II

Frenzy P.O.V.

"good morning" cathy greeted me.

she just came out of desi's room, wearing a loose white cotton shirt and green panjama. I just nodded to her. I'm here at the dining table, currently eating french toast bread made by anne earlier before she left for work,

"You don't have work today?" she asked me while putting cold water in the glass that came from inside the refrigerator.

she's standing in-front of it, watching her pour water into the glass she holds. I turned to her for a moment and turned my attention back to what I was eating.

"We don't have work on Saturdays, did desi not tell you?" my answer,..

I really don't want to talk to cathy for a too long, I don't want to see her for too long and I don't want to be with her for too long. of what happened to me for the past years without her and desi, she did not know the struggles I went through, she does not know the pain of losing a friend and loved one. they left me on the air.. they left me... hanging.

cathy was approaching the table near me, and it was just right that I had finished eating so before cathy could approach I stood up in my seat, I do not want to have a longer conversation with her.

"you're done?" she asked me as she put the glass of water on the table and moved the chair so that she could sit while she followed me looking towards the kitchen.

"yes, I will go to anne in her class eh?" I said to her. while I was washing the plate I used for the french toast bread and cup of coffee I used.

"oh i see, is she still studying?"s he asked after drinking water..

"no, she's a children's swimming instructor" I explained. and I walked to our room to get ready.

"I thought you and desi will go to your parents house today?" I asked her as I was faced in her seat and paused to ask her.

"Maybe later, she's still sleeping" she said not looking at me but at the glass in front of her.

"ah, all right, just be careful on the trip, I'll be the first.. nice to see you again cathy,.." I said and smiled slightly at her.

I saw her head lift from the nod and looked at me. she probably didn't know what to answer because she seemed to have stopped. I did not wait for her to speak and I went to our room.

When I entered our room I immediately felt nervous in my chest. I touched the middle part of it and my palms felt the rapid beating of my heart.

"shhh.. just relax.. just relax.. calm frenzy... calm!" I said to myself.

I sighed to get some air, this cannot be. I just shook my head and took the towel to take a bath and I was going somewhere more important than I feel now.

**********

"hello sister frenzy!" the boy running towards me by the side of the swimming pool greeted me as his body slipped into the lifeboat he was holding.

"hi candice, where is your coach Anne?" I asked the grayish-eyed boy because his mother was American while his father was Filipino.

"she's there, teaching other kids," she replied with a smile while pointing to the far end of the swimming pool.

I looked at the part that candice pointed out and I saw that anne was very fond of the cute kids who lived in that condo. she also looked at me and waved. I responded to her waving with a smile and I raised one hand to waved her too.

I walked towards anne's place with the cute little kids paddling on the side of the swimming pool.

"okay kids, it's lunch time!" anne said to the children around her.

"yey!" at the same time the children shouted with their hands still raised.

anne is already helping some children get up to their nanny and parents. while I was just standing near them... when anne finished what she's doing, she quickly approached me holding the towel she was wiping on her wet-suit.

"you came early here huh?" she asked me with a smile.. "let's go there" she added and she walked to a table with a big umbrella.

"ahm, cathy is at home, and i don't want to see her for too long" was my answer. as I lay on the table a paper bag containing our lunch.

"uyy, frenzy... bring back the sweetness of your puppy love?..." anne teased me by singing it while taking out the lunch I brought.

"crazy, not anymore.. it's been,.. what? two years?.. it's been a long time actually!" I said as I poke the straw in the plastic cup of softdrinks and handed it to anne.

"eh why do you seem to be blushing there?" anne continued teasing

"Stop there anne ah, I moved on with her, it just seems to me that it's so awkward that we are at the same place." my explanation.

"You don't want that, there you can assess yourself if you really have no feelings for her or there is more when you are together in one roof!" anne said while eating rice mixed with a smile that made me smile.

I just smile at her back, and sip soft drinks on the plastic cup in front of me.

"Your cooking is delicious frenzy!" said anne with a mouthful of food

"you are really crazy!, you know I don't know how to cook,.. I just bought it on the corner before I entered this condo" I laughed and said to her.

"i know,.." she said and made me cute.

"You.. you really like to tease me?" I said

"aw, I thought you were going to say... i'm good in bed... hahahhahaha" anne said with a loud laugh that drew attention to the babysitters on the other table not far from us.

