thug." 

"What a rude bitch! If your parents didn't teach you manners, then my hand will!" Jemuel lifted his hand, threatening to slap her hard on the face.

She arched the corner of her mouth in a sarcastic grin. She scratched her brows, whispering, "What's up with my cheek, and why is it everybody's favorite part to hit?"

His forehead crumpled. "What did you just say, dummy? Are you cursing at me, huh?"

Elaine stood up, slid her hand into her pocket, and stared at Jemuel from head to foot.

"You’re not only a childish thug but also a deaf one.” 

"Stupid bitch!"

"S-sir, Mr. Chito is on the way…" Drew interrupted the commotion, looking pale with fear. She stepped in between them, but he pushed the waitress harshly. Drew staggered. 

Elaine's vision had turned dim. Jemuel quickly grabbed her by the collar. His eyes turned red with anger, but Elaine didn’t falter. There was no hint of fear in her eyes.

Even when Jemuel lifted his hand to slap her, Elaine didn't flinch. She waited, but nothing landed on her face.

"Cut it off, Mister. She's just a kid."

Elaine rolled her eyes. A kid?

She glanced over her shoulder to identify who it was. It was the man Drew was talking to earlier. He was wearing a button-down sport shirt and Jemuel grabbed his hand back from the man's grip.

"This bar sure has a crapload of meddlers, huh? Hey, this is not your business, so don't step in unless—" before he could finish his words, Elaine had picked up the empty bottle, and as quick as a flash, smashed it hard on the old hag's head. Debris splattered everywhere.

Drew screamed. Jemuel dropped to the ground, completely knocked out. The meddling man could not believe his eyes.

January 15, 2021.

With a burgundy glass on the folding table, Elaine poured wine into it again. She then settled herself in the wooden bistro chair that was facing the open shore of Boracay Beach.

It was four in the morning. As usual, she couldn't fall asleep. At least not until midnight or the sun rose. It's been one hell of a month of moving from place to place. She stayed at a hotel somewhere in the Visayas, from Iloilo to Cebu. From there, she flew to Panglao then El Nido.

She would fly back to Manila the next day to settle in the condo unit she invested in. Her real work would start by then. She could not be any more nervous about it even though she had been prepping for it for almost a month.

Elaine sipped her wine. She took her time emptying the glass. She wanted to savor every drop as if it would take her forever to taste it again.

After emptying her glass, she looked up at the sky. She could hardly see the moon. Even the stars seemed hidden away. Perhaps thick clouds tucked them in, making the night mysteriously darker.

Similar to the poet, Danica Gim’s belief, Elaine also believed that people were like the moon. Sometimes, you need to disappear before you can return in full.

Full.

The first and last time she felt complete was three years ago. Unfortunately, it didn't last for long.

The feeling of incompleteness crashed back to her. Something wasn’t right. Something was lost. Looking back, Elaine had plenty of regrets. She wished she hadn’t done that, she wished she hadn’t said this, she wished she wasn't born like this. But it was unfair to wish for the latter. Too many wrong decisions had been made that were hard to undo.

Elaine heaved a deep sigh.

She poured wine into the glass for the nth time. When she came back, she missed not only the wine but also a lot of other things from materials, places she used to go, the food she used to eat, and people who no longer wanted to see her ever again.

Fate and faith brought her back. There must be a reason why she was finally here again. She wasn't certain if everything was going to be okay but come what may, she was giving it a shot.

A smile crept onto her lips as she saw the light slowly taking over the dark. By far, Boracay had the most striking sunrises in the country. It was a sight to behold for a tourist like her.

"Beautiful…" she whispered with her eyes fixed on the amazing view of the sunrise. It was a mixture of fiery red and orange teasing every tourist and beach lover to take a picture or enjoy the view. Too bad Elaine forgot to bring the camera with her. She didn't think about it when she left her suite earlier.

It took three long sorrowful years before Elaine got to see the sunrise again. They were long and stale years that were unprogressive for her.

But the long wait was finally over, and her agony had diminished. A tiny string of hope kept her up, and so did courage. It wouldn't be easy.

She slid her hand into the robe's pocket and pulled the red purse out. She opened it, drawing out a resealable pouch. She stared at it for a moment.

A sorrowful smile was etched on her lips. Her hand formed into a tight fist around the pouch, crumpling it. Someone from her past had given it to her, only to take it back from her in the end. Fortunately, she managed to get it back, against that person’s will, of course.

How was he? For the past three years, he was probably busy hating her. Sadly, he’d probably continue hating her.

***

TAN'S eyes settled on the envelope that Atty. Ramas, their family lawyer, laid on his desk. He had a serious look on his face. It was half-past nine in the evening, and Tan rarely saw Ramas in his office. Tan was wondering what made him storm into his office this late and could not wait for the sunrise.

The old man called him a few hours ago, asking him to drop by his house tonight. But Tan replied that he'd visit him some other day. He was too tired to even drive himself home. He had been sleep-deprived for the last three nights. He was exhausted managing his job in the hospital and resolving the DM Textile's current situation all at once.

"I told you I'd pay you a visit," he told him. He continued taking his hospital gown off and hung it on the clothes rack before turning on his feet to face the lawyer. He had been considered as part of their family for quite a long time.

"That is urgent," he referred to the envelope he placed on his desk. "Open it," he urged. He's got a worried look on his face.

Tan followed as told so. Hastily, he opened it and pulled out something there. Basically, they were just photos. A candid whole body shot of a woman who seemed to be coming out from the famous clothing store in the country. A collection of both focused and stolen shots of different angles, which obviously taken from different places in the Philippines.

Different images of the same woman compiled in an envelope. And she looked disappointingly familiar. She seemed happy with her life, Tan realized. In almost every shot in her photos, she looked happy in there, her face always flashing out a wide smile with shopping bags in her hands. She was still the same woman he knew. Her wardrobe still costs hundreds of thousand pesos.

She used the money she received from him and his family well, it was obvious. His jaws clenched at the thought of it. He stared back at Atty. Ramas with his eyes squinting in anger.

"What about this woman?"

"Aren't you curious why she's back? According to my source, she came back to the country two months ago. I even got her new home address. It's in the file right in the envelope. You can check it out.”

He slammed the photos down the table, giving the old man a bored look on the face.

"I have nothing to do with this woman," he replied almost coldly.

"It has been three years already. I was just thinking what if she might—"

"I don't want to talk about her.”

Retreating, the lawyer drew a deep breath. Tan grabbed his car keys, obviously trying to dismiss the topic fully. All he wanted to do is to get back home to finally get some rest and most likely call it a day.

"Aren't you going to see her?"

He looked back at him. "For what? I don't see any reason why I should.”

"But she's your wife," he answered.

"Ex-wife," he corrected him.