Jennifer's Secret

After I stepped out of the Municipal building, I caught a tricycle who has just dropped off a fare."Where to, Sir?" he asked. I just repeated what the Municipio's Information Officer said.:"Take the road for Bantog, continue until you see the Crystal Glade. Then you turn left at thefirst dirt road. Continue driving about a kilometer until you see a concrete house with a red roof."I want you to wait for me outside, no matter how long it takes me to finish my business inside.Don't worry, I will pay you whatever you wish..""Just give me 500 pesos sir, and you can have me, I mean my ride for half a day.." the driversaid.
"Thanks! What's your name again?""I am called Pastor. But my real name is Mario. I am really a pastor of a small congregation herein Asingan. But the group is small, the collection is not enough to support me and my family so Idrive this thing for my daily expenses..But I always give a fiery sermon every Sunday."Then he started his mtorbike and I heard an audible beeping sound like that of a car alarm. Itseems he switches it on when he pulls out of a parking lot or when he is overtaking somepedestrians or another tricycle.After we passed by Bantog, we saw Crystal Glade from a distance. We came upon the barangayboundary and the dirt road which would finally bring us to our destination. As the tricycleslowed down because of the dirt and sand instead of the concrete that composes the main road,my heart started to beat faster than normal. After what seems to be an endless stretch of ticefields nordered with acacia trees and various shrubs, we finally sighted the house with the redroof...###I knocked on the newly varnished wooden door, and after a few seconds, it opened and a manabout 70 years old came out..He seemed happy when he saw me and he asked, "are you Albert?.." he asked peering through a pair of astigmatic eyes."Sorry sir, but my nane is Alfred, or Fred.He seemed to be mildly taken abck."Would you like to come in?""Thank you," I replied and I wiped my shoes before entering the living room.The living room was nicely decorated very much like a North American home.I took a seat on acomfortable leather chair. On a wall near me was a big framed photo of Jenny, similar to theone I saw in the Municipio, but this one is tinted with a few colours, the way they did in the olddays before colour printing was prevalent."Sir, are you the father of Jenny?." "Yes, he answered nodding his head."Is he at home?..Can I see her?""She's not here right now.""Where is she?. Did she go back to Sacramento?" My voice trembled a bit.He looked at me with inquiring eyes, but he hesitated to answer.I spoke again. " I have to see her. It is very important that I must talk with her.""When did you see her?" he asked with an expression that I can not describe."Yesterday, I met her at the MJV resort. Then last night she attended the Balikbayan Dance withme and we danced one time. "I noticed that his eyes widened a bit for a few seconds, then she glanced briefly at the her picturehanging on the wall..Then he fell again into a lapse of silence.I started to feel uncomfortable. After two or three minutes of his defeaning silence, I stood upand announced: "Sir, if you do not want me to see her, then I want to leave now. I am sorry forwhat ever inconvenience I have caused.." My voice was louder than usual..All of a sudden, he broke his silence and blank expression then said: "No, no, stay here!..I believeyou. I believe you are her friend. If you have come this far, then you are entitled to knoweverything about Jenny..."I sat down again."Jenny is our only child. She was born in a small house that stood in this same place years ago.We were very poor then, I am just a farmer and my wife sells vegetables in the market. Like anyparent, I wanted the best for Jenny because she was very intelligent, very sensible and she wasvery beautiful.."She attended the barrio high school here and she showed much promise in the classroom. Shehad also many friends because she was kind hearted and helpful. During her third year, she metAlbert, a classmate and the son of my good friend living in the same area here. But at that time,they were just good friends however I felt that someday, they might get married.."One day, I received a letter from my brother in California. He made good in his business and heoffered to adopt Jenny. Her Mother and I felt bad, but then I know my brother is a goodperson, so we agreed. Soon her papers came and we signed them. We felt broken hearted whenshe left us at the airport.."He paused a bit as if to