Chapter 5: A Simple Mistake
Regardless he was telling the truth or not, she felt elated today as if tons of bricks had been lifted off her chest . Taew woke up early and came down to the kitchen to prepare breakfast for the family. It had been her routine since she was a teenager helping her mother every morning before school. In the middle of setting up the table, her phone rang.
“Hello.” She answered after hesitating a bit because the incoming number was blocked. After a few back and forths, Taew took in a deep breath then hung up the phone. She went to kitchen and politely asked the old maid to help her with the remaining tasks.
Less than ten minutes later, everyone was coming down for the first meal of the day. “Good morning grandfather, good morning grandmother, good morning mother…” Both Mario and Nadech took turn greating the elders of the family before sitting down.
“It is wonderful to start the day with some hot rice porridge.” Nadech commented then turned to say thank you to the maid.
The maid was about to tell him it wasn’t her that prepared the breakfast but backed away when grandmother Maurer raised her voice. “Go get her. Didn’t she know that breakfast begins at 7 am exact.” The maid opened her lips to explain but then again, someone beat her to it.
“Sunny left after she made breakfast. She did ask me for permission and I gave it to her.” Grandpa Maurer slowly but firmly made a statement daring anyone to say anything. That was it, no further explanation.
Nadech looked at the maid seeing her nodding her head. He smiled thinking how considerate his fiance was. His smile was then turned into a frown when he saw his grandmother’s stern face. He couldn’t understand as to why his mother disliked Sunny so much when she hadn’t gotten to know the girl. It wasn’t like his grandmother to be judgemental.
As everyone began eating their breakfast, the maid brought out a small dish of patongo and a glass of grapefruit juice and placed in front of Mario. “Ah nurse Pim, you are being unfair again favoring Mario more than me. How come he gets dessert and I don’t.” Nadech put on a pouting face.
“Master Nadech, I didn’t make those.” When nurse Pim responded, spoons clattering, eyes wandering with no other sounds made.
Jariya was taken by surprise like everyone else, however she was the first to recover. “Arisa, you were supposed to place that in front of Master Nadech. Clumsy girl.” Ah, that made more sense. Sunny prepared breakfast so making the extra dessert for her fiance was a normal thing to do.
“But ma’am, Miss Sunny told me they were for Master Mario. She even said he needed his grapefruit juice to go with it.” The young maid was confused trying to do as she was told.
“Well you either misheard Miss Sunny or your memory is fading.” Before the maid clarified further, Jariya commanded. “Just bring the dish over to Master Nadech and go do your chores.” The maid wasn’t happy that she got accused of making mistake, however, it wasn’t her place to argue with her employer. She would have to ask Miss Sunny later.
“Maybe Arisa was too tired. Perhaps we should give them more breaks.” Nadech innocently suggested. He then picked up the delicious dessert and took a bite. “The benefit of having a fiance, brother. You should hurry up and have one.” He looked over to Kimberly who sat there quietly looking disheartened and winked at his brother.
At this moment, Mario was too confused to be paying attention to anything or anyone around him. His mind was still on the dessert and the one making it. He looked forward seeing her this morning and was disappointed to find her missing from the table. He knew he shouldn’t be thinking about his brother’s fiance but he couldn’t help his feeling, his heart seemed to have a mind of its own. Perhaps because she looked exactly like Taew that he imagined them as one. But the incidence just now made him twice over. True both of them like patongo but it had been his habit of drinking the grapefruit juice before eating something heavy or greasy. The maid could have mistaken about the dessert but the juice, it couldn’t possibly be.
“It was just a coincidence I am sure.” He told himself.
Meanwhile in a crowded coffee shop not too far from downtown, Taew was sitting across from a strange behaving man in a long trendcoat, with a fedora on his head and sunglasses so big that they covered almost half of his face. “We need to stop this charade. I don’t think I can’t do this anymore.” Taew said.
