Previous Flashback

In the unpredictable instance of the expected recovery of a woman lying on a hospital bed; she is plainly normal, breathing steadily; her skin is already fine, firmly smooth and flawless, but the fact that she encountered so many surgeries is a blast of mysteries that no one can predict on who she is. She is Ginnie Crownel, her beautiful face can make a man calm and less worried. Her unknown personality is a big question to anyone who is willing to know her. Ginnie wakes up on the exact time where the long and small hands of a clock strike twelve. It is known and not predicted that it is noon time. She noticed that she is in the hospital. There was a man who is sitting beside her bed. “Who are you?” Ginnie asked. “My name is Drake.” Drake said. He was pleasingly confident in making her unwind with the present. He seems to be curious with her current situation and the upcoming days of her life that might be interesting. “Who am I?” Ginnie asked. She seems to be innocent about herself wherein she was born like a molded woman that came out from the belly of a man. “You don’t even know your name? I have your burned ID, you are a licensed accountant.” Drake said as he shows her burned ID to her; the name was shown but the upper part including the image is burned. It all means that Ginnie is still a stranger and has no any certain image. “Why was it burned? How did you find me?” Ginnie asked in a confusing manner. “I saw you while I was camping alone at Mt. Matuag.” Drake said. “Please, let me know about my real self, I need to understand what really is happening.” Ginnie said. “It is still a mystery up to this time, I do not know who you really are and you don’t even know anything about yourself,” Drake said. He clearly stated that the situation between them is a big question of erratic cause that no one can give an answer. “Then why did you save my life?” Ginnie asked. It made her think that she is safe now but she doesn’t even know how she existed from the past. “You were actually dying when I found you, your face was burned and I thought you were dead,” Drake answered as he pulls out his wallet from his pocket and gets some money. “I am giving you this money for your liberty but you need to pay it back to me by being employed. I paid all the hospital bills for your medications, your dextrose, and your medical checkups, your solvent foods including the extract juices of the fruits and vegetables, and most especially your surgeries,” Drake mentioned. “Do you want to hire me? I am willing to work as an accountant,” Ginnie responded. “Yeah, I think you need to take an exam, if you passed the exam, then you are eligible to be an accountant, but if you don’t, then I will hire you as a janitress,” Drake added. “Sure, I will take the exam now,” Ginnie said in a calm and confident way. There is no wonder that her future role is to serve her master who will be the one who can discover who she is. The doctor and the nurse came in the hospital room to check on Ginnie. “If she is already fine, then maybe she can go be discharged and do anything that she needs to do,” the doctor said. “Yes, doctor, she will be under my care, I will be the one to be responsible for her health and life,” Drake said. The nurse is removing the inserted dextrose on Ginnie’s left hand. “She was so lucky that you found her, Sir Drake,” the nurse said. “Yeah, I already bought her a dress to wear, it is now available here. I plan to buy more dresses for her but of course she will pay it all later on,” Drake said. Drake swears to himself that Ginnie will be his partner in dealing with the accounts of his company once she passed the exam for an accountant.

Ginnie is now free from any medical treatment. She will be dealing with the real world. The day of her recovery is the day when she became conscious and finally awake. It will also be the day for her to take the exam. She was not able to review or browsed a book which deals with accountancy. She does not seem to be nervous but she made some computations inside her mind. She closes her eyes and she imagines the formulas that exist within her imagination. She recalls all her lessons, the accounts for the tax that deals with the right Mathematics, solving problems and computations. It was all proven to her sense that everything that deals with accountancy is fresh to her. She prepared herself by wearing the available dress in the hospital, the dress that was bought by Drake. It was a white tank top and plaited skirt that can be matched with brown leather sandals. Drake suddenly calls her assistant to deliver the exam in the hospital. Ginnie took the exam and he passed her test papers to Drake. The exam was all familiar to Ginnie. She knows how to compute, liquidate and make accounts about everything that deals with accountancy. She remembers the lessons and details which she had learned but she doesn’t even know on who she is. Drake was the one who checked the exam of Ginnie. After some few hours of waiting, Drake became satisfied about the result of the exam. “Ginnie, you made an excellent result on your exam, you are now qualified to be hired as my Accounting Staff. You will work in my company known as Frederick Enterprises,” Drake said. It was obvious that he recognizes her ability. “Thank you very much. May I know your position Sir?” Ginnie asked. “I am the Chief Executive Officer, I own the company. It is under my management and I think you need to start your work by tomorrow,” Drake said. “Sure, thank you, Sir Drake.” Ginnie said. Drake came out from the hospital room and Rayson was already there when Drake came out and closed the door. “Huh? Who are you?” Ginnie asked. She was shocked and terrified on what she saw. Rayson was slowly stepping towards her. It triggers her to have a feeling that was more on a horror and suspense. It shivered within her flesh. Rayson smiled and it made her calm. “Ginnie, I am Rayson, your boyfriend,” he said and he suddenly disappears. Ginnie is wondering, she is looking around and she is thinking about on why she saw Rayson.

