Chapter 22: The Red Roses

Ajie thought hard and finally, he pulled out again a blank check.

"Miss, I want to give a small amount for the baby in Room 343. Do you have the full name of the mother so that I can write her name in the check? "

Without answering him yet, the biller opened the account of the patient in Room 343 to look into the patient's information details. Then, she also scanned through the current bill and gasped!

"Sir, I am sure the family would be happy with that. Their current bill is so high already. "

"Please give me the mother's name now so I can help. "

"Okay, sir. It's Allyza Reyes. "

Ajie instantly turned pale while his heartbeat got into frenzy. What a similarity! Could she really be Allie or just someone with a similar name? This was so much of a coincidence! Thanks heavens! He was led back to her easily!

But when he thought about the child, he felt a pang of pain deep inside. Had she married someone else already? If she was, why was she still using her maiden name? Could she be pregnant before the marriage?

Or, could she be pregnant with his own child? He recalled the last time they made love and when he counted the months, the baby would now be three months old.

"Miss, how old again is the baby? "

He asked, the beatings of his heart was even louder than his voice.

"Three months, sir! "

Ajie froze for a while before he snapped back to reality. He hurriedly wrote down Allie's name. He must know the truth right then!

"P200, 000. " The eyes of the biller widened in disbelief! He just left P200, 000 for that unidentified patient, and now, another amount for someone he also did not know?

Counting his remaining savings, he knew that beginning tomorrow, he would have to skip meals just to save. Or perhaps, he would look for summer jobs. He just couldn't tell his parents that he's spending his educational fund for people he didn't know at all.

He must go home first to Molave early in the morning, so that he could find a job right after he would be back to Manila. He knew he wouldn't earn his money back right away but at, least, he wouldn't go hungry. There's still two more years to complete his degree.

___

Meanwhile, Allie arrived at the hotel shortly before the concert started. She looked around where to sit down but all the seats were already almost occupied. As soon as she saw an empty seat, she hurriedly walked towards it, afraid that somebody else might take it ahead of her. But as soon as she settled herself comfortably, Andrew appeared from nowhere with a big grin.

"Come over here, I have reserved a seat for you at the front. "

She looked around and blushed. Many of the people here must have recognized him already. They would have not come here in the first place just for the purpose of charity. Of course, they had known him and his talent and were obviously his fans. Perhaps, he already had made a name in the music industry.

At exactly seven in the evening, the event officially started. After the meditation, greetings and opening remarks, Andrew walked up to the stage in a grey tuxedo. With a smile, he made a bow before he sat down in his seat before a huge, shining, black grand piano. Soon, a beautiful, inspirational music flowed out from his fingers as it danced across and back the long keyboard. He played four more pieces before a break, in which a solo violin performance took over the intermission number.

When Andrew was back for the second part, the master of the ceremony explained first some details to the crowd about the purpose of the concert. Then, as his deft fingers hit the keys wonderfully again as he played the piece titled, "How Great thou Art", photos of baby Chloe flashed across the wide screen. The crowd who was still overwhelmed by the soothing and uplifting music rendition as their hearts seemed to float high into the air, now found themselves shedding tears. Those who were mothers and grandparents who could tell exactly the joy of seeing their children for the first time, were the ones who were most affected. How could they be able to bear if such horrible fate would happen to their own children?

The smiles of baby Chloe in the first photos which shifted into painful grimaces due to indescribable pain, ripped their hearts apart. Then, as her dying images wherein her bloating body and abdomen where emphasized and her tiny figure hooked to many tubings being fed to different machines, the music hit its highest notes and most touching strain, penetrating to the deepest recesses of their hearts. The audienced then hushed their voices as almost everyone was holding back their tears brought about by the searing pain they felt for the child.

As soon as the program ended, all of them gathered around the event organizer as they handed out their financial blessings they wanted to share for the child. It was never a part of the plan. They just had to buy the tickets and the proceeds would be forwarded to baby Chloe. Yet, the crowds were so moved that they felt the cost of the ticket was not enough.

When the last person from the crowd left the place, Andrew walked towards Allie with a bouquet of red roses. In his other hand, was a brown envelope containing the amount of money collected from the crowd.

"The proceeds of this concert will follow. " Andrew said as he handed both the flowers and the envelope.

Allie became teary - eyed. She couldn't believe that such great blessings were unfolding before her eyes. She laughed while she held her gaze at Andrew but tears were flowing down.

"How can I thank you enough for your thoughtfulness? "

"No need to thank me. It's my pleasure. " He smiled back as he reached out to wipe the tears in her face.

"What are these flowers for? " Allie asked innocently, thinking that it was prepared by the organizers as the benefactor of the concert.

"For the strong and beautiful lady. "

He said with a soft and sincere smile as he looked at her tenderly.

Allie was dumbfounded. She felt awkward and could no longer find more words to say than a simple, "thank you. "

Andrew did not hold her long. He drove her back to the hospital as he knew that her child was waiting.

When he opened the door later for Allie to come down, he saw a man standing not far from them. He saw him watching them and he saw how his eyes darkened as he saw Allie walked towards the entrance with roses in her arm...

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