False-hearted

Chapter 21

Elmo experienced all the hassles in every border checkpoints on his way back to Manila that gave him stress, a lot wanting to see Julie right away. 

It was past ten in the evening when he got to his condo, strained. 

His mind was flying anywhere but Julie. He had a dilemma on how to visit her, he missed her so much. 

He had a hard time to ignore the urge of calling her because she might be in her deep sleep at this hour,so he just shrugged the thought of calling. 

He went to the shower and enjoyed his warm bath. 

Moments later with only his boxers he laid down on his back in his king size bed. Because he was tired from driving it only took him a few seconds he drifted to sleep, only a few moments he opened his eyes again as his cell phone kept on ringing. Half awake he reached for his cell phone placed on the upper right corner of the bed. 

He answered his phone yawning, without checking who the caller was. 

" Elmo?" 

Instantly he was fully awake when he heard her voice and her subtle cries. 

" Julie? Baby, why are you crying?" 

Elmo started a conversation with Julie, as he was trying to hold his own tears too, rested his back on the head board, trying his best to sound relaxed, dahil ayaw niya itong ma stress lalo. 

He heard her sniffing before she spoke. 

" Kainis ka naman eh. You got a signal na pala eh. Where are you? Why have you never called?" 

Julie said, in her parang nagtatampo tone. 

" Uhmm. You miss me that bad? I'm sorry. I was in a hurry to see you, and I wanted to surprise you but it turned out I was the one surprised with all the border guidelines and health protocols. And I went to my condo past ten already, and I thought you were sleeping na, I don't want to disturbed your sleep. "

He heard her sniffing several times before she calmed and talked again. 

" I don't need surprises, Elmo. I need you. I miss you so much. "

Her voice sounds so sad, it penetrates his heart. 

He heard her subtle cries again, his heart melted, a tear he was trying to hold came out unnoticed. It was too much for him, 

" Baby, please don't cry. "

" Please, please, I want to see you. "

The thought of not seeing him for another week was killing her, para na siyang mababaliw kakaisip na hindi niya nakikita si Elmo. 

And now her cries were audible. His chest tightened as his own emotions stirred. 

A tear fell from his eyes, he felt so helpless with the present situation. If this lock down didn't happen he probably was with her right now even if took him to arrive at midnight he would surely see her. 

He wiped his tears, took a deep breath and tried to prevent another tear from falling. 

" Julie, baby please calm down… Listen please. I miss you too, sobra-sobra... I'm dying to see you too. But you know, on my way back here I encountered a lot of borders, and it strained me. It took me a lot of begging just to be home because I don't have the requirements they were asking for. Today is just their first day and they were too strict like that, how much more in the next days---"

" So just----"

Julie cannot help but feel annoyed. She thought of the saying that kung ayaw maraming dahilan kung gusto maraming paraan.