Chapter 14: Chapter 14

The door bell rang, bringing Lora out from her thoughts to reality. She slowly stood up, wiped her tears with the back of her palm and went to get the door only to see Alfredo standing there.

She immediately put her arms around his neck and hugged him tight as if she was expecting him there at the moment, she was feeling so lonely back inside where she was staring at her mum’s picture in the magazine that she had to do this to Alfredo unconsciously.

A little confused, Alfredo unconsciously hugged her too in return, wondering what was going on with her as he could not recall her reacting this way when he came to meet her. “Are you okay?” he asked, peering into her eyes, after he unwrapped his arms around her neck again.

“Ye...s, I am fi...ne.” She replied, stuttering a little and then slowly pulled herself away from him as she was still standing very close to him, close enough to hear his heartbeat, feeling a little embarrassed, lowered her gaze and unconsciously started fondling her fingers. “I am just happy to see you.” She added, then turned around and walked slowly back into the house, gesturing for him to follow her in.

“So, what brings you here?” she asked, lifting her gaze at him briefly, feeling a little shy. She can’t tell why she is not very comfortable with him whenever he comes around, it’s been three years already since they started dating but she still feels a little uneasy with him whenever they are together.

She wonders if that is how it feels to be in love with someone as she doesn’t feel the same way when she is with Catalina, or maybe it’s because he is an opposite sex. She thought.

“It’s not even Sunday yet.” She added, lifting her head a bit to look at him again, still fondling with her fingers and moving her right foot back and forth, feeling a little nervous.

“Yes, I know.” Alfredo answered taking a closer look at her, he can tell something is wrong from the look in her eyes, she looked like she has been crying, he thought and guesses she’s not been in a good mood, and wondered if she was crying because she missed him, and if that was the case, why did she not complain about it when she saw him just now, rather than to just throwing her arms around his neck the way she just did and with a sad face.

“Sorry I didn’t reply your text or return your call, it’s just that I have been very busy you know...” Alfredo explained, putting his right hand into his pants pocket, as he thought now that he should not be surprised by her behaviour at all.

He knew Lora is shy around him because he has seen how she behaved a few times when she is with Catalina, it’s a lot different from the way she behaves around him, just like what she is doing now and knew that she would not be able to complain about him even though she feel wronged by him, and this kind of irritated him but he had to put up with her because she helped him with his school work and that was not because he was not good with his studies but because he had a lot of activities that would not allow him to focus on his studies which was how he was able to get away with it without anyone knowing.

“It’s okay Alfredo, I understand.” Lora said softly, glancing up at him a little and looked away almost immediately still feeling a little bit nervous, she wonder why she was still behaving like this around him especially since it has already been three years since they started seeing each other.

“You do?” Alfredo asked, not sure of what to say given the mood she was in at the moment and the fact that it was not even their meeting day. “Well aah… although it’s coming late from me, I want to say happy graduation to you.” He added staring at her briefly, before turning his gaze away from her, feeling he should just leave her presents immediately.

“Thanks.” She replied, he finally wished her a happy graduation, Lora thought still feeling uneasy, around him, wishing she could just stop acting this way around him and be like a girlfriend should towards her boyfriend, recalling the way he was dancing excitedly with Catalina.

She had missed him, and now that he is here, she doesn’t know what to do, she really did not know how to relax around him, the only thing that calms her nerves whenever he is with her is if she is reading a book because her attention would be on what she is reading, even times when Alfredo would kiss her, she would still feel very nervous as she does not know how to respond, all she knows is that she kisses him back and he seemed to be cool with it.

“Oh Lora, when will you change.” She thought. Catalina had once asked her how they do it since she is not relaxed around him, and what he does when she is reading a book in his presence, but she did not give her an answer immediately because she did not know how to answer the question not until she had pestered her so much about it.

They don’t converse much as he would lie down in the courtyard beside her, or see a movie on his cell phone using an earpiece while she reads a book, which she find awkward most of the time even though she did not say or do anything about it.

And as for how they do it? Nothing like that has happened between them yet, as she is saving it for after they’ve graduated, what they do is smooch while he fondles with her breasts and this only happens when he wants to leave, he would give her a quick hug and then do the rest for about a minute or so. She had replied Catalina after she pestered her so much about it, Catalina was so shocked that she just opened her mouth and stare at her in disbelief.

“Ah… is there a problem?” Alfredo asked seeing how uneasy she looked, even though she had felt so uncomfortable around him, he could see that she seemed to be worse today and wondered if it was because of her promise to allow him make love to her after their graduation.

“No, why?” she asked in return, still fondling her fingers and still unconsciously moving her right foot back and forth, peeking at him from under her lashes.

“It’s nothing just that you don’t seem to be your usual self today.” He said, peering at her, and guessing that his thought about her behavior could be the case or perhaps not, especially since she seemed like she had shaded some tears.

He knew Lora have some personal challenges with her family because he and Catalina often talk about her when they are together, but he has never seen her cry before and she would not also talk to him about her problems and he liked it that way.

To him the only real business he has with her is for her to do his homework and school projects for him, and why he kissed her before he leaves after their meeting is to make the relationship look real to Lora, no strings attached as he never found her attractive, even though she has a beautiful face. He wonders sometimes if it was because of her outfit and appearance as Catalina would say sometimes when he spoke about her appearance to her. He had no doubt that she does not know how to dress, as he had seen the way she dressed and wondered why she would not learn a thing or two from hanging out with Catalina, recalling the way she was dressed when she came to their graduation party. What guy would notice a girl in the kind of outfit she wore to the party, Alfredo thought as he recalled it.

Lora smiled at his comment, with her face down. At least he has taken note of her mood change and for him to notice means that he is interested in her, why won’t he be interested in her, she is his girlfriend for Christ’s sakes she thought dismissing her former thought.

“Well it’s one of those days I missed my parents, that’s all.” She said in reply, lifting her gaze to take a quick glance at him, then looked away again almost immediately, unable to look steadily into his face.

“How ridiculous? She cannot even hold a conversation with me,” Alfredo thought, feeling irritated by her behavior just now and wondered why she was smiling now, he could see her lips curled up in smile even though she was trying to hide it.

’This is the first time she is telling me that she missed her parents in the three years we have started seeing each other, Alfredo thought. “I can’t break up with her now, it is not the right time and besides she must have cried a lot already about her parents or something else that was personal to her, I’ll just wait for another time to break my news to her.” Alfredo thought again, as he peered at her. He then brought out his hand from his pant pocket, deciding that it was time to go.

“Well I came by to check on you since we didn’t see each other on Sunday like we used to.” Alfredo said. “I guess I should be on my way then, see you on Sunday.” He added and then, turned around and began to walk towards the front door.

“Okay, bye, until Sunday.” She replied, quickly walking behind him and immediately they came outside she waved him goodbye and hurried back into the house with a smile on her face, feeling relieved now that he had paid her a visit especially since it was not the day of their usual meeting, feeling better too now that he had explained to her his reason for not coming to see her and why he did not return his call or text.

“Lora, everything is going to be alright and all hope is not yet lost.” She said as she smiled to herself. Alfredo’s visit has lifted up her spirit again.