"Babe, what's wrong? Did I do something wrong? You don't like the food?"
"No, not at all Andres, the food is great and you did nothing wrong." Rizzla flashed a smile as she curled some spaghetti on her fork, blew on it and munched.
"Then what is it?" Andres questioned again, reaching out to Rizzla's left hand with both his hands.
Rizzla paused for a moment, how does she break it to Andres? How does she say goodbye? How does she end something so beautiful that has brought her nothing but joy?
Lost in thought, with Andres breathing down her neck to spill what's troubling her, Rizzla blurted, "you do realize that we are wasting our time right?"
Met with shock from Rizzla's utterance, it was as if time stood still for a second, then after, Andres swallowed like he had some food held up in his mouth the whole time.
"What do you mean? You don't love me anymore?" Andres managed to ask after clearing his throat a couple of times.
"Love?" Rizzla scoff, staring deep into Andres eyes, she questioned, "is love ever enough?"
"Rizzla you are scaring me, what's going on?" By now Andres was loosening the neck button of his shirt, he seemed to be having a panic attack as beads of sweat formed on his forehead and his palms got sweaty.
"I found someone."
"You what? You are replacing me?" Andres questioned with a shaky voice.
"No, no Andres I can never. Rather I am replacing me." Rizzla's eyes lit with hope, she smiled and then continued, "she is beautiful, around your age, she will love you, she can be with you, she can give you children, you'll have peace and tongues won't wag so much when you go out holding hands in public".
"Rizzla, I don't understand a thing you are saying, I don't get it and I do not want to get it. Just don't leave me please."
"I wish it was that easy Andres, I really wish it's that easy but you will be fine, I know you will love her because I do love her and I know that she will make you happy and give you all that I couldn't."
"Who said you don't make me happy? You are my life Rizzla. What is love without your touch, your presence? No one has ever made me laugh like you do. No one has ever shown me so much love, care and affection. Now that my mind is made up forever with you, you are leaving?" Andres snorted, his face soiled with tears.
He paused briefly, wiped his nose, took a deep breath and as if he had accepted his faith, he continued, "ok ok, you know what Riz? Let's not fight, let's not argue, we've never done this before. If you feel you want to relocate because the pressure is too much, then take me with you."
Amidst tears and laughter, Rizzla responded, "silly child, take you where? You belong here my dear. You are doing great in your fish business and I will never ruin that for you."
At this point, it dawned on Andres that Rizzla's mind is made up. Having nothing else to say he just hugged her tightly, rested his head on her bosom and wept bitterly.
Stroking through his short wavy hair, Rizzla consoled him, assuring him that everything is going to be ok.
Andres does not work so much on weekends, in fact that's when he has his alone time with Rizzla. They've been together for three years and in those three years, they constantly need to prove the genuity of their love affair. People could not understand why a young vibrant charmer like Andres in his mid 20s could fall head over heels for a woman like Rizzla who has lived her youth and the better part of her life in over five decades.
Andres was young and Rizzla though in her early 60s seems to be all that Andres wanted. What seemed like a fairy tale became a reality when Rizzla overheard Andres having an argument with his parents over their affair.
"This woman is even older than I am, she can't give you children" Andres' mother spoke.
"Look at her, she's close to her grave son, imagine her dying in your youth. I do not approve of whatever it is you both have going on, you are too young to be made a widower" Andres' father rebuked. Rizzla was heartbroken, she quietly turned back to her home, what would have been a perfect first time introduction with Andres parents became a wake up call for her.
Thus, she started looking for a replacement, the perfect girl for Andres' love life. After many failed attempts as Andres didn't seem interested in all the girls she had secretly hooked him up with, she met Fiona. A red headed beautiful girl, tall and slender with long limbs.
Rizzla was out at the orphanage volunteering to serve when Fiona walked in with a box of goodies for the children. The moment she locked eyes with Fiona, she knew her time with Andres is up because she has found the one.
After close observation and seeing how good Fiona was with the children, Rizzla approached her and started a conversation. Like she had rightly presumed, Fiona is everything that she is only younger and a bit naive.
"You should meet someone, I bet you guys will hit it off." Rizzla teased.
"Oh I don't think he will like me" Fiona responded with a flushed cheek.
"Nonsense! Have you seen you? You are loveable and adorable". Both women laughed amusingly and Rizzla finally got Fiona to meet up with Andres.
It's been two days since Rizzla said her goodbyes to Andres and she's all set to relocate, but first she needed to seal her matchmaking exercise. She had given Fiona the address to Andres fish store and told her the exact time he would be there.
Rizzla was positioned in a strategic hideout as she watched the chemistry unfold. Fiona had walked into the store and the moment Andres saw her, his eyes lit and there was this visible excitement on his face. Something he had the first time he met Rizzla at the waterside where he went for some fishing. Rizzla had gone for a cool walk and bumped into Andres struggling with his net. She offered to help him and the rest was history.
Seeing that same reaction or something quite close with Fiona and Fiona reciprocating the charm, Rizzla knew her work was done.
