It’s been almost two weeks since Joan’s meeting with Santiago and his father.
She still feels angry that he said all that to her and he thinks about her in such a manner but she is sadder that he didn’t try to reach out to apologize or check on her like he did before she met his father.
“Don’t be so hard on yourself” Camilla said from behind her as she walked inside the kitchen to keep the dirty plates for the cleaners they hired.
Camila came back to the counter and rested her arm on the counter. “That rude man has himself to blame for all that he said to you. No man should talk to a woman like that, saying all those nasty words,” she shook her head.
“I do not regret slapping him because he deserved it but what I worry about is that Dad might not be able to get the money he needs to get our company back” Joan complained.
“Did you tell your dad what he said to you?” Joan shook her head “But he knows you are mad at what Santiago did to you?” Joan nods “And he isn’t pleased with it?”
“Yes, he isn’t. When dad came out with Santiago’s father, he saw how hurt and angry I looked, and when I told him that I didn’t want to marry Santiago, he said he’d support me with whatever decision I made” Joan shrugged.
“When you’re a daddy’s girl” Camila wriggled a bit as if she was dancing “I wanna be a daddy’s girl” she began singing, then twisting and whining as she hummed a song Joan didn’t know of.
It was a good thing there was only one elderly woman at the corner sipping coffee as she paid no attention to things that happened around her.
“It’s funny how you find fun in everything and… you’re just happy” Joan shrugged with a smile.
Camila stopped beside Joan and placed her arms around her neck.
“Girl, life’s too short to be sad. Almost everything in the world will make you sad and depressed and just a few little things will make you genuinely happy but they come hardy,” she sat beside Joan as she looked out the window in thought.
“Even when you have nothing to be happy about, create something,” she stood to her feet and began whining and moving her body to the hum she made “Let your body feel that you’re happy,” she wriggled her shoulders and whipped her hair.
“Wooo!” Joan hyped her.
“No one can make you as happy as you’re meant to be so, you have to make yourself really happy,” she went to grab her phone to play them a song so that they could dance “I want you to relieve all those stress you have built up, come on, on your feet lady”
She played them a song that talks about the happiness you can find in the world by just moving your body like there are no worries whatsoever.
Joan went on her feet as she followed Camila’s lead and danced to the rhythm of the song.
“Yeah, we gotta move like there are no worries,” Joan sang.
“We gotta move like we gat no bills to pay” Camila sang next.
“We gat move our bodies in rhythm” they sang together.
“Cause’ we all deserve to be happy” they stressed on the song and when they ran out of breath, they stopped and giggled.
“Oh my GOD” Joan laughed.
“You feel light eh?” she asked.
“Never felt this good,” Joan hugged her. “Thank you bestie”
“Thank you for sharing that moment with me, I enjoyed the dancing and singing” Camila smiled.
“We should do that frequently” Joan suggested.
“Then you’ll not end up being an old bitter woman with no family to look forward to,” a voice said from behind them and it scared them a bit.
When they looked at the owner of the voice, it belonged to the elderly woman who was still remaining in the shop. They had awkward smiles on their faces as they stared at the woman who looked at them nicely.
“Keep up with being happy and you’ll stay happy. Wished I listened to my old man when he told me that and look at me, old, bitter, and lonely”
Both ladies had sympathetic looks on their faces and the old woman laughed.
“Oh please don’t feel bad, I deserved it in some ways but I am already used to that life. Just wondering when I’ll no longer wake up to see this world again” the woman sighed then looked into her purse. “How much was my order?”
“Oh, it’s fine ma’am. We’ll handle it” Joan smiled at her and the woman laughed then nodded her head and headed for the door.
When she opened the door, she held the knob and looked back at the pair “Remember to be always happy. It’s better to die a happy person than die sad and lonely. Look for reasons to be happy, no situations last forever but there will always be a brighter day. Be happy” she winked then walked out of the café.
The pair looked at each other and shrugged.
“Well, that was something,” Camila said as she removed her apron and hung it.
“I know but we all know the message for today, be happy” Joan grinned.
“Hope you feel better?” Camila went to grab her bag and school books.
“Yes, I feel so alive” Joan grinned then began drumming the counter as she swayed a little.
“That’s right girl and as much as I would love to go on numerous rounds of happy dance, I need to get to school and finish what I started” Camila came to stand in front of Joan “I am glad to see you happy”
“Me too, call me when you arrive, okay?”
“Yes Mum” she salutes then walks towards the door “I’ll try to come here after school to lock up with you”
“No, it’s fine, just go home if you feel tired. I know your exams are approaching and you’ll need all the strength you can save up”
“You’re the best, love you,” she blew her a kiss and left.
Joan was feeling better than ever and began moving to the rhythm of a song she played in her head, she was so lost in dancing that she didn’t know a customer was standing behind her.
When she turned around a little cry escaped her lips when she saw who was standing behind her with an amused look on her face.
“You dance well my friend, I’ll give it to you,” she clapped then walked up to Joan to hug her.
“What are you doing here Stacy?” Joan asked, she could feel her heart beat really fast when Stacy pulled away from the hug.
It had been weeks and she never thought she’d see Stacy not till she came in here.
“Your baker’s cheesecake kept making me want more, so I am here to have them,” she smiled then sat on the counter.
It wasn’t weird that she was here if she hadn’t encountered Stacy’s supposed boyfriend or rude date but their situation… her situation is quite different and she doesn’t know how Stacy would react if she found out about the agreement she had with Santiago.
“Oh yeah, a plate of cheesecake and latte on the way” she managed a small smile as she began preparing the coffee.
“You remembered, that’s great” she grinned “How’s everything going? Already sorted out your dad’s company issue?”
…
Camila got out of the taxi after paying her fare and then walked to the entrance of her university. She was going to enter when she felt her phone vibrate, so she stepped aside to check who was calling.
…
Joan has been trying to keep all the emotions she was feeling inside of her but each time Stacy made mention of Santiago, her heart jolts and warmness fills her entire being. It would be stupid if she was actually blushing.
‘How would Stacy react if she knew about the agreement I had with Santiago and the fact that I like him?’ she asked herself, already lost in her train of thoughts.
“Joan, Joan” a small shake took her out of her reverie and she widened her eyes as they met Stacy’s expectant ones.
“Yeah… huh?”
“You went off to tinker bells” Stacy laughed “I was asking what you thought about Santiago asking me to marry me”
Her eyes widened and disgust immediately filled her inside. How could he immediately just go ahead to ask Stacy ab— her train of thought was cut when she received a call. She excused herself and then picked it up when she saw it was Camila’s.
“What’s up?” she tried to hide how irritated she was then her eyes went wide with shock written all over her face “What?”