"Hey, your mouth ah, we are in public, you can't joke like that" I rebuked Anne. I noticed that I blushed because I felt the heat on my face.

"Just a joke, you are kill joy, and she laugh more louder this time, but the first thing I said... I think others did not hear."Anne said while restraining her laugher.

"Just eat there, you look like a weirdo!" I said and I stared at her.

"frenzy.. i love you" Anne said softly and sniffed at me.

"I love you too" I whispered.

"but get rid of that snout, I'll push you on the table you'll see anne-tot!" my rebuke to anne of being so bully.

"Come eat too, come with me" anne just said to me.

"Of course, I bought two, the one is for me!" and we both laughed.

anne and I happily shared the lunch I just bought at the cafeteria of this place where anne regularly teaches children who are not yet in school.

I watched anne while eating,.. anne played a big part in my life when desi and cathy left for singapore.

she was the one I leaned on.. she was the one my so-called punching bag, she was the one who was with me when I needed sympathy.... a shoulder to lean on and cry on.

*** FLASHBACK ***

"anne!.... My name is anne..." and she held out one hand to me.

I just stared at her, I did not know what to do, my eyes blurred by the tears that kept flowing down my cheeks. I looked at the paper she was holding, that was the poem I made for cathy.

"miss are you okay?" anne asked,

she removed her hand in front of me, maybe singing because it has been presented in front of me for a long time but I do not know and my arm does not have the strength to lift it.

I just looked at the wide sky, I took the handkerchief from my pocket and tried to wipe it with my tears on my cheeks.

"Here is tissue, don't use a handkerchief" the woman said "anne" is the name I did not realize, she sat next to me.

She handed me the tissue, laid it on my thigh and looked at the emptiness as well.

"don't use handkerchief in wiping your tears, ... Because it will remain the memory of those tears on it .. Especially when the reason for your crying is failure or sadness ... You just have a hard time remembering and you will remember it." said anne.

"don't use handkerchief in wiping your tears,... Because it will remain the memory of those tears on it.. Especially when the reason for your crying is failure or brokeness... You just have a hard time, because you will remember and remember it always." said anne.

I turned to her. I frowned at what she said.... Actually, I did not understand her.

"ha ha ha ha,.. The ambiguity of what I said noh?" she said laughing with one hand on her nape.

I also laughed a little because of her pout-like appearance.

"frenzy" I said

She looked at me, seemingly surprised.

"my name is frenzy... Nice meeting you anne and thank you for the tissue" I said to her taking the tissue on my lap and lifting it slightly, as if I showed her that I took what she gave me.

she smiled at what I did. I wiped my tears through the tissue she provided.

"nice to meet you too frenzy..., what a nice name!" she said still looking at me.

"Why did you pick that up, eh I threw it away already" I said with a slight sniff. I was embarrassed to blow my nose in front of someone I did not know her very well.

"1st,.. It is forbidden to litter here in the park., 2nd I've been watching you since you came here, and I heard your poem.. It's beautiful.. Is that for your boyfriend?" anne explained with the smile that still lingered on me.

"sorry, I didn't stop myself from throwing it away, then I don't have a boyfriend, that's for the person I love but she doesn't love me" I said while my tears flowed again.

"ohh, sorry.... sorry... I didn't mean to offend you regarding littering, it just a joke,.." anne apologizing to me panicking.

I, on the other hand, laughed at the way she looked, maybe she thought that I was crying because she forbade me to throw paper.

"no, no,.. That's okay" I said,

"but seriously, the poem is lovely indeed... Though im not into poem, your poem has a depth, have sense.. you can feel every word of it" she explained.

Probably every word I wrote in that poem has depth, because that is how deep was my scars was.

"anyway.. Keep this poem,.. Its a piece of art..." anne said as she handed me the paper.

"It's up to you if you want." I said and I just looked at the children chasing around the playground part of the park.

How long have we been here for a while and it seems like lately no one is in this park but now there are fewer and fewer people who want to hang out and spend the night.. There are also people who come and sell anthing that can be sell..

"It's getting late.. Aren't you leaving yet?" anne asked.

I just looked at her. Her skin was not white, nor was she dark, her skin was slender, as if she was always soaking in water. Wavey up to shoulder hair, and turned hoody jacket and khaki shorts. This is how she got up when I first saw her at the restaurant.

