Cycle Of Love Series #5: Love and Crosses

46

"My parents found out where I'm staying at," pagsisimula ko sa kuwento. "They told me to come back at home tomorrow or else they will drag me to get outta here."

"Why don't you go to another hotel?" he suggested that made me laugh.

"Andre . . . I will just waste money if I did that!" I'm trying to control my laugh when I replied. "They will keep finding me. They will haunt me to death if I don't come back."

"So, babalik ka sa inyo? By the way, why are you running away from them? Is your situation something serious?"

"They just arranged me to a freaking arranged marriage, Andre. They said it'll help our family to be more known," I casually answered without knowing. Nanlaki na lang nang kusa ang mata ko nang mapagtanto ang sinabi ko sa kaniya.

Did I just freaking told him my situation?!

But, how?! How did I did it? Paano ko nakayanang magsabi ng problema sa iba?!

Wow . . . This is amazing, really. It's my first time telling someone about my problems.

"WHAT?!" Awtomatiko ko na inilayo sa tainga ko 'yong phone nang sumigaw siya. Now, he's surprised. No doubts, of course! "HOW COULD THEY DO THAT TO THEIR OWN CHILD?"

I shrugged even though he can't see it. "They're being them. The more known we are, the better. I still don't understand why are they so obsessed with it."

"Have you met the guy who will you marry?"

"I don't need to effort. I'm sure if I will return tomorrow, they will start to arrange the wedding right away. And that starts with meeting my groom . . ." I started to conclude how I am gonna busy all day tomorrow. It's already exhausting to conclude!

"Are you sure about this, Zye? You will really go home? Once you go back, I doubt you could back-out easily . . ."

Mapait akong ngumiti kasabay ng pagtingin ko sa bintana. "Is there anything else I could do? I'm just their living puppet to live up their shows."

"What if I said there's something you could do?"

In that line I heard from him, it gave me hope. I was waiting someone to say that to me. That I can run away from this. I can . . . I can do whatever I want. I can make friends and hang-out with them. I can chose a man to marry to grow old with. That . . . I can finally have freedom.

"What can I do, Andre? What can I do to run away from this?"

"Let's run away together, Ashandria. Just you and me."