“Please sis, just a bit longer.” A feminine voice came from her company.
Taew shook her head. “Please Sunny.” She begged. “How could you ask me to do such ridiculous thing, testing your fiance. It wasn’t a big deal when we were little and it was no harm done to play a little trick then and there. But if someone found out, we both could get into trouble. Do you think Nadech could easily forgive you? In a way, you are hurting him now.”
Sunny huffed. “What he didn’t know wouldn’t hurt him.”
“All right then. What do you suggest I do when your fiance wanted to make romantic moves on me? Do you expect I just hang around for him to make such advances on my person?”
“What advances?” Sunny said with shocking tone. “Did he force himself onto you?”
“No no no. What are you thinking? I meant he thought I were you so he attempted to kiss me and all. I do not like this one bit. Please Sunny, can we not switch back?” Taew sighed. “I saw him again you know. Fate hasn’t been kind to me at all.”
The sunglasses blocked Taew from seeing the surprise in her sister’s eyes, still she could tell in her sister’s voice. “Who? Oh him. Where?”
“Think about it Sunny. Mario Maurer.” Taew looked out the window hiding the pain showing in her eyes.
Sunny thought for a second then jumped out of her chair. “Oh my freaking god. You mean to say your Mario Maurer is my Nadech Maurer’s brother? That Mario Maurer?” She put her hand to her mouth covering herself from cussing out loud then dropped herself back into the chair. “You mentioned his name before but I never…”
“Really paid attention or cared.” Taew finished it up for her sister.
Sunny smiled sheepishly with guilt. “I am sorry sis. But I did care, not about him though.” She pushed the falling glasses up her nose. “I was busy with school works when you called so his name might have slipped. But then again, how come you didn’t say anything when I told you about Nadech.” She grinned, turning the table around.
“I admitted I too didn’t really pay attention as much as I should. I was so tired from the school and work. Our constant moving and having to find new job everytime, I didn’t have much energy left to think about it. If I even did, I probably brushed it off as a coincidence.”
Sunny knew her sister wasn’t being honest with herself. There were nights she heard her sister calling out to Mario and cried in her sleep. It must have hurt her sister a lot to leave the guy she loved behind. Feeling even more guilty now, Sunny reached out holding her hand. “Give me a few more days to sort out my feeling. I promise I will not ask you to do switch ever again. By the way, Aunt Vicki was right. She read that you would meet with a long time lover once again but she didn’t...” Sunny left it hanging but they both knew what Vicki didn’t say.
After half an hour of chit chat, the sisters agreed to part their ways and to meet again at their aunt Vicki’s place. Sunny came over to give her sister a hug thanking her for her help. Suddently, she hugged her sister closer and whispered into her sister’s ear. “Uhm sis, there is this man staring at us right now. He doesn’t seem too please. You’ve already made enemy though haven’t been here that long?”
Taew turned around to look at the man her sister was referring to then turned to look at Sunny. Speedily she withdrew her hands and slightly pushed Sunny away. “Oh no. How could you not know your fiance’s brother? Oh gosh, from his look, he must have thought you, me one of us is cheating on his brother.”
Sunny’s mouth formed a big O, “He is very good looking. You sure know how to pick your man, sis.” She teased not worrying one bit about the misunderstanding. “Well, he is all yours. Gotta go now. I will be in touch in a few days.” She stood up looking at her fiance’s brother one more time, then bent down kissing her sister on the cheek. “And sis, I love you very much.” After that, she dashed out toward the side door as the man angrily approached.
How should she explain? She knew this look from before. He definitely was thinking she came out here to meet another man. He did get upset like this once when he saw her talking and being friendly with Uncle Grate, her father’s cousin before he knew it was her uncle. The man in front of her at the moment was not much different from the man-boy from her college years, same old fiery eyes when he got furious. “That was…”
“Who was that?” He asked her at the same time she planned to explain.
She then changed her mind, “I don’t think this is any of your businesses, brother.”
