Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow

**Lisa’s POV**

That was a week after I met Archie in the corridor of the 2nd floor building of the shipping company I am working with. I have been busy working on the program after gathering all the necessary information needed at the payroll Department. Though I work on the sixth floor most of the time since the EDP is located on the sixth floor. The payroll program has been generated for almost a week and we need to dry run the program to test if there will be some error that will occur before running it.

After debugging the program of the payroll as requested, it is now running perfectly to their desired outcome. I am more than happy that they were satisfied with the outcome, especially my boss who was more than proud of us. He sends us to buy food to celebrate the success of the program.

So, my friend Helen went with me to buy food for the celebration. When we were already at the lobby, someone came running with us and calling my name.

“Hey Lisa!” Someone called from behind us.

I turned my back to look at who was calling. I saw Archie smiling and came running at us. “We have seen each other again. Where are you going?” He asked.

I looked up at him and I answered. “We are going to buy some food.”

“Can I come?” He asked.

I looked up Helen if she is willing to let Archie come with us. She just asked. “Who is he, Lisa?”

“Oh, I forgot. This is Archie. He is a seafarer who is waiting for his scheduled departure. Archie, this is Helen, my co-worker and friend.” I introduced them.

“Ok, you can come with us, so that we have somebody to carry the foods we are going to buy.” Helen’s mischievous smirk.

So off we go. I have never thought that we could see each other again. We went to a restaurant to purchase the food listed for our little celebration. Archie helped us to carry all the foods we purchased. We returned to the office with the food on our hands including Archie. My office mates looked at us questioningly who the man was with us. Though they don’t directly ask me who he is, their staring at us is enough for me to be uncomfortable. So, I introduce Archie to them.

“By the way, this is Archie. He is a seafarer from the second floor just waiting for his scheduled departure.” I introduced him to them.

“I thought he was your boyfriend.” Leah interjected, our accountant.

“He is an acquaintance. I just knew him a few weeks ago. I bump into him on the second floor while doing their payroll program. He just saw us outside and he offered his help to go with us to help carry these foods.” I explained.

“So, he is just an acquaintance?” Leah questioned teasingly.

“Yes, expecting something more than that?” I answered Leah’s question.

“I’m sorry if I put Lisa into this questioning session. Though she is right as of now that I am a new acquaintance of hers, but I wish we could be more than that soon.” Archie’s comment made a roar of teasing, laughter, and clapping.

I was blushing with his outright comment. Ashamed for insinuating something out of his goodwill for helping us from carrying the staff we bought. I just looked at him. I don’t know if I would get angry with him for being forthright with his words. I just stared at him. I don’t know if I would get angry or be happy with what he said. I just don’t want to expect something out of this simple help. I am not ready for whatever they thought this thing would lead to. I just don’t want to rush into speculating something that would put me again to destruction.

My officemates invited Archie to our little celebration. Though he talks less, he gets along well with my friends and officemates.

Though Archie was not the only seafarer who took advances of introducing themselves with me. Impressing me with their ranks and salary but I just looked at them as being braggart rather than being honest with their intentions. I just wanted to laugh when they started to tell me that their compensation for being a seafarer is more than enough for me to stop working. I didn’t need their money nor I wanted to stop working. What do they think of me? I am not a money hungry person. I prefer that I have worked for everything that I have rather than getting it from other means or from others. My officemates told me that seafarers are all Casanova. They have women in every country they stayed and leave them after they change port and country. I don’t want to fall victim to their habit. As much as possible, I don’t want this kind of work for the man I would like to marry. The chances of committing mistakes on the part of these men is greater than the wife who is staying at home. I don’t know, it is just my point of view.