The Limelight Lust

The Letter

The Letter



Kirby's PoV

"Not just for tonight, darling. For a year."

Lia and I were shocked when Aunt Cecil told us that they would stay in our house for a year.

"Just kidding, darling. Maybe just a couple of weeks or months," Aunt Cecil said and chuckled.

Somehow, I felt relieved. I can share my bed with Jeffrey, but not for a year. Aunt Cecil said that she had met a Swedish lover and asked for her hand in marriage. She needs to submit legal documentation for immigration. Filing legal documents here in the Philippines requires a great deal of patience and money. That is why they have to stay here until their legal documents are ready to submit to the embassy.

Just a little sacrifice won't harm me, anyway. So, I guess I will just endure Jeffrey's irritating presence for a few months.

That night was the start of my endurance test. Aunt Cecil said they could sleep on the couch in the living room. But Mom and Dad insisted they should sleep in my room, so they could have privacy.

"Where will I sleep then?' I asked Mom.

"Lia's room," she simply stated.

What? I yelled in my head. I don't know how I will react.

"Mom! There's no more space in my bed, no way Kirby could fit in," Lia protested.

"Kirby will sleep on a thick mattress beside your bed. Don't worry."

Lia just heaved a sigh, there's nothing we can do anymore. While I... I felt awkward just to think that I would be sleeping with Callie in the same room. Mom talked to Callie and asked for more patience because things were out of hand now.

That night, Dad fixed Lia's room and put the thick mattress on the floor for me. It was already past midnight when everyone was fast asleep in bed except me. I looked at the starry night and the crescent moon through the glass window while listening to the nocturnal symphonies of the cicadas and crickets.

"Why aren't you asleep yet?"

I was startled when I heard Callie's voice. I looked in her direction. I blinked several times before realizing she was staring at me. The light was switched off, so it was still dark. Only the moonlight lit the room.

"Sorry for the inconvenience I've caused your family, especially you," Callie apologized, as she usually does. "It must be hard for you to adjust to many things because of me--"

"Don't mind it. Just go to sleep," I answered, and heard her take a deep breath. She moved closer to me and placed a pillow on my head and a blanket over my feet. I could feel my cheeks flushing in surprise. What she did brought more comfort and I fell asleep a few moments later.

The next morning, I squinted when the ray of sunlight woke me up. I'm getting late for school. Dang it! Why didn't Lia wake me up? I headed to the kitchen to have my breakfast. Jeffrey was sitting and eating alone at the dining table.

"Where's Callie and Lia?" I asked, then sat across from him.

"They went to school already. I heard they have something to do before their teacher arrives," Jeffrey answered.

Oh, ok. I began to eat the waffles, eggs, and bacon that Mom prepared for me. It's Monday today, Dad and Mom were out to the market to buy fruits and vegetables for Lia.

"Where's Aunt Cecil?" I asked again.

"To the embassy," he answered.

All right, so it was just the two of us left in the house. What an unfortunate way to start off the day.

"Kirby.."

I held down the fork I was holding and listened to what he wanted to say. It seems so interesting.

"What do you think Callie would love to receive?"

Oh, I got tongue-tied. I wasn't expecting him to ask something like that.

"I don't know. Why don't you ask her?" I simply answered.

"Hey Cuz. . ."

I looked at him again. He surprised me a lot today.

"Yeah. What again?" I asked.

"What do you think of Callie? Isn't she pretty?" He said.

I just looked at him intently. I think he likes Callie. "Yeah, pretty," I replied without any emotion. He just smiled, so we continued eating our breakfast. Jeffrey has changed, he is no longer a brat. He even walked with me to school and Aunt Cecil would fetch him there.

After the tiring class, I saw a flock of students gathered around the locker area. The fuss was about Callie receiving a letter from an unknown admirer. She was being teased, and I know Callie is not used to being the center of attention. Lia grabbed Callie's wrist and dragged her out of the crowd.

"Lia!" I shouted when we got out of the school premises. Callie and Lia both turned to see me. I saw Callie holding a white envelope. They both stopped from walking to read the letter inside of it.

"Come on Callie, faster! Open it up!" Lia exclaimed. She seemed more excited than Callie. "Oh, I'm so envious. You always receive love letters from different secret admirers. Me when?"

So, Callie often receives a letter. Well, that wasn't surprising though. She's the prettiest among the girls in the entire school, the most popular, there's no surprise about it.

Callie opened the envelope and started to read it out loud:

To the prettiest girl in school and the entire world--

Callie stopped from there and Lia laughed out loud. "Oh goodness what a cringey intro!" Lia teased.

But Callie was still serious and continued on reading.

To the prettiest girl in school and the entire world--

Callie repeated reading from the top and this time with a bright smile on her lips and her cheeks reddened.

Your stunning brown eyes took my breath away. I was drowned in the abyss of your timeless beauty. You are like an angel manifested in the flesh.

Lia was speechless after, while Callie smiled from ear to ear.

"Who would this be? I want to know him, and thank him for the wonderful letter," Callie said.

The next day, she received another letter from this secret admirer of hers.

Oh goodness! Finally, I now know who this secret admire is!

Callie exclaimed with full of excitement in her voice.

- - - - - - -

TO BE CONTINUED. . .