How could she stop Marjorie using the scarlet chair if she was unlucky in love? It was a problem the family didn’t need right now.
Clarisse has settled down for the night and fell asleep with her mother by her bedside. As for the room with the scarlet chair—it looked like every other room in the house—a warm and cosy place where everyone was welcome. The question was, how long that would last?
The previous time the energy returned to the scarlet chair, it was wiser and more intense. It also learned from its experience and how to cunningly leverage thoughts differently to gain an advantage. It mutated like a virus learning how to adapt to every new situation. It could feel the presence of another person in the house when previously it did not have that perception. It had extended its reach beyond the confines of the scarlet chair and become more powerful over the years.
8 One more day
Harry had settled in for the evening, unbeknown to him what had taken place with Clarisse. As far as he was aware, she was catching up on a good night’s sleep. She had been vague about the chair and avoided any questions about it. For Harry, it remained a mystery shrouded in secrecy.
He was packing his bag to return to Manila the next day. Clarisse and her uncle Pablo had offered to take him to the bus terminal—they needed to make sure he caught the right bus and didn’t end up in the wrong place. He was leaving the next evening for his flight back home to Melbourne. His journey was coming to an end. But it was not the packing that made him feel restless—the prospect he would have to say goodbye to Clarisse is what bothered him the most. He could not stop thinking about her.
Harry had a big decision to make—continue spending more time with Clarisse and give the friendship a chance to grow or leave mid-stream with uncertainty hanging over their romance. How could he leave her not knowing what could have been? It was tormenting him, and time was running out. He understood once he was back home that a long-distance relationship would be challenging to maintain. He did not know the success rate of long-distance romances—but common sense would suggest it had a high failure rate. Sure, you could chat every night and see each other through a webcam, but it was not the same.
The experience was different; you could not pick the flowers or smell the jasmine from the sampaguita—or go for a wild ride in a sidecar down a congested street while holding on to each other for support. They were all subtle things that brought you together. He could not do that six thousand miles away.
Harry decided to send an email to his boss—although they were three hours behind Melbourne, if he acted quickly, he may get a response by the morning. But what would he say to him without lying? Harry had worked in the same company for almost ten years and had known his boss for the same period. He did not want to lie and say he was sick or that there had been a flight cancellation. But how would his boss react to him coming back to work later because of a girl? It was possible that if his boss did not have empathy for his situation he could be reprimanded or dismissed for abandoning his job. Harry was in a pickle and torn by desire.
Damn this, I’m just going to do it. And if they don’t like it, then OK, I will find another job, he thought.
Harry connected his laptop to the hotel internet and prepared his email. He explained to his boss the truth about Clarisse and why he wanted to stay an extra two days in Manila. Now all he had to do was sit back and wait for the response by morning. His boss was very efficient and always responded to email messages quickly, even after hours from his iPhone. Writing an email and sending it to his boss was therapeutic for his mind. However, he was still apprehensive about losing his job and the consequences.
Next morning, Harry checked his email to see if his boss had responded—but there was no reply and he would check again later. He was running late and skipped breakfast. He made his way to the front of the hotel in a hurry. He waited for Clarisse and her uncle Pablo to pick him up as arranged with the sidecar. As a man of routine, he had the same breakfast, poached eggs on toast, and sat at the same chair and table at the corner end of the dining area. The waiter already knew what Harry was going to order for breakfast. They would look at each other and nod in agreement, such was their understanding.
Clarisse was on cue, unlike in their second meeting. Harry didn’t have to prove himself this time—it would have been unnecessary for Clarisse to make him wait. She waved at Harry in a swiping motion and asked him to jump into the sidecar while her uncle Pablo managed the luggage. She was wearing a crimson dress, tightly fitted and just above her knees. Her hair was tied back in a bun—her lips accentuated with a pale red lipstick. Her trademark extended eyelashes stole the show and made her glitter in the sun each time they blinked.
Clarisse hugged onto his arm and sat close to him in the restricted space of the sidecar, smiling as her uncle Pablo mounted the motorbike and put on his helmet. It was going to be another journey through the congested streets leading to the bus terminal. It was only a couple of blocks from the hotel and the quickest way to get there was by cutting through the back streets.
Why is she so happy? I’m leaving today, and she should be sad, he thought.
“I want to say something, Harry.” Her voice rose a couple of decibels over the sound coming from the street.
“What is it?”
“I have a surprise.”
Harry looked at her intently, waiting. “Are you going to tell me, Clarisse?”
“I’m coming with you to Manila, and my bag is in the carriage. See, look there.” She pointed to her blue carry-on bag.
Harry turned his head to check the carriage—the blue carry-on luggage was next to his suitcase. “You are coming back to Manila with me on the bus?”
“Yes.”
“No wonder you were smiling before,” Harry said.
“You were wondering why I wasn’t sad that you were leaving?
“It crossed my mind.”
“Ha, ha. I did that on purpose to see your reaction.”
“Well, you did a good job.” Harry took a deep breath and sighed. He was relieved that Clarisse was coming back with him on the bus.
