The Secret Island

I don't know if he will show up...

He once promised he will... back to that day in the summer; he promised he will, he said he would come back to see her again. But when the time passed. Winter came and went, then spring that she loved, and summer came around all over again for the fourth time; she is uncertain of that promise.

We only spent two weeks together. Only two weeks Celine spent with him. Only two weeks changed her life. And now she is here. She is back to this small island in the Mediterranean Sea every year for two weeks... just like four years ago, just like those times fate led her to him.

He was a tall man who rarely smiled as if he carried the weight of the world.

That man... Martin

Celine didn't know much about him, who he truly was, or what he did for a living. She doesn't even know where in the world he is. But she thinks she knows him. She knows he was a serious and strict but kind person. She knows he rarely smiles, but once he does, she can barely breathe. He is six years older than she is but always treats her as his equal. She knows he loved niçoise salad and red wine from Chile. He liked to wake up at five every morning to run. He was an amazing cook. And he loved the sea, just like her. He loved the sea just like her.

Celine stands there at the edge of the cliff for a long while to watch the sunset. She comes back to Italy every year after her graduation from one of the leading universities in fashion here. One part is for her work. But she must admit that largely the trip is to fuel this unyielding hope of seeing him again.

The staff at her clothing company don't know the true reason she has been missing from the management role for two weeks. And they don't know why she imposed absolutely no contact allowed. Any why she never mentions where she goes. Perhaps Milan, perhaps Rome, she would answer dismissively when anyone dared to ask. This happens every year during her birthday. No one needs to know the significance of it. Not even her best friends. And they don't need to because no one will understand.

She doesn't tell anyone because people will question why she has to wait. Why does someone that the world praises as 'having it all' as Celine Pierce has to wait for some strange man who left without saying goodbye?

Although no one understands, she knows with her whole heart the real reason why.

During the short time we spent together, he stole her heart.

She fell in love. Foolishly. Infatuated. Deep in love. He listened to her confession and didn't say anything; no rejection and no mutual confession of love.

But she still forgives him anyway. It must be trusted. She trusts him. And if she has some courage to say it again, she probably calls it love.

Celine walks slowly along the beach instead of going back. Her bare feet touch the sand, and the fine grains comfort her. She picks up a seashell and studies its shape for a short while. Sometimes, little things in life remind her of old memories.

One time, she stepped on a broken seashell and was bleeding. She was a clumsy kid that just wanted to enjoy running on the beach without a care in the world. But yes, apparently too clumsy and too careless. Martin helped treat her wound. Back then, she always needs his help in everything.

The young woman stops walking and sits on the sand. She listens to the sound of the waves crashing against the shore.

She thought this year would be her last year visiting this place. She decides it is time for the wait to end. It's about time... It should be time for her to make up her mind and finally let him go.

Celine picks up a handful of sand and watches as many fine grains of sand flow through her fingers.

Her smile widened. To think about it, this is similar to that time, her graduation ceremony.

Martin liked to let her wait without saying anything. He was cruel like this... and when she gave up hope, he just showed up. She could only hope that it would be the same once again.

She hopes he will come back to her.

***

Four years ago. A university in Bologna, Italy.

Celine sat on the steps of an ancient building. She was weeping profusely without much care from passersby looking at her with curiosity and concern. Her latest handsome Italian boyfriend, well, ex-boyfriend, suddenly broke up with her. And the reason was some dumb excuse. He said she had to go back to London after graduation anyway, and he was not the long-distance relationship type, so we better part ways now and don't waste any more time.

He said he couldn't live without her.

He said he loved her.

LIES!!!

Why did he have to lie?

She met him in her first term studying for her business degree in fashion here.

Fashion has always been her childhood passion. And the Master of Business Administration in fashion and luxury goods here is one of the best in the world. Actually, she didn't choose to study here, her papa did, and being a good obedient daughter, she followed his advice. And of course, spending time in Italy is simply heaven, not to mention papa's credit cards as gifts for her usual shopping spree. She thought she'd like it here. Just studying, following what papa told her, she loathed planning; too many details to think about, and life is too short, no? There was no need to care much about anything. Just enjoy life. There were so many pretty to buy. Oh, just thinking about it made her want to get all the five credit cards out and admire them individually. And all her favorite brands are here. What is there not to like?