“My brother’s welfare is my business.” He tried not to show his irritation.
Her right brow went up. She thought for a while and decided not to get into the argument. She slowly stood up, let out a sigh then told him. “Be assured brother, I have no intention of hurting my fiance.” True enough, she spoke for both herself and her sister and silently hoped that no one would get hurt in the end.
“Taew.” Someone called out to her interrupting them both. Unconciously, Taew turned her head toward the direction of the voice. Noticing her mistake right away, Taew quickly turned back to Mario seeing him watching her. “I guess I wasn’t the only one who jumped when that name was mentioned huh?” She didn’t really want to use such cheap trick but if it could help, she would use it to protect this charade.
Mario didn’t say anything, his mind was still distracted with suspicions.
“Uncle Grate, what are you doing here?” Though they called him uncle due to generation ranking, the twins treated this uncle whose age was very close to theirs like an older brother. Taew went into his open arms for a familiar embrace. Grate hugged her tightly at first then released her when his eyes laid on the person standing near by.
“Not again.” Grate rolled his eyes. “Why do we always meet like this?” Still, he held out his hand for a shake with a friendly smile on his handsome face.
“Don’t worry Uncle, I will protect you this time.” She grinned at him silly.
Politely Mario reached out and shook Grate’s hand. “It is a pleasure seeing you again.” He then glanced at Taew and excused himself. “I am sure you two would like some privacy to talk. I have to go to work anyway. Uncle Grate, I will be in touch for coffee some day.”
When Mario walked away, Taew suddenly turned pale as she remembered something. “Oh no. Oh no.” She kept repeating those two words over and over again. She didn’t have to guess as his eyes had told her so. “I am so dead. Might as well go hang myself now.” She whispered.
“What was that again?” Grate cautiously looked at his niece not quite sure of what to say.
Taew stood there like sculpture for a while then turned to look at her Uncle who had been gazing her with strange expression. “Uncle, I would love to stay and chit chat with you but I have a very important business to take care. Do you live at the same place? If so, I will come and visit you one of these days where I am not going crazy. If you do not, please text me your address…I have to go kill my sister now then after that, I will jump off a bridge.”
When she was about to go on with her babbling, Grate grabbed hold of her. “Honey, breath.” He waited until she could focus again, he chuckled telling her. “All right, I don’t know what Sunny did to deserve a death sentence. But since I have today off, I will take you to her and perhaps if I feel like it, I will help you kill her or push you off the bridge.” This was one of the reasons why she loved this uncle of hers. He joined them in their craziness. Taew hooked her arm in his and led him out of the coffee shop.
On their way to her destination, Grate didn’t ask Taew any questions but just simply said to her, “I am happy that you two are back together.”
Taew smiled at him not knowing how to respond. Sure he knew about them not being together but he had always thought they ended on a friendly term and didn’t know his niece just ran out of the relationship.
As soon as the car stopped right in front of her Aunt Vicki’s place, Taew immediately ran to the door knocking on it nonstop. A very beautiful lady in her a mid thirty opened the door and smiled sweetly at Taew. Taew gave her a quick hug and a kiss on the cheek then ran straight into the house.
“He knew. He definitely knew. And if he didn’t, he does now.” Taew narrowed her eyes searching for her target. When she spotted her target, her hands went up ready to throttle her twin sister.
Sunny backed up away from her oddly behaved sister then dashed past her and hid behind their aunt for protection. “Aunt Vicki, do you think you can perform some sort of rituals to help Taew out? I think she is being possessed by some demons. She actually wants to kill her sister.” Twin instict. She could feel the chaos in her sister’s mind as soon as Taew walked through the door.
“If she wanted to kill you, she must have had a very good reason for it I am sure.” Vicki chuckled.
