Among the Ducklings (7 page)

As the man
was coming toward them, Isabel said, “It's my fiancé Richard.”

Phil was
stunned and devastated.
 
He didn't know
that she was engaged. But he also knew that Isabel was not required to tell
him. After all, they only saw each other and met each other at the bench. But
how could he be so stupid not to think that she was already taken.
 
Women with her looks and wits usually were. However,
in spite of the unwelcome surprise, Phil heard himself say, “I love you Isabel
and I’d like to see you tomorrow again.”

Isabel
turned and looked at him.
 

She wanted
to tell him how much she loved him, to forgive her for not telling him sooner.
She wanted to tell him that her heart was breaking and that she wanted to be
with him, instead of with Richard. But she didn't. Richard was her fiancé and
she had promised Richard she would marry him.
 
Richard had been good to her through the years and she wasn't going to
turn her back on him for a man she only knew for a couple of weeks, for dreams
that might never occur.

She
introduced Phil to Richard as Tia Marcia's patient.

“Tia Marcia
does wonders and I'm sure you will be on your feet in no time,” Richard said to
him.

“I hope
so.” Phil replied.

Then
grabbing the handle of Isabel's wheelchair, Richard said to Phil, “It was nice
meeting you.”

“Likewise,”
Phil responded. Then Phil added, “Good bye Isabel.”

Hearing her
name, Isabel turned her head and looked at Phil, as her chair was being pushed
by Richard, and simply replied, “Take care Phil.”
 
As Richard and Isabel went through the double
doors of the building, Phil only wished that he was the one pushing the
wheelchair.
 
As he remained seated on the
bench, Phil wondered if his afternoons by the lake would ever be the same
again.

Chapter Five

Isabel's
life had always been a life where things didn't get out of order. She learned
to keep it that way after her mother passed away.
 
She had to.
 
After all, she had to raise her kid sister, Rebecca. She had to take her
to school, help her do her homework, go to PTA meetings, attend birthday
parties for Rebecca's classmates, prepare dishes for school functions, etc.
This was why being a computer programmer fit her life perfectly. To her,
computer programming terms like “arrays” and “functions” served one purpose.
They helped her create order out of disorder. In short, they helped her solve
problems.
 
This was also why Isabel was
not having a good afternoon after leaving Phil. Her life was in disarray.

“Is
everything OK, Bella?” Richard asked her.

“I’ve had a
lot on my mind lately,” she answered.

Richard
didn't press her. In fact, she was technically correct. She had had a lot on
her mind since the accident. However, even after the accident, everything was
in order, from scheduling therapy sessions to planning her life with Richard.
 
What she didn’t expect was for Phil to enter
into the picture and to create in her these emotions that she had never felt
before. She didn’t like these feelings, because they were too sudden and out of
the ordinary. She couldn't control them. For one moment, Isabel wished she had
never met Phil.
 
She had known Phil for
only a few weeks and she didn't like the havoc he had created in her life, in
her heart. She needed to do something about these emotions.
 
She needed to restore the order that she was
accustomed to.

When Isabel
reached home, the light on her answering machine was blinking.
 
She had two messages. She was about to play
her messages when the phone rang.
 
It was
Lucy.

She picked
up the phone.

“Hi
Lucy.”

“How was
your day?” Lucy asked

“So, so,”
Isabel answered. “Doing therapy and talking to a patient of Tia Marcia.” Isabel
tried to sound normal, but Lucy could sense that something was not right.

“How was
therapy?”

“Good. The
doctor said I was making great progress.”

“Who was
that Tia Marcia's patient that you talked to today?”

“He was
just someone who was in therapy for a broken ankle.”

“Isabel,
what are you not telling me?” Lucy asked.

“Nothing.
Why?” Isabel asked. In fact, Isabel had not
told anyone about Phil because she felt that spending time with him was like
cheating on Richard, and she felt guilty about it.

“You don't
sound like yourself,” Lucy said.

“We've been
talking to each other every day for the past few weeks. Today, when Richard
came to pick me up, he said he loved me and wanted to see me again,” Isabel
admitted to Lucy.

“Who?”

“Phil.”

“Who is
Phil?” Lucy asked.

“The
patient that I was talking to you about,” Isabel answered.

“Oh.
 
I see,” Lucy said.

“What do
you see?” Isabel asked.
 

Lucy didn't
respond.
 
Then Lucy asked, “Do you want
to see him again?”

“I am
engaged. Don’t you remember?”

“Don't be
on the defensive, Isabel.
 
I simply asked
a simple question.”

“I am not
on the defensive,” Isabel said, defensively.

“Do you
want to see him again?” Lucy asked for a second time.

“I don't
think it’s a good idea.”

“I see,”
Lucy said, one more time.

“What do
you mean, you see?” Isabel asked in an exasperated tone.

“I’ve known
you for over a decade, Isabel. Remember?”

“What does
that mean?” Isabel asked.

“I’ve never
seen you like this before,” Lucy said. “I’ve just got to meet this guy who is
making you feel this way.”

“I am
planning to marry Richard.”

