QED CLUB: the go-to place of students and teachers in Clark High whenever they have mind-boggling mysteries they want solved. For months, club president Loki Mendez has been managing it alone, but circumstances will force him to open its doors to ne...
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ALISTAIR
LORELEI HAD never replied to my messages since the day she left for Pampanga. Ayaw kong makulitan siya kaya once or twice every week ko siya kinukumusta. Wala akong ideya kung kumusta na ang pagko-cope niya sa nangyari. Hindi ko naiwasang mabahala. Was she doing better now that she was away? Or was she doing worse?
I tried checking her social media accounts, but she had not updated around the same time she transferred to another high school. Hindi naman siya ang tipo na laging nagse-share kung ano ang ginagawa niya, kung ano ang kinain at ininom niya o kung saan siya pumunta. She kept a low profile on the internet so this should not be surprising. Still, I found it worrisome that there was no update about her from her.
"You still haven't heard from her, Al?" My mom Roxanne asked me at dinnertime days after the lunch meeting with Tito Walter. My dad was coming home late so the conversation was just between the two of us. "No text, call or whatsoever?"
My head shook. "I messaged her a couple of times, pero wala pa ring reply mula sa kanya. Kahit seen, wala rin."
She placed the spoon and fork gently on the side of her plate. "Those who have gone through what she had, they tend to disconnect themselves from the people around them. It's their way of protecting themselves from experiencing pain again. Or so, they thought. Being disconnected can potentially lead to other problems."
My gaze flickered up to her. "I understand that she needs some time and space for what happened to her. Maybe I just have to wait until she's comfortable of communicating again?"
"Once she's ready, I think you'll be the first person na kauusapin niya. Given your history, you two are still the best of friends. Are you not?"
I nodded. But her recent experience might change our relationship. Posibleng makipag-reconnect siya sa akin at sa iba. Posible ring tuluyan na niyang i-isolate ang sarili niya. As what my mom said, if Lorelei thought that isolation and disconnection would give her the comfort that she badly needed, she might get used to it.
"Speaking of Lori . . ." My mom propped up her arms on the table and steepled her fingers. Nakatitig siya sa mga mata ko na parang binabasa kung ano ang nasa aking isipan. "What do you think of your Tito's proposal? The arranged marriage thing?"
My shoulders shrