His Secretive Demeanor

Chapter 9

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The week has gone by fast, and now I could say that I have fully recovered and the traumatic experience has taught me a lot about safety and how time could be so unpredictable. I spent most of my days inside my room, reading books or scrolling through my feed, I could see my friends enjoy their summer vacation. Although I would have wanted to embark on a trip with my parents, they're busy with work and piled up reports, I couldn't afford to bother them for vacation. And even if I considered the thought of traveling alone, my parents would never allow me, especially after what happened.

The only reason why I'd want to go on a vacation out of town or even out of the country is because within a few more weeks, summer would eventually come to an end and I'd head off to college. By then, I would be busy and I won't have enough time to even think about a trip. I'm not frustrated about the thought of not being able to have a decent vacation, it's just that I also long for the feeling of a nice and relaxing trip I've had in mind. I have all these fantastic ideas and vague images of my ideal vacation: One where I would sit on the sand and read my favorite book, or one where I could try to climb mountains or camp outside.

There was so much going on, and I'd often stare outside my window, thinking about how I could just breathe and catch a glimpse of serenity. Aside from my fantasies of a perfectly relaxing vacation, was my plans for college and for the years to come. As I sat down and stared at the blank page of my journal, I searched for a prompt. 'Where do you see yourself in 5 years?' I saw in one of the suggested prompts, and I could feel the surge of ideas and my creative flow. I reflected on my decisions years ago, and started imagining what path I'd want to take for the years ahead.

Honestly, I have no clear picture of where I'd be in the future and no clear picture of who I would be. But I have vivid images of where I want to be and who I want to be. I have many aspirations, many hopes for myself and many dreams, I may not be sure on where it would all take me, but I'm certain that I'm thrilled to see what awaits for me. As I wrote my thoughts, the time drifted away, then dinner came along. As I sat down on the table, I felt lonely seeing the other chairs empty, my parents weren't home yet, they were stuck at the firm with piles of paperwork.

At nights like this, I'd miss them even more, but knowing how difficult their job is, I grew more understanding and considerate to the thought that sometimes, you need to sacrifice your time with family to help those who need you the most, people who ache for justice and clarification, the people who grasp for their voices to be heard. Just when I was about to start eating, I heard someone at the door, knocking at least more than three times. I stood up to open it, and as I did, I was startled to see Gaeb standing there with a smile on his face and a bouquet of flowers at hand.

"You're here," I said subconsciously, looking at him with the remaining surprised expression. He would visit me at times, but I got used to the way he'd text me first, this time was different though. Gaeb didn't text, nor did he call me to say he's coming over. I looked over to the dinner table and smiled, at least now I wouldn't have to eat alone. I could invited him to have dinner with me, the food was more than enough for just the both of us and the maids already ate. "Hey, do you want to join me for dinner?"

"No, I'm good. I already ate." He says, and we both walked inside. I headed to the kitchen, and he sat in front of me, still refusing to eat dinner. I started eating, and he was just watching me. As I continuously ate dinner, I could see him walk towards the fridge and he grabbed me a glass of water. "I decided to swing by and check on you, I'm glad you're all better now. Also, I have something to tell you, and that's why I'm here."

"What is it?" I sat up straight, thinking this could be important. It was surprising because I don't feel anxious about it, I don't feel scared about what it could be, that I'm at ease knowing it's Gaeb who's talking. It could be anything, really. It could be important and it could be terrifying, but at the same time, it could be random and exciting. I could see how serious he was, I could see it in his eyes and I could hear it from his previous tone, he was serious about this and I'm eager to know. "Should I be worried?"