"GOOD morning!" Callea greeted Luna when she woke up the next morning. The cat yawned and stretched as she rubbed its head. "Did you sleep well? So do I, Luna. I love our lullaby."
Luna slept on her bed and didn't want to leave her side. Because of Deive's kiss, she had a hard tie sleeping. She was not able to play the piano late at night. She did not want to scare Deive. So she played her favorite sound effects to set the mood - the sound of a crying white lady. A few moments later, she was fast asleep. The computer was set the computer to shut down after once the music file stopped playing. So, it was okay if she woke up late because she had a good night's sleep. She only hoped that it didn't interrupt Deive's slumber.
She was surprised the moment she stepped out of the room. There was something coarse on the floor. Marina was very particular with cleanliness in the house. Her house might look haunted but Marina couldn't stand cobwebs and dust. That was why she was used to walking on a smooth and polished wooden floor since she loved walking barefoot most of the time.
When she looked down, she saw iodized salt scattered on the floor. Moreover, there's a bunch of garlic next to her door. She picked up the garlic. "How did it end up here? What's going on?"
Marina was preparing a late breakfast for her when she went to the lanai. Her face wrinkled when she saw the garlic. "Oh! You got the garlic. I've been looking for it. What scene did you come up with and you got garlic with you? Good thing I just got enough garlic to use for fried rice."
"I didn't use that. I just saw that outside my room a while ago. I have no idea how it ended up there."
"Who would put that outside your room? Are you an aswang?" (Aswang is a cannibalistic human that changes into a monster and loves eating innards of humans and animals)
"Deive did it!" He placed the garlic and salt outside her bedroom. But why? Did he hear the crying effects last night? May he thought it was a ghost or an aswang? "Where is he anyway?"
"He said he would go to church." Mariana pointed the serving spoon at her. "Tell me the truth. What did you do lose to make Señorito Deive offer salt and garlic to your room?"
***
"God, forgive me all my sins. Maybe all these horrific I am experiencing is because of the negative things I had done before. If I hurt any woman, please forgive me. But please spare Callea from all these horrors. Please protect her, " Deive sincerely prayed while kneeling in front of the altar.
He was inside a church in Nagcarlan, Laguna. First thing in the morning he left the Villa Celesta to visit the nearest church and pray. For the first time in his life, he has analyzed what was going on in his life. His impending marriage to Callea was a huge step that would change his life. Perhaps the unusual experiences were a wake-up call to take his life seriously. To ponder the most important things in his life.
He had no plans to have a real marriage. It was a business arrangement on his part after all. But Callea started to grow on him. He found her endearing and quite attractive to her weird taste in taste in fashion. She was classy and elegant. Every inch a lady. He couldn't just ignore her because she was caring and had a soft heart. She preferred Marina as a friend despite her deformities and treated her as an equal.
Most of the women he had met were too concerned about their appearance. They dissed other women. They prefer the company of those who were as beautiful as them. He could hear them dissing other women who were more beautiful than them. Callea's cheeks turn crimson whenever he gives her compliments. As if she was not used to being called beautiful. How would people know of her beauty if she was cooped up inside the haunted house? He doubted if people knew she existed. That was good for him because she was solely his.
The presence of ghosts in the mansion aroused his protective instinct. He was not afraid of ghosts. He was just scared of what those evil creatures could do to Callea. Maybe her future bride didn't just confide in him. He would do anything to protect her.
Therefore, he prayed for the forgiveness of sins. He didn't know if the ghosts were the representation of his karma.
"Punish me but don't hurt Callea," he begged and closed his eyes. He didn't mind if he got tired of kneeling for a long time.
When he thought he already confessed all his sins and asked for forgiveness, he decided to leave the church. God won't allow an innocent like Callea to be harmed. At least he was confident that she was protected. Then he noticed that he stayed inside the church for more than two hours. That must be a lot of sins and lots of asking for mercy. Or maybe he was just really scared for Callea and their future.
It was already past ten in the morning when he looked at his Patek Philippe watch. There were hundreds of missed calls and text messages on his cellphone from his brother Keiran. He had been waiting for him at a mall in STA. Rosa, Laguna. He called his brother up. "Hey! I am sorry! Have you waited for so long? "
"I've been here even before the mall opened. Are you coming or not?" he asked in an irritated tone. "You are wasting my time."
Great! His happy-go-lucky brother suddenly became responsible the moment he held a position in Hontiveros Coco.
"Okay. I am coming." He throttled his car to Santa Rosa. He was forced to treat his brother for lunch. His eyebrows meet during the meal. "I am sorry, bro. I went to church first and I didn't notice the time."
"Why? To fix the date of marriage?" He gave him a paper bag. "Do you need it for your wedding?"
He checked the items inside the paper bag. An antique cross. According to his Grandpa, the cross was found inside a cave in the settlement of pre-Spanish Filipinos. It was believed that it can vanquish the evil elements and ghosts. There was also salt from the Dead Sea that is believed to provide protection from lost souls whose loneliness beckoned it to call to the living to take them to the afterlife.
He was forced to call an ex-girlfriend with an aunt who was albularya or a quack doctor. A classy albularya. She said that there must be a cross and to make the ritual more effective they will use the miraculous Dead Sea Salt.
"I just need it for Callea." Deive patted his brother's shoulder. "Thanks, bro! This is really important for us."
"You asked me to steal the artifacts from the collection of Granny in mini-museum."
"Borrow not steal," Deive corrected.
"You nearly asked me to fly to Israel just for Dead Sea Salt. The aunt of your ex nearly used a love potion on me." He shook his head he loathed the experience. "And the salt is expensive."
"This is for your future sister-in-law anyway."
He slightly leaned forward and looked him in the eyes. "Brother, seriously, do you have to marry Callea?"
He met his eyes and nodded. "Yes."
He made a tsking sound. "That's too bad. My new assistant is gorgeous and has killer legs. That's your weakness in a woman, right? "
He just grinned. "Not anymore. I am done with that."
"Why not?"
"I am a changed man. Before coming here, I went to church and prayed for the forgiveness of my sins, my past liaisons with women included. And I promised that I would be faithful to Callea. I really want to marry her."
"I don't think so," Keiran voiced his disbelief. "I don't think you will stick in one woman. Come on!"
"You will understand someday when you have found the girl who will make you commit. Even if you have to walk on your knees just to make sure that she is safe."
Keiran clasped his palms together. "Amen."
Keiran won't probably believe that he could change in such a short time. But Deive could feel the change within him. He doubted himself at first but he felt good about it. Like he was a new man.
Since he was already in the mall, he decided to shop for Callea's clothes. He would love to see her in modern clothing and bright colors. Through she looked sultry on her bloody red dress the other night, it somehow gave him creeps.
Fortunately, part of his talent was to estimate the size of females. He didn't miss a boutique. He brought clothes that he deemed suited for Callea. Women loved him for his impeccable taste.
He was on the third boutique shopping and picked up a peach skirt that first he picked up when he was approached by two women. "Excuse me. You are Deive Hontiveros, right? "