CHAPTER 9 Do You Even Matter?

It was Monday, and the sun was high up. I still can't go to school, but I'll just have to put up with it for a few days. And if I were to decide, I would still go to school even with this condition because I'm sure that I can still do what I have to do without affecting any of my routine. I decided to go down because even if I wanted to wake up at noon so as to reduce the time I was bored here at home, I couldn't.

My body is used to waking up early, so here I am, fighting with Mother Celia because for all the time I have been telling her that she doesn't need to serve me anymore, and here she is, repeatedly saying that the fight he told me was ordered by the Solidads. She smiled at me as if to say that I had lost our argument. And as always I had no choice but to sigh.

"Please eat."

"I'm done."

She shook her head and said, "Eat a lot. You're a very thin child."

I slightly pouted and was about to start my breakfast when I suddenly remembered,

"Mother Celia, did you see any ..."

The slight wrinkle on her forehead popped out suddenly, maybe out of curiosity.

"Man here. ... y-yesterday or last night?"

I'm not sure about asking because, given my status, I don't have the right to ask anyone. I don't even know why I'm asking. This Solidads' house is not very big, but we rarely meet. I don’t know if he's just hanging out or if he’s really not here at home.

"Ah! Sir Levi!"

She seems to be enlightened. Her diction was slightly heavy. I nodded and forced a smile because I was hesitant to ask her this because maybe that's what she would think of me.

"He woke up and got out early."

All I could do was to apat a raw laugh. After that, she bid her goodbye because she still had work to do in the kitchen. After finishing my breakfast, I decided to take a walk outside the garden to say hi to my friends. They must have enjoyed the sunlight this morning since the seasonal rains have passed already. I spent some time watering them while talking to them.

Mar de Vena was always a breath of fresh air. The green surroundings will always walk with you wherever you go, and the chirps of birds and the waves of the sea will always welcome you wherever you choose to enter. Far from the stories I've heard about the Manila area. So I don't understand why they would prefer to swap this place for a good run of work. But on the other side of my heart, I knew I wanted the city too. Every time I see it on television or read about it in a book, I am amazed. I feel like it’s a different world.

After I watered a few plants here in the large yard of Solidads, I decided to rest first. Due to the number of plants here, it is impossible for me to finish it just like that. I sat at the small table in the garden where I used to spend most of my time.

When I want a view of this green, I read my books or draw some of my works here. And now that it has crossed my mind, I have decided to take the book I started yesterday and read it as I used to. Maybe I'll go to the beach later because the sunshine is pretty high there.

It was about 9 in the morning when I started to read, freeing myself from all the worries that I might have if I just stopped overthinking so much. And by the time I realized it, the sun's rays had already reached my feet without my knowledge. I'm sure it will be noon because every time the heat of the sun reaches this part, I have it memorized already.

"What are you, Letty! You really can't separate work from flirting! You'll be doomed when the Solidads find out about your antics! Go ahead and get out!"

I jumped a bit when I heard Mother Celia shouting at the top of her lungs, and when I looked back at the big door of this house, Letty, one of the housemates here, was running and didn't seem to hear Mother Celia's sigh. I saw Mother Celia brushing her face with a palm full of discomfort and irritation.

I turned my gaze back to Letty, and she was getting smaller and smaller because of the distance she had covered. Mother Celia came in again, and I decided to follow her to calm her down, but even before I could leave, I saw some figures get out of a familiar car. I gulped as a result of a sudden mild shock because I was familiar with that car. I wasn't mistaken, because after a woman and two men I wasn't familiar with and didn't know came down, he was struck by my sight.

He wasn't dressed the same way when I last saw him, because he's wearing simple jeans and a plain black shirt with boat shoes. He was looking different. He was being serious while chatting with his friends? Workmates?

I don't know. He checked his phone for a moment, and when I least expected it, I met his eyes, and unlike the previous days, it seemed like he just looked at me and didn't mind my presence with him.

Oh, why is Ava Cryreese here? Do you even matter? They continued to approach the door of this house, and holding my breath, I bent down and hugged the book tightly as they passed me. I'm not sure why seeing him brings me such sadness. I don't know where it's coming from.

I should get used to this. He will be staying here for a while, and it's normal for him to just be in my sight every now and then because he is here, Ava. This is just normal.