BUENA CITY:
Standing infront of a wide wall mirror, holding the head down and hands leaned against the washing sink, drowned in a heap of thoughts, Monica Yen spent an anxious moment inside the lady's washrooms.
Suddenly, the washrooms entrance opened. A gorgeous twenty years old young lady, decently dressed in classy outfits from head to toe, skin soft and smooth like a calm course of life, walked in. Startledly, Monica Yen raised her head up straight from stressful thoughts.
"Oh, my daughter Babara Yen, It's you!"
Babara Yen frowned in disbelief.
"Mom!"
The gorgeous Babara Yen gave an immidiate worrisome utter as though she did not expect to land on her mother in a distress condition, not different from that of a stranded person on the island with no food. Babara Yen took dark shades off her eyes and on quick steps she approached her mother.
Sweetly, she raised a calm concern.
"We're almost twenty minutes late for this meeting mom! We've kept them waiting so long!"
On sore eyes, Monica Yen apologized.
"Sorry you got me like this again."
Monica Yen was an introvert. She didn't have no friends in her life except a friend she found in her daughter, with whom they stayed. But, she always hid behind closed doors, avoiding her daughter to know about her inner sorrow.
However, on several occasions, Babara Yen abruptly landed on her mother behind closed doors, stuck deep in distressing thoughts. Deep within, something serious haunted and bothered Monica Yen like a ghost.
Dissatisfied, Babara exclaimed worriedlessly.
"Seriously mom! how long are you going to continue like this? Matter of fact, for all the times I've asked about your worries, your answers are, "Just a simple headache, but I'll be alright. Or, am I pale? Are my eyes sore?!"
Sometimes you hold me so tight in a hug and yearn to me how much of great meaning I am to you...! Whats all that?"
Monica Yen sighed in response, facing away shyly.
"Am sorry."
Babara complained.
"See, that's all you do _ apologise but never open up. It's not alright mom!"
Speechless, Monica Yen opens the water tap and wets her fingers clean.
Babara Yen added:
"For crying out loud, as your one and only family, I deserve to know. Remember what you always told me; we belong together and nothing should come in between us!"
Monica Yen casted a furtive glance at her. In mind she spoke.
"You're not my one and only family. And that's the reason I get so anxious and distressed. I can't tell you that you have a twin sister who was taken away from me twenty years ago. I dearly miss her so much."
Quiet for a few seconds, Monica took a long breathe to relax. She picked a tissue paper and whipped her hands dry. By the sink side was her purple colour fancy handbag which Babara assisted her to carry as they walked, finding there way out of the washrooms.
Babara Yen follow from behind immediately. As her mother was about to swing the washrooms door open, respectfully she said to her:
"Like everyone else, humans have secrets. I don't blame your emotions mother. Only that, sometimes I get hurt seeing you worried."
Monica Yen, still not willing to reveal, turned and hugged her daughter, apologizing again.
"I'm sorry sweetheart."
In a small voice, as soon as they swang the washrooms door open and stepped outside, playfully, all to cheer her mother up, back in a good mood, Babara Yen whispered so close in her ear.
"Thanks for giving birth to such a beautiful daughter like me."
Monica Yen whispered in her daughter's ear too with an indifferent smile, coming back in a pleasant adorable mood, throwing all worries away.
"Was that really necessary?"
Monica Yen in black and Babara Yen in white, gently their high heeled shoes stomped the marble floor inside the headquarters of Yen Cooperation, a multi-billion pharmaceutical group of companies that dealt in rare disease cures manufacturing, and carrying out top-notch scientific research.
Monica Yen's as the founder; CEO.
Infront of two hard glass doors, an entrance which lead to the conference room, Monica Yen and Babara Yen approached. As soon as they entered, every body inside stood up in honour to recognize the presence of the CEO with muximum respect.
Strenuously, before she took her sit, Monica Yen stated:
"All of you have heard, but never seen my daughter Babara Yen before."
With status, very beautiful and classy, Babara Yen lifted her arm excitedly and waved to the board members.
Men and women in suits blurted, following a gentle hand clap.