So, the student life caught her off-guard. Who would think the study is this difficult? She thought private school prepared her well, but apparently not well enough. Celine was certain she was not some dim wit, but she must admit that math is not her thing. Two tutors got her through calculus, and after she knew she had passed the exam, everything about that subject was forgotten. She didn't know studying fashion required this many math skills. Oh well, it is still a business school after all. Still, she didn't think she had to study this hard. She was exhausted-there was almost no time to go out, not even shopping. All the time spent in the library and doing group projects made her rethink her future at the school and maybe lower her expectation quite a bit. Sigh, it was still too miserable. She hadn't even gone out partying as much as she imagined.

Although she couldn't speak Italian, she still had a lot of friends. The class had students from all over the world, and her friends arranged small parties here and there, but still, everything was boring. So dull!

Sometimes she wanted to scream-It's blooding boring here!

But her thought changed once she met her first Italian boyfriend. She had never met anyone this tall, tanned, and handsome. His dark brown hair was always meticulously groomed. His eyes were sweet to look at, and those long eyelashes softened his strong gaze. He seemed dangerous... someone she could have some fun with. Intriguing. He intrigued her that she couldn't look away.

Maybe it was her good luck that we were assigned to the same group project. We got to talk, we partied together a few times, and eventually, he asked her out.

And then she got dumped with a few cold-blooded dumb words after a few months. And so she now sat alone crying, not caring about anything else.

Enough is enough!

She knew she was not some weak, head-over-heels in love type of girl that cried for a guy for months on end. Enough is enough. She was sick and tired of feeling in a swamp. Damn him! He is an ex now; he doesn't have the right to make me feel this way. She decided she would stop sulking and start to take care of herself again. Maybe begin with cleaning tear-mascara from her cheek and apply decent moisturizer. She decided to travel again, away from here. She will go shopping, and she will enjoy life!

Celine Pierce stood up, stretching to her full height, breathing in the fresh summer air, wiping away all the remaining tears, and getting rid of all her thoughts about that man.

She got out her AMEX Platinum and held it up to the sky. The silver plastic card glistened in the moonlight.

The Asian British girl felt no concern for her fellow students staring when she released her frustration out loud in a shout.

"I'M GOING TO THE BEACH!!!"

***

The beach has nothing interesting.

Celine loved the beach. But she hated going there alone. Loneliness is an ugly monster that plagued her wherever she went.

Her parents only allowed her to come on the trip to this island alone only because she had finished all her study and only waiting for a graduation ceremony. This trip came right after her internship. Finally, it was a time to relax, but Celine felt everything but relaxation.

Celine chose Ponza Island, a small island in Italy. She hoped for some quiet time for reflection since she read reviews somewhere that this small island is perfect for people who want some solitude and to enjoy nature. They were not wrong. Beautiful beach, crystal clear seawater, cute stores here and there. But there was nowhere she could indulge in her favorite hobby-shopping. Worse yet, most stores didn't accept credit cards. Cash Only. Oh, two words that shouldn't belong together.

She felt her migraine acting up from just thinking about it. The girl who was always on social media had to only sit alone and scroll through her feeds on her cell phone while sipping wine in a small traditional Italian restaurant on the beach. Her favorite sunglasses became a headband. And although her initial intention was time alone for reflection, she still hadn't forgotten to bring two large luggage of clothes. Even though she noticed no one here dressed up as if they were going to a fashion show as she did, Celine didn't care. She bought new clothes or maybe calling them a whole new wardrobe was more appropriate, oh, those beautiful dresses. Not to mention swiping and maxing out two credit cards just for new clothes, and this trip, it would be a shame if she didn't wear whatever she wanted.

She knew full well that although she was physically on this island, her mind was elsewhere. Her eyes are glued to her phone. And Her thought still circled around memories of the breakup. New experiences await her, but she was drowning in the past.

She knew... that perhaps all this effort was meaningless.

She knew... that people saw her as a superficial person.

She knew it all well... but she couldn't change who she was.

And who was she really? She was lost. It was as if she didn't know who she was anymore.

Money is not happiness, but everything money could buy her happiness... clothes, bags, shoes, and the plane ticket here.

Money can buy happiness, isn't it? But why she didn't feel even a hint of happiness?

