Chapter 11: Chapter 11

Back at Oregon, Justine went to her high school friend, Emma. Emma is getting married this coming July and she spend the day with her. It’s been a long time since they last met and they both grown up now, they both have different life. Emma is a fashion designer and she met her fiancé in a fashion show. Her fiancé is a photographer. Justine remind him to Andrew, they both photographer.

“How’s your life now, Just”? Emma ask her

“ I’m doing okay. I’m busy with my work”. I reply while holding a glass of water

“ Are you getting married now”? She ask again

“ no.” I said with a smile

“ why no”. Who’s your boyfriend now”? She ask me continuously

I didn’t answer. I don’t know what to say. So I just smile at her

“ Just, you’re getting old.” Everyone in our batch has been getting married.” You will be left behind if you don’t want to get married”. She say while holding in my hands.

I smile again to her. I plan to tell to Emma about Andrew but I decided not to do it. I will just let the time comes when Andrew and I are ready to tell to everyone. I went back to my apartment that night and spend my night alone. I check my calendar and count the days until seventeen of September. Its still a long days, it’s still a long days to wait. I said to myself and I saw wilo on my bed and I starts to talk to him.

“ wilo. I miss him. I really miss him. If he was just in other City I will go right away to him and hug him.” I said to wilo while hugging him.

“ two more months. Two more long months and I will finally see him.” I said

I sleep that night hugging wilo.

And Justine spend the 4th of July with herself. She buy herself a things that she love. New dress, new shoes, new hair style, new make up and everything new about herself. She felt proud of herself because of everything she’s been through this past years she deserves a new life. At night she make a dinner for herself for the first time in her life and she was very happy because she love her cooking and she eat more. Before going to bed she decide to talk to wilo again. She felt better every time she’s talking to wilo, she felt like she’s been talking to Andrew personally.

“ hello wilo, can you tell Andrew that I really miss him so much. Can you hug him for me and kiss him also. I was starting to regret for not giving my contact and my full name to Andrew. I want to talk to him and ask him about his days.” I said with a sad face.

Days pass and Justine live her life. She wake up early went for a jog and go to her work until the afternoon and spend the night with work again. She keep herself busy so she won’t remember about Andrew and the day. For her to make her busy is the only way to survive the loneliness with Andrew. And Andrew do the same also. He make his life busy everyday, he work day and night to reduce the pain from longing someone he love. Andrew plan the day on September 17th . He write what time he will be at the airport of Mactan and what time to take a lunch and what to bring for Justine. He write everything because he don’t want to ruin that very important day of his life and the next day he book a ticket to Cebu that dated on the September 17th.

Two months before the day. Andrew was excited, it was her lovely sister Kate’s birthday and he plan to have a dinner with her and his mother. And he was planning to tell to both of them about Justine. At dinner time at their home he greet Kate a happy birthday and send her the birthday gift he buy the other day. It was a her favorite colored shoes and she love it. He also buy her mom a dress that really fit to his mom. As the dinner almost finish Andrew starts to speak, he was so serious this time.

“ so, mom and Kate, about my vacation in Cebu last month. He starts

“ it’s not really a vacation. I had a job there in a event.” He continuous

“ and I enjoyed being there. I enjoyed the beach and the Sun set as well but there’s more I met a woman. She was a foreign tourist and we had a great time together. Unfortunately she left a couple of weeks ago but she promise that we will meet again in Mactan church”.

“ and mom, I was in so in love with her. She made me smile every time we met and she made me believe that love was really the best part of life and being with her was my biggest accomplishment”. He said

His mom and Kate couldn’t believe to what Andrew had said. He never like this before. Both of them was so sure he was really in love.

“ go with her and take care of her “. Kate said while hugging him

“ oh my Andrew, you are so in love right now”. His mom said

“ so what is her name”? Ask Kate

“ her name is Justine, Justine with e.” he reply

Andrew photographs the wedding of his cousin while taking a pictures sometimes he imagine his self walking with Justine in his side. He imagine his wedding with Justine and how his mother’s look when he married. While having a break his uncle approach him and thanking him for his great work as a photographer. His uncle introduce him to other guests and jokingly ask Andrew when to get married, he smile and saw his mom and he proudly said that she has a girlfriend and she is in Oregon, USA. His mom was so proud of him for speaking up for himself. Andrew was a quite guy and his cousin think that he was a gay but he never mind them for thinking that way but instead he enjoyed his own life but his mom never believe in rumors instead he believe in his son. His cousins never believe him to what he said, after the wedding at the reception his cousins invited him to drink but he refuse because he was driving his mom and his sister. They thought Andrew was lying and in fact they believe that his girlfriend left because she think that Andrew was a gay but Andrew never mind them and continue his work. Despite of their bad think of Andrew he never feel bad for them but he understands them. Since his father died, his uncle never left them alone. He was always there to help them to continue living and he was thankful for that.

At the way home, while Andrew driving the song in a radio starts to play and his eyes are wide open and he starts to remember her. It’s the same song when he invited Justine to danced in a small island. His mom notice his smile and ask him why he was smiling? Nothing, I just remember something, he said while driving but his mom believe it was the woman he met in Cebu. “ so, tell me about her”? She ask and Andrew shock why she ask that. “she’s different. He started to say. “ she was fun to talk and when I told her something she was serious listening and it makes her more beautiful”. He ended. “ wow, that’s fantastic”. Her mom said surprisingly. “ I can’t wait to meet her” she added and Andrew agree “ I can’t wait, too”.

They went home almost night and Andrew was about to go to his room when his mom called him and tell him something. “ I was so proud of you today” she said while holding his face. “ you are grown up now and I was happy that you grown so well. Your father will be proud of you” she continue almost crying and Andrew hug his mom. “ I’m still the young boy that you take care with dad and will always be a young boy, mom”. He said comforting his mom and his sister Kate went to hug with them.

Have you ever think of the future when you were just kid. What do you want when you grow old where do you want to go when you can stand on your own. Have you ever wondering to every kid that you see what will they be when they’re old.