"Oh, wow!"
Exhaling deeply, face smeared with a calm smile, Monica Yen said:
"Hands of time run slow but sure. I can't believe am fifty years old today."
Faces smiling happily, everyone including her daughter Babara Yen applauded her for making it to this day with big accomplishments.
In a brief speech, with a feeling of joy written on her cheeks:
"The real magic in building this strong company began when I was thirty. By then, I made a reputable promise to myself that, by the age of fifty, I want to be at home looking after my flower gardens, sit at the back of my horse Gabriel atleast every afternoon we ride around the 1000 acre land."
Amid the audience applauding heavily once again, on a jolly face Monica Yen closed her eyes and said mentally to herself:
"... and of course quench my thirst with more litres of human blood."
Allover a sudden, in beautiful melodies, a grown-up woman named secretary Jamila, dressed in a yellow office suit sang. Everyone else in the room joined immediately, adding their voice to shower Monica Yen with love and appreciation.
"happy birthday to you..."
And as soon as the voices slanted to end the song, Monica Yen felt overwhelmed with cheers. A humble smile on her cheeks spoke nothing but continuous appreciation.
"Wow!"
With a single finger, she whipped a joyful tear which streamed down her cheek. Impressed by the cheers, she complimented, rewarding secretary Jamila publicly.
"Secretary Jamila, a hardworking secretary who has stood by me for twenty years, now a friend, a stress killer and more. I believe my daughter Babara Yen is going to enjoy working with you by her side as her personal secretary from today onwards."
Babara Yen smiled her approval.
Nomatter her stubbornness, secretary Jamila's downcast gaze proved to everyone how shy she felt when attention drowned to her for a few seconds.
However, behind secretary Jamila's cheerful looking face and gesture was a big secret she had kept for the twenty years she had spent working for Monica Yen as her secretary. And at the back of her mind:
"Jelly Spatters, the assignment you paid me for twenty years ago turned out to be my slice of life, so sweet indeed."
Secretary Jamila beamed.
After the cheerful meeting, as Monica was on her way out with her daughter Babara Yen when a whisper from a security guard landed into her ear, informing her about how a swarm of paparazzi had flocked outside the building to get an interview.
She instructed secretary Jamila immediately.
"Take care of the situation. Am going with the helicopter."
Monica Yen together with Babara entered an elevator which rushed them up to the rooftop to meet the helicopter at the helipad.
Outside a towering skyscraper, headquarters of Yen Cooperation, a swarm of paparazzi from different media houses flocked down the main entrance stairs as they impatiently waited to report live the hotest news in the city about Monica Yen, CEO of Yen Cooperation stepping down on her fiftieth birthday.
Monica Yen asked her daughter boldly:
"Can I borrow your sunglasses?"
Babara Yen quirked corners of her mouth, giving a side gaze at her mother. She to took off the sunglasses and passed them over to her as she uttered wondering statements.
"For a long time I've noticed that, whenever there's sunlight you don't even want to leave the house. Is it your skin care secret? Not a single fifty year old woman in life I've seen before with a skin as clear as edited as yours, glittering like diamonds sometimes!"
Babara had concerns but all Monica Yen did was to act deaf ear. Monica Yen was a very secretive woman, always keeping everything about her as confidential as she could that, not even her own daughter had a hint of her personal matters.
As always, Babara's interrogative expression were hardly responded to.
Thoroughly well, Monica Yen made sure her hands are fully socked in gloves and her eyes behind shades, leaving no space for sunlight to touch her skin. Wondering why her mother had to mask every bit of her skin, Babara Yen said:
"So, you and sunshine are enemies! Didn't know you hate it like hell."
Helicopter blades above spinning lazily, Monica Yen walked under the bright sunshine and reached the open door. She paused for a moment and turned, looking at her daughter Babara Yen, who stubbornly stayed standing behind.
Monica Yen shouted:
"Can you get serious for once, we've got to get going!"
Playfully, Babara laughed and finally hurried along.
Monica took a deep breath and swung her led over the threshold to get in immediately after her daughter sat.