Soon after, Celine turned from being upset and annoyed with life to being furious after pictures of her ex-boyfriend at a rave party caught her eyes. She stared into his fun shenanigan and got engulfed in rage, so much so that she forgot to look at the battery. Her beloved phone was suddenly turned off.

And she had no charger...

"What the hell!! Why me!? Why does all this have to happen to me!??"

She spoke so loudly that the people at the tables next to her turned to look.

Then suddenly a small object landed on her table.

Hmm?

A small gray power bank with a charging cable was placed on the table as if from a spell of some witchcraft. Celine quickly looked to her left and right. She looked up to see someone who helped continue her social media surfing.

Oh...

She couldn't see his face clearly because of the sunlight and reflections from the afternoon ocean surface. The figure of a tall man stood in front of her. His short curly hair fluttered slightly from the breeze. His face appeared so indifferent that she couldn't catch any emotion other than... annoyance.

"I'll let you borrow this."

A short phrase was uttered from someone she had just met for the first time. He said nothing more and went back to his seat a couple of tables away and read a newspaper.

"W-wait..." You offered help? You can just say you are annoyed!

"Yes?" The man with dark blonde hair lifted his eyes from the newspaper to look at her after she put the power bank back on his table.

"You don't have to give me this. I didn't ask for it." She said curtly.

"I saw you whining because your phone ran out of battery." He said matter-of-factly.

Can't he just say something nicer? 'Hi' for example. What the hell...

"I don't want it that badly."

"If you don't want it that badly, then you would have been quieter." He turned that indifferent face back to focus on the news he was reading and ignored her. Celine just stood there. Mortified.

For real? Is he really doing this to her? What right does he have in ignoring her? What is this?

"Hey, you..." Good intention but bad manners. Celine hated it.

He turned to look at her again and lifted his eyebrows as if questioning.

So, I am not even worth a proper response? How rude!

She wanted to say something, but no words came to mind. She rolled her eyes, returned to her table, and just sat there staring at him menacingly.

She could see him smirking. Oii... rude and smug. I wish I don't have to see his face again!

Celine laid three bikinis on a bed in a small hotel she booked online two weeks earlier.

Which one should I pick? Red... black... or leopard?

Anything is fine, actually. She felt confident in everything she wears anyway. Besides, being alone on this island that barely has any tourists shouldn't cause much worry about appearance anyway. Since she left the boat and set foot on this island, the atmosphere here was quite calming, part of her was glad to escape the hectic life of the university, but part of her was concerned that the island was so quiet. Perhaps, I'm scared of my own thoughts.

Her Italian friend suggested her this island for a getaway trip. She flew to Rome, took a short one-hour car ride, and a small ferry to this place. All this hardship to forget. Does it worth it? It must be. It must be! I need to be happy!

Celine walked out of the room after choosing a red bikini and putting on a white hotel robe. She spent an hour doing makeup. Even if no one would see her, she thought she still needed to look beautiful.

She confidently strolled to the beach. The sand here was white clean, and the water was turquoise blue and clear. The scene reminds her of a post-impressionist painting, and the thought made her smile. I can't remember the last time I was in nature. She thought to herself.

She was always in the city. She loves its energy and buzzing businesses. The noises and commotions jolt her to life. The pubs and bars, theaters and fashion shows, malls, and all the shopping districts. She had a great life. It would be considered a rare occasion to venture into a forest. The city has parks, so she often goes to parks. Her friends invited her to go trekking once or twice. Of course, she said no. If she wants to travel, she chooses the beach. Beaches have luxury resorts. And her family preferred Southeast Asia; they could more than afford a first-class trip there. Her parents were more than happy with this arrangement. They wanted her to live a comfortable life. A life they never experience growing up. And she is an only child. Her whim and wishes are always answered. Whatever she wants, she gets. Whatever she wants to do, she can. There is no expectation of being first in a class or accomplishing anything great. Her Asian papa said he didn't want any history of some tiger parenting in his household. And that was completely fine for her British mother; being kind and considerate is her motto, it seems. Her family gave her so much freedom that she couldn't remember the last time she was said no to.

