Of Love, Signs and Logic (Completed)

34 - Of Signs

"We're okay, Nay. Pagod lang. Pero na-miss ko po talaga kayo!" she said teary-eyed as she hugged her again.

"Ayan, Nanay! Kanina pa umiiyak yan. Ikaw ang mag-interview." her father interjected.

"Mamaya na yan, Teodoro. Kumain muna tayo. Nagpaluto na ako."

They ordered her favorite dishes, but try as she might, she just moved her food around her plate.

It was Kuya Poch who answered most of their questions and gave details about their trip but avoided mentioning about what they really wanted to hear, the reason behind her sadness. Meng requested to retire early to their room with the excuse that she's really tired from the hike.

Her mother and father can only exchange looks. May nagbago sa anak nila. She's usually full of stories coming back from her out-of-town trips.

She did retire early but found it difficult to sleep despite her fatigue. It was already after midnight when she finally dozed off.

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Their flight is at 8:30am, but she was already awake at 5am. Realizing that they are at a beach resort, she got up to explore the beach. This is one of her favorite times of the day in a beach, when it's no longer night but it's not yet day, and the serenity of the water is inviting.

She likes it when there are no one around and she has the beach all for herself. But for some reason, the sand, the sea and the sunrise did not hold any attraction this morning.

She would have liked to walk on the beach but instead, she just sat on the sand, looking at nothing in particular, thinking of mountains and dimples .

"Meng." she did not notice that kuya Poch was already sitting beside her. She looked at him and returned her gaze back to the horizon.

"Okay ka lang ba talaga? Nag-aalala na sila Tita."

"I already miss him." she admitted.

"Hindi obvious. Promise, hIndi talaga halata! Natulog ka ba o inisip mo lang siya?" Paolo asked, the concern evident in his voice.

"Tama ba yung ginawa ko kuya Poch? Paano kung hindi na nga kami magkita?" she said finally voicing out her fears.

"Sorry Meng, hindi kita sinusumbatan pero sinong may kasalanan? You had your chance to tell him who you are. Yung totoo, humingi ka ng sign 'no?"

"Mali ba? Dati ko namang ginagawa yon diba?"

"Wala lang Menggay, feeling ko lang, you might be overdoing this sign thingy. Parang ikaw na ang nag-decide para sa inyong dalawa. You did not give him a choice. Sa tingin mo matutuwa siya na hindi ka man lang nagpaalam? Tapos, ikaw ang nahihirapan ngayon."

She has no response to that.

"I'm not against signs basta i-balance mo lang. Kasi, feeling ko lang, hindi kaya pag lumaon, yang mga signs mong yan ang magpapatalo sa 'yo?"

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She still has no appetite for breakfast and her parents were becoming worried. To divert her attention from whatever she's thinking, they did all the talking and kept her up-to-date with what happened while she was away.

She learned from them that her name trended several times during the past week, with her supporters wondering where she was and why she did not made her presence felt during her break. Only a tweet from her manager, saying that she's enjoying her vacation, silenced down the clamor for information of her whereabouts.