Chapter 13: Chapter 13
In Oregon, September 16th evening, American time. Justine called her parents to say goodbye and her friend Melissa called.
“ hey Justine,”
“ hi Lis, I was about to call you.”
“ hold on, Just. Did you just say you will meet Andrew on September 17th, right”? In the Philippines?
“ yeah, 17th why what’s wrong”?
“ well, the September 17th in the Philippines is done.” She said.
“ hey, what do you mean done”?
“ the Philippine time is one day ahead on us”.
“ so what day now in the Philippines”?
“ I search it and right now and it’s a September 18th , 2 in the morning.”
“ what?!!!” why I never knew about it.”
I hang her phone and immediately run to the airport and ask for a immediate flight to the Philippines but sadly all the flights in that time are all fully book. I talk to the airport staff and I told them that I need to go to the Philippines immediately because someone is waiting for me. But the airport staff couldn’t do anything I was so desperate to have a flight but I couldn’t. I was about to cry when suddenly there’s a lady approach me and give her ticket to me. I was so happy in tears and thank the lady for her kindness. The lady then introduce herself and she told me that she was going home after of twenty years of working. I give her the money but she refuse to, she said she was so happy that someone is so excited as her going back to the Philippines. And I said goodbye to the lady without knowing her name. I fly away without bringing anything except my phone, my passport, my wallet and of course wilo. I was terrified, I thought I couldn’t make it. I talk to wilo again.
“ it was a terrific day, wilo. I was too busy lately and I forget about the time zone. I just hope he will still be there waiting for both of us.”
I never taste hunger because of excitement. I sleep in the airplane with wilo on my shoulder. After two days I arrive at Manila and I immediately book a ticket to Cebu. After an hour, I fly again this time I was almost there.
Back to Andrew. He waited again in the next day hoping she will show up. But still no Justine came. He walk across the church thinking what he will do. He called her mom again and told her she’s not coming back. It’s been three days since the day they promise to meet again but no footprint’s of her.
“ son, I know it’s hurt but you have to be strong”. Andrew’s mom said with sadness
“ I know mom, thank you for being with me”. I was just to attend the mass and I will be back there tonight”. He said.
Andrew went inside of the church and he silently looking up in the pictures and he was amazed. Suddenly a priest came to him and had a chat with him.
“ hi sir, welcome to our church”.
“ thank you father.”
“ I am father Rowell”.
“ I’m Andrew, father”.
“ so what brings you here”?
“ to pray father”.
“ yeah I know, but what I mean is what brings you here in Cebu”.
“ I’m…. I was supposed to meet someone here”. We we’re suppose to meet here last September 17th but she never came.
“ well, maybe there’s reason why she never came”.
“ I hope so, father”.
“ well, don’t give up son. God never give up on us too”. He said with a smile.
“ thank you father. I really need to talk to someone right now”. Andrew reply
“ well, God whispered in my ears and told me that you need to talk to”. So I just did”.
“ thank you father. Thank you so much”.
Next day, September 22nd. Andrew decided to visit Mactan church before he leaves. He wake up early and still hoping for some miracle that she will show up but he already knew that she wasn’t. He wants to go to Oregon but he don’t know exactly where Justine is and he don’t know her real name. And if they not really for each other at least he enjoyed their moments together and he’s so blessed for that. After the mass Andrew bid goodbye to fr. Rowell, the priest he talked yesterday. He wait around for another time and hoping she will show up just like what she promise before she left. The rain starts to drops but Andrew never run away, he stand still waiting for her to come.
Justine arrive at Cebu last night, she went to church but she never saw him. She spend the night at the hotel near the church and she’s praying to God that tomorrow she will be able to see and meet Andrew again after three months. She wake up almost eight of the morning and went straight to the church. She heard the church bell symbolizing the start of the mass. She went inside and pray for some miracle. The mass almost finish when she decided to walk around and try to find Andrew but she never saw him. “maybe he went away and never wait me, she said to herself “ I think I should go”, she said sadly. She walk away while the rain is falling, while walking she notice the group of people looking to something but she couldn’t tell. And she heard a cop said that there’s a man waiting in front of the church and he was really wet from the rain. She follow the cops but there’s so many people in front and she couldn’t pass by. She saw a chair and put her feet into the chair to see the face of the man but she can only see is the t-shirt of the man that he was wearing, it was a white shirt. She try to stop the cop but it’s too late, she has a thought that it could be Andrew but she don’t know where to go until she finally ask someone in front of her where the cop will bring the guy.
“ it could be in the police station, you can ride a taxi and say Cebu police station 1.
And she did, she ride a taxi and went to police station, after ten minutes she arrive and ask the police desk officer about the man in front of the church.
“ he’s in the second floor”, said the desk officer and she immediately run in the elevator and press the up button but the elevator is full so she decided to go stairs but as she go for the first steps she heard a man shouted, Mr. Andrew Davidson you are free now. She immediately turn around and see the two cops coming from outside and she immediately ask,
“where is Andrew?
“ he go away just a moment ago”.
Justine immediately run outside and shout “Andrew!, it’s me Justine.” She turn back and forth but never see him. She’s tired and try to sit down at the park bench and look at the sky. She close her eyes and suddenly she feel like someone sitting next to her but she never make a glance, she’s tired and exhausted. She never took breakfast and only ate bread last night. She still sitting at the bench and her eyes are still close but she is awake when she suddenly heard a voice of a man.
