Clandestine (On Hold)

II. Elle Est De Retour

With her satchel hanging on her shoulder and her luggage in tow, she headed to the immigration counter of NAIA. It was 2 in the morning and only a few passengers arrived at the airport at that time. Her eyes wandered around and she caught the eyes of some of the passengers looking at her. She was used to the attention. Considering her height and her stunning looks, it wasn't a shock that she would attract countless pairs of admiring eyes.

Wearing a pair of acid washed jeans with an over-sized sweater, a pair of flats and her Rayban eyeglasses, she still looked gorgeous. Her face free off make up and her hair in a messy bun, and yet she still looked runway-ready. Her 2-year stay in Paris changed the way she dressed and the way she carried herself. But deep inside her, there was still a piece of the Mika Reyes that ran away from her problems because she was too much of a coward to face them.

She felt anguish, excitement and happiness all at the same time - feelings that were difficult to handle separately, in her case put together, creating more chaos in her chest. While waiting for her turn to have her passport stamped, several questions flooded her head.

How much has the Philippines changed?

Were her friends pissed at her for her sudden disappearance?

How mad was Kristian at her for leaving him without anything but a note that said goodbye?

Was Ara ready to forgive her after what she had said and done?

Was her family mad at her for not communicating with them for two years?

How was he? Has he found the love of his life?

Her train of thought was broken by the airport staff who signaled for her turn.

She gave the girl at the counter her passport and ticket. The girl, who looked like she needed a good night's sleep, didn't even bother looking at Mika. She was in her mid-20s and looked pissed that she had gotten the night shift. But her eyes immediately lit up when she read the name of the passport's owner.

"MIKA REYES?" the girl suddenly blurted out, attracting the attention of the other people in line.

Mika just smiled and nodded at the girl in the counter who suddenly looked energized and whose breathing bordered hyperventilation.

The girl covered her mouth in shame, composed herself, then apologized, "Sorry Ms. Mika! Fan mo kasi ako! College days mo pa lang sa UAAP! Kaso bigla kang umalis tapos binura mo pa yung social networking accounts mo. Kaya hindi naming, mga fans mo, malaman kung saan ka pum- um."

The girl, who turned out to be one of her fans, noticed the change in Mika's facial expressions - from a smile to a stern look, and apologized again, "Sorry Ms. Mika, um, welcome back to the Philippines po!"

"Don't you dare tell anyone that you saw me, or else you'll be saying goodbye to your job Ms. Escalano."

It wasn't that she turned into a bitch, but she wanted to keep everything as low key as possible. She gave the girl a nod, got her passport from the counter and walked towards the arrival area. Before leaving the Philippines, she deleted all of her social media accounts - Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. To her, not doing so would only tempt her to contact everyone that mattered. And that would defeat the purpose of leaving. So she endured every single day of the 2 years she had no contact with her family.