novelxo Chapter 1 Meeting
Blurb
Hannah and Ari met doing contract work in the city. Hannah noticed that Ari is always looking at her, staring the whole day. One day Ari asks her,
"Did we meet before? Your face is so familiar..."
Hannah said, "I don't remember meeting you."
Ari jokingly said, "Maybe we dated in the past."
She said, ".....no, we haven't, I know whom I dated in the past. I don't remember meeting you.”
"Ahhhh, maybe we've met from our past lives", Ari said. "Do you believe in destiny?"
"I don't know, I heard about it, but I don't have facts about it", Hannah said. "And you? Do you believe in destiny?"
"Yes, I do," Ari said. "I am sure, I have met you somewhere. Maybe I failed you in our past lives....just maybe. This time around, I will make sure that I succeed in making you mine."
Chapter 1 Meeting
Ari is married. He works as a management executive in the Bay Area until the company closes. Then jumping from one job to another, just buying time to reach the age to get full retirement benefit. He is the youngest son of an interracial marriage, tall and good looking. He is a biker. He owns a Hurley Davidson and enjoys riding every weekend with fellow bikers. His parents own a farm and vineyard in California and a tobacco plantation in the Philippines.
Hannah is a hardworking marketing executive of a clothing manufacturing company. She divorced in the late 90's, a single parent. She lives by herself in a 2 bedroom townhouse, happy and contented with her life. She visits her children and spends quality time with them once every three months. She is very active with her school class reunions, every year they go places, learn foreign cultures, history and enjoying each other's company. She doesn't mind being single, and she always finds joy from her family and friends.
Hannah is actually quite shy. Her father calls her little turtle, always hiding in her shell. An obedient daughter to her parents, and a loyal sister to her siblings. Hannah parents own a small subdivision in the province back home. They donated a parcel of land and helped build an orphanage. She is very into helping the community, by being a co-founder of a cooperative that helps farmers improve their livelihood.
The brief encounter between Ari and Hannah leaves a mark on their hearts that Hannah cannot explain. She always dreams of Ari every single night since they worked together. She always caught him looking at her from a distance. At first, it doesn't bother her, but time goes by, she becomes self-conscious and tried so hard to ignore him.
"It's annoying", she told Anna, a co-worker. Anna agreed, ""I hear you, Hannah. I've noticed that staring too."
Ari, on the other hand, is content on just staring at her the whole day. Sometimes, on lunch break at the break room, he goes to her to check on her lunch, saying things like, "...you're okay with your lunch? That's unhealthy."
"I don't have time to cook, PJ bought this chicken nuggets at McDonalds", Hannah said.
Ari said, "Do you want me to cook for you tomorrow? I can bring 2 lunches."
She says shyly, "Thank you but no, thanks...I'm good."
Ari is friendly, and is a friend to everyone in the office. PJ, an East Asian co-worker of theirs, is so sweet that she cooks for everyone. She is very fond of Ari, they talk and talk during break time about food, life in India, and family. Sometimes, when they are engrossed talking, everyone notices that Ari is talking to PJ, but looking at Hannah the whole time.
One day, Ari asks Hannah to have coffee outside of the office. "Can I buy you a freshly brewed coffee after work..." he said.
Hannah said, "I have freshly brewed coffee at home. I even grind my own beans." Ari just laughs it off, "Why you're pushing me away, I want to be your friend.
"What do you want from me, Ari?" Hannah asked.
"I want your heart Hannah, your heart." Ari responded.
Hannah is taken aback, retreats into her shell, and does not talk to Ari until the end of their work contract.
The guys at work notice Ari and Hannah's words and exchanges and laugh it off. They also notice Ari's constant glances at Hannah. It makes the guys smile.
Every weekend, Hannah walks an hour from her place around the neighborhood, circling 3 blocks. Along that route, on the corner of Piedmont Rd and Fife St., a group of bikers have some beers and BBQ every weekend. It is Hannah's regular route. She feels that eyes are looking at her in between the crack on the wooden fence when she passes that house. She decides to change the route every other weekend.
The contract expires, and the team said goodbye and went on with their lives.
ARI'S MARRIAGE
Ari's marriage is in turmoil due to his constant absence. He was asked to help his brother (who is ill) in managing their vineyard in Gilroy; sometimes, he has to fly to the Philippines to oversee their tobacco plantation for months. Because of Ari's schedule, his wife filed for divorce. Devastated and heartbroken, he went from relationship to relationship. He wishes that he kept his old phone with Hannah's phone number in it. He's capable of taking her to dinner now; he is free and single. The guys in the office during the project thought that Hannah did not entertain Ari because he is married.
During the early part of his divorce, he drove a lot, looking for her, thinking Hannah might be doing her grocery shopping, looking at the bank, the church, and the mall. He can't find her. Broken hearted at not finding Hannah, he tells his brother in Gilroy that he would like to relocate to the Philippines and help his elder brother Yael on the plantation.☐☐☐☐☐☐☐☐☐☐☐☐☐☐