Irresolute situation exists within her life, she cares about it for as long as she is living, the unwanted visit of the unknown spirit is not common but it made her realize to have a deeper congruency that deals for her future. Rayson is not familiar to her but something lit her mind up on what if she was just having an imagination or instinct of the unknown memory. A knock on the door was heard and she opened it, Drake came in, he was bringing a paper bag with a logo of Mc Donald’s. “These meals are free, I ordered these meals for us.” he said. It made her smile because she was hungry. The satisfaction to accept the foods that Drake brings is pleasing to her. “I think you need to visit my office.” Drake said while his eyebrows moved up and down. Both of them enjoyed their meals. “You will have your personal condominium unit. It will be free once you start working by tomorrow,” Drake said. He gave her an idea about the perks of being employed. “I ordered five pairs of corporate attires and five night dresses. They will be your clothes for a while and I am thinking that you will be the one to buy your own dresses once you have received your first salary. Thirty percent of your salary will be deducted from your salary as your payment to me. Just remember the hospital bills,” Drake said. “Yes, I know, I will accomplish my tasks and debts once I started working by tomorrow,” she said.

Drake assisted Ginnie. They went to the office. “Is this your main office?” Ginnie asked. “I am currently dealing with the taxes of this company. I need to secure all the dealings. Can you please make an account about all the detailed tax exemptions, savings, income, outcome, gross, funds, and expenses for the future production of this company?” Drake asked. “It all involves money, but it is just simple. All you have to do is to provide me all your spread sheets and I will be the one to liquidate,” Ginnie said. Drake left Ginnie alone in the office. Ginnie was busy in making an account when Rayson shows his self to her. “Huh! It is you again! What are you doing here?” she asked. “Did I surprise you? Will it be persuasive to let you see the flashback about your past?” Rayson asked. “I don’t think so, because I am so busy. Can you please show yourself after my work?” Ginnie pleaded. “You’re making yourself undetermined!” he said and he slapped the table on where Ginnie is working and all the papers are floating. They were like in a space craft. There is no gravity, the papers are floating and slowly moving. “You are disturbing my work, will you please be considerate?” Ginnie scolds. “How can you find the real you if you don’t know on how to make yourself fortified on the unknown?” Rayson said. “I was dejected to be unknown. I don’t need to suppress a man like you who is somehow disturbing my part as Accounting Staff,” she scolds. “Do you want to know of who you are? Then find me, if you can find me,” he said as he winks his eyes and the office became dark. “Oh!” she reacted and the light turned on but all the things were back on their respected places. It is the usual situation that she was dealing. The papers are all settled on where they are. “What is going on? I do not really understand,” Ginnie asked to herself.

Ginnie is walking alone in the park. She passes every strange people that she meets. She wants to figure out on what will be her designated path towards success or failures. Her mysterious life that she wants to aim was still very strange to her. Although she was trying to recall anything about her past, her memories, her experiences, her family and, who is Rayson in her life. A man wearing a black jacket with hood and navy blue shade meets Ginnie. The shape of his face is somehow familiar to her. It seems that she saw that face before. The man removes his shade and it made her think that the man who was in front of her is Rayson. “Did you ever wonder about our past?” Rayson asked. “Our past? What is it all about?” Ginnie asked in bewilderment. His question was vague to her because she doesn’t even know what to answer and what to think about her past. “Do you know the reason on why I risked my life? It’s because of you.” Rayson said. “Your life was put in danger because of me?” Ginnie asked. “Yes, because had to protect you. They wanted to kill you because of the corruption that you had discovered.” Rayson said. “What corruption?” Ginnie asked. “Just think of the previous, Ginnie,” he said while his body was blown away and Rayson disappears. “Huh! Where is he?” she said and she noticed that she is the only one left in the park. She looks around but no one is there. She closes her eyes and she opened it again and she is already surrounded by so many people who were passing by. She heard the ring of her phone and she recognizes that it was Drake who is calling. “Hello Sir Drake,” she greeted. “Ginnie, we will be having a meeting by tomorrow about you’re task as my Accounting Staff,” he said. “Okay, I will be there for the report,” she said. She was calm to accept the task of her work. It is the only thing that is known to her.

