'Till We Meet Again (CHAPTER EIGHT)

"See you soon?"

"Yes. Goodbye."

"Goodbye for now. Only for now, Aisha. I can't handle if it will be forever. I can't take it. No, I don't want it to be over." Sabay tawa.

"Problema mo? Wala akong nagets sa mga sinabi mo."

"Slow ka lang."

"De. Magulo ka lang talaga, Kyle!"

"Hmm can I visit you at your workplace some other time? Where do you work again? What hospital?"

"Makati General Hosp. Pero 'wag kang bibisita kapag duty ko pa. Unless gusto mo maging patient, pwede rin."

"Omyg this girl."

"Conyo mo."

"Sungit mo."

"Ya I know, I know. Everybody knows that."

"Ingat kayo ha? Hmm hatid ko na kayo sa terminal?"

"No need."

"But, I insist please? Aalis din naman ako eh. Sabay na kayo sa'kin." At biglang sumulpot si Ate out of nowhere.

"Hahatid mo na kami? Sure, sure. Kung gusto mo sa Makati pa mismo eh."

"Ate!"

"No. I would love that, pero I still have some errands to run tomorrow eh. Maybe some other time. Let's go to Laguna sa EK?"

"Amusement park? Pwede ko ba isama ang boyfriend ko?"

"Yea. Sure, Ma'am."

"Hey, drop the formalities. Call me Ate nalang or sissy or anything you want." Wow close kayo? Close kayo?

"Okay, Ate. I'm looking forward to bond with you three."

"Yes, double date tayo ah?"

"Err? Ate!"

At tinawanan lang nila ako.

—————-

Three weeks have passed. I and Kyle has the means of communication now. He makes sure na we get in touch. How thoughtful of him, nag exchange na kasi kami ng numbers so eto we talk to each other everyday for three weeks straight. I'm starting to get used to this na parati na naman siyang andiyan. I hope this time it will last, I hope this time hindi na siya maglalaho pa. Because I can't take it anymore kung mawawala pa siya. Hindi ko na kakayanin kung mawawala pa uli si Kyle sa akin gaya ng nangyari 8 years ago.

THIRD PERSON'S POINT OF VIEW

*FLASHBACK*

-Way back summer 2011-

"Hi. Why are you crying?"

"It's none of your, business." The boy answered.

"Come on, boy. You can tell me everything. It's not good to keep all the burdens with yourself alone, you know. Gagaan pakiramdam mo kapag naishare mo 'yang asa loob mo." Pero he just stared at her. She doesn't know what to do and she remembered what her mom always tells her, that if a friend is in trouble and you don't know what to say, just hug them to make them feel that they're not alone, that you'll be there by their side.

"Do you feel better now?"

"Yeah. Thanks for letting me cry on your shoulder."

"You're welcome. Kahit medyo nabasa na ako." She chuckled and surprisingly, he laughed. "So.. can you tell me now what's your problem?"

"I don't know if I'm over reacting or I'm just exaggerating things. But what they did really frustrates the hell out of me. I just can't understand why they need to change my name. I feel like I'm completely a different person now. Here's my situation, I'm an adopted child. I love my parents so much. They loved me. They cared for me for the 15 years of my whole existence. They never made me feel that I'm not their real son. We're living happily and I just feel so lucky to be blessed to have them. We live peacefully for the past 15 years of my life, but not until my biological parents came. At first, I want to know them. I want to find them and ask them why did they leave me like that? Co'z you know I was just like a potato thrown in the orphanage back then. I'm just lucky that my foster parents were so amused by me because as what they've said, I was a cute bouncing baby boy, so they decided to adopt me. My foster parents did their best for me not to feel that there's something lacking on me. They sheltered me, fed me, dressed me, and even gave their last name to me. But now?! I am just very disappointed with my real parents. I get it that I'm their child and they want my real father's family name to be my last name. But I just don't get it, that they even changed my first name! And now, they will make me leave my parents here in Philippines. My real dad's Australian and my mom's German and a month from now, we're going to leave Philippines and fly to Germany. I think we gotta stay there for good and that idea makes me sick."

"Ohh that's why you do look like a foreigner because you really are. But may I ask?" The boy nodded. "Is your hair color naturally black?" She's trying to lighten up the atmosphere because she noticed that the boy started shaking.

"Nope. I just dyed it. Every other month, I dye my hair black. Because I want it to be black. Ever since grade 6, I'm already doing this. My parents are against, but I begged them to just let me do it. The other kids before were always wondering why my eyes are blue, why I am so white and tall." He laughed. "But you know why I feel so devastated right now? Because they changed my name! That name was given by my parents, my foster parents. They should have just let me use that name. Btw, my name is Elijah Kielle Fernandez. That's my original name."

"And your name now?"

"It doesn't matter. For me, I'm still the Elijah Kielle Fernandez, the son of Elijah Fernandez and Kallie Fernandez. You can call me Elijah. What's your name, by the way?"

"I'm Aisha, Aisha Banner."

"Banner?!"

"Yes, why? Are you shocked because you think I'm foreigner, too?"

"Are you?"

She laughed. "I hope so. But I really am not eh. Hmm siguro may dugong foreigner, pero onti nalang 'yun. Si papa kasi 1/8 Australian din."

"Hmm are you somehow related to Alyss Banner?"

"No. Marami lang kaming kaapelyido."

"Sabagay.."

"Nagtatagalog ka!?"

"I understand Tagalog, but I just can't speak fluently."

"Ohh. Kanina pa kasi ako nosebleed sa'yo eh."

"Nosebleed? But you're nose isn't bleeding naman ah?" He tried to check her nose.

They both laughed.

"Funny naman neto. What I mean is nosebleed ako, because you keep speaking English."

Elijah's face was filled with question marks.

"Hmm how do I explain this? It's like this, Elijah. You keep speaking English and I keep trying my very very best to understand you and just like what I'm doing right now ineexplain ko sa'yo using your language. It's kinda an expression here in Philippines. Nosebleed means i had difficulty in understanding you so my nose bled. Got it na?"

"Ohh, nosebleed. It's clearer now."

And they both laughed again.

"Wow. Smiling face suits you. You look so ugly when you cry. Especially earlier. You were like a monster crying and crying and shouting and throwing all the pebbles that you see."

They laughed again. The school playground was filled with their laughter.

"Ay uy. Alis na pala ako ha? Baka hinahanap na rin kasi ako ng Tita ko. Teacher kasi siya rito sa school na 'to and in few days, classes are going to resume again so ayun naghahanda."

"You take care. Thank you! Oh, by the way. Take this bracelet as a souvenir. It's just showing my gratitude for what you did, for comforting me. Take it, take it."

"Okay. Thank you. I'll keep it. Thanks to this. See you again some other time?"

"Yeah. 'Till we meet again." And he smiled sweetly.