Chapter 8 Barricade

• Barricade
• It's him! It’s really him! Marco is my mysterious pianist! The one I had been waiting for for so long!, Divina thought with amazement. She recalls the first time she saw Marco playing the piano in that coffee shop. No wonder the pianist seems to be familiar because he was their headteacher, Marco Salvador.
• Divina and Marco’s eyes met each other’s gaze. Divina felt as if the world had come into slow motion, and with each second of the music, she heard beats in rhythm with her heart while they looked at each other’s eyes. While staring at Marco’s gaze, she felt peace. Even the people inside the coffee shop had felt the same comfort as what Divina is currently feeling. It was evident in their reactions that they all admire Marco’s ability to play the piano. The attention of everyone inside the shop focuses only on Marco, but Marco’s eyes are set only on one person… and that’s Divina.
• Divina snapped back to reality and diverted her eyes away from Marco. Only when he had finished his piece, Marco then also looked away from Divina and faced the people who is now cheering and clapping for him already.
• “One more!”, one of the audience cheered.
• “More please!”, another one added.
• Everyone loved his music, and even Divina felt proud of him. The thought of being embarrassed by him has been replaced by gladness. Marco stood up and bowed to his clapping audience. It’s his signal that he is ending his performance already. However, when he reached the counter, the man he had asked permission earlier to play the piano was now the one asking him a favor to have him play once again. Marco looked at Divina, but he saw her nodding continuously as if she was urging him to agree. Divina just keeps on staring at Marco even when he goes back to the piano once again. Marco suddenly stared at Divina, catching her glancing at him. Divina felt shy and wanted to hide away in embarrassment, but it vanished when Marco smiled at her. Divina smiled back at him, and as if that was the cue, everyone started clapping around them.
• The melody started slow…
• When I fall in love...
• It will be forever...
• Or I'll never fall in love.
• Marco is singing… and his voice is so beautiful., Divina thought, amazed once again while staring at Marco.
• In a restless world
• Like this is...
• Love has ended before it's begun...
• And too many moonlight ...
• Seem to cool in the warmth of the sun.
• Divina felt her heart beating fast, and Marco still continued singing as if he was serenading each woman present in the coffee shop.
• When I give my heart
• It will be completely...
• Or I'll never give my heart.
• (When I Fall In Love - Nat King Cole)
• Everyone clapped once again when Marco ad finished singing the song and playing the piano. Marco stood up and bowed again to his audience as he hurriedly ran back to his seat. When he sat with Divina, whispers had begun buzzing.
• “Maybe that young lady is his beloved.”, one had whispered, but it was loud enough for others, including Marco and Divina, to hear.
• “What a lucky lady!”, another one commented.
• “It seems that I had astounded you with my piano skills, huh?”, Marco smiled as if he was teasing Divina again.
• “Marco, you were amazing!”, Divina complimented dreamily without even realizing it.
• Marco was stunned, and his smile had vanished. He became serious and looked directly at Divina’s eyes. Divina was also dumbfounded as she realized what she had said and the way she had said it; she was like a woman admiring her lover. She regretted it, wanted to take back her words, and thought that she should’ve just clapped at him cheerfully like those people in the crowd. She couldn’t look him in his eyes as she was feeling guilty and decided to look down in embarrassment. As if the timing was right, their orders had arrived in time, and they both started to eat silently.
• “Divina…”, Marco broke the silence as he couldn’t take it too long. Divina stopped eating; though she felt shy and uncomfortable, she bravely faced Marco.
• “There is something I would like to ask a favor from you…”, Marco begun. Divina listened to him silently.
• “You know it’s against the school’s rules for us, co-teachers, to have a romantic involvement with each other, right? And even though I could stop teaching there and would find a job at another school so I would be able to have a lover with a fellow teacher in our school, you know I wouldn’t do it, right?”, Marco added. Divina is still silent, and she has felt where their topic is going. She slowly nods her head in agreement while still staring at her food.
• “It was unallowed in our school so children wouldn’t imitate it at their young age. I love our school, I love our students, I love my obligation. I don’t want to have a lover in our school.”, Marco, establishing his point and other words he is about to say.
• Divina still fell silent and had just nodded to everything he had just said. She completely understands him because, like Marco, she also loves that school, its students, and loves being a teacher there. That is why she is truly embarrassed by how she had acted earlier. How was she able to forget all of these?
• “Divina, even though I am treating you like a younger sister now… I am still not taking away the possibility that I might end up adoring you. I am a man, you are a woman, and I can’t deny that you are a woman of such beauty. I am afraid that my actions might give you the wrong impression. That is why, if there will come a time that I might be courting you in the future… please… please say no to me.”, Marco seriously said. At that point, Divina had understood how clear Marco’s intentions were for her. She felt glad to find such one true friend as him. From that point, her awkwardness had vanished, and she was able to look straight into Marco’s eyes now.
• “Yes.”, Divina answered.
• “It’s not my intention to embarrass you, Divina. I just want to take care of you…”, Marco was cut off with what he was supposed to say when he saw her smile… Divina’s dazzling and alluring smile and he couldn’t stop staring at her beautiful face.
• “You are worrying yourself for nothing, Marco. I understand. As teachers, it is just right for us to become good role models for our students.”, Divina said happily. Marco sighed in relief; he was able to smile back at her and nodded in agreement with her.
• Because of what happened, Divina and Marco became closer to each other. They saw each other’s honesty and sincerity in their friendship. They are both helping each other to pursue the path of their chosen profession as teachers. They also vowed that they would never become lovers. This vow had become their barricade to prevent falling in love with each other. This barricade is also the reason why their friendship and their bond had become stronger each passing day.