“I think talking to the buyer first would be an order,” Kyra says as she sips her whiskey.
“What, tell them that the story’s true? That somebody died already?” Ramil asks as he puts down his now empty glass. “Don’t you think that will make us look and sound a bit crazy?”
“I suppose,” Kyra says. “Then what do you suggest?”
“Nothing,” Ramil retorts. “We do what you just said—talk to him or her or them.”
“I just hope my assistant doesn’t screw this up as well,” Kyra says softly. At that moment, her assistant comes in.
“Well,” the assistant huffs.”A man who’s engaged said that he bought a wedding ring for her bride-to-be.”
“I can’t believe this!” Kyra says in disbelief. “The ring really has to fall in the hands of an engaged couple, huh?”
“That’s fate for you,” Ramil says. “So, what’s Prince Charming’s name?”
“It’s Felix Dupont,” the assistant shares.”He and his fiancé live in Sioux Falls.”
“I guess we better get going then,” Ramil says. “You should pack, Miss Porteza. This is going to take us some time.”
“I think you should call me Kyra from this point on, just to be fair, Ramil,” Kyra says as the two head out of the museum.
Kyra feels that she has betrayed Gwendolyn in a huge way by including the ring in the auction. Having the ring sold is like dishonoring the main cause of its acquisition. But Gwendolyn has practiced the same thing with her over and over again. After procuring an item, it is always her job to sell it t the highest bidder. The only mistake made is that the ring as sold too soon. Gwendolyn isn’t even buried yet.
Ramil notices Kyra’s silence. The two decided to take Kyra’s vehicle for the trip. They don’t have time to book a flight and wait some more. Going on an old-fashioned road trip is the best way they could find the couple more accurately.
“Are you okay to drive?” Ramils asks. “I can drive. I just don’t have a car for now.”
“I think I’m not in driving condition at all,” Kyra confesses. She pulls over and exchanges seats with Ramil. Once Kyra straps in, she dozes off. Ramil smiles and admires Kyra even more for not dismissing the ring as just an ordinary item and what happened to Gwendolyn was pure coincidence. He knows that Kyra has the heart to correct her mistakes.
A few hours more and it’s already dark. Ramil’s stomach begins to rumble. He realizes that he hasn’t eaten anything since he left the airport. It’s perfect timing for a truck stop.
“Kyra,” Ramil wakes Kyra up.”We need to eat first and get some sleep. This truck stop has it all.”
“Oh—all right,” Kyra sleepily says. She slowly gets up and brings out her valuables to get checked into one of the motel rooms. “I’ll just have my food to go and eat in my room. I can’t keep my eyes open long.”
“Okay, me too,” Ramils says. I’ll see you at the motel lobby in thirty.
Kyra nods and faintly smiles. The two buy food at separate food stations and make it to the lobby in half an hour. With their take outs, Ramil and Kyra enter their connecting rooms, which were the only ones left in the rainy night.
Ramil removes the lid of his ice cream and smiles. In all his years, he has never bought ice cream with a woman before. It just goes to show that both he and Kyra still have their childhood intact, no matter how busy or career-oriented they are. Kyra stifles a giggle as she takes a spoonful of her ice cream into her mouth. She never knew she would be having such a nice time with such a notoriously boring guy. Kyra’s assistant checked Ramil’s background while they were still in Egypt and Kyra discovered that the man isn’t married yet. Ramil is a gorgeous man who hides himself underneath all those baggy clothes and conventional khaki expedition outfits.
Kyra turns on the television and tries to find her favorite late night show.
Ramil is half way through his pint of ice cream when he remembers what Gerry told him during one of their digs.
“You may despise me, doc, for sifting flour through a strainer when it comes to women,” Gerry said as he fixed his shirt. “There happens to be billions and billions of women out there and a single man’s mission is to find the only woman who’s right for him. I want a woman I could stand looking at for years and never get tempted to replace with a second rate girl. You may look at me as a womanizer, doc, but the truth is that I just want to end up with the perfect woman for me.”