Ginnie is presenting a report for the meeting. The projector shows the graph that deals with the previous accounts that she reviewed. The percentages of the overall dealings of the company’s treasures and expenditures were properly arranged from highest to lowest. “According to my accounts, we already achieved the certain amount of payments from our customers’ credit cards. Their dues were already settled.” One woman raised her hand. “Yes?” Ginnie responded. “What is the certain amount of income that we will receive if we only wait on the dues of our customers?” Jie asked. “We already gained the ten percent of its commodity, but the gross for the over all salary of our employees is intact,” Ginnie explained. “How can you manage to compute for the totality of the future expenses? We all knew that this company was taking a risk,” Bruno said. “As an accountant, I will always inform the executives through email. It is all about the updated taxes, expenses, gross, salary and savings of this company but I need to handle it with care. The confidential matters will be upheld under my name unless someone is taking an advantage in this company,” Ginnie said. “What was your point for that?” Kristel asked. “What I can remember is the process of making an account and liquidation. I know everything about accountancy,” Ginnie said. “Ginnie, we want to make it personal now. You know the process in accounting. All the processes are familiar to you and you are handling all the accounts so well, but the main point is that, you don’t even know who you really are from your past,” Janus said. “I cannot even explain of whom I am from my past but I can handle it by managing the accounts so well,” Ginnie said. “That’s right. You know the procedure, but how come you don’t even know yourself. Maybe we have the reason to terminate you because you don’t even know who you really are,” Faye said. Rumors rise within the meeting, their subject is Ginnie. So many questions about her personal data were unknown to them. “Wait a minute, silence please.

The meeting is still on going. If you want to continue this meeting, then I think we need to proceed now or else you can come out and talk about all your comments outside. This meeting regards with the income and outcome of this company and nothing personal should be talked about,” Drake said. “It is personal because you hired an accountant without any personal background, we did not receive any resumes of her or CV, she has no biography, you just found her and you hired her as your personal accountant.” Jie said. Rumors spread again and Ginnie frowns with so much worries about herself. “Ginnie, I think you need to take your break first and we will just talk after the meeting. I’ll be the one to continue your presentation for this meeting,” Drake said to Ginnie.

Although Drake did her best in calming Ginnie but it shattered her esteem. Ginnie came out from the conference room, she was filled with so much perplexity, her past is all unknown to her and she wants to analyze about the mystery of her personality. She sits on the couch and she takes a deep breath. She remembers the man who showed up to her. He was the man who she needs to see again. He is non-other than Rayson. She closes her eyes and she manages to keep calm even though so much fright of the past memory doesn’t exist. Drake was walking towards her and he managed to smile although there is a so called dilemma. It is a dilemma that coexists between them, he is risking his company to unknown employee like Ginnie but it did not make him to be negative about Ginnie’s presence. “Ginnie, we need to talk secretly,” Drake said. “I need to know of who I am,” she said. “It is still impossible to know up to this moment because you are still recovering from the entire trauma, your memories must be back in order to know yourself well,” Drake explained. His concern to her seized deeper to his psyche. It only makes sense that the woman that she cared and helped is important to his life, “I need to find Rayson, he is my boyfriend,” she said. She believes that Rayson who shows his self to her is the idea of her resonant allegation against the fact that she was burned and encounters a near death. “Rayson? Who is he? Do you know him?” Drake asked. “I do not know him,” Ginnie admitted. She affirms that Rayson is still unknown to her but she insists to herself that Rayson is her boyfriend. “Then I think we need to wait some more time for your recovery. It is not proper to force yourself in finding the result of your curiosity,” Drake said. “Look, if I only know about myself then I think I can easily analyze and comprehend with my real situation.” Ginnie said. “Ginnie, please calm down, don’t mind other people who are pulling you down. You’re a good accountant,” Drake said. “Thank you Sir Drake,” she said and he was relieved for her.

