"Bel?" I uttered in shock. I froze.
It was Bel... Don't tell me she's Magda— No! Impossible!
I shook my head many times because of the thought.
No! It can't be her.
"Clark?" she whispered. She went out of the gate.
"Why are you here?" she asked in surprise and looked left and right; as if scanning the place.
Just because my mind was still debating on what I saw, I didn't respond quickly. I was dumbfounded staring at her.
"Are you okay?" she asked worriedly and didn't know if she would go to approach me or not but in the end, she didn't.
"Are you looking for Angela?" she added and waved her hand in front of me, just to wake me up and get back to my senses. Her eyebrows were raised, a sign that she was impatient waiting for my answer.
"Ah... No!" I answered a bit loudly and gulped.
It seemed she was confused at my reaction while looking at me.
"Okay... Come inside first," she invited and opened the gate widely. I didn't hesitate to go inside her house.
"Sit there. I'll just get you something to drink," she uttered and motioned in the direction of the sofa.
I nodded at her as a response and sat there. After she saw I'm comfortably sitting, she went to the kitchen.
A question came up in my mind.
I am not in the wrong house, right?
I immediately peeked outside the house. I scanned the place.
I am sure. This is the place where I dropped off Magda last time. I can't be wrong.
I spoke in the back of my mind.
I wonder why Bel is the one who was here.
Just in case Bel and Magda are the same people—No! No! It's impossible.
I protested.
If you take a look, Bel has a sun-kissed skin tone while Magda is fair. Bel has shoulder-length hair while Magda is long. The woman who's with me now is tall, while Magda just has an average height.
After I compared the two, I am even more confused. But, there's one thing for sure, Bel and Magda are different people.
Then suddenly, I remembered what the old lady said lately.
"I don't know who Magda is that you're looking for but there's a woman occupying this house who works on what you're saying."
I frowned. There is no other woman here, only Bel. If that's it means Bel is a—
"Clark, here..."
I was sitting up straight when Bel came into the salas with a glass of juice and a biscuit.
"Thank you," I hesitated to respond to her and drank the juice straight out of anticipation.
"Thirsty?" she joked and laughed. I think she did it to break the tension between us.
She gently sat down on the opposite sofa and looked in my direction.
I just nodded at her joke and smiled slightly.
"Why are you here?" she asked and stared into my eyes. She was quite wondering why I'm here in her place. We're not on good terms and have a silent fight every time we encounter each other together with Angela.
"It is because..." I scratched my eyebrow and couldn't look at her directly. What am I supposed to say? She's not Magda anyway.
"You look stupid," she commented straightforwardly and took a biscuit.
She's harsh. How on earth did this person become Angela's best friend? Angela is an angel, a winged angel who had fallen from Heaven to give positive energy to all the people here on the planet while Bel, she is... Ehem! I don't want to talk about it.
I cleared my throat.
"I'm just looking for someone," I seriously answered.
Bel was blown away by what she heard. As if she couldn't believe what I said. My forehead creased because of her reaction.
Is there anything wrong with my answer?
"Are you looking for someone? You are rich, right? Just post a picture outside and give a reward. You shouldn't go here. You should go to the police station. I know you aren't nuts," she shook her head after she suggested. Looked like she was disappointed in my thinking ability skills.
After a second, she laughed softly. As if I am the biggest joke she had ever seen.
"It's not like that. I'm not as idiot as you think. As far as I know, she lives here. That's the reason why I didn't go to the police station. Instead, I go straight here. So I save time and energy that the police will be going to do if I ever seek their help," I dispensed and looked straight into her eyes. Her forehead creased as she stared at me. She was not intimidated by my presence. I assumed she's getting used to talking to high-profile persons. Her eyes are brave enough to make eye contact with me. She was not as shy as my angel Angela. I could see Bel as an independent and brave woman.
Now I wonder... What does she do in living?
"I'm the only one who's living here, Clark. Don't tell me I'm the one that you're looking for?" she said sarcastically and puffed an air. She brushed her hair with the use of her fingers.
I just shook my head from what I heard. She was assuming but I couldn't blame her. She has the right to assume this kind of situation.
"It's not you. It's Magda."
After I said that, I saw her body freeze. She even stopped picking up the biscuit on a plate. I sat down properly and stared at her carefully.
It was like I wanted to catch something. But, who's the one I will catch? And what for? There's something off.
"What's wrong with her?" she asked. She took my glass and walked to the kitchen. I immediately followed her.
"Do you know her?" I asked in an accusing tone.
She shook her head calmly. As if she was saying she didn't know who's the latter.
I got suspicious of what I saw. If she works at an entertainment club, she knows who Magda is. Or, maybe, Magda always wore her mask all the time so Bel can't recognize her and didn't know her personally?
In the end, I just nodded at her as if I believed her. But the doubt I felt was still in my mind.
She put down the glass into the sink and looked in my direction.
"You know Clark, you're just wasting your time here. No Magda is living in this place and I don't know who she is," she annoyingly uttered and crossed her arms.
Instead of being intimidated, I stayed firm in my position.
"Aren't you working at...." I suddenly restrained myself. I think it wouldn't be nice to mention it.
"Working at?" Bel continued with what I had to say. I don't know why she looked a bit tense right now.
"Nevermind," I dismissed and waved my right hand in the air.
"You're right. I'm wasting my time here. I think it's much better to spend it with Angela," I smiled but then she wore a sour face.
A jealous best friend, didn't she?
"By the way, thank you for the drink and food. Let's go?" I said and started walking out of the house. But, I stopped when I felt Bel was not following me. I looked at her again.
Her eyes stared at me in confusion.
"What's in the word let's go?" she asked confusedly.
"Uhmm... Let's go?" I repeated in a questioning tone.
She seemed annoyed with my answer. I saw her eyebrows rise even higher.
I sighed and tucked my two hands inside the pocket of my pants.
"We're going to my house. Together with you, Angela, and her siblings. I promised them that we would go swimming at home. And as far as I remember, Maymay wants to take you with her," I explained clearly to her confused brain.
Later, she nodded.
"I'll get dressed."
I just nodded at her as a response then sat again on the sofa.
She went up the stairs of the house.
After a few minutes of waiting, she came down with a bag slung over her shoulder.
She's wearing shorts and sando. If I am going to compare the two best friends, she is liberated to dress while Angela is conservative. But, despite that, she's indeed beautiful. Not bad.
We went out of her house together.
"Who's the one you would be going to give food to?" she asked when she noticed the food I was carrying for Magda.
"For the kids," I lied. I didn't want to open the topic of the mysterious woman first. I also think that maybe she doesn't live here. That may be, she just made me believe that her house was here so I wouldn't know where she was originally located. She tricked me.
My curiosity about that woman rises even more.
"You're mysterious..."
"What is it, Clark?" I was startled when Bel suddenly spoke next to me.
"N-nothing... Get in," I avoided and opened the car door for her.