Ramil pauses a while.
The ice cream starts to melt in his mouth and then he swallows. Why is he on the road with Kyra Porteza? He admits that the woman has a great personality despite the obsessively workaholic reputation that she seems to have.
Could this bring forth a new phase in his life?
Could this be the right change that he has been waiting for?
Is Kyra supposed to play a significant role in his life aside from being an unexpected road trip companion?
He really doesn’t go on road trips with strange women just for fun or even as part of a job.
When the two finally hit the spot with their ice cream cravings, Kyra and Ramil both slumbered in unfamiliar beds.
Chapter Nine: The Search
The road is still wet when Kyra and Ramil leave the truck stop. Kyra managed to buy some snacks and tall coffees for the road. She never imagined that she would ever end up in a road trip with a man he thought she would only meet by chance.
As archeologists, they share respect for the artifacts they find. They’re not like other opportunistic ones who are only in it for the money. Some even take advantage of rich, old people and their superstitious beliefs. There are many of them out there, and she is just fortunate enough to share the same sentiments with Ramil. She would definitely have a hard time tracking the buyer down if she went on her own. Technically, this is her responsibility. It just happens that Ramil was there when she dug up the item.
“What are you thinking?” Ramil asks as he keeps his eyes on the wet road.
“Why you’re here,” Kyra says sleepily. She had a hard time sleeping last night because of the strong winds. She’s hoping to regain her normal brainwaves with her tall triple espresso. “This isn’t even your world. I mean we’re both archeologists, but you don’t sell what you find.”
“I do sell my skills and knowledge, you know,” Ramil retorts. “You just don’t know how hard it is to find sponsors who will entrust my team with their money just so a task could be done for them.”
“Still, why are you here, helping me?” Kyra insists.
“I like you,” Ramils confesses. He glances at Kyra, who’s now staring at practically a hazy, black and blue outside the window. Ramil suddenly feels awkward and tries his best to dismiss it. “I mean, I like your attitude about your work and that pretty much tells me a clue of who you really are… you know… a good person who tries hard not to let anyone down.”
“I guess,” Kyra says while still looking out her window. “Thanks for doing this.”
“Are you okay?” Ramil asks as he glances at Kyra with concern. He decides to pull-over. Kyra gets out of the car and leans against the Rover’s door. Ramil gets out of the car and stands by her.
“I am just totally confused as to why all this mystical mumbo-jumbo is messing things up for the museum and for me!” Kyra says in a raised voice. “I just lost a friend. She is more than a sponsor. She believes, supports, and defends my work. And now she’s gone.”
Kyra suddenly breaks down into sobs. Ramil keeps quiet and offers his shoulder to her. After a few minutes, Kyra stops crying and looks at Ramil.
“Thank you,” Kyra says as she turns around and opens her door. She slips inside and waits for Ramil to get in. She sips her coffee and glances at Ramil once he’s inside. He hands her two pulls of travel tissue and starts the engine. It’s still a long twenty one hours, fifty five minutes of driving time they have to cover. This means more truck stops and more coffee.
Ramil decides to buy some chocolates and soda for the tr
ip as they fill up in the next truck stop. It will certainly keep them awake as they take turns in driving to Sioux Falls, South Dakota.
“You know what?” Kyra starts as she chomps on a chocolate bar while driving late in the afternoon. “I think my museum makes it to all parts of the US already. I mean, why would someone from Sioux Falls think of attending my auction in New York, right?”
“He has money to do that, Kyra,” Ramil says as he takes a gulp of his cherry soda. “But still, the travel time is ridiculous. Oh right. He took the plane.”
“What we’re doing is ridiculous,” Kyra says in between chewing.”We could be on a plane now, sleeping on the trip.”
“This is better. We won’t be talking like this on the plane,” Ramil says, already wide-eyed from the three cans of soda and four bars of chocolate he ate after lunch.