“Justine!! He shouted and she open her eyes and see the face of familiar guy but not clear.
“Andrew, its that you” she ask while standing and looking in his face to make sure it was real
“ yes, it’s me. And she hug him so tight and couldn’t believe in what she see.
“ I thought your gone”, she said “ I thought I couldn’t see you again, I waited last night but I never saw you there” she continues as he was holding her.
“I’ve been waiting for you since September 17th but you never showed up”,
“ I know, I forgot the time zone here in the Philippines and there but I am here”, she said happily.
“ Yes, thank you for coming”, he said after hugging her.
“ by the way,” he said “ can we meet again from the beginning” he implies
“ what do you mean”, she ask in confused. And Andrew lift his hand and introduce himself
“ I’m Andrew Davidson and I am 34 years old living in Quezon City, Philippines”. And Justine turns
“ I’m Justine Meyers, 33 years old from Portland Oregon, USA. And they both shake their hands as a sign that they finally meet again.
That night, they finally had their first date after they meet again. They go to a local restaurant near the city and they both have story to tell to each other. Andrew curiously ask Justine how is her life after she left the Philippines three months ago.
“ it was okay at first, I thought three months was fast to pass but day after day I realized that it was a long time. I couldn’t sleep well at first and I decided to focused on my work and I did. I work every hour of my days to avoid thinking of you,” and they both laughing
“ I still couldn’t believe you are here”, Andrew said seriously
“ me too, I thought you already left because it’s been how many days after seventeenth”, Justine added.
“ I was going home this morning but I went back to church and attended the mass before I leave but I couldn’t go. I talked to God and said that if you didn’t came today I will leave tomorrow morning, so I stayed there while the rain falling and wait for you to come but the cops saw me and think that I was crazy man”, Justine laugh at him but Andrew continue to speak.
“thank you for coming and for not giving up on us”, Andrew said seriously and they both quite for a moment. After the dinner they both decided to stay for a walk and have a chat again.
“ Justine, can you come with me tomorrow because I want you to introduce to my mom and my sister Kate,” he said pleasingly. Justine love to go but she insisted and Andrew got sad about it.
“I love to go and meet your mom and your sister but I was thinking about us, our situation” she said and they stop walking.
“We’re gonna make it, we don’t need to rush it. We have to trust each other, okay” he said and he went to hug me.
“ how are we gonna make it, are you going with me” she ask him while she was his arms
“no, I will be here and I continue my job” ,
“ so, I’m going to stay here?, But I don’t want to quit my job” she insisted
“ I know you love your job and you don’t have to quit. I will continue my life and you will continue you life too but this time, I am with you now” he said and he hug me again.
“ here’s my plan, I will introduce you to my mom and my sister and I know you can’t stay longer because of your job but I think we can still be together for a day and you will leave again but this time you have my number, my full name, my email and everything that you need”, he discuss. “ and after a month I will be there with you, I promise” he grab her hands and put it in his chest and she feel his heart and he smile at her.
Andrew send Justine at her hotel and hug her so tight for a long time. And before he leave, he say something to Justine.
“ from now on you and I are always together, I will take care of you. Okay” he said and Justine smile at him.
“ promise” I ask
“ yes, I promise you” he cross his finger in my fingers while looking at my eyes and he went away.
That night, I called my best friend Melissa. I told what happened that day, from the time Andrew and I met up to the time that Andrew sent me home. I ask Melissa if what I am doing is right but instead she ask me if I really love Andrew.
“ yes I did but I don’t know if we can’t make it, he’s here and I was going home. I don’t know how we can handle that”, I told her but she laugh at me
“ it’s 21st century, we have phones and you can communicate with that, we have email that you can send some letter. Come on Justine, you met him don’t let him go like that.” She advice me
“ I know it’s hard but you have to fight, you have to be strong to be with him” she added
“ thank you Lis, I miss you, see you soon” I said to her and I bid goodbye to her. I went to sleep thinking about Andrew and I. I want to encourage myself to be with Andrew but I don’t know how. I don’t want to quit my job and I don’t think I can stand in a long distance relationship because I was afraid that Andrew will find another woman and left me behind. I couldn’t sleep thinking and wondering, I decided to call mom. After the third ring of her phone, she answer me.
“ mom, I can’t sleep” I said right away
“ honey, what’s going on” she ask in a sad voice “ you didn’t see Andrew” she added
“ no mom, I saw him” I said while laying down in my bed
“ but why are you sad” she said while I was thinking how to tell to mom.
“ mom, I thinking how we gonna make it, I said sadly and I hear my mom breathing deep
“ honey, you will never know the things if you didn’t try. Trust your heart and don’t be afraid to try.” Mom told me and I felt better
“ thank you mom,” I said with a smile “ bring him here” she said and we both laugh
“ thank you mom, see you soon” and I drop the call.
When you are in love, you should be ready to take a risk. You should not be afraid of tomorrow but be ready to face it. When you are in love, you have to accept the challenges and trust your heart. You should not be afraid of the past because you’re going in the future. When you are in love, you should be ready to forget everything.