Grate, after catching up with his niece, stood there like teenage boy entranced by the smiling dimpled lady that his nieces called auntie. But the shrieking quickly pulled him out of the trance. Grate finally reached out to hold Taew back from her younger twin to end the chase. Taew turned around looking at him accusingly. “I thought you said you were going to help me.”
“Correction dear, I said if I felt like helping. And for now, I feel like Sunny is not ready to be executed.” He winked at the other twin. “By the way, you have never showed a temper before, so why now? What causes it?”
“Him.” Sunny yelled over Vicki’s shoulder.
“Eh? Him who?” Grate thought for a quick second then gasped. “Oh, him.”
“Okie, let’s all sit down and continue our discussion over tea.” Vicki spoke up. “Calmly like an adult.” She emphazized.
Mario Maurer. Her heart bled everytime his name came up. They should have stayed as friends, she thought quietly, then it wouldn’t hurt as much.
“Uncle Grate, meet my friend Mario Maurer. Mario, this is my father’s cousin, uncle Grate.” The young Taew introduced the guys when Mario for the first time saw her in uncle Grate’s embrace. They sat there sipping beverage in awkward silence. Mario was probably too embarrassed to speak up while Grate was probably observing the young man his niece was considered as friend.
That same evening, Mario passed to her a piece of paper while they were studing in the library together with Margie and a few more friends of his. Before the note got to Taew, a different hand quickly caught it and took way from them. “Uhm, could it be a love note?” Margio said it loud enough for the group to hear. Everyone looked up from their books waiting for the mystery to be unfolded.
“Hey, it is personal.” Taew called out.
One of the guys took the paper from Margie and actually read it out loud. “I don’t want to be your friend.”
Everyone gasped while the two sat there silent each with their own thoughts. Minutes went by. Everyone else pretended to be studying but their ears were wide open listening for their friends’ conversation. “So, I guess you want to be my enemy then?” Taew teased trying to lighten up the serious atmosphere.
Taew remembered clearly the way he looked at her after she teased him. For a minute there she thought she saw pain in his eyes. She very much wanted to say something but didn’t since at the time, she wasn’t sure of her feeling for him. Not until a week or so later that she confessed, in a parking lot, that she wished to see him.
“Earth calling Taew.” Sunny waved her hand at her sister. “I didn’t need the twins connection to know what you were thinking. Love is so overrated.” She looked at Taew then both looked over to see that their uncle Grate was staring at their Aunt Vicki while she was looking anywhere but him. The twins smiled at each other forgetting their bickering at the moment.
The smiles didn’t go unnoticed. Vicki cleared her throat and spoke up. “I guess there will not be any blood shed in this house after all. Mind telling me what was going on?”
Taew exchanged looks with her sister then proceeded telling Vicki and Grate about the switch. “You did what!” Both Vicki and Grate stood up from their chairs.
“Ohhh…they have better connection than us twins.” Sunny joked then grinned when she received glares from both. To distract the elders, Sunny turned the attention back to her older twin. “Aunt Vicki, didn’t you read the tarot cards and said Taew would see the love of her life again? But you didn’t tell us whether they would be together again or not. Will you tell us now?”
Vicki shook her head, “No, I have revealed more than I should.” She ran her hand over Taew’s hair. “Let nature takes it course.” She then turned toward Sunny. “And you, you have to switch back. You are no longer a child and this is not a harmless game.”
“But Taew already promised to stay for a few more days. Can I just have a few more days then? Please?” Sunny begged.
No one said anything for a while then Grate finally made the final call. “It doesn’t matter who goes back. I mean it does matter but more importantly, one of you needs to go back before the Maurer sends out a search for missing fiance.”
Sunny looked at Taew but her sister turned her head away avoiding her look. Sunny sighed accepting her fate.
***
I have ideas, all the main ideas for each chapter are set. But I change my mind back and forth causing the delays. I need to focus and stick to the original ideas.
Upcoming
Chapter 6: People change
Who is coming home as Sunny?
Will Mario confront his brother's fiance?
Stay tuned.
