LOST(Living On The Sorrow Time)

Prologue

“Salut Sela!” (Hi Sela!)

“Ce!” (What!) My french friend annoys me every time and everywhere.

“Pourquoi si fou, mon ami?” (Why so mad, my friend?)

“I’m not mad, I’m annoyed! Would you stop talking french?” I rolled my eyes.

“Pourquoi?” (Why?)

“Isn’t it obvious Liz?” she just give me a what face. “We’re not in France, you are not! Try to look around Liz!” I point out the view outside the window.

She just landed here in Philippines and she’s here in my condo pestering me. She follow me here all the way from France. Actually I’m in France a week ago and I just got back as well, maybe it’s already been three or four days since I got back. I can’t remember. Urgh!

“Why did you follow me in here?” I asked her and she’s so busy watching the view outside the window. Actually the view from up here were insanely stunning . You can see the well defined blue sea from the left side. A green mountains from the right. And a tall buildings in the center. It’s so beautiful up here. Those were the reasons why I buy this condo, it’s so refreshing.

“Because I miss you?” she’s lying. She never misses me.

“Seriously?” I gave her a sarcastic tone. And I know she’ll tell me the truth, I know her. She can’t lie that long, especially to me.

“Fine! I’ll tell you the truth!” She really can’t lie to me. She sit on my bed, right next to me and face me. “I’m not here because of you. I’m here because my mom asks me to take care of the ranch in Vayang and I can’t do it. You know me Sela, I’m not a ranch girl material. That’s why I came here first to ask for your help. I know you know something about ranch, you came from a countryside before so I know that you know how to run a ranch. Please Sela I need your help, just this once.”

“So you think I’m a ranch girl material? I’m a countryside girl? I don’t deserve to be in here?” I know I came from a countryside way back then but I do also not know anything about ranch anymore, It’s been years ago since I saw a ranch. I don’t know anything anymore. I can’t do it anymore.

“That’s not what I mean Sela, the ranch will die if I run the business. I need to go to Russia for my own business and it will took me six months to finish my business. I can’t run the ranch while doing my own business in Russia, Sela. So I need your help. There’s no one I can count on, there’s no one I can trust but you, Sela. Please.” I know she’s desperate but I have work as well. I’m a photographer, a professional one.

“I have work to do as well Liz. I need to work to earn money. I don’t think I can do it as well.”

“Okay I have an idea, what if I pay you?”

“Pay me? You think I’m desperate for money?” What does she takes me for? A gold digger?

“No that’s not it. I’ll pay you for the work that you’ll be doing. I know you’re earning money from being a professional photographer and you’ll earn money from this too. And also you can do your work as well in there because Vayang has a beautiful view and scenery. You can explore more in there. We can both do our own work, you do photography in there while taking care of the ranch and also I can do my work as well, so it’s a win-win. So please.” I think I will surrender this time.

“How much you’ll pay me?” I think I can work on my photography skills there, so I need to do this. It’s a win-win.

“Double? You’re too expensive you know!” I know I’m an expensive one so I’ll just take it, so that she can sleep in peace.

“So when will I start?”

“Can you go there tomorrow?”

“Okay then! I don’t have any schedules so I’ll go for it. Just make sure you pay me right, okay?” I needs to make sure of it so that I can do my job well and done.

“I assure you, mon ami.”

“Wait! Did your mom know about this? That I am the one who’ll go there instead of you?” I’ll kill her if she didn’t tell her mother about this.

“Of course! My mom knows everything about this, so you don’t have to worry!” What a relief.

“I’ll book your flight today so you can leave tomorrow morning.” After that she went outside of the room. It’s a good thing that I haven’t unpacked some of my things yet, so it’ll be easy for me to arrange some clothes.

*RIIINNNGGG!

Ugh! What the f*ck! The alarm clock wakes me out. I checked the clock on my side table and it’s just 3:30 in the morning. I think Liz put this alarm clock in here and I can already hear the shower from the bathroom. She says that we need to wake up early so that we won’t be stuck in a traffic. Well I know she has a point but it’s still f*cking early! I think some people will just go to bed right now. It feels like I just have only thirty minutes of sleep. This is f*cking insane!

I went outside the room and I saw my luggage in the living room, and it’s f*cking ready. She’s going with me to the airport but we’ll separate ways when we arrive in there. She has different flight. Yeah, yesterday she book our flight and she’s not going with me in Vayang, she’s going to Russia for her business. I’ll just go there alone and she’s f*cking crazy for not going with me, I don’t know Vayang and I don’t know where is the exact ranch because she didn’t also know. She said someone will pick me up in the airport to take me to the ranch.

How I wish I didn’t say yes for this but it’s too late now. I don’t know what life awaits me there but I still need to do this. I don’t want her to be disappointed in me, so I’ll do this for her.

“Hey Sela! Merci mon ami,” she said. I just smile and be gone.

We are here now in the airport and as what she said to me we didn’t get into the traffic because it’s still early. We parted ways and she’s already in the plane. I was about to enter the plane as well.

I didn’t know how long it will take to arrive in Vayang but the only thing that I know is that, it’s too far. It is way too far.

After years of waiting we finally arrive and the plane will land soon. I look outside the window of the airplane and I see some green hills and green mountains and also green trees. It’s so beautiful way up here. Liz is right, I can explore more in here.

As I went outside the airport I saw a big white placard with a name “Annaliz Claire Jean” that’s what the placard says. I remove my glasses and I saw a man holding it. He’s handsome, tall and dark. I presume he’s the one who’s waiting for me, but why is it Liz’s name is the one that is written in placard and not mine? Well maybe they forgot that Liz is not coming, I can understand.

I walk straight to the man holding a placard and he saw me coming to his direction. I’m now in front of him and he’s insanely tall, I didn’t imagine that he would be this tall. He examined me by his looks and after a couple of minutes he took my luggage and put it inside the jeep wrangler. I think this the newest edition of jeep wrangler if I’m not mistaken.

“Get inside!” he said with full authority. I think he’s a bit scary, he’s eyes were a bit scary. Gosh! He gives me goosebumps.

I was about to get inside the backseat but he pull me and say “I’m not your driver, so seat in the front!” why is he so grumpy? I just rolled my eyes and seat in the front.

While he’s driving so seriously I just focused my eyes outside the window. The view is serene and pleasing to the eye.

After thirty minutes I think we arrived. I wander my eyes around. I think this is the ranch ‘cause I saw some cows outside the fence. In a not so far away from where I stand I saw a big house that is made of stone and I think the house is a bit old fashioned.

“Hey! Follow me!” the grumpy man called me and I follow him. Some guys are carrying my luggage towards the old house and Mr. Grumpy is heading there too. Is that where I’m staying?

It’s old and tacky. I thought a big mansion is waiting for me in here. I thought Liz is that rich. I thought this ranch is rich. Then why they don’t have a big mansion? I don’t like this place. I thought a wondrous life awaits me here. This so disappointing, Vayang is a disappointment.

While my mind is talking, a mid50’s woman called Mr. Grumpy.

“Vino! Come here!” Vino? I think I heard that name before but I don’t know where I exactly heard that name.

Vino? Whatever!