Flowers For Rachel

(Note: This is the first short story I wrote last year, after 17 years of silence.)

It was quarter past ten when Anton saw someone familiar passed by in front of the glass window outside Starbucks at Ayala Avenue. He was looking outside when this fair- skinned, long-legged, pretty figure caught his attention. He was about to gulp the last of his iced cappuccino. But he froze at what he saw.

"It can't be." he thought. "Rachel". He wiped his eyeglasses but the girl vanished in the crowd. He sat back on his chair and recalled the years back.

Jose Antonio Lucero, or fondly called Anton, knew Rachel since they were thirteen. They were classmates every year in high school back then at St. Michael’s Academy in Argao, Cebu. Despite his shyness and nerdy look, he was the best looking boy in class and many times voted as the ‘Prince Charming’. He was also a consistent honor student and never fell out of the top three.

Rachel Flores was the beauty queen type. She had this beautiful eyes, straight hair and enticing looks. She was slim and slender, and quite tall for a barrio girl. They said she got it from her father whom she never knew. She carried her mother’s family name for reasons known only to her mother and grandparents. She lived with her grannies while her mother worked in Manila. She was a permanent fixture in the town’s every beauty contest. And Anton never skipped any of the events, watching her, though hiding in some dark corridors.

Rachel knew from friends that he got a crush on her, as Anton was told. But he felt she just ignored him, and sometimes, made fun at his inability to act properly at her presence.

That last year in high school was something that he could not forget. He idolized her so much. He swore, almost everyday, at the school's comfort room that he loved Rachel. He prayed, wished, and hoped that somehow, somewhere, she would notice him.

Perhaps, she noticed him. It was the town's fiesta and Rachel was answering a side question.

"What will make you fall in love for a man?" She paused, and Anton felt as though Rachel was looking straight at him in that dark corner. He could see she winked at him before saying, "He should bring me flowers, everyday for a week. I love flowers...." He walked away not knowing why. But her words kept ringing on her head. Flowers.....

- -

"Excuse me sir, but are you Anton?" He realized that he had ordered sandwich and was not able to hear when his name was first called out.

"Yes, thank you!", was his reply to the smiling girl who brought him his order.

He hurried out of Starbucks hoping to catch a closer glimpse of the girl. "What if it's really Rachel?" he wondered. At the corner of the block he saw her. Yes, it was Rachel. He moved closer, and was about to call out her name when a black and heavily tinted Mitsubishi Lancer opened its doors in front of her and she quickly jumped in.

The next day, on the same hour and on the same table, he waited. He brought a small bouquet of fresh flowers. He planned to surprise her. "If she's married, I won't care. I'll still give this flower to her" he thought.

He can still remember that it was on a day before their graduation, friends prodded him to give her flowers. He was told that Rachel knew that he had a crush on her. And if he dared giving her flowers on stage on their graduation day, she might consider becoming his girlfriend.

"What a dare?" he thought. The idea scared him. But he did bring her a bouquet that day, without anyone noticing it. He had her lola prepare it, telling her that he'll give it to his favorite teacher. He hid it underneath his long toga, waiting for the right opportunity. Her time to go on stage came, and his close friends took a final look at him. He just bowed his head, and later threw the bouquet in the nearest trash can.

- -

Midnight came, and still no sign of her passing by Starbucks. He had emptied his iced cappuccino an hour ago, forgetting how it tasted. He walked out of Starbucks and again dropped the bouquet in the nearest garbage bin before heading for home.

Friday night is a busy night for everyone. He just got out from the office on his 2-10pm duty as one of the managers in a call center at RCBC plaza. He proceeded to Starbucks. He can't help thinking about her again. Four years spent at UP Dilliman wasn't enough to get rid of her from his system. He avoided other girls hoping that one day they'd cross path again. He heard that her family moved to Manila days after their high school graduation. And that she went to some school in Malate but dropped out on third year. He spent some days visiting her school hoping he'd chance upon her but to no avail.

He gave himself only up to the end of this month to blot Rachel out from his mind and move on. Until fate, or whatever it is, that brought them on this same path again. Tonight, he only brought a long-stemmed rose. There will be no bouquet. He easily hid it in his jacket but protected the petals. He figured that if she'll ever show up, at least he had a flower on hand.

Thirty minutes past ten and his iced cappuccino is half empty. Then he saw her again, wearing a red dress. He jumped to his feet and chased her outside.

"Rachel" he dared called out. "Rachel" he repeated, unsure if he was heard.

It took a few steps more, in an empty side of the street, when she looked back. There was a surprise look on her face. The glowing eyes, the pretty face, and the enticing looks were all there. She stood motionless for a minute, studying this guy who knew her name.

"It's me Anton. Remember?"

"Oh hi! Hmmm… What brought you here? You've become more handsome since the last time I saw you." She let out a naughty smile.

Anton didn't know how to react. He was elated that this girl whom he adored and dreamed of for years still recognized him.

She reached out a cigarette from her bag, and began to smoke. "What do you do lately?" she asked puffing smoke in the air.

"I'm a manager of a call center up there." pointing at the RCBC plaza. "Still single and available. How about you?"

She laughed. He wondered how he was able to speak up in front of her. But this time, he had all the guts. This is Manila, and he is no longer the shy province-guy. "Manager, you must be rich nowadays" she quipped.

He shook his head smiling. He was eager to talk to her. "Are you free tonight? Can we talk and reminisce our high school days a little?” He bravely said. God knows how much he missed her. "Here, I brought this flower for you". At last, the time came for him to have the courage to give her at least a flower.

She immediately took it, and smelled its freshness. "You must have taken my joke seriously back in high school then. I saw you threw away the bouquet you hid in your toga".

He was shocked and quite embarrassed. But still he managed to say, “I have no confidence then.”

"I really love flowers. Perhaps, if you took the dare, I might have taken you seriously then." There was another puff of smoke from her mouth. "Times have changed Anton". The smiling face turned into a serious look. "I am no longer the Rachel you once knew."

"What do you mean?" There was a concerned look on his face. “Are you married?”

"A client would pick me up in five minutes. If you want me for the whole night, that'll be three thousand pesos, discounted rate just for you. I'll give you my number if you're interested."