CAROLINE looked over her shoulders, hoping that Benjamin would follow them immediately. But, to her dismay, Benjamin remained seated on the cottage. He didn’t even look at her. Caroline heaved a sigh, why is she even thinking about this? Benjamin will never see her as a woman. She will always be the helpless girl he saved from a maniac when they were in high school.
Did he recognize me? Did I ever cross in his mind days after that incident? Maybe not. Benjamin was busy with Camille during that time. And, who is she to be remembered by him? She wasn’t one of the pretty girls on the campus. Even she’s part of the cheering squad.
“Caroline…”
Caroline paused on her thoughts and turned to look at Mario. He was taller than Benjamin. He has a well-sculpted body and a perfect tone of a sun-tanned skin. The line of sunburn on the bridge of her nose just added on his already steaming sexy beach guy aspects.
“Did you just call my name?” she asked, brows slightly frowned because of sunlight.
Mario walked towards her. His golden body was shining under the sun, and his green floral beach shorts didn’t succeed in hiding the hugeness on the bulge of his crotch.
“You wanna try getting a henna tattoo?” he asked, pointing his thumb on a small stall surrounded by colorful sarongs behind him.
“Henna tattoo?” she asked, brows furrowed. Getting a tattoo was the least that she wanted to do. “It’s not my thing,” she said with a shake of her head.
Mario nodded. “Benjamin’s wife, Camille, used to get a henna tattoo with Benjamin,” he drawled. “I just thought you wanted to try too.”
Caroline paused again. Camille got a tattoo with Benjamin before? Mario was about to walk past her when she changed her mind and caught his arm.
“Wait, I think I should give it a try, it’s not permanent, anyway,” she said and smiled awkwardly.
*
“IT’S almost sunset,” Anastacia commented. She was standing in the lodging’s balcony together with her twin sister, Antonette, who was busy scrolling on her cell phone screen.
Benjamin walked towards his children and leaned on the barricade. “Do you want to watch the sunset?” he asked them, but only Anastacia looked up.
“I wanted to go to bed early. It’s a long day,” she said and yawned. “But, where’s Aunt Caroline?”
Antonette snorted. “She must be enjoying the sunset now with Tito Mario.”
Anastacia pursed her lips. Benjamin can see that his daughter was a bit disappointed. “I planned to witness the sunset with her.”
“You wish,” Antonette muttered. “She and Tito Mario looked good together—”
“Nah,” Anastacia countered. “Aunt Caroline is a couple of years older than him. They’re not meant to be.”
“And what makes you say that? The stars?” Antonette laughed. “If she wasn’t with Tito Mario, I’m certain that she’s with another guy she just met at the beach—”
“Antonette!” Benjamin warned his daughter. “I told you not to say those things to your Aunt Caroline—”
“She wasn’t my auntie. And, not even my mom’s friend to address her like that.” Antonette rolled her eyes. “I don’t understand why the two of you are so fond of her. It’s obvious that she’s just doing all these things to—”
“Stop it, Antonette!”
Antonette looked at him, surprised that he raised his voice to her. But after a moment, her expression turned dull. Her brows furrowed as she looked away from him.
“Dad…” Anastacia clutched on his shirt.
Benjamin heaved a sigh. He reached to touch Antonette’s shoulders, but she stepped away and ran to the door. It made Benjamin’s chest tightened, seeing his child like that was hard for him. But, he can’t just let her be like that, especially to the woman that did nothing but care for them.
“I’ll talk to her, dad,” Anastacia told him. “She’ll be okay.”
Benjamin forced a smile. “Thanks for being so understanding, Anastacia.”
But, Anastacia shook her head. “Thank you for not giving up on us, dad. I know it’s hard for you to raise us alone with all those business problems, but you still manage to give us a comfortable life.”
Benjamin felt a lump in his throat. This is the first time that he heard his daughter talk to him after their mom died. All this time, he thought he’s a bad parent because Antonette’s attitude worsened when… Benjamin paused as realizations dawned on him. Antonette’s attitude worsened when Caroline came. But why?
He raked his fingers through his hair. He shut his eyes and drew his breath. All he ever wanted was to bring back their life before. But, how he was going to do that if the person that brought life and happiness in their life was gone, and will never come back?
“I can feel that my child is bothered. Why? Is it because Caroline and Mario haven’t come back yet?”
Benjamin opened his eyes and turned to see the smiling face of his mother, Dolores. He managed a smile for her. “Did you see Antonette and Anastacia?”
“Yes, I talked to Anastacia, and she said that you and Antonette have a little misunderstanding, and you raised your voice at her,” Nanay Dolor told him with a shake of her head. “But, based on your expression, it looks like the misunderstandings weren’t just between the two of you.”
Benjamin heaved a sigh for the second time. “Am I not a good father for my children?”
Nanay Dolor studied his face. “What makes you say that? You’re the best father for your daughters. That’s why I’m thankful that I got a son like you. Antonette must be just missing her mom. You have to understand where she’s coming.”
“I’m missing Camille, too,” he said in almost a whisper. “And, I wish that she’s still here with us. Maybe, Antonette wouldn’t be like that—”
“Benjamin…” Nanay Dolor touched his hand on the barricade. “You have to stop living on your past. You have to accept that your wife will never come back.”
“I know… That’s why I’m doing my best to be the father and mother for them. But, sometimes, I felt useless and not enough.”
Nanay Dolor squeezed his hand. “Be strong, my son. Your wife wouldn’t want to see you like that,” she murmured. “Why don’t you give yourself another chance?”
Benjamin turned to look at her mother, but her gaze motioned to the Villa’s entrance. From the balcony, Benjamin can see Caroline sauntering towards the house. Her chestnut, long and wavy hair is dancing in the wind together with her see-through swimsuit top. All the foreign men around the villa looked and followed Caroline.
“Where did you meet her?” Nanay Dolor’s question pulled him out of his daydreams.
“She’s my friend in high school,” he replied, not taking his eyes off Caroline, who was now speaking softly with Mario. Benjamin felt a sudden wild thump inside his chest while he’s watching them talking with each other.
“In high school? So, she was Camille’s friend, too?”
Benjamin shook his head. “I never get a chance to know her more because she suddenly isolated herself from me.”
The old lady slightly frowned as if recalling something. “Was she the girl that…?” She trailed off. “If she is, then, your path crossed again? Maybe it’s a sign that it’s about time, Benjamin?”
Benjamin pursed his lips. He looked away from Caroline’s direction and turned his back to them. He remembered how she left him on the beach and how she turned her back to him when Anastacia knocked on their room.
“She’s better without me,” he whispered and sighed again for the nth time.
“Is that what you think?” Nanay Dolor asked. “Because, I think, that’s not what she thinks.”
Benjamin knotted his forehead. “What do you mean?”
Nanay Dolor smiled and tapped his shoulders. “It’s for you to find out.”
***