“Sure,
Isabel.
You will
marry Richard, buy a picket-fenced house and have 2-1/2 kids.
 
I know the drill.”

“What are
you talking about?” Isabel asked.

“Do you
know that I never heard you say that you are marrying Richard because you love
him?” Lucy said.

“I love
Richard,” Isabel said.

“Sure. Tell
me, when is the wedding date?”

“We are not
ready yet.”

“When will
you be ready?” Lucy asked. “Will it be when Richard gets the perfect
construction project?”

“Don't be
mean,” Isabel said.

“Sorry.
 
Isabel.
 
I just want to see you happy.”

“I am
happy,” Isabel said, trying to be convincing.

“If you say
so,” Lucy said. “I have to go. Say hello to Rebecca for me.”

Isabel
was angry at Lucy for questioning her feelings for Richard. She met Richard
several years ago in her office.
  
At
that time, her business had not yet branched out to programming electronic
device equipment. Richard wanted her firm to design a new interactive website
for his construction company.
 
She was
taken aback by his old fashioned good looks and easy manner. When he invited
her out for pizza, she had accepted. Looking back now, she didn’t have any
regrets. She was comfortable with Richard.
 
She then decided that she would marry Richard. He had always treated her
well. Besides, who else would want to marry her now with her medical condition?

##

When Isabel
pushed the button on her pink answering machine, courtesy of Rebecca, the first
message was from the lawyer that Richard had hired to represent her in her
accident case. The lawyer was leaving her a message about an offer by the
insurance company to settle her case.
 
The second message was from Marcia, apologizing for not being able to
spend much time with her the past week, due to her busy work schedule at the
Center.

Isabel felt
tired and decided that she would call them later after she took a nap. Several
hours later, Isabel woke up in a house that was dark and silent. Rebecca was
not yet home.
 
She turned on the table
lamp, and then picked up the phone to call her aunt, who had just arrived home
from a meeting.

“How was
your afternoon?” Marcia asked.

“OK.
 
Richard came to pick me up early,” Isabel
replied.

“What do
you think of Phil? I see that you've been spending a lot of time together.”

“He’s
nice.”

“I'm
surprised you still haven't run out of things to talk about.”

“No. We
talk about everything that’s going on in our lives,” Isabel answered, blushing.

“Well, you
must have made an impression on him because he came to see me in the office
after you and Richard left,” Marcia said.

“What did
he say?”

“He wanted
to know if you would be back at the same time tomorrow.”

“What did
you tell him?” Isabel asked.

“I told him
yes. It's not a secret that he likes you. You can see it in his face. All he
wanted to know was if you would be here tomorrow because you looked upset when
you left with Richard.

“Did he say
why?”

“Did he
have to say why?
 
Besides, being an
expert in calculating money damages for injuries such as yours, he is someone
you need to know.”

“My lawyer
is handling that.”

“I know.
It's only in case we need his help. He might be able to convince the insurance
company, if there was a problem. I know he has calculated injury damages for
this insurance company in the past. ”

“How do you
know that?”

“He told me
after I asked him for his help.”

“I don't
really need his help, Tia Marcia,” Isabel said forcefully.

“Isabel,
besides the surgery, your rehabilitation is also costing a lot of money. I have
seen the bills. I want to make sure that the insurance company pays for
everything and that you don't go bankrupt because of this accident.”

“I know,”
Isabel said, grateful and softening her tone. “My lawyer left me a message
about an offer that the insurance company made. I’ve not spoken to her yet.
When I do, I will let you know.”

“OK. See
you tomorrow.”

“Good
night. Tia Marcia.”

As soon as
she hung up, Isabel felt guilty. She felt happy to know that Phil still wanted
to see her even though she had remained silent when he had told her that he
loved her and wanted to see her again. Actually, she felt sad to feel happy
about it.
 
She was engaged to be married
to another man and she didn't want any more complications.

##

When Phil
reached home that day, he wondered whether he had made a serious mistake by
going to see Marcia.
 
He figured he had
nothing to lose by asking her if Isabel would be back at the Center again.
 
He was sure that Marcia would tell
Isabel.
 
He wasn’t sure, however, how
Isabel would react.
 
Isabel had not
responded when he told her of his feelings for her. Worse, she had a fiancé to
whom she introduced him as Marcia's patient.

From what
he learned from Marcia, Isabel had been engaged for several years. Why the
wait, if Isabel and Richard were sure about each other?

As he
debated his next step, the phone rang.
 
It was Jeremy.

“Hi Jeremy,”
Phil answered.

“Hi, old
buddy.”

“How is
everything in St Augustine?”

“Same
old, same old.
You?”

“Same
here.”

“How is
rehabilitation coming?”

“You'll
never believe that the doctor that I met at the hospital in Saint Augustine is
now in charge of the rehabilitation center down here,” Phil said.

“You're
kidding me?”

“Nope.
The day when I spoke to her in the hospital
was her last day there. In fact, I talked to her this afternoon.”

“You always
made an impression on women. She quit her job after she met you, just to follow
you to Miami?” Jeremy said with a laugh.