บท 10: The Hacienda Hernandez
Maya's POV
"Rich! When did you arrive?" I asked him, and I can't stop myself from smiling, for I feel so happy to look at him.
"I arrived late last night. I wanted to meet you, but my Mom says I might disturb you. By the way, congratulations, Maya, for graduating as the class valedictorian of your school." He spoke as he handed me a big gift box wrapped beautifully with white ribbons.
"Thank you, Rich; you don't need to provide me a gift," I said as I received the package from his hand.
"What brought you here? Don't tell me you just showed up here to give me your gift?" I asked.
"Yes, I came here to give you that gift and put it inside your room first, then I will take you to our place. My mom keeps bugging me to pick you up; she was worried if you would walk into the farm this time; she is eager to have you at our flower farm, Maya." He explained.
I felt so glad that Donya Esmeralda was thrilled to see me, too. I got inside the house and placed the present on the surface of my bamboo bed.
I hurried out because I didn't want him to wait too long for me since it was already embarrassing that he picked me up.
"You don't need to be in a hurry, Maya; I can stick around for you. It is still early, and I know you aren't required to work today; you need to meet my Mom this afternoon because she is too eager to tell you about her new orchids." Rich said as he started the car.
"It's okay; it is already too much that you picked me up. I'm delighted to see your mother, too, and I can't wait to see her new plants, especially the orchids. I seldom go to your flower farm because of my exams and graduation, and I am so glad it was finally over." I responded, beaming at him.
"I'm so proud of you, Maya; even though you work on the farm to earn extra income, you still have time to study, and you were the Valedictorian of your batch." He said, and he glanced at me with a wide grin on his face.
"Thank you, Rich," I replied, blushing.
"So, how are you and your Prince Charming?" He asked. I looked at him, and I can't stop myself from raising my eyebrow; he peeked at me, and his eyes returned to the road before he spoke.
"Don't pretend you don't have any idea who I meant by that; I don't think you shift your preference, even though I know he injured your heart last year. You can't deny it, Maya, you still like him." He said, and I slumped back on the seat and leaned on the glass window.
"Yeah, you are right; he will always be in my heart, but things have changed now, I don't want to look like a fool, Rich. I had enough of Adonis's mischief, and he harmed me countless times, and I think it is time for me to move on and be crazy with another male species." I replied.
"Are you sure about that, Maya?" He asked and looked at me, and I nodded.
"Well, good luck with that; I just wish you could stand up for what you are saying right now. I am not telling you what to do because that is your decision, but I hope you can do that." He responded.
"Don't you know I slapped him in the face this morning? And I think my palm marked on his face; I didn't have time to check because he ran away from me, saying nothing after I hit him on his face." I said, and I heard him laugh hard.
"You did?" He asked, and he was still laughing.
"What is so funny, Rich?" I asked.
"Nothing, it's just I can't believe you slapped him. Jake texted me about it, and I thought he was joking." He replied.
"I hope you are still friends. I felt so guilty about what happened last year, and I know he was annoyed with you for siding with me," I stated.
"Yeah, we are still friends; he is my best friend, Maya. I was furious with him too, but we don't hold grudges with each other, and I'm sorry that I can't just push him away because he has been my best friend for a long time." He answered.
"You don't need to say sorry, Rich; I am the one who should apologize. He is your best buddy, and it is natural for both of you to spend time together. I know it was my fault I should not have let Adonis dance with me that night; anyway, I don't want to talk about it. It was not a good memory, so we better stop talking about it. I can still feel the pain until now, but I'm trying my best to forget everything." I declared.
"Yeah, you are right, but Maya, I want you to know Adonis is not as bad as you think. Maybe something is going on in his brain that he is trying to hide away from me." He answered.
"I wonder what could be the reason, Rich; maybe he just hates my existence," I replied, and Rich shook his head.
We are now on the Grand Arch of the Hernandez Hacienda, the same as the Monleons; the residence of Rich looks so vast and dignified even from a distance. The white paint color on the entire house makes it more elegant, and when I was a kid, how many times did I wish I was living in that enormous mansion?
The driveway going to the mansion has flowers on both sides different kinds of roses, and I can't stop myself from falling in love with this place repeatedly. Donya Esmeralda was waiting for us on the porch of their mansion, and the moment we arrived, she met us halfway.
"Maya, thank you for coming!" She exclaimed.
"Good afternoon, Donya Esmeralda; thank you for inviting me here and allowing me to work here for the whole summer vacation," I replied, smiling at her. She looks so lovely, and her Spanish heritage can't be denied. And I am always mesmerized by her beauty and elegance.
"Of course, you are always welcome here, my dear, and among all the farmhands who serve here every summer, you are my favorite Maya, not only because you are just so beautiful and humble but because you are hardworking, and I guess my flowers love your presence." She answered while she took my hands.
"Rich asks one housemaid to prepare snacks for us. We will be in the greenhouse, and after, we will go to the orchid garden. You can follow us if you want." Donya Esmeralda said.
"Mom, I thought Maya would start her work tomorrow; why are you bringing her to the conservatory?" Rich asked.
"Yes, of course, I wish to let Maya see my new babies." His mom replied. And I can't keep myself from laughing. I find it so funny that Donya Esmeralda often called her favorite flowers her babies.
We ride her pickup to the nursery, and I can't stop myself from admiring the sunflowers on the field, and they are now ready to harvest. She has already informed me that tomorrow morning, I will cut sunflowers because she has many orders from different flower shops in the city.
Sunflowers need to be harvested early in the morning so it will not quickly wither and must be put into a bucket with water to keep them fresh, and they must be in cool temperatures and avoid direct sunlight.
I know the procedures for harvesting sunflowers because I have been doing this for so long, and they never drive me to feel bored whenever I see them in the fields. It makes me so happy. I also love harvesting sunflower seeds when they are already plump and developed.
Working on the farm the whole day can be exhausting, but watching all the lovely flowers around me makes me feel alive every moment I feel exhausted.
We passed the Banaba trees lined up on our way to the greenhouse, and the wonderful purple blossoms of the trees made the whole place look magical. I can't help myself from smiling, looking at the Hernandez Hacienda.
"That is one thing I like about you, Maya; I can feel you really love the plants, and I can tell you can connect with them through your affection towards them; I constantly see you speaking to them. We have much in common; I also love chatting with all my plants, especially the flowers. That is why they ever bloom, and their blossoms are consistently abundant." Donya Esmeralda said as she noticed me smiling at the flowers. She has already brought me to her greenhouse, and now we are in the orchid garden.
The various species of her vanda collection take my breath away. They look so beautiful and enchanting. We roamed around the area, and she seemed so happy, telling me the distinctive name of her orchids.
We returned to the main house after two hours and I had a good time with Donya Esmeralda, and as we neared the mansion, I saw a red sports car parked beside Rich's Car, and I couldn't stop the rapid beating of my heart because I know who is the owner of that car.
The moment we arrived, Donya Esmeralda gets inside the mansion to pick up the snacks while I remained standing beside the pickup. I don't see Rich, but Adonis sits on the patio chair wearing tattered jeans and a black T-shirt. And I can't look at his eyes because he is wearing shades. I can't stop admiring his handsome looks and luscious body, and I almost forgot that I hate him.
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