Moonville Series 1: Secret Lovers

Raul took Benjie to his office. They are now sitting opposite each other in front of his executive desk. Benjie is slumped on the chair as he looks down on the floor. Raul is leaning of the chair's backrest, and his arms are crossed at his chest like he's examining his former best friends.

"I never thought that this is what will happen when we meet again," Raul started. "I thought when we meet again, I'm the one you will scold. But I guess, I really am just lucky."

Benjie still did not react. His mind seems to travel to a far-off place.

"Come on, Benjie! It's very impossible that Alice did not even love you within those twenty years you were married. Don't be so ridiculous!" "Do you know that when she found out that Angel befriended a Quinto, she spanked her?"

Raul was stunned at what he said. He wasn't able to answer. But because he is a joker by nature, he tried to look for a way he could lighten up the mood. "How would I know? We're not okay that time, remember? We do not talk to each other. This is the first time we talked after what happened to us. Then, after all those years we never talked, we're now talking about your marital problems? I can only imagine. If we just continued being friends, most probably you ask me every night to come and drink as you sulk because of your insecurities with Ricky. You act as if you're a jealous teenager, Benjie."

"I know. I'm... I'm so stupid." Benjie let out a sigh.

"You know, when I met your daughters, I was glad. I can feel that they are happy, that you and Alice raised them very well. I can feel the love you imparted to Alex and Angel's actions and smiles. And that love, they would not have it had you and Alice never loved each other. Like what you said, you were Alice's first love."

"And I'm so stupid to doubt her."

"You just snapped. It happens. Sometimes, that also happens to me. Do you know how stressful it is to run this hospital?"

Benjie looked at Raul. "Then why did you accept it? We planned on putting up an accounting firm."

"It's too obvious from the beginning that this hospital will be entrusted to me. My sister Glory, she wanted to focus on helping women give birth. Then Samantha, she was still too young that time. Then, she was also allured by the challenging world of Medicine." Raul scowled. "Papa never told me that running a hospital will be this hard."

Benjie smiled. "That's life. Sometimes it leaves us with no choice."

"Yeah..."

Raul looked at Benjie again. Even though they did not see each other for a long time, it seems he is still the same. He was easy to appease and console. He smiled. "We're really too old now, right? Before, we only worry about our exams in Accounting. Now we're here trying to figure out how we can solve our children's love lives." "Who's old? Definitely not me!"

"What? We're actually about to become a family, when my Bryan marries your daughter Angel."

"What? Hey! My daughter is too young to get married. She has to take the board exam first. And, are we even okay now? I'm not approving our reconciliation yet."

"Oh really? If that's the case, then, get out of my office!"

"You don't have to tell me! I really will leave!"

"Fine! I won't stop you!"

"Fine!"

But Benjie did not even move on his chair. Instead, he smiled at Raul, who smiled back at him.

"You still haven't changed," Raul said. "You're still an idiot."

"And you're still smug."

"Make that confident."

"Overconfident."

"Fine. Overconfident."

Their smiles became wider.

"But, you know. I admit... I kind of missed this," Benjie said.

"I knew it! Since then, I already have this feeling that there's something different about you. I guess that's the reason why you were so angry when I chose to stay in Manila to be with Helen... You were jealous!" "You're the idiot among us. I'm not gay."

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"I'm just saying what I observed."

"I now know why Bryan is like that."

"To whom would he inherit his good looks from? Of course, it's from me!"

"Good thing that your wife is beautiful. If not, then I will not allow your son to be my Angel's boyfriend, especially if he got his looks from you."

"And it's also a good thing that your wife is beautiful, that is why your daughters are also beautiful. If not, then I will not accept Angel to be Bryan's girlfriend as well." They both laughed.

Benjie shook her head. "You still haven't changed."

"Of course, nothing changed in me... So, can we go back to how we used to back then?"

Benjie gazed at Raul. "Let me think about it first."

"Good! I like that answer."

The became silent for a while.

"Do you think Alice will forgive me?"

"Of course!" Raul answered with certainty. "Do you even have to ask?"

"I doubted her love. That was so bad of me."

"She will forgive you because she loves you. Just like you. Even though you're hurt that it seems she still haven't forgotten about Ricky, you still can't stay mad at her. And that's because you love her. That's just that." "Well, you have a point."

"I always have a point. I'm always right."

"It's a good thing your son didn't inherit your narcissism."

"You seem to like my son a lot, huh?"

"I think, if we stayed as friends, those two have been lovers since they were in high school."

"I totally agree! My wife likes Angel so much. Most probably our wives would have set the kids up for them to end up together."

"Probably..."

Raul advanced a little to get closer to Benjie. "So, are you okay now?"

"Do I have a choice? If I won't be okay, then what will happen to my children? One of them is still unconscious in the ER."

"Don't worry about her. My wife happens to be a very good doctor."

"You would not love her if she's not."

"You're right about that."

Benjie looked at his friend seriously. "Thanks, Raul. And, I really missed this. This kind of talk. I really needed this."

Raul patted his arm. "Don't worry. From now on, you'll have plenty of this talk again."

Benjie smiled. At that moment, he knows they have already reconciled. Even though no one said sorry, they still feel that whatever happened twenty years ago was already resolved at that moment. After a while, the two men went out of the office. They went back to the Emergency Room where Alex was currently being checked and treated.