regroup his mind and voice."But she made good there abroad. She finished nursing in Sacramento after which she foundwork in the same hospital where she did volunteer work as a candy striper. She helped thenurses and looked after some patients. She held the same position for several years. But sheremained faithful to Albert and they exchanged letters regularly. Hand written letters done inpink stationery and filled with love..Albert visited us also regularly, and we treated him as if hewere our own son. When I saw you, I was struck by your uncanny resemblance to him.."In 1995, she decided to come home for a visit. First time since her departure from Asingan. Ihave many relatives in the Municipal building and they decided to make her Ms. Balikbayan.Albert, of course automatically was the escort."In 1994, a year before her visit, she told Albert, and Albert told us, that a young man who lives in Southern California, a small town near San Diego, met her in a birthday party. He fell in lovewith her. She told him she is already engaged to someone here. But this guy, Marlon is his name,told her that he will not stop loving her until she is already married..She tells everything toAlbert and Albert tells everything to us..But she told us not to worry. The guy she said is goodhearted, very kind and she tells him very often that she can not love him back..A few months before her holiday, she told us Marlon started to e-mail her love notes, leavemessages in her voice mail...One day, he e-mailed her that he will kill her boy friend so he canmarry her. Jenny said if he won't stop his barrage of e-mails, she will go to the Police and ask fortheir protection. She threatened him and then she told us he finally stopped..He just e-mail heronce in a while but she never answered any of them. She said, she just deleted anything comingfrom him..He stopped talking again..He stood up and said, "Can I get you anything to drink, Cokeperhaps?.I need some water..""I am okay! I said"..He resumed his narration when he came back.."It was a joyful celebration when she arrived. At the beginning of 1994, she started sending usmoney for the construction of this house. It is not quite complete, as you can see. But it will soonbe..She arrived 2 days before her coronation night.." The auditorium was lavishly decorated by her friends and kinfolks, especially those from theMunicipio. One time Albert and her went to the municipio and a clerk asked: ' Are you going toapply for a marriage license?' The big crowd following her around laughed.."Then came the Coronation night.." At this point, I smelled a faint odor. It was Jenny's perfume.."She was a vision of delight and happiness, " continued her father.." She marched down towardsthe throne, then some dignitaries crowned her. She was smiling all the while..Then the emceeannounced the Royal Dance. The orchestra played TRISTEZAS DEL ALMA..Her perfume scent became stronger.." Albert took her down to dance, together with the otherreigning beauties..I stood up too, looking at her all the time. A few photographers and one videocameraman were aiming their cameras at her.."And then..I did not even notice it, a man approached Jenny and Albert"..At this point, I felt a draft of cold wind blowing on me and touching my hair softly.."From whereI am I saw the man took something out. The man was talking to Albert. Jenny looked veryagitated. I stood up, rushed towards them.But it happened so fast!. I saw Jenny step between the man and Albert. In a split second, Iheard a gunshot. Jenny took the bullet intended for Albert. It entered her heart and she fell onthe auditorium floor.."I felt tears rushing down my cheeks at this point. The images of the incident came vividly to myimagination.."I knelt beside Jenny. She was whispering..' Dad, that was Marlon..I am sorry..He wanted to killAlbert..I heard several men shouting and footsteps were heard all over the place. I did not lookbehind me. Just focused at Jenny..But I think I heard the sound of a body fall to the cement andsome shouts and sickening sounds....My ears wre listening to my daughter whispering over andover.." Dad, my soul won't rest until I will finish this dance with Albert.." She must have said thissentence three times, then she became very still..."At this point, I felt dizzy, recollecting Jenny's countenance, her sweet smile after I ended thedance and we walked back to our seat.."I love you, Jenny, I am so sorry..!!!!" I said aloud. Therewas a soft sensation of a gentle cool air brushing by my ear, Then as sudden as it appeared, thesmell of the perfume and