“I think I am up to my eyelashes in caffeine and sugar,” Kyra says with a little discomfort. “We need to stop.”
Kyra pulls over at a gas station to use the facilities.
Aisha and Ebo meet up at a coffee shop by the pottery supply store. There’s a familiar silence between them that has already lasted a few minutes.
“Why did you ask to meet here?” Aisha suddenly starts. “If this is about the divorce, go ahead and keep your money. Just leave me in peace, especially when I’m working.”
“I know you still hate me,” Ebo says. “You can continue to do so, but just hear me out. I have some information about the ring you, and your friend acquired.”
“Tell me,” Aisha says.
“It’s a cursed ring,” Ebo says. “The old traveler who gave the first couple that ring is a widower. The better half was killed by the lover so the ring was made under a curse.”
“But if it’s cursed, why does it turn back time to correct the marital mistakes?” Aisha asks.
“That’s part of it,” Ebo retorts. “The one who wears it will take advantage of the many chances to set things right. However, only two times in the three that’s given. Once the couple makes a third marital mistake, the ring takes their lives to set things right for them.”
“How do you break this curse?” Aisha asks as she accepts her coffee order.
“The couple should bleed on the ring,” Ebo answers. “This will deactivate the ring and weaken the curse.”
“There was news about Kyra’s sponsor. She died wearing the ring,” Aisha adds. “Why do you think this happened?”
“If she was a widower and still loved her husband that much, she could have activated the ring. It could’ve seen death as the only means to give them both peace and happiness.”
Aisha takes a long sip of her coffee. She secretly wishes that she had the ring before. But right then, she realizes that even if she did have the ring to help her with her marriage with Ebo, it could never have changed him. Aisha stops sipping and puts down her coffee.
“Thank you for the information,” Aisha says as she gets up and pulls out her wallet to pay for her order.
“I’ll pay for your order, Aisha. I asked you to meet here,” Ebo says as he almost touches her ex-wife’s hand.
“No,” Aisha says. “I pay for what I consume just as you should pay for the hurt you caused me.”
Aisha places her money on the table and leaves.
Ebo attempts to follow Aisha but Satur suddenly comes into view. He decides to stay at the coffee shop and finish his coffee.
“Hello, Satur,” Aisha greets.
“Hi, Aisha,” Satur greets back. “Can I ask you again?”
Aisha comes closer to Satur, looks directly into his eyes, and puts her right index finger on his lips to keep him from talking.
“Shhh,” Aisha says. “Don’t ask if you already know the answer.”
With that, the two kiss right in Ebo’s line of vision. Finally, Aisha knows her happiness and it’s Satur.
That night, Aisha and Satur approach Aisha’s mother to formally ask for her blessing the second time. It has been a long journey for Aisha to finally realize that Satur is the one for her. Glenda’s tears could no longer be contained. She just knows that her daughter will have a life that she deserves. She once told herself that if Aisha agrees to marry Satur, she would die happy, knowing her only daughter will be well-taken care of.
It’s almost midnight when Ramil and Kyra decide to check into a truck stop motel again.
Continuous driving can really drain you even if you fill yourself up with stimulants. Kyra gave up driving at about eight in the evening after they had their dinner. She just couldn’t keep her eyes open anymore. Ramil took over but as the evening progressed, he, too, has learned not to fight the sandman.
“I think I slept too early in the car,” Kyra says as she walks towards her room. “I’ll be going out for ice cream after I put my things there.”
“I’ll go with you,” Ramil says as he turns the key to his room. “Wait for me, all right?”
Kyra shrugs as she enters her room, combs her hair, applies light lipstick, and goes out again for her ice cream. Ramil is already waiting for her in the corridor.
“I thought you were ready to crash,” Kyra says. “It’s twelve twenty and I think you deserve some shut eye now. I’ll be fine. The ice cream shop is just over there.”
“I’ll sleep much better knowing that you’re in your room already and not guessing if you got your ice cream or got mugged,” Ramil argues jokingly. “I think I’m craving for banana split chunky choco ice cream. What flavor are you gonna get?”
