“DADDY, hurry up!” Benjamin’s twelve-year-old daughter Anastacia shouted from a distance. “Come on! Run as fast as you can!”
Benjamin just waved at her. “Go on!” he shouted back. “I’ll find a place to sit here for balloon watching later.”
They went to Pampanga to watch the Mini Hot Air Balloon Festival. The big event is called Philippine International Hot Air Balloon Fiesta and was held between January to February. This year, the annual aviation sports participated by different nations of the world are scheduled to fly up in March at Clark Freeport Zone. The program includes paragliding, skydiving, flag jumps, freestyle aerobatics, precision maneuvers, and other different sports that performed in the air. What they’re going to witness now is the live-fly test of some of the Hot Air Balloons that will participate in the big event.
“Dad, we went at Clark Field to run not to just walk like an old man,” her daughter Antonette commented. “Come on.”
“Run with your sister and take a look at her so that she won’t bump with somebody,” Benjamin said and tapped her daughter’s head.
Antonette swept his handoff. “You’re ruining my hair,” she said with a grunt. “Anastacia isn’t a kid anymore, and besides, this a wide field, there’s a small chance that she could bump with anyone here.”
“We went here to watch the Hot Air Balloon Festival, not to join the joggers on their daily exercise.” He said as he roamed his eyes in the vast field of Clark. He must admit to himself that he’s hoping to see her again here. Everyone wanted to watch the group of parachutes glides in the sky, and perhaps, people go to Pampanga at this time of the year to witness that festival.
“You’re looking for something? Or, for someone?” Antonette asked. When he turned to her, her brows were already furrowed in curiosity. “You met a girl in the bar last night, don’t you?”
Benjamin suppressed a smile, his daughter Antonette is really an observant kid. “I met a lot of women, but no one gets my attention.”
Antonette snorted. “You should. Mom will get disappointed—”
“Dad!” They both looked at Anastacia’s voice direction. They found her waving from the field, where a lot of people are starting to gather.
“The event has started?” he asked with a knotted forehead. “But it was just two p.m.”
Antonette looked at her sister’s direction. The air balloons are still on the ground, no sign of taking off. “I guess not. Maybe one of the band members is interacting with the crowd,” she said, using her usual bland tone of voice. “To gain more exposure in social media. Hello, year of twenty-seventeen.”
Benjamin watched his daughter Anastacia from a distance. She’s busy squeezing herself between the sea of people surrounding that whoever personality. At the same time, Antonette, her twin sister, was just busy reading a book in one of the benches beside the field. Even they’re identical twins, some recessive traits made them unique from each other as they grow up. Just like in their fashion sense and favorite colors. Hobbies and life choices as an adolescent. Those differences made it easy for Benjamin to distinguished who’s who between his identical daughters.
Anastacia, the twenty seconds younger, loves girly clothes in pastel colors. She also fond of wearing doll shoes and sandals paired with her dresses. She likes her long black hair tied in two or braided. Compared to her twin, she’s the more sociable and loud. While, Antonette, the twenty seconds older, loves casual clothes in dark colors, and sneakers to pair with it. She likes to wear her hair loose and spread over her shoulders and hates whenever her twin sister tried to style it with colorful bands.
Among those differences and disagreements, there was one hobby that can make them stay together for hours without arguing. But, that particular hobby was left forgotten.
“Antonette, what do you think of this spot? Is it cozy enough for us to have our snacks while watching the festival?” he asked his daughter as soon as he placed the white blanket onto the grass.
Antonette shrugged her shoulders. “Anywhere is fine with me. Ask Anastacia, she’s the one who wanted to get a better view of the band onstage,” she said and glanced at the small stage a few meters away from their spot. “Oh, I think Anastacia has bumped with somebody,” she said, shaking her head.
Benjamin followed Antonette’s gaze and saw his daughter, Anastacia, talking with two women, her hands were clasped, and she’s bowing her head repeatedly. He shook his head. “Just what I thought.”
Antonette rolled her eyes. “She was more excited to watch the band than to witness the balloons’ take-offs,” she said and returned her attention to her book. “She’s been running around the field since we arrived.”
Benjamin sighed. “Let her be. It’s been years since we tried to spend the weekend together.” He looked at Anastacia, and when he noticed that she’s still talking to the women, he decided to approach them. Antonette was left to look for their things.
“Anastacia!” Benjamin touched his daughter’s shoulder, without looking at the women, he bowed his head to apologize. “I’m her father. I’m sorry for her carelessness.”
“Benjamin?” he heard the woman said in a gasp. “Benjamin Monticello?”
When he looked at the woman, she was already beaming her smile to him. “Hi…” he hesitantly said. He wasn’t sure if he has seen her before.
“So, it’s true… you’re here,” she drawled as her eyes roamed his body from head to toe. “You changed a lot.”
Benjamin scratched the corner of his brow. He tried to remember who is she as he stared at her pretty face, but he couldn’t recall her name or if he really knows her. “I hope you don’t mind… but have we met before?”
***