I'll be Home [On Going]

Chapter 55

Lea was staring at the passport she was holding for minutes now. She knows that she's more than sure of her plan but something in her heart feels heavy. She closed and put it back on the table before taking her phone to call her son as she checks the time on a wall clock.

"¡Hola Mamá! (Hello Mom!)"

Lea smiled instantly when she heard the always energetic voice of her son Gabriel. "Hola Cariño! How's your day?" she began to ask. Gabriel started telling her stories on how his day goes on a day to day basis. He shared that he was doing good and even topped the mini quiz bee that their school conducted last Science and Math Fair. It was his first time to be in this kind of activity and he enjoyed it a lot. He excitedly told his mother how the rooms looked like and how students together with their advisers can be so creative in decorating their designated rooms with science and mathematical concepts.

And since it's natural for him to be good in math and science, he volunteered to make some easy experiments to entertain his classmates and teachers. Some of those are the Da Vinci Bridge, Capillary action and a Lava Lamp. Though he thinks anyone his age can do that, with a little assistance from adults. As per him, he used to make such experiments when he was in Quito whenever he has spare time. Mostly when he was alone at home. And that gives him an advantage.

"Eso es bueno escuchar... ¿Estas muy contento con tu escuela nueva? (That's good to hear... Are you really happy with your new school?)" Lea asked after her son's long story.
"¡Por supuesto Mamá! ¡Yo estoy! ¡Esto es genial! Mis compañeros de clase siempre se rien, aunque no los consigo a veces. Pero está bien. (Ofcourse Mom! I am! This is so cool! My classmates always laugh, though I don't get them sometimes! But that's okay.)" Gabriel answered obviously and they both laughed. That's actually true, even she noticed that with Filipinos. They always laugh, like they are the most problem free people in the world. As what she had searched before going in to this place, that's one of the amusing traits of Filipinos. Whatever they may be going through in life, count on them to manage everything with a smile. It's like, they just smile by default.

"Está bien, te quiero cariño. (Ok then, I love you my love.)" Lea cordially said and before ending the call, "Nos vemos en dos días. (See you in two days) she added. That's all she needed to know. Just the moment after, she checked the time again. It's already passed nine in the evening and she has not yet heard of Aga. She got her feet out of her room to get something to drink. With a bag of green tea, dipped in a cup of hot water, she was about to get back to her room but decided instead, to walk in the living room and wait for Aga.

She's been checking the time and it's almost an hour have passed but there's still no Aga coming in. She kept yawning since she sat back and it's already her third refill of water on her green tea that it's becoming tasteless.

'What's taking you so long Aga?'

She checked the time again.

'I should have brought my phone.'

And as she thought, she went back to her room and took her phone. Might as well she just listen to music to idle away the time.

10:35 PM

...

11:00 PM

...

11:30 PM

...

Aga was surprised to see the lights inside are still on. He thought, Nana might have forgotten to turn them off, though she hardly ever done that. He immediately turned off the lights as soon as he entered and walked passed the living room. He was about to take his first step on the stairs when something, someone rather caught his attention so he turned his way back to the area to check, it must be Nana again, he thought. Well he's used to that if that's so. Nana seldom waits for him late, though how many times he already advised her not to, it's just her who's persistent. She always tell him, he's like a son to her and she gets worried whenever he gets home late without prior notice. And he appreciates that. He never had enough time to be with his mother and she was gone, that was the time that he and Lea were just starting to build their small family here in Philippines.