ALAS' car stopped in front of the Cortes mansion. He was there to pick up Yna to bring her to the village. He couldn't help but admire the house. It had a beautiful facade and was structurally impressive. The architecture was Romanesque, surrounded by a vast garden that enhanced the grandeur of the entire estate. It looked like an ancient Roman building. It was completely different from the house they lived in twenty years ago.
The guard saw him and immediately opened the gate. "Good morning, Sir," the guard greeted Alas. "Who are you looking for, Sir?"
He smiled. "Good morning to you too. I'm here to pick up Yna. We are going somewhere important. I'm her boss, I'm Alas."
The guard nodded and guided him to a parking spot. He then went inside to inform Jomari that Alas was outside.
"Sir Jomari, Miss Yna's boss is outside. Sir Alas," he informed Jomari, who was sitting on the sofa.
A wide smile spread across Jomari's face. He quickly stood up and went out to welcome Alas inside. He was excited to see him again and wanted to thank him for agreeing to take Yna in as his secretary.
"Good morning, Alas. How are you?" he greeted warmly.
Alas smiled. "I'm doing fine, Uncle. Nice to see you again."
"Nice to see you too. It's been so long since we last saw each other. Come inside first, let's have some coffee."
Alas agreed and went inside, accepting the invitation. They chatted about various things.
"I am so thankful that you helped me, Alas. I hope you don't give up on Yna's stubbornness."
"It's nothing, Uncle. You know, sometimes I really get frustrated with her attitude, but whenever I remember our history and what we shared in the past, my anger just fades away. We are only human, so we just need to be patient. Don't worry, I am here for her."
"Thank you. So, what brings you here today?"
"I came to let you know that I am taking Yna with me. We are going to Malaya Village today. I need to discuss the project with the village leaders."
"Ah, is that so? Alright then, I'll call her down. That girl really didn't tell me you had plans today," Jomari sighed, shaking his head. He called the maid. "Mary, please call Yna. Alas is here already."
The maid hurried off. She knocked on Yna's door.
"Miss Yna, Sir Jomari is calling for you. Your handsome boss, Sir Alas, is here," Mary informed her.
Yna opened the door. "Yes, Mary, what is it now?" she asked, yawning widely. She had just woken up. She had completely forgotten about their conversation yesterday regarding their trip to Malaya Village.
"Sir Jomari is asking for you, Miss. Sir Alas is waiting downstairs," the maid said, looking slightly giddy.
Yna's eyes widened. "Huh? Tell him I'll just take a bath. I'll be quick and go down right after."
"Yes, Miss Yna."
She closed the door. She really had forgotten and had slept so soundly.
Yna hurriedly took a bath, finishing in just two minutes, and changed her clothes. She picked out jeans and an off-shoulder blouse from her closet. She didn't bother looking for anything else and paired it with Nike shoes.
She blow-dried her hair and applied a little makeup.
When she was done, she took a deep breath. She sprayed her favorite perfume all over her body. The sweet scent filled the air. She smelled as fragrant as roses.
She grabbed her cute peach sling bag, slung it over her shoulder, and headed downstairs.
ALAS looked up towards the staircase when he heard the sound of hurried footsteps. He was captivated by her beauty. She was wearing something simple, yet it looked so elegant on her. His eyes were fixed on hers. He didn't even notice that she was already standing right in front of him.
"Good morning, everyone," Yna greeted before turning to Alas. "I'm so sorry for making you wait. Let's go," she said, marching straight outside.
Alas turned to Jomari to say his goodbyes. "Uncle, we're leaving."
"Take good care of my daughter, okay?" Jomari reminded him.
"Yes, Uncle. I will take responsibility for her."
When they reached the garage, Alas guided Yna to the car. "Get in," he said politely, opening the passenger door for her.
"Thanks," Yna said as she entered. He closed the door and quickly got into the driver's seat. He started the engine, and the guard opened the main gate for them.
Alas saw Jomari waving at them. He waved back with a smile.
WHILE on their way to Malaya Village, silence filled the car. Only the sounds of other vehicles could be heard. Alas couldn't stand the heavy silence, so he decided to break it.
"Why are you so quiet?" he asked, wanting to dispel the deafening quietness. He found it boring, especially since the drive was long.
She sighed. "What am I supposed to say? It feels like there's nothing to talk about," she answered playfully.
"Okay, you're right. But I'm not used to you being this quiet," he replied. He noticed she seemed indifferent. "We're almost there. Once you see the signage that says 'WELCOME TO MALAYA', we are very close. You will like the place, trust me."
"Okay," she answered shortly, then turned her gaze out the window. The view was beautiful. There were tall, lush trees lining the road. She was amazed; the place was so different from the cities she was used to. In a place like this, you could truly breathe fresh air because there was no pollution. She really liked it.
Alas just stared at her, smiling as he saw her wonder and amazement. A few more minutes and they arrived.
Yna was even more impressed when they finally reached the village. The place was truly amazing. She felt excited to look around and interact with the locals.
"Stay here for a moment. I will talk to them first, okay?" Alas said.
"Okay. You can go now. Good luck."
YNA'S excitement quickly turned into fear when she realized the villagers did not seem welcoming. She saw the fierce looks they gave Alas. Alas walked towards a group of men holding machetes, bows, and other weapons, clearly ready to intimidate him.
Yna was terrified of what might happen next. She thought they might actually hurt or kill him if he pushed through with his plan. She gasped repeatedly. "Oh God. These people aren't easy to deal with. They look like they want to kill Alas."
The people swarmed out and surrounded Alas. He showed no fear whatsoever.
"What are you doing here again? Didn't we tell you we will never sell our land to you? Can't you understand?" one of the leaders shouted angrily.
They were angry because they were protecting their home and their heritage. They didn't want it destroyed by greedy people. They wanted to pass this land down to future generations.
Another fear they had was being relocated to other areas or ending up in slum areas. That was the main reason they refused, even if the offer was tripled.
Malaya Village was small but richly blessed. It was abundant in natural resources, beautiful scenery, and natural wonders like waterfalls, lakes, and rivers teeming with fish. It was also a perfect tourist destination—a truly wonderful place worth visiting.
Alas took a deep breath and smiled. "I am here to talk to your leaders about our proposed project for your village. We are also planning to develop the tourism industry here. We have many beneficial projects planned for your community," he explained calmly.
The men left him for a moment to discuss among themselves. After a while, they returned to where Alas was standing. "Alright, let's talk," the village head said.
Yna finally let out the breath she was holding, relieved. She got out of the car when she saw Alas signaling for her to come over. She knew now that they would be allowed to tour the village.