Harry checked his laptop before leaving his hotel, and he had not received a response from his boss. He would check again from his iPhone once he was on the bus.
As they turned the last corner, the bus station was directly ahead of them—but their joy would soon turn to anguish. A man on a red Honda motorbike had been following them from the hotel and was now driving erratically alongside them. He was holding a baseball bat and waving it around—yelling at Clarisse and demanding her uncle Pablo pull aside. Clarisse was pointing at him and raising her voice. It appeared she knew him.
“Go away and leave us alone!” she said.
“Do you know this guy?” Harry asked as the sidecar swooped side to side to avoid a collision with the motorbike.
“It’s my ex-fiancé and he’s crazy.”
“How did he find us here?”
“It’s a small town, Harry—everyone knows where you are staying … he found out.” There was a loud clang from the carriageway as the baseball bat connected with the sidecar. Her ex-fiancé was out of control and in a rage.
Uncle Pablo asked if he could stop and confront him. Clarisse waved him on—it would not be the first time her uncle and ex-fiancé were at loggerheads with each other.
“We are nearly at the bus terminal, Uncle Pablo … another hundred metres … keep going!”
There was another clang of the baseball bat on Harry’s side—just missing his arm by centimetres. He looked back at him and could see the intense stare of a man gone mad.
“Quick, Uncle Pablo … we are here. Stop at the entrance!” Clarisse said, pointing towards the two security guards.
It did not perturb her ex-fiancé who continued threatening them and waving his bat around. Clang! It was another strike of the baseball bat next to Clarisse. She instinctively ducked her shoulders hitting the side of her head on the frame of the sidecar.
“Ouch,�
� she sighed clasping her head with her hand.
Harry looked over, concerned, and said, “Are you OK, Clarisse?”
“It’s just a bump. I’m fine.”
Fortunately, the security guards could see the commotion and acted quickly, dashing towards the sidecar. Her uncle Pablo parked the sidecar as close as he could to the entrance and jumped out—ready to confront her ex. He was in the mood for a good fight and would do anything to protect Clarisse.
Her ex-fiancé lost control of his motorbike as it hit the curb, causing it to roll over and crash to the ground directly in front of them. He tumbled onto the pavement, rolling over several times before landing next to a vending machine. Passengers from the overcrowded bus terminal came rushing over to see the incident. Some of them wanted to help Clarisse who had taken a knock on the side of her head.
Harry stood motionless, coming to grips with what had transpired as he held Clarisse in his arms. He frantically took his handkerchief from his side pocket and covered her wound. It was a small cut and bruise with a trickle of blood. She had avoided serious injury.
“It’s fine, Clarisse … your cut is not that bad, and your uncle Pablo has gone to get help at the bus terminal.”
“That crazy bastard … I’m so sorry to put you through this,” Clarisse said with tears sliding down her face.
The security guards apprehended her ex-fiancé—he was lying on the ground and grasping his leg in pain. “Oh, oh,” he groaned, grinding his teeth in agony. The fall was severe enough to have injured his right leg, and he was in some discomfort. There was not much the security guards needed to do to apprehend him because he could not move. His spiteful rage had turned foul, and like previously, he came out second best. Perhaps this time he was in enough pain to understand all his attempts to get even with Clarisse were futile. She had absolutely no feelings for him anymore.
She was given first aid and was fit enough to travel back to Manila. Her uncle Pablo said goodbye to both and wished them well. He mounted his motorbike and took off into the clogged traffic.
Clarisse had a small cut and a bruise next to her right eye. Although the swelling made her feel uncomfortable, she was not in a lot of pain. They took their seats on the bus and placed their bags in front of them. They both looked at one another and sighed as they lay back, placing their heads on the headrest. It had been a stressful morning, and they had the jitters from what had transpired.
“I think I might just rest for thirty minutes and have a quick nap,” Harry said.
“I think I will join you.”
Clarisse placed her head gently onto Harry’s shoulders and immediately started to doze off.
For his part, he enjoyed having her close to him. He wanted to put his arms around her but thought it could wait. He didn’t want to be seen taking advantage of her even though he had a strong desire to hold her tightly.
Thirty minutes into the bus journey, Harry woke up from his nap. Clarisse was already awake and listening to music on her iPhone. She looked at Harry and removed her earphones.
“How long was I out for?” Harry asked.
“About thirty minutes. How do you feel?”
“Much better; I hope I was not snoring.”
“I could hear you from the back of the bus.”
“You’re kidding me …” Harry sighed.
She smiled and put her hand over her mouth and said, “I was only kidding … you were very quiet.”
“Want some water?” Harry asked.
“I will be fine … I already have some here.”
Harry shifted in his seat and pulled back the recliner so he could sit upright. “So, how is your head feeling?”
“I am OK, considering what we went through.”
“Are you going to tell me more about your ex-fiancé?” He looked her straight in the eye, expecting an explanation.
“There is not a lot to talk about, Harry—other than he was unfaithful, a cheat and lied to me a lot.”