Her parents gave her full support for choosing fashion. Their firm support is both a blessing and a curse-a blessing that gives her assurance to do everything her heart desires. She is more confident than most of her friends. But it is a curse that stole all challenges away. Life is too easy to the point it scares her. She didn't have anything she could be proud of. There was nothing she did that was true of her own merit-her tutors probably helped with her grades, they helped with her college application too, she was decent at sport but nothing phenomenon, boys liked her for her looks, thanks to her mother's kind brown eyes and her papa's bright smile, they didn't like her for her wits, though. You are too opinionated. She still remembered one of the comments.

Hence, the ex-boyfriend was only part of the problem. Most likely, the inestimable anxiety she had had something to do about the fear of the future. It felt like some boundless emptiness. What will the next step of life be?

Celine shook her head to chase away horrible thoughts and slowly walked into the cold and clear water ahead.

She swam for a while until her head cleared up, and she lifted her head out of the water. The first person she saw was that man-the same meddlesome man from the restaurant earlier.

He still dressed the same. In a white t-shirt and jeans, he looked like a typical tourist on holiday; what an incredibly colorless and uneventful person, the type of man she had never seen in her social circle. A world of color and excitement that she came from.

He was sitting far away and seemed like he was writing something on the sand. He had a forlorn look on his face. Even from this distance, she still could sense that he was a serious person. That scowl face was quite telling. And she thought she was the only one running away from problems.

That frowned face abruptly turned and met her eyes. Celine took a sharp inhale, broke the eye contact, and dived away. She must have stared at him for too long.

Only twenty seconds passed, and she felt she needed more air, so she put her head above the water surface once again. By then, he was gone.

With curiosity, she walked to the area he sat and wrote something. She saw some numbers partially erased and a word that made her raise her eyebrows.

"Soon."

***

What does he mean by soon?

He wanted to rush home soon or what? Whatever. She didn't want to think much about that man she disliked anyway. She never knew anyone so rude before. He didn't even want to talk to her anyway. And the feeling was mutual.

Celine casually strode back to her room. She went out for a few hours. And what she saw once the room was opened made her almost fall to her knees.

The whole room was a mess-all cupboards were opened, things were scattered around the room, and most outrageously, her handbags and clothes were missing!

Celine stared blankly in shock before rushing to the small safe in the closet to find her phone, passport, and wallet. Well, if this necessary stuff was stolen too, her life was over. She was lost for words.

Shit! What a shitty day. Has hell broken loose or something? This was the first time she got robbed while traveling.

She was lucky she still had her phone and passport. Still, she felt unsafe staying in this hotel.

And that was the start of her quarrel with the hotel manager. She had to argue in her small swimwear under the hotel robe that couldn't shield her from the chilly wind. She asked for compensation and access to footage from the security camera (which she later found that it was just a dummy camera). This boutique hotel didn't have any CCTV. Worse yet, the hotel manager blamed her for not locking the door before she went out. She talked to her mostly in Italian, and she suspected that was intentional. No one really listened to each other. Loud noises of her argument rang out throughout the small lobby area. And Celine bet that people outside the hotel could be able to hear.

She was so furious her face was numb. She yelled out so much her throat hurt. The notion that the hotel would not take any responsibility and that she couldn't do anything was infuriating. She felt her face turn red from rage.

Eventually, the demonic middle-aged lady of a manager didn't say a word and walked away into her office. Celine heard a lock sound.

"Hey! You must come back! You can't do this to me! Come back and talk it through! You need to pay me back. Bloody hell!"

But more yelling was pointless. She couldn't hear any more sounds from that room. Her brain was numb. Celine didn't know what to do. She couldn't think straight. Anger still rushed through her vein. She walked out and returned to the beach near the hotel to calm down. She sat down and hit the sand repeatedly and screamed.

What is all this nonsense? Why is my life such a mess? What does life want from me? I couldn't even relax on holiday in peace.

After she ran out of breath, Celine, a university graduate to-be, a confident woman that used to think she could control the helm of her life direction, cried. She cried out like when she was in pre-school. Her voice was loud without any shame. She couldn't care less if anyone judged her expression. No one would help her anyway. She couldn't even help herself in this situation.

"What are you doing?" Someone with a familiar voice asked a question. The voice startled her, who had closed her eyes to cry like a kindergartener, and so she shut her mouth and immediately looked for that mysterious someone. Even though her eyes welled with tears, Celine saw his face clearly... that man again.

