Chapter Sixteen
The Fountain
SAL
SalwalkedbesideWillowas they experienced Intramuros on foot.She remembered going on a field trip here as a little girl.This small part of old Manila remained just as beautiful as it was back then with its esoteric charm.Knowing that a place was so old and remained preserved made one feel as though they were stepping into another rich tapestry of human history, one painted with the blood and pride of its people—the Filipinos.
Theola promised to pick them up after finalizing their lodgings, so it was just her and Willow for now.Willow marveled at thekalesa1and the Spanish colonial style shops.“It’s like St.Stephenshire,” she marveled.Sal disagreed, though she understood why Willow thought so.There was an esoteric feel to both places, but unlike St.Stephenshire, the air was hot, the cobblestone roads were nearly flattened with wear, and the trees and plants were all beautiful shades of green instead of ocher.
The sun was so scorching Sal felt her body warm up as its rays touched her skin.She was glad she had worn a navy-colored cotton dress and pinned her hair in a half-pony.She didn’t remember Manila being this hot.Though, in retrospect, she’d been away for years in between quick visits, and that was long enough to forget what a place felt like.She willed herself to focus on the task at hand instead of her discomfort from the heat.She wiped the sweat from her neck with a kerchief.
Willow checked the itinerary.“We’re supposed to gather at the meet-up point with Harmon’s group at Café Intramuros,”
After a few minutes, they arrived at a café at a pretty little corner of one of the stone buildings.The entrance to the coffee shop was a pop of reddish-brown, adorned with bright green vines and potted plants, with a painted sign showcasing the café’s name on it.
“Finally,” Sal exhaled.She needed some shade and air-con.When they stepped in, she immediately felt the drop in temperature.
Willow peered back and said, “Sal, I’m so damn impressed so far!”She took off her sunglasses and placed them firmly on the crown of her head, controlling her large mass of red curls that hit just above her shoulders.
Naturally, the locals stared at Willow in curiosity.Sal remembered her friend looked every bit the foreigner, with her freckled olive skin, red hair, and towering height.It was no surprise that she naturally turned heads wherever she went.
The manager approached them.“Hello, madam,” he addressed Sal, and then nodded to acknowledge Willow with a kind smile.“Ilan po sila?”he asked in Tagalog.Interestingly, even though Sal spoke with an American accent, they knew her to be one of them.
“He’s asking how many of us are dining,” Sal said in English for Willow’s benefit.She replied to him in Tagalog and then turned to Willow.“I just told him we’re to meet someone named Harmon Moon.”
“Sir is already here,” he said and gestured for them to follow him.
A few paces in, Harmon came into view, and her heart leaped at the sight of him.Harmon sat against an arch-shaped window.Light sprinkled through and framed his fine features as he read a book alone peacefully.He wore deep brown trousers that hung loosely at his ankles, a white linen shirt with sleeves folded to his forearms, and his hair was draped neatly past his temples.
“Ma’am?”said the manager.“Okay lang po kayo?”He had caught her staring.
Sal blinked and joggled her head.“Yes, I’m okay,” she said, looking back at him.The manager merely smirked back, and Sal couldn’t help but feel embarrassed.God, what was wrong with her?She was engaged.But, damn it, why does he have to be so handsome?
Harmon closed his book and looked at his watch when he saw her.“You’re late.We should have started half an hour ago,” he said, looking annoyed.
“Why’d you wait, then?You could have just done your thing,” she quipped and took a seat opposite him.
Harmon shook his head.“That’s not how I operate.”He placed his book in a small satchel that was on the table.“Where’s your assistant?”he asked as he stood abruptly while adjusting his bag, looking eager to start the canvassing of museums.
“She’s at the dessert counter stuffing herself with Filipino confections, no doubt.But she’s not my assistant; she’s my friend.”Sal paused and considered Harmon for a moment after she realized he was alone.“So where’s yours?”Sal said, looking around.
Harmon cleared his throat.“My assistant got a bad stomach flu when we arrived and is ill-disposed until further notice,” he said, not hiding his frustration.
That’s why he didn’t leave them; he had no one to guide him through Intramuros.He was probably too proud to admit it.Ha!Sal thought.“Don’t worry, Mr.Moon,” she said with a smirk.“I’ll make sure you don’t get lost along the way.”
Harmon gave her a long, hard look.Sal gave a teasing grin in return.Just then, Willow arrived, munching an ensaymadita while holding a packet of polvoron.
“Hey you guys, are you hungry?”she asked, offering Harmon some of the polvoron.
Harmon looked so uneasy that Sal almost burst out laughing.
This was going to be quite a day.
***
Their major stop was the San Agustin Museum, a church that doubled as a museum because of its beautifully preserved stone walls and Spanish colonial style architecture.They had seen architectural accomplishments during the Spanish occupation throughout Intramuros, but none as grand as the San Agustin Museum.
“Ah, Mr.Moon,” the museum director greeted Harmon as she straightened her blouse.“Nice to have you here, sir!Come this way.”