Ginnie was looking at herself in the mirror then she saw the face of Rayson, she was shocked and thrilled. “Oh my goodness.” she said while her right hand covering her mouth. She slowly steps backward while Rayson comes out from the mirror which made her to shiver in panic. “You don’t need to blame yourself in everything that made you puzzled. Perhaps I will be the one to support you on whatever wonders of memory that you need,” he said. “Rayson, I need to find myself. I need to know whom I am,” Ginnie said. “Do you want to see your real self? Then look at the mirror,” Rayson said. Ginnie look at herself on the mirror but she was a different person. She is more beautiful but the face that she sees on the mirror is still strange to her. She carefully holds her face with her right hand. “That is your real face, Ginnie. You are more beautiful from your past,” Rayson said. “Then why do I have a different face?” Ginnie asked. “It’s because of the surgeries. Your face is burned when Drake found you,” Rayson said. “Why did it happen to me?” she asked. “You will learn more for as long as you see my soul, bye…” Rayson said. Then Rayson is faded with the light. “Wait,Rayson, I need to know more about myself, why did it happen to me? Why did my face got burned?” Ginnie said as she was looking for Rayson but he was no longer there.

Ginnie is currently dreaming of so many papers with details of taxes, billings and payrolls that are scattered on her desk. Suddenly, the papers are falling from above. They came from a strange place. She notices that the environment is changing. She sees her previous self when she was an accountant. “That is my previous face,” she said to herself. She seems to be very determined in using the calculator for computation and the computer for encoding details. There was a sudden blow of wind and the place that is around her is changing again. She saw herself with one man and one woman. Their facial features only predict that they are older than her. “Are they my parents?” she asked her self again. “Are they my family?” she wondered. They are eating the meals that are served to them. The entourage suddenly surrounds with so much darkness then she saw a light. She runs towards it and she saw herself with Rayson. They were holding hands while walking. They smile to each other and they laugh so loud. Ginnie closes her mouth with her hands and the environment is clouded with only one color. With white background, she noticed that she was surrounded by her past face, her past self who was the real her. She wonders on why it was happening. She noticed that the faces of her past life were turning into dark. “Huh!” she screamed as it shows all the burned faces that was clear to her sight. She is breathing rapidly. She is so afraid based on what she sees but the dark and burned faces are turning into her current face which is her real face in the present situation. “This is me now. I need to look for my family,” she said to herself. Then the picture of Rayson was shown from a far but it is burning. “No! Rayson!” she said and she runs towards it but she finally awakes. “What a dream.” Ginnie said in deep sadness. “I need to find myself. I need to search for my family. I need to see the real Rayson,” she told herself.

Ginnie went to her office. She is wearing a pink floral satin sleeveless covered with black blazer, her pink slack matches her black stilettos and her hair was properly ponytailed. She decided to be with her one and only superior. She aims to have a conversation with him. The Chief Executive Officer known as Drake will be the way and instrument to attain her desire in finding the truth over her unknown personality. He is the only one who can help her to find her real life, to know the answer about her past and to see Rayson. She came in the office of Drake. “Sir, I need your help in finding my real life,” she said in a dainty manner. “Is that your concern as of today? I think you need to work more in order to pay for all the expenses that I have spent,” he said. “I’ll pay all the expenses after I found the real me,” Ginnie said. “Isn’t it dangerous to comprehend, I found you burned, you can’t even remember your past of who you are. I was baffled to think on why it happened to you,” Drake said. He was so concern for the situation of Ginnie. He was mystified on how her past was. Why doesn’t she even know and recall anything? Ginnie knows all the profession of being an accountant but it was unknown to her on who she is. “I really want to help you, I will search for all the people who know about your name and I will ask them if there is someone in their family, friend or relative who is presently missing. Don’t worry. I am willing to contribute for your life so that you can find the real world where you really belong.” Drake said. There was a knock on the door while the two of them became silent. Ginnie opens the door and she was bolt from the blue. She did not even expect that the man who was in front of her is Rayson. He was bringing papers. “Sir, these are all your request,” he said. “Oh by the way, he is our new employee, I actually hired him yesterday. His name is Rayson,” Drake said. “I knew him, he already shows himself to me for so many times. He is my boyfriend. He knows about me,” Ginnie said with nervousness. “Do I know you?” Rayson asked. “Ahm, I actually found her, she was burned, and she undergoes several surgeries,” Drake said. “My name is Ginnie Crownel,”Ginnie said. “I suppose that your voice was somehow familiar to me, but I don’t understand,” Rayson said. “Her face was already changed, Rayson maybe she was your girlfriend who was actually missing,” Drake said. “Yeah, my girlfriend named Ginnie is actually missing and we all know that she is already dead. We have not yet found her body.” Rayson said. “I am that Ginnie. I am still alive but I can’t even remember my past,” Ginnie said while her eyes are about to make a tear. “I think the two of you need to have a conversation here, since I need to go out, so please, just take your time to get to know each other because it is really important,” Drake said and he goes out. The two of them were looking at each other’s eyes. “I am Ginnie, your girlfriend,” Ginnie said. “Your voice is like the voice of Ginnie,” Rayson said. “Will you please help me figure out who I am?” Ginnie pleaded. “Yes, I think you need to come with me after work. It might be interesting if we will have a DNA test so that you can prove to us that you really are Ginnie Crownel,” Rayson said. “Yes, I am willing.” Ginnie said. Her chance to find the truth is now in front of her. She is so eager to know everything that happened. She wants to see all the things that she needs to see and all the details that she need to comprehend. It all deals with the account of her life that deals with her present situation.

