Chapter 4 - The Since Mansion: The Unforgettable Room Part 1

For all these years, I have been waiting for her. Now, that I have finally found her, I’m not sure if I should act promptly. Oh, how I wanted to touch her! She is just within my grasp. Right there. Just right there. This distance is killing me. Truly. But, will she remember me when I show myself to her?

~Ruen, from his journal ‘Finding Her’

***

“Hey, Jen, have you ever been stalked before?” Lianne asked while sitting comfortably beside her best friend who was eyeing a football player just two seats apart from them.

“Huh? I’m sorry. Wha- What did you just say again?” Jen replied apparently enjoying herself staring at the hot jock.

“Nah! Forget it!” Lianne answered clearly annoyed.

“Oh! Com’n Lianne, I’m sorry. I’m just keeping myself entertained. If you hadn’t noticed, it has been boring here since we got on the plane, with you just being silent. It seems that you are in a really deep thought though that’s why I didn’t bother you. You haven’t even told me about the meaning of what you said in our conversation on the phone this morning!” Jen complained while facing Lianne.

“Okay! Okay. Talk about pestering me, ” she mumbled. “I said, have you ever been stalked before?”

Jen just stared at her for a couple of seconds as if thinking what to say. Then, she burst into laughter and said, “Are you alright, Lianne? For a moment there, I thought you were going to ask me if I’m still a virgin. Sheesh. Yes of course! You know me already, girlfriend. A lot of guys are mesmerized with my beauty, so obviously, they would stalk me. Hahah!” Jen answered proudly with her chin lifted up.

“No! I mean... in a different way. Of course, I know about your stalkers. What I want to know is if you ever had a certain guy who you felt was rather...different?” Lianne shifted her eyes to the airplane window. There were enormous clouds grouping around her side, milky white in color and beautifully serene, definitely in contrast with the confusion in her heart. “I mean good, good different; a unique one that captivates your heart, ” she explained slowly while holding her hands together.

“I bet your question is related to this morning’s phone conversation right?” Jen remarked.

A slight smirk developed on the corner of Lianne’s mouth. “You know what Jen, you really are good at perceiving things.”

“Hah! Tell me girlfriend what is bothering you this whole time, but-” Jen stopped, looking at Lianne in a silly manner. “Oh! I’m soooo happy right now! My girl at last has noticed a guy!” She quickly hugged her as tight as she could.

“Ah! Jen, stop it! You’re really crazy you know that!” Lianne smiled and then blushed at the thought of her memory with the man last night.

“So, I will just assume that you haven’t had any unique guy in thought?” she asked in a raised eyebrow.

“Unfortunately, haven’t found one yet dear, but I’m not worried. I believe that someday I will meet him. If it may not be at the present, then probably in the future, or maybe, just maybe, it could be from another lifetime. Who knows right?” Jen flashed an endearing smile towards her.

Lianne, however, was taken aback by her response.

“Heeyy! What’s up with that dazed look on your face?! You should know, I may look like a liberated woman, but I’m a hopeless romantic too!” Jen winked at her.

What she heard from Jen really hit her good. It made her contemplate even more, but then Jen pinched her cheeks.

“Hey! Lianne! You’re starting to get silent again. Start sharing now or I’ll get bored again, ” Jen pleaded.

With that, Lianne bit her lip, then started in a rather shaky manner, like she was in a confession with a priest. “Well, you know that I went to the city library yesterday right?”

“Yah! I know that already, keep going..”

“Well, you see, I saw this man standing on the second-floor porch. He was wearing a black coat and he was staring at the trees in the garden. I thought it was odd for him to stand there knowing it was quite windy at that time. but he suddenly glanced down at me and our eyes met for a second. I looked away, but I really felt myself blushing after that. When I was at the library counter, Madame Sella handed me a piece of paper with my name on it. It looked like a love note.”

Lianne took the folded paper out from her handbag and showed it to Jen.

“Find me in your dreams?” Jen read, her perfectly penciled brow arching. “Why would a man give you a love note with a single sentence? He should have at least placed, I love you or I need you, not this one.”

“I don’t know why, but the words really made me cry that time, ” Lianne confessed but left the part where her heart ached upon reading the words.

“I was in my favorite spot when Madame Sella approached and informed me that the man who gave this had just exited the library. Without thinking, I went to the porch and saw him about to go out of the entrance gate. I managed to ask him why he gave this to me and who he was but he didn’t answer my questions. He just gave me a smile and then left. It irritated me that he didn’t respond but I have no choice, I was on the second floor’s porch at that time, I couldn’t stop him from leaving. And one more thing, I know you would really love Jen.” Lianne abruptly stopped as her cheeks blushed a shade of red and then continued. “He is one mysterious, really good looking man.”

“Awww!!! Gahhh! I am already assuming he is! You wouldn’t be that much engrossed if he is not, right? So, then what happened.” Jen followed curiously, batting her eyelashes and flashing a big smile.

“Then what happened...?” Lianne retorted back. “Uhm, that’s just it! That’s what happened. That’s what’s bothering me since this morning. Kinda boring isn’t it!” Lianne asked, keeping to herself all that happened subsequently last night. She didn’t really want her to know. It would really be a hard time for her to explain what she felt that night. And for Jen to know about the kiss would really be an embarrassing thing for her.

“Boring? Well... Not really. I’m just upset about the love note, however. If he knew he’d go through some trouble giving you that, then he would have written a much better message than those words there?!” Jen said while folding her arms together in her chest.

“So, you think he is a unique one?” Jen added with raised eyebrows.

“Huh!? Uhm, well maybe or...maybe not, ” Lianne replied hesitantly.

“Oh! Lianne! You’re sooo playing hard-to-get with your admirers!” Jen smiled widely, nudging her elbow on Lianne’s shoulder.

Their conversation was then cut when the flight attendant announced they were nearing the resort after a one and a half-hour ride.