Maybe this TIME

IX. The Reassurance

1-year na nga ang lumipas I haven't heard about him since then.

I never flirted with another man, I never entertained someone. Without assurance of us being together, here I am again parang bumalik sa umpisa, waiting and hoping for someone. But I will not let it fail this time.

Hanggang sa isang araw, someone called me asking me to report to their office, it was a bit far from my place but I rushed there immediately after a day just to talk to them.

I was hired as a substitute teacher in a public school, a very large and a very populated school.

I was assigned to be a MATH, Values teacher and a Guidance Counselor designate.

I thought this will be a good opportunity for me, this will be a good point to be added on my teaching experience.

I signed the contract right there and then and it was a three-month substitution.

Those months became so stressing, I lost a little bit of weight and I realized how hard my dream job is.

I had this thought of shifting careers, from an educator to a Fire officer.

But during my substitution I did a good job yet it took a lot of pain, effort, sleepless nights, blood and sweat, I tried applying for a Fire Officer I but I failed because my body was weak and I did not pass the medical due to my Acute Urinary Tract Infection.

As I explore what I really want in life, I experienced a lot of hardships and confusion. I learned that adulting life really sucks! Most especially of becoming a teacher. But thankfully I was able to love teaching during my last weeks of substitution.

Not long after, my substitution has ended and I got my salary after a month.

I want to treat my family for a travel so I planned a trip for my family in Sagada, it was the month of December when we go for some vacation in the mountains of Sagada.

It was 5 AM and we are preparing for a very long and adventurous ride going in the mountainous areas of Sagada, I updated Khael, I tried to call him even knowing he was still asleep that hour. But I still tried.

I just want to inform him of my whereabouts, alam naman natin na kapag mountainous areas wala ng internet connection, wala ng signal.

I called him twice already pero nagriring lang siya,

I tried it for the third time and he answered the call, I thought nagising ko siya nang napaka-aga.

No one was talking so I spoke first and said "Good morning"

Then he answered

"Good morning po, sino po sila?"

I was speechless, I doubled-check the number and it was him but.

"Uhm, Aika ito, Khael?"

"Ah! Nasa morning prayer po ang mga boys namin, (he was referring to the seminaries). We collected their phones para maka focus po sila sa morning devotion"

"I see, can I ask kung sino po ito?"

"I am Father Jorge, ako po yung naka assign sakanila this morning, you can call later po after the session, are you a relative po?"

"Ah sorry po Father, uhm hindi po, I am just a friend of him father"

I realized hindi naka save ang contact number ko sa kanya, I thought he saved it before ☹

"I will call again one day po Father, thank you so much"

"Ikaw siguro si Aika, but you said you are Khael's friend, different from what he shared, he said you are his longtime lover"

"He said that Father?"

"Yes, he even bragged about you about being a smart and dedicated girl, he told us that you made his childhood life memorable"

Tears suddenly fell from my eyes without even realizing it, I was touched to the bones, I can't believe that man still talk about me even in that place and situation

"How is he Father? Is he doing fine? Is he going to stay there for a very long time?"

"It is up to him, he is a very smart man with visions in life, I can see his determination in their classes but he is not happy with what he is doing. I can feel something is bothering him and he kept on talking about you here so I'm worried that he everything he learned and he's doing will be for nothing, so darling please don't destruct him, encourage him instead, God has better plans for him and for you too"

"I understand Father, but can you please tell him I'm going on a long vacation and I cannot call or text him from there?"

"Sure, don't worry about him here, he's doing fine"

"Thank you Father, God bless you po"

I realized what the priest have said, Am I being a destruction for him? Or it's him that is really destructed?

I remembered what the priest said that Khael was bothered so I thought what if it's not what he really wants?

I cried a bit and packed my things in the luggage.

No matter what, whatever his decision will be, I'll wait for him...

It's what I assure of him...