the very cold draft dissapeared..I brushed my eyes and cheeks. "What happened to Marlon?..""Many of my relatives were at the Auditorium that night," he answered.."Two were policemen.One of them told me not to worry, just look after Jenny..They will take care of Marlon..AndAlbert, the shock was too much for him. He also collapsed a few minutes later. He went to acoma. He is still alive but he is immobile.He lives in a long term care hospital.His expenses aretaken cared of by Jenny, posthumously. She had lots of investment bonds and her life insurancewas quite a lot. We were the beneficiaries..."I looked at the time..It was quarter to 12:00 noon."Who was the woman I danced with?..Was it Jenny's spirit ?.."Jenny's dad answered.."My grandmother once told me, that if a person has left something urgent which is unfinished before she or he dies, then the spirit would come once a year, our earth year, until it is completed..My grandmother was a spiritualist. She said, it is possible for a soul to become a "quasi human being", but only for 24 hours..."I hope I was able to enlighten you about Jenny.Now I feel so tired...I think I will take a nap. Thanks for your visit, son...Just lock the door on your way out.." He stood up, walked into a stairway going up the second floor."Thank you.." I whispered softly.I looked at Jenny's photo. I expected it to smile, but it didn't. The perfume smell is gone. Thecold draft is gone. After I examined every photo of Jenny in the living room, I felt it was time for me to leave. I locked the door as I stepped my way out into a glaring mid day sun...###I saw Pastor outside. He was sitting inside his tricycle. He was reading a small bible.."How did it go, sir?""Oh it was okay," I said.."Say how about lunch?..Let us drop by Crystal Glade. I heard they havedelicious arroz caldo there..Arroz caldo de Corazon....Some of the ingredients are chicken liverand chicken hearts...""Sure..Only a sick person refuses any offered food.. I am as healthy as a carabao.."We sat down at the Crystal Glade beside the swimming pool. There were a couple of teen-agedgirls there swimming clad in bras and thongs.."Hey, Pastor" I said.."Is it bad to look at bikini clad women?" I asked with a smile.."No, he said. "I look at them myself..if my wife is not around..""Good man!" I said and we laughed."By the way, did you wait long?..I asked him.."No, he said..You were there only two minutes!..Don't worry you can give me just 300 pesos..500is for half a day.."Are you sure??"..I asked this question about the length of time not about the money. "I swear.."I knew I was there for two hours at least..It was 10:00 am when I entered the house. My watchand the grandfather clock in the living room showed 10:00 am.. When I went out of the door,the grandfather clock showed 10 minutes to 12 noon..."By the way" Pastor asked.."What did you do inside the house?.Are you planning to buy it? Eversince that beauty queen died 5 years ago, it has been up for sale. ""Oh, you know about her?..""Yes, I heard she was shot by a jealous boy friend..from America. There were investigators fromthe US Consulate. He was reported missing by the company he worked for. When theinvestigators visited the Municipal Police Department, they said they knew nothing about theguy..No Marlon de Vera came to Asingan, they said..""How about the parents of the Beauty Queen? Aren't they living in that house?..""Both the Father and the Mother died a month later after her death. They went to Urdaneta toget some money and the jeep they were in lost its brakes. The jeep went down into that deepditch before the bridge. The driver and the couple drowned because the river there was deep atthat time..Nobody lives in that house for years. Only a caretaker comes once a week to clean it""WHAT??..BUT..." I stopped what I was about to say. I looked at my watch, it was only 10:15 am."Shit" I told myself, " I can not tell this pastor I talked with the Beauty Queen's dad..He mightblab it in his sermon and people will call me crazy..""Sir, if you buy it, I will rent from you if you need someone to take care of it..Nobody likes to buyit because they say it is haunted.Now it is cheap...But I am not scared. I know some prayers ofexorcism. Will drive the spooks away..for you. No charge..! I can give you references as to mycharacter. ""Yeah, I can tell you are an honest person.."The two arroz caldos arrived. They smelled good!"Okay, I will think about it. In the meantime, let us eat before these chicken soup with hearts getcold.---#

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