She easily got worn-out each time they went out, although Clarence was the one driving. She preferred to remain in the Peres family's condo, the place they were housed a week earlier the national compet.i.tion's schedule. Later, she got bored staying inside and thinking of discovering her way to a mall not too far off.

She called her brother and asked to meet up with him. She sent a message to Clarence.

Beauty: I'll go meet big bro Sean.

Clarence: Where?

Beauty: McDonald's

Clarence: Okay, be careful.

To make sure she won't get lost, took a taxi and told the driver to go to McDonald's believing there couldn't be more than one in the area. What she thought was right led her to be lost instead. The taxi driver was confused on why she would take a ride when there's one just a walking distance from where she was standing. There were only two he knew near there. He a.s.sumed he meant to bring her to the one further.

"Miss, are you referring to the one near St. Luke's Hospital?" asked the taxi driver.

"Is that McDonalds?"

"Yes."

"Okay."

She waited for Sean for half of an hour, then grew to become an hour. She sent a message, and he stated he's already there. He called, "Where are you? This is only 20 meters from the condo you said you're staying."

"What? Well…" She tried to find an address or something to point her the exact location. "I don't recognize precisely where this area is but I'm positive I'm in McDonald's."

"Sis, why didn't you ask?"

"Ah, I guess, just tried to be adventurous and believed I can locate McDonald's by myself."

"Now your lost, excellent you tried to be adventurous now you got the journey yourself. My, why can't you be a little much less venturesome."

"I suppose it's in our gene. You stated it before yourself, the first time you came here, you also got lost for not asking."

"Ugh, you're making me feel awful. I don't wanna remember that shameful incident."

"But at least you met someone who helped you land a job. Who knows I might land a chance encounter, too."

"Oh, please, don't play games with fate. Don't a.s.sume things are dictated according to the gene. This has nothing to do with it. Just ask people around you to a.s.sist you."

"I heard you loud and clear. Just wait. I'll ask this time."

"Okay, I'll wait for you." He hung up.

Though she's lost she didn't panic. As long as she was still in Manila, she expected she could still find her way back. She was about to ask anyone when her cell phone rang again.

"Where are you?" This time it's Clarence.

" I'm in McDonald's of nowhere."

"What?"

"I'm serious, I'm sure this is McDonald's where I'm in now. I'm supposed to be meeting big bro Sean then I took a taxi thinking the store is a little bit far, and… that there won't be more than one." She was embarra.s.sed to admit of her foolish notion. "So I was brought here. How would I know the one he said was just near your place? He's already there, waiting for me."

"I'm with big brother now. We just met. Don't go anywhere. Ask the cas.h.i.+er or the security guard for the street name and we'll go where you are. I'll call again."

'With big brother' phrase was the one that registered on her mind that she wasn't able to listen to his other instructions well. She just realized it after.

Oh my, what was she supposed to do? He's without a doubt into proudly owning her family as his then she became distracted. She went out of the store and tried to call Clarence however she heard a child cried just above her.

She noticed a boy, probably eight years old, partly hanging on a tree outside the store. The boy's suspender was caught in one of the branches and he couldn't come down and she was nearest to the boy. The tree branch where the boy was caught wasn't that high from the ground, so she tiptoed and tried to disentangle the suspender. The boy gripped her arms as his life buoy.

At this time somewhere, Clarence was discomposed. "She got lost. I should have told her to wait for me... Hmm, I think there's another McDonalds not far from here. It's close to St. Luke's. Let's go, she might be there."

While Beauty was in the manner of disentangling, somebody held her waist and lifted her up making it easier for her to loosen the tangled suspender. She couldn't see the individual but was certain it was a man's hand that was lifting her. The boy suddenly said, "Papa."

"Don't let go of the lady before both of you are on the ground." The man's voice informed her he was a foreigner. As she landed on the ground, she let go of the boy and tried to take a good look at the man's face.

As if destiny wished, Clarence and Sean arrived exactly as her foot hit the ground and the man was still holding her waist. Clarence walked quickly and pulled Beauty towards him. The latter was taken aback as she was pulled after being suspended on air. All of them were looking at each other attempting to understand what had taken place.