"Please don't accuse me of meddling with your business, but do you need any help?" Celine looked at him innocently as if this was the first time she had met this man. He no longer looked indifferent. That once expressionless face showed genuine concern.

She didn't know if she should tell him. She didn't know if he could help. But she has nothing to lose. So, she told him the story. Her belongings in the room were stolen, and the hotel staff tried to evade responsibility and refused to speak to her.

The tall man was now sitting in the sand, listening to her intently. He frowned at times. She cried while telling the story, not from any sort of grief but from rage. Once she finished telling her story, the man immediately stood up. Celine could only blink his eyes because she didn't know what to do next. She sat still until the man who had been silent for several minutes extended his hand to her. Their eyes met, and he spoke in a stern tone.

"Get up. I will help you talk to them."

****

That quiet man, that was almost a stranger to her, called the police and reported her case. He asked her to list all her stolen belongings and their price before walking her back to the hotel.

"According to Article 1783 of the Italian Civil Code, hotel-keepers in Italy are liable for any damage to, destruction, or loss of property brought by clients to the hotel. Hotel-keepers are to compensate a maximum of 100 times the daily hotel fee. That's why you need the list of things you lost. It serves as evidence I can negotiate with the hotel." He explained unemotionally.

Wow. That's so precise.

"Huh... Really? How do you know that? Are you a lawyer?" That explained why he seemed so uncompromising and serious. But the man in front of her shook his head.

"I only read something useful off the internet and remember it. I don't have to have a degree in that discipline to know it."

After she heard him, she pursed her lips. She wanted to compliment him, but what a stuck-up man. Still, he was a stuck-up that helped her.

She didn't know how he did it. This man, whose name remained anonymous, convinced a police officer to come to the hotel. Once the manager saw the police, the woman's face lost all colors, and she spoke to her politely in English. Whoa, now, talk about a big change.

"Yes, you need to be responsible and pay me for the damage!" Celine complained brashly. But she immediately fell silent after the tall man turned around and gave her a stern look.

"I will deal with this. Don't complicate things." And he did just that. After he asked her to sit and wait on the lobby sofa, that man negotiated with the hotel manager for her.

He gave the manager a harsh look, and every word she listened to and understood was defending her case, pressuring them to pay for her damages. The police have promised that they will try to track down the culprit. But she knew the chance was slim. The tall man, the man that helped her although he didn't know her, now walked towards her. She stared at him in amazement. What kind of work did he do that train him to have this incredible negotiation skill?

"The hotel will take time to assess the damages, what was stolen, to accurately refund your money and then investigate to find the thief. But during that time, your room where the crime scene is located will be closed. They must plan to look for fingerprints or something like that... Is there an alternate place to stay you have in mind? I will give you a lift."

Again, she looked up at him and blinked her eyes.

And again, he raised an eyebrow at her in question without saying a word.

But this time, Celine was not upset. She was in no mood to be angry. She just shook her head quickly. It caused the hair that had just been dried from swimming to spread, and her hair was unforgivably messy.

Sigh...

The man sighed softly and closed his eyes, contemplating something.

The only thing she could do was just sit and wait in silence.

"If you don't mind, you can go take a shower and change clothes in my room first and then think about where you want to stay."

Celine should barely realize the time when she found herself in the stranger's room, a small and simplistically decorated villa similar to the style of its owner.

He told her his name was Martin and that I should shower to wash off the seawater. Soon after, one simple white t-shirt and short trousers were handed to her. The clothes were clean; they smelled like a morning in summer.

He seemed to be a man of modest means and talked only when necessary. To her, the silence was unbearable, but she didn't know what she should talk to him about.

"How long will you stay on this island? When do you plan to go back?" He asked as soon as he saw her come out of the bathroom. She dried her hair with his gray towel while answering.

"Err, two weeks. I planned for a long holiday." She answered softly. The initial plan of a spontaneous trip alone was more appealing before now when she was alone with only a stranger whom she took a shot at trusting to turn to and depend on.

"Which hotel will you be staying at after this?"

Whoa... Isn't that too soon to ask me this? I just got robbed. I don't have any time to catch my breath, let alone plan.

"Martin... hmmm... Sir, I only knew less than half an hour ago that all my things were stolen and I have to change the place I stay. Can't you just give me more time to think?"

"One hour and a half."