"Are you checking me out or am I ugly to you eyes?" anne asked as if conscious of her appearance.

"nope, I just noticed that your outfit was the same when I first saw you at the restaurant,.... Have you been following me for a while?" my questionto her

"ha ha ha, no ah,.. Maybe you are the one following me,.. I am always ahead of the place where I saw you., at the restaurant?.. I was just at the other table then, it just that,.. I was going in the wash room so I passed by your place, and earlier?. I was just taking my rest here when I saw you... Are you staying somewhere here? " anne's long explanation.

"my office is just around the corner" was my answer.

"Where do you live?.. I will send you home.. It's getting late oh".. Anne said

"I'm going back to the office,.. my things are still there, and I'm okay, you don't have to send me home.

"I insist... Don't worry I don't have a car.. Let's just take taxi or passenger jeepney and I won't kidnap you" anne said jokingly.

"It's up to you" I said..

This person looks nice and kind, then I don't know why I feel so relieved for her even though I only saw her a second time.

I got up from my seat and walked towards our office, I felt that Anne was next to me.

"I'm just here if you need someone to talk too" anne said

I stopped and turned to her.

"I'll just take my stuff inside the office, wait for me at the convenient store over there." I said to her and smiled as I pointed where is the place of that store I'm talking about.

I saw the gentle glow of a smile on her lips.....

.... And the rest......... is History!

*** END OF FLASHBACK ***

"thank you anne .." I whispered to the woman next to me now in the taxi.

Every time I go to Anne, she doesn't want to use my car, she says it's too much hassle and she says she can't sit next to me properly when I'm sitting in the car.

It's almost 10:30pm, we decided to watch a movie first after her swimming class and we didn't realize it was night because we enjoyed touring around the mall.

This is also a factor that I liked with anne.. She taught me how to loosen up a little bit.

She said life is like water, you need to learn how to swim, you do not have to fight it, but we have to go with the flow sometimes,... Everywhere it takes us.

And maybe this is what drove me to see my life in another perspective..

"nah frenzy,.. I thank you for accepting me into your life." anne said as she kissed my forehead.

I noticed that the taxi driver were looking at us so I adjusted my seat slightly from leaning on her shoulder.

Anne also noticed my movements so she also adjusted her sitting position.

Anne is sweet, but she is not the typical girlfriend thing, she does not want endearments, she said it is too childish for the two of us.

She is not jealous because she is secured that I love her. And yes... She should be because I really feel love for her....

I love Anne and I have nothing more to ask for.

"Whose car is this?" said anne who looked out of the taxi window.

Each condo unit we live in has its own parking lot, and visitor cars have their own parking area in the lobby of the building.

We have almost memorized anyone with a car belonging to the owner of another unit in the condo, so we know that others have a visitor when someone is parked in the parking area.

I looked at the vehicle anne was referring to. And I saw a car that was familiar to me.... Hmmm, this is still the car she uses.

"nice pimp!" said anne and she was still looking at the car even though we got out of the taxi.

"I think that's cathy's car" I said as we walked towards the lobby of the condo.

"wow, that's cool!... your ex' was cool though.." anne said laughing.

"I'm not interested" I said as we were going to the elevator.

"okay".. Anne just said and shrugged her shoulder while holding my hand while going up the elevator.

"are you still bothered when cathy is here in the unit?" anne asked me

I looked at her.. Should I be bothered?.. Eh I am with my current loved one.

What is more important to me?.. my past or this person that I know loves me with all her heart.

I smiled at her. "I'm not, 'cause you are here with me anne" I said softly and kissed her on the lips.

At the same time the elevator sounds and opens it.

We were in that position when I felt someone staring at us.

"ehem" said the person who had been waiting in front of the elevator

Anne and I looked at the person standing outside the elevator at the same time and cathy exposed herself to us holding the key.

"hello" she just said looking at anne.

"ooppsss, here we are already?, I didn't realize... Hi cathy!" said anne

Anne pulled me out of the elevator while cathy was still standing in front of it.

"are you leaving?" anne asked cathy as we passed her place.

She just nodded but did not look back at us.

"okay take care!" anne said and there I saw cathy turn her face to the two of us.... Looking ....... at me.

Before cathy could answer, we walked away from the elevator,.. To our unit.. I turned to the elevator, I saw cathy... Still standing where we left... Just looking in front of the elevator.......