“That’s not good. And how did you find out about his infidelity?”
Clarisse did not want to mention the scarlet chair and her premonition, but did not want to lie to him either.
“I found out from people at his work that he was fooling around.” She was not comfortable talking about her ex-fiancé because she wanted him out of her thoughts.
“I see; well, my story is similar.”
“You mean with your ex-wife?”
“Yes, she confessed to having an affair with her boss while travelling for work.” He paused for a moment to gather his thoughts. “It was going on for a while—she was always carrying on about her career.”
“Did she travel a lot?”
“Almost once a week and it involved overnight stays.”
Clarisse took his hand and held it tight. “You trusted her … right?”
“Yes. It never dawned on me what she was doing, and it caught me by surprise.” He turned and looked at her with a smirk. “Looks like we were both diddled?”
She looked at Harry with a confused look. “Diddled?”
“Oh, that means cheated, swindled, deceived—those sorts of things.”
“Ha, ha. At least I learned a new word today.”
Harry connected his phone to the Wi-Fi signal inside the bus and checked his email. His boss had responded.
Hi Harry,
Thanks for getting in touch with us about your holiday overseas. I understand you want to stay a couple more days in Manila. I spoke to our boss, and our advice is to take the extra time off, and we will discuss further when you come back. Get back to us with the return date as soon as possible. In the meantime, enjoy your extended break.
All the best,
Jim
“What are you doing?” Clarisse said.
“I’m cancelling my flight.”
“You’re what?” She was confused and unsure of what had come over him. “The flight is tonight.”
“I have decided to stay for another two days—I’m changing my flights before they charge me a cancellation fee.”
Clarisse was ecstatic and put her hands in the air. “Yeah!” she declared, punching the air with her fist.
“Yes, I’m finding the airline’s number right now. I will call them.”
She was so excited that she hugged him firmly and then kissed him on the cheek. Harry did not want to let go of Clarisse and encouraged her to keep hugging by remaining still. It was as close as they had ever been since they first met—it felt great. It was intimate and not explicit in any way. Harry never understood what took her so long. But in her culture, relationships take time and love is a nurtured process; step by step and bit by bit they slowly fall in love with one another.
Harry now had an extra two days with Clarisse, and he couldn’t believe his good fortune. He didn’t want his romance to be a fling—boy meets a girl from another country, has a good time and then spends the rest of his life dreaming about what could have been. He wanted to give the relationship every opportunity to grow and not be rushed into anything because of an impending deadline.
Harry had managed to change his flight to one leaving two days later. He incurred a change fee but did not care. It was a small price to pay to stay longer with Clarisse. She was listening in on the phone call with anticipation. She clenched her fist and made the sign of victory when she overheard he had successfully changed his booking. They were both smiling and couldn’t wait to plan the next two days together.
The bus was fifteen minutes away from Harry’s hotel and had made good time. They decided to have a nap in the afternoon, and Clarisse would return to the hotel restaurant in the evening to have dinner. It dawned on them that it was a dinner they were not supposed to have. It was one of the benefits of Harry changing his flight. For the first time since they met at Manila Airport, they were having dinner together in a reputable restaurant—no chaperones, inhibitions or testing of any sort. They had passed all that—it made them feel great.
Before going to bed, Ha
rry thought of giving Matt a call to talk about his experience today. He had been through so much that he needed someone to talk to. Although he was grateful it was over, the incident with Clarisse’s ex-fiancé had played on his mind.
“Hi Matt, it’s me, Harry.”
“How are you, mate, and how is Manila going?”
“Very well. Clarisse is the most beautiful person I have ever met.”
“Really?”
“And I need to thank you for the introduction. I know I was difficult at first …”
“I have known you a long time, Harry, and know when you need a little push in the right direction.”
“Listen, I want to ask something.” Harry paused for a moment. “We had an incident today at the bus terminal—her ex-fiancé turned up.”
“You’re kidding me!”
“Baseball bat and everything. It was like one of those James Bond movies … he chased us on a motorbike while we were going to the bus terminal with her uncle.”
“That’s so scary … what happened?”
“He crashed his bike and hurt himself just as we arrived at the bus terminal—he nearly hit me on the head with his bat while I was in the sidecar!”
“That’s a close call … so he crashed his bike? That will teach him.” Matt never minced his words.
“Matt, it was just the whole thing—I wasn’t expecting it.”
“Sounds like you got rattled, mate.”
“Yeah … sort of.”
“Listen, Harry, it’s the Philippines, and they take their relationships seriously. Her ex-fiancé … it’s all about his pride and trying to express his anger.”
“Is that what it is?” Harry asked curiously.
“In their culture, it’s all about how they look in front of others. It would have been difficult for Clarisse too, she is probably embarrassed.”
“Yeah, I think she is. So, what do I do?”
“Nothing, mate, just let it be and focus on your last day together,” Matt said.
The Girl in the Scarlet Chair: A New Adult and Clean Romance with Supernatural Elements (City of Affection - Book 1) Page 10
