Not Luiz?
Not Luiz?
The man she was clinging on to clearly had Luiz's face. He was as tall as Luiz and he had that same tan complexion as Luiz. The only difference was the emitting confidence of this man and his built. This man had more muscles than how she remembered Luiz.
"Luiz, talk to me. Please... stop staring at me like you don't know me!" Nari cried her heart out.
For a moment, Justin saw how his friend, Ramon, froze. He saw the confusion on his face. It was as if he also doubted his own identity. Still, knowing Ramon's father, Justin approached Nari and said, "Nari, no. He is Ramon Russo. He is not Luiz. He is the son of a famous Italian Chef."
Only then did Ramon speak, "Yes. Yes. Miss, you - you may have me mistaken for someone else."
Ramon kept trying to hold Nari's arms, gently suggesting that she pull down her hands. "Miss, I am not the man whom you say I am. My name is not Luiz."
Nari just kept holding him from his face to his waist. Her tears were already soaking his attire." No! No! you are Luiz! You are Luiz! What are you saying? Luiz! What's wrong with you?"
Glancing strangely at Justin, Ramon said, "Miss, my - my name is Ramon Russo. I am the son of the famous Italian Chef - "
"Massimo Russo! I - I realized it now." Nari's voice shivered when she had an awakening. It was no wonder the last name Russo was very familiar. She said, "Luiz, you went missing after your internship with Massimo Russo in Italy!"
"Luiz, you - you were studying culinary in Italy and you - you had finished your internship when you went missing. You did not go home as planned and we - we never found you! My Dad and my uncle practically searched through the entire city of Florence to find you!"
Nari was already in a state of panic, right after the man suggested that he was not Luiz. She muttered, "Sure, your built seemed fuller and your stance seem different, but your face and your voice, the way you speak - "
She reached for Ramon's hand and put it above her chest and she said I love you in Brazilian, something that she and Luiz used to say to each other before saying goodbye at night, "Eu te amo!"
"You certainly are not Italian! Because you are half Korean and half Brazilian!" Nari insisted. With her hands trembling, she fished for her phone and scanned old photos of Luiz. She showed it to him and said, "See this? This is you! This is you and me!"
"Luiz, please... I beg you?! We've known each other since we were kids! I would - I would know if you are my Luiz or not! I don't know why you are doing this? You couldn't possibly abandon me and your children?!" Nari pointed out, nearly stomping her feet on the floor.
Turning to Justin for help, she said, "Justin, you have to believe me. Look at the pictures!"
Justin did not know how many times he glanced at Ramon and Nari. Still, he checked on Nari's phone, studying the photos of Luiz. He said, "He - he does look like you, Ramon."
Ramon merely nodded and said, "He does." Turning to Nari, he said, "But Miss, it could also mean that we look alike... I am Ramon Russo from Italy. I am my father's son."
Unable to explain the resemblance, Ramon awkwardly took a step back. He said, "I'm sorry. I really am not that man that you speak of."
"No! No!" Nari grabbed her phone and slide to the picture of her daughters. She showed it to Ramon and said, "See this! These are our daughters! Ava and Aemilia! Luiz! you have to remember!"
Nari watched as Ramon gave the pictures seconds of his time before handing the phone back to her. Still, he insisted, "I don't have any children."
At that point, Nari broke down in tears completely, already gasping for air and clutching against her stomach.
Ramon acted to reach for Nari, feeling guilty at making the woman cry, but Justin urged him to return to the kitchen. Justin said, "I'll take care of Nari, Ramon. I'll talk to you later."
Their dinner had to be cut off abruptly because of Nari's break down from inside the restaurant.
Justin called the driver that brought them there and left the same establishment.
From inside the car, Nari kept telling him, "I'm not lying. It really is him. I know it!"
Nari was struggling to dial on her phone, especially with her hands trembling. She said, "You have to believe me, Justin. You have to!"
"I can see that they look very similar, Nari," said Justin while he tried his best to soothe Nari, caressing her back. "I'll look into it, Nari... I promise, I will."
Justin frowned as he leaned back in his seat. He met Ramon a little over ten months ago, not really knowing his history, except by what was told to him.
His family fell in love with his cooking that they asked to meet him personally and that was how he met Ramon Russo and his father, Massimo Russo.
Justin admits, however, that his friend Ramon was a very secretive person and did not seem to talk much about his family and his personal life.
Whenever they got together, their usual conversations revolved around the businesses they were running, about Ramon's father, about Justin's family, and current events.
When Justin heard Nari speak on the phone, his thoughts were interrupted.
"Dad! Dad! Dad, I found Luiz! I found him! He is going by the name of Ramon Russo! Dad, isn't it that his last boss was the famous Italian Chef, Massimo Russo?" Nari said with her voice trembling. "Dad, you have to find out about this him! You have to Dad!"
"Dad! Dad, he doesn't seem to recognize me... What do I do?"
"It's really Luiz! It really is him!" Nari said with conviction on the phone, making Justin utterly doubt the recognition he had on Ramon.
While Nari was on the phone, Justin also reached out for his contacts in the US, asking for a background check on Massimo Russo and his son, Ramon Russo.