When the Rain Stopped Falling (Published under Pop Fiction)

2: The Guy Across the Hall

I saw him but he pretended not to see me- the guy across the hall. I don't know about it but he seems a little creepy to me. But it would be much less of course if he would turn out to be a cute good-looking guy or if he's Zac Efron or whatever. What's peculiar about him is that his stare lingered with me for a long time that up to this time, I couldn't get over it. This is the time where curiosity gets the best of me.

Dad and I continued unpacking after we had our lunch at a local store nearby. We had ordered my favorite dish which was Kare-kare, a peanut-based stew. Once again, I had observed the surrounding to map out the possible routes I might take when going home or going to class. But like earlier, I only got dizzy with the bunch of people walking past with each other in a hurry. Well, at least, I know now where to eat when I'm starving. "So that's about it," my dad said as he finished fixing my bed while I was about to finish transferring my clothes from my huge purple duffel bag to the wooden cabinet permanently affixed in the corner of my room. "Elois, take care of yourself here, huh? Always drink your medicine," Dad patted my head. I looked up to him and nodded. So this is really it. I'm going to be living alone without my dad.

"Oh princess, are you crying?" dad suddenly wiped the corner of my eye surprising me a bit.

"No, dad! I'm not crying!" I argued. Sometimes dad knows exactly what I'm feeling and even what would I feel, he could already tell. He chuckled heartily until his laughter faded into silence. Dad is a very strong man but I'm not describing him physically. I think he's emotionally strong. When my mother left us, he had been so quiet about it that we only talked about it twice. He or neither have I had opened that issue again. He didn't lock himself to the world, he didn't change, and I never saw him cry, which is why I'm worried about him. He had to work harder as an elementary school teacher and fill in the duties of two parents in one. He had to be both a father and a mother to me that's why I saw him as a very strong man but that's only how I see it.

"Dad," I hugged one of his big and chunky arms.

"Yes, princess?"

"Take care of Mimo for me," I said solemnly. Mimo is my pet rabbit which was fascinatingly 7 years old now. I would have brought her here with me in the dormitory if pets were allowed. Dreadfully, I feel like I'm a seven-year-old girl who is about to go to school for the first time.

"Of course," dad kissed me by the forehead and then shifted away towards the door. "I love you, Eloise. Always remember everything that I've told you, got that? Remember that I'm here for you, don't be selfish mm-kay?" For a second there, I heard dad's voice shaking as if he's fighting tears. And he wasn't looking at me when he told me that. "And if you need more than myself, you know what number to call,"

"896-9191" I answered rubbing my wrist.

"Good-bye, Elois."

I nodded goodbye. "Love you, dad," Finally, dad went outside my new house, from my new room and I decided to walk toward the doorstep and watch him go across the hallway. His footsteps echoed throughout the empty path and it was slowly fading away until I couldn't hear it anymore. And that made me lose it. I shut the door close and went straight to my bed and sobbed like always. Crying is like my major skill in life. Unlike my dad, I'm weak. I couldn't hold my emotions down, I couldn't do that. In fact, it is the one that holds me down.

For hours, I was just quiet. I guess this is what they were saying as the adjustment period. Hell, it came to me as soon as it can touch me huh. I only stopped sulking when I noticed that my room was too dark and I needed to turn on the light. Lazily, I looked for the on the switch of the house light. After a minute or so, I found one and flicked it over. Light suddenly burst through the entire room, so bright I needed to squint my eyes to adjust. The first thing I noticed in my room was the empty bed frame adjacent to mine. I now came to wonder when would my roommate come? Or maybe I won't have any roommate. I don't know if it's sad or the entire opposite but right now I'm guessing it would be dreadful. Just the silence makes me feel so empty inside.

Quite strange, it was roughly 6:30 pm yet when I looked outside from the single window sill of my room, the place were already dark. But the colorful lights makes the streets vibrant, alive with the usual buzz people make. Suddenly something tugged right in my gut that made me want to go outside. I hear not just noise now but some music I've heard before. Could it be? Outside, there was someone playing a violin cover of a familiar song. It is an old song, I say but I can't seem to tell the actual title. I tried to hum with the symphony but it was slowly fading away and the street noise started to prevail again. Outside, I have to go outside. I walked quickly as possible as if I could catch the music and grab it but something stopped me. No, someone. When I opened my door, a guy was standing in front carrying a lot of things- things like suitcase and luggage.

"Hey new roommate," he clumsily let go all the stuff he was carrying and he offered me his hand for a shake.

I froze.