Rayson together with Ginnie and Drake went to the nearest hospital. Ginnie noticed that the woman who waited for their coming is her mother who she recognizes from her dream. “Mother, I am Ginnie, I think you need my hug,” Ginnie hugs her mother but she was in confuse. “Rayson. Who is this woman?” Mrs. Crownel asked. “She is your daughter, Ginnie.” Rayson said. “I can’t believe that my daughter is still alive,” she said with so much surprise while she is holding the new face of Ginnie. “I actually found her and her face was already changed because of the surgeries, the DNA test will be our proof to know the truth about her,” Drake said. The doctors and nurses are going towards them. “This will be a serious matter, since we are dealing about Ginnie, if she is your real daughter, Mrs. Crownel.” the doctor said. “We need to have a sample of your strand of hair or saliva,” the nurse said. “Yes, here.” Ginnie gave a strand of her hair for the DNA exam. They waited for the results and after hours of waiting, the doctor came. “It is positive, it matches to the DNA samples of Mrs. Crownel,” the doctor said. Drake was enlightened. Rayson suddenly holds the face of Ginnie. “It was been proven that you are my Ginnie,” Rayson said and he hugs Ginnie. “Rayson, I think that you need to understand that I do not even remember anything about us.” Ginnie said and Rayson became sad. “I will explain everything that I know about you. Your life was put in danger when you revealed to the media everything that you had discovered,” Rayson said. “You discovered that the real son of the Vice President of your previous company that you are dealing with was kidnapped. You also discovered that the trusted executives are thieves. They stole and transferred the missing funds to their account.” her mother said. “You actually reported everything that you had discovered but they made a threat to your life,” Rayson said. He is serious in giving her a hint about her past. “How did I disappear? I mean, when was the last time that you saw me?” Ginnie asked with curiousness. “It was the day after we had a dinner. We are actually in my car, I was driving then a bus suddenly bumps my car. It hit me and the next thing that I know was that I was in the hospital and they told me that you are missing,” Rayson said. “We almost lost our hope in finding you but my answer to my prayers was now revealed.” Mrs. Crownel said. “Sir Drake, I think that she needs to have a surgery again. She needs to have her real face.” Rayson suggested to Drake. “There’s no problem for that because I am willing to help with all my pure intention to make others feel better for themselves,” Drake said and he smiled. “I will be the one to pay for her upcoming surgery and I hope that it will be successful because I miss her real face, I miss the real Ginnie,” Rayson said.

Ginnie undergoes a surgery. She thinks that this will be the chance for her to face the real situation of her fate. She trusted the people who surrounded her but she wants to know of burned her face, and the person who is trying ruin her life and kill her. After several days of recovery, she went back home together with her mother. They came in her room and she saw all the pictures of her past life. “These are all the pictures of my past? I think they are not enough to remind myself well,” Ginnie said. “You still can’t remember who you are? I think you need to talk to Rayson.” Mrs. Crownel said. Ginnie grabs all of her pictures and she puts them in a box in an orderly way. “Mom, I need to see Rayson, do you know on where he lives?” she asked. “I have his address. Here it is.” she said and she gives the contact card of Rayson. Ginnie saw the address of Rayson and she remembers the place while looking on the address of the contact card, she recalls and it was finally cleared to her that the suspect behind her near death is Rayson.

By Marian Elaine Borja from the Philippines