"Huh?" She looked at him quizzically.

"I don't know precisely how your watch keeps track of time. Since we left the hotel, you spent one whole hour complaining to me about what happened and another half an hour showering." He again turned indifferent and said it frankly.

"...." Celine could only blink after she heard his explanation.

"I could only imagine that you spent your time either lost in your thought during showering or in complaining to me. My apologies if I said anything untrue to reality." He nodded his head slightly as a small gesture of apology. Celine stood still. She was speechless.

"Anyways, if you haven't thought about where you will be staying, there is a hotel nearby, they should have one or two room vacancies. If you are ready, let's go and ask them?"

Once she heard his suggestion, she simply nodded her head, her eyes shined with hope, the gesture similar to the time her papa gave her a snack when she was a kid. In a blink of an eye, she thought she saw him smile faintly. Could the man really be capable of smiling?

She walked awkwardly beside him. Because she was not used to the clothes, she was wearing and losing half of her confidence. Not being able to wear the clothes she had just bought was unthinkable. She was furious again at that idea.

She frowned and followed behind Martin. There was nothing much she could do at this point. At least today, if she gets a new hotel, she can relax in the room and maybe take a hot bath to forget all this disastrous day. She could go shopping tomorrow and buy new sets of clothes. She was lucky to still have credit cards.

These five credit cards had saved her life countless times. Once she heard that this new hotel accepts credit cards, she smiled with glee. She handed her favorite card to the hotel receptionist after inquiring about available rooms. But something unexpected happened.

"Madam, your credit card is declined." A handsome olive skin receptionist told her and inquired about another card and payment options.

What? That's impossible. Just impossible!

"Err...try this one?" She handed him another card.

This one was also declined.

Another one... Also declined.

Another one... She barely used this one... Also declined.

What the hell is this?

She was busy trying to pull out all the cards she had. But it didn't work... the five cards... her five knights that had been through the thick and thin of life together in every season. This time... nothing worked.

She instinctively buried her face against the marble counter and covered her face with her hands. Celine wanted to scream, and she wished more than anything that all this nightmare would end. But she knew full well it was impossible.

Suddenly, she thought of her father. She picked up her phone to call her papa. She hoped he could help her explain the reason for the credit card declined incident because, in fact, all these cards belonged to him.

Once she looked at her phone, one message caught her eye. A message from her dearest papa, but what he wrote was something strange and long.

"I got multiple notifications that you spent almost a hundred pounds in one day. My lovely Celine, this spending spree of yours is the most unadorable habit yet. I propose that the first step of adulthood is reasonable frugality and money management. To impose the change in your character, I have temporary freeze all your credit cards for one month. I believe the cash I gave you in your account should be sufficient. Much love. And oh, your mother and I will go on a ten-day silent meditation retreat. No electronic devices are allowed. You can contact my secretary for anything urgent." And he ended with multiple heart emojis.

Oh my, papa, I will not have a roof over my head, didn't you know that? There was no need to freeze my cards at all!

Celine started to unfeelingly bang her head on the marble counter as if in a trance. She didn't care about the hotel staff staring in confusion.

She couldn't contact her papa. And she didn't want to contact his secretaries, they would help, but of course, there will be some panic. She couldn't predict what they would tell her papa. He will be mad for sure, and he might not allow her to go out on her own again. This will not be good for her in the long run.

Maybe she could get a small concussion that totally numbs her, or she could tease out some impossible ideas of how to proceed with her life from this point. Suddenly, she ceased all movement; her forehead still rested on the cold marble surface, then the first sight she turned to after she lifted her head was looking for him.

"Martin..." She confronted the quiet man she had just met today, calling his name softly. He was reading a newspaper while waiting for her in the hotel lobby.

"Yes?" He was being so attentive to the news that he didn't hear all the commotions at the counter. He raised his brows questioningly, put down the newspaper, and walked closer.

"My credit cards have been suspended... I have no cash on me. I don't know where the ATM is, and it's already dark outside. I have no money to pay for the hotel." She explained in a pleading voice. She studied him as his eyes began to close as if to process what she had just said.

She furrowed her brows and tried to come up with what to say. There is no room for much dignity because she had no choice. Beggars can't be choosers, after all.

"Would you allow me to stay with you for two weeks? Please, please!"