SABRINA’S POV
>>> 5 YEARS AFTER
" Ladies and gentlemen, Happy Airlines extends a warm greeting to you as we arrive in Manila. It is currently 8:11 p.m. local time. Please keep the aisle(s) clear until we are parked at the gate and remain seated with your seat belt fastened for your protection and the safety of those around you. Thank you! " the flight attendant announced, which made me sit down properly.
“Mommy are we here in the Philippines?” Hope politely asked me. She is my five-year-old daughter.
I smiled at her, “yes, baby,” I replied. Hope smiled back at me before she sat properly.
After a while, the airplane’s door opened, so Hope and I stood up. When we got off the airplane, we went straight to the arrival lane to get our luggage. I opened my phone so I could call the person assigned to fetch us here at the airport. I just want to inform him where we are right now
“Hope, just tap me if you see our luggage, okay?” I told her.
She nodded and smiled at me, “Okay, Mommy.”
I pinched her right cheek before I turned my back to her, so I could call our driver. It took a few rings first before he picked up the call.
“Hello, where are you?” I asked after he answered the call.
[ Ma’am, I am still searching for a safe parking face because many passengers are going in and out of the airport plus there is a lot of press around the area. ]
“Is that so? Okay, we will just wait for your message,” I stated before I hung up the call since the area was too loud.
“Hope, the driver is already th—”
I stopped talking when I noticed that Hope was not on my side anymore. I hurriedly approached the woman near us.
“Excuse me, Miss. Did you see my daughter? She was with me earlier,” I asked her.
The woman shook her head, so I looked around the area to search for Hope. I could not help but curse in my mind when I fully realized that Hope was nowhere to be found. Gosh, where did she go?!
THIRD PERSON’S POV
On the side of the boy's restroom, a little girl is crying while leaning on the wall. Many people passing by looked at her, but no one tried to approach and help the little girl. After a while, a little boy noticed her, so he went to her place to talk to her.
“Hey, why are you crying?” the little boy asked her.
The little girl rubbed her eyes before she looked at the little boy, “I am lost. I could not s-see my Mommy,” she replied in a sad tone.
“Don’t worry, your mother will surely look for you,” the little boy encouraged her, but still, the little girl did not stop crying. The little boy did not have any other choice but to get something from his pocket.
“Here,” the little boy remarked before he handed the candy he was holding.
The little girl stopped crying and took the candy. “t-thank you,” she sweetly said and smiled at him.
“Let’s play first while you are waiting for your Mom and while I am waiting for my Dad,” the little boy suggested before getting his iPad in his backpack.
The little girl nodded, so they both sat down on the side and started playing games on the little boy’s iPad. After a while, the father of the little boy finally arrived.
“Dylan, you are here,” the man who briefly arrived remarked. Both the little boy and girl looked at him. “Who is she?” the man asked.
Dylan and Hope stood up, “you are here, Daddy. I saw her crying earlier, so I approached her,” the little boy narrated.
“Did I not tell you to don't talk to people you do not personally know,” Dylan’s father remarked.
“I am not a bad person po, Mister. He just helped me to stop crying,” Hope explained on behalf of Dylan.
Dylan’s father could not help but sigh, “I am sorry, baby girl. I am just worried about Dylan. But anyway, what is your name?” the man asked.
“I am Hope,” Hope replied.
“Okay, nice to meet you Hope but Dylan and I have to go. Where are your parents by the way?” he asked in wonder.
“Dad, she cried earlier because she was lost,” Dylan explained which made his father nod at him.
“Then we will bring you to the security office so they can call your parents,” Dylan’s father suggested.
Hope only nodded in response, so Dylan’s father held her hand after he held Dylan’s hand. They went to the security personnel together to inform them about Hope’s problem.
SABRINA’S POV
“Sir, is there any news?” I nervously asked the security personnel I approached earlier. It has been almost fifteen minutes since Hope is missing. And every minute that passed makes me crazy because I am so worried about my daughter.
“Ma’am, I am sorry, but I haven’t received any call back from my radio handset,” he politely explained.
I was getting weak so I held on to the wall to support my weight. I don’t know what I should do next. The security guard already contacted his co-workers to inform them about my situation. Even my driver started looking for Hope with my request. I rubbed my whole face because of frustration and worry for Hope. This is the first time Hope has flown here in the country. I can’t help but imagine her confused face wherever she is right now. I immediately looked at the security guard when his radio handset sounded. He hurriedly answered it and after a while, he started nodding and looking at me.
“Ma’am, we already saw your daughter. She is in the customer service at Gate 1 together with your driver,” the security guard informed me.
“Thank you so much,” I politely thanked and held his hand. Because of what he stated, the conflicted emotions I was experiencing subsided for a little moment.
The security guard only pointed me to the way so I could go to gate 1. After his explanation, I hurriedly went there. I experienced difficulty passing through the people because there were a lot of them and I also noticed some press. I hurriedly wore a hoodie and mask, so no one could notice who I was.
“Hope…” I called her name when I saw her. Then, I ran towards her.
“Mommy…” Hope called me while crying. She then ran towards me, so I sat down to match her height, then I hugged her tightly.
“Hope, where have you been? Did I not tell you to not leave my side?” I worriedly told her.
She let go and faced me, “Mommy, I am sorry. I saw bad guys take our luggage. I was about to call for help, but I could not find my way back to you,” Hope explained.
“Hope, you should not do that. Those are just things, you are more important than it,” I said.
“I am sorry, Mommy,” she sadly remarked.
I stood up straight before talking, “Don’t do that again, okay?” I said. Hope simply nodded, so I looked at our driver, “Mister, let’s go,” I stated.
He only nodded and started walking right away. I held Hope’s hand and we followed our driver together. After a while, we arrived at where our car was parked. I was grateful that no single press was around the area where we exited, so we left the airport premises in a calm manner.
“Mommy, you know Dylan’s father is so handsome,” Hope remarked while we were on our way home. According to her, Dylan and his father helped her to go to the Gate 1 customer service
“But next time, Hope, don’t ever talk to strangers, okay? Unlike in Canada, you have no bodyguard here, so you must be careful okay?” I reminded her. She simply nodded.
“I’m sorry Mommy, but I promised Dylan and his father is so nice,” Hope tried to convince me.
“I know since they sent you to the customer service. It's just a waste that I did not have the chance to thank them personally,” I stated. When I arrived there, they left a bit earlier.
“It’s okay, Mommy. I said thank you and our driver also said thank you to them,” Hope explained which made me nod my head.
“All right. Anyway, what do you want to eat? Maybe we will just buy food in the drive-thru since it is already evening,” I asked her.
“Hmm… the usual food I am eating, Mommy,” she replied.
“On second thought, let’s not buy in a drive-thru. I will just order and make them deliver it in the house for safety,” I remarked. Hope nodded and yawned, “You should take a nap, Hope. I will just wake you up when we arrive at our home,” I suggested.
“Okay, Mommy,” she said.
She lay down and closed her eyes. I started playing with her hair, so she could fall asleep. I was about to take a nap too when I noticed a big billboard. I bitterly smiled when I realized what I saw.
“Prepare yourself for my comeback. I will make sure that you will pay for everything you did for me. I will not stop until I see you crawling on the ground. Marked my word!”
TO BE CONTINUED!