“Well, any cheesecake ice cream relaxes me,” Kyra says. “I hope they have it.”
Like two kids spending their summer vacation in a local town, Kyra and Ramil choose their flavors by the tub. They just discovered that they are full-fledged ice cream lovers who know their flavors very well. Satisfied, both go back to their rooms, happy with their ice cream tubs.
After just five hours of sleep, Kyra and Ramil immediately get back on the road. There is no time for stops anymore. They have to warn the man that bought the ring before the day ends.
“So, have you thought of your opening line yet?” Ramil asks Kyra, who is busy opening a bag of popcorn and crushing a chocolate bar at the same time. “You do realize that we’re probably going to face authorities after we tell them the only truth we know.”
“No opening line yet,” Kyra says as she finally succeeds in mixing the crushed chocolate with the popcorn. “I will just be as gentle with the truth as I possibly can. And besides, you know more than I do. You’ll be talking, too.”
“I know,” Ramil says as he focuses on this speed. “I was just hoping I could follow a good opening line from you.”
Ramil stops at the Sioux Falls police station and asks for the house of Felix Dupont and his fiancé. They tell the attending officers that they are from New York, and they would just like to discuss about the auction that Dupont attended a few days ago. The officers show them directions but tell Kyra and Ramil to ask the old folks at the corner for more landmarks.
It doesn’t take long at all.
“We’re here,” Ramil says as he pulls over in front of a white and chocolate brown house. “This is the house the folks there told us about.”
“Do you think they’re home?” Kyra asks as she tries to see if there’s movement inside the house.
“I think so,” Ramil replies. “Some of the windows are open.”
The two decide to wait a few minutes more before knocking and introducing themselves. Kyra practices several lines in her head, but she keeps on having a feeling that they will not work at all. With a deep breath, she goes out of the Rover, exhales and starts walking towards the house. Ramil walks right behind her.
Chapter Ten: Thea and Felix
First day of college.
It’s the very first day of independence for most American students. They get to live away from their parents and try to start a live of their own. Many parents find this really hard to accept that’s why they still insist on having their children liv
e with them or at least allow them to stay for a few days or weeks until they have fully adapted to the college situation. It can be awkward for college freshmen like Thea Anderson.
Thea is what everyone called the perfect student back in high school. She was an achiever in everything that she got into—academics, charity, social work, fund raisers, volleyball, cheerleading, dancing, and singing. She even won several awards for the school under the debate team. Her classmates and close friends didn’t understand how she did everything at the same time, but one thing was certain—Thea didn’t have a love life. She promised her parents that she would not enter a relationship until she was ready. But as they say, love comes in like a thief in the night. You’ll never be ready for it.
Thea’s first class was basic English that day. She didn’t know anyone at all. There were many who approached her, but she was still aloof and stayed away from the cliché “new student” groups that was always composed of students who didn’t know each other at all but stuck together just to feel accepted. Thea sat at the very last row, in the farthest corner. Yet even if she did, the professor still called her name for recitation, which she aced.
That’s when she caught the attention of Felix Dupont. Felix is the richest college freshman in Sioux Falls College. His family owned a petroleum business, jewelry brands, automobile parts factory, and three fine-dining restaurants all over the US. He chose to study in that university to avoid too much attention just because he was the son of his rich and influential parents.
Felix turned around to see who answered the question in perfect English. Thea saw Felix’s impressed look and smiled. After English period, Felix squeezed himself through the crowd of students who wormed their way out of the auditorium just to catch up with Thea. He wanted so much to know her more basically because of her intelligence, beauty, and that smile. If Felix wanted a girl who could fit in perfectly in her world, he would’ve just settled for the socialites who fell all over him from day one Nevertheless, Felix wanted a girl who had more to her than just a pretty face and a stunning body. He wanted a girl whom he could incorporate into his family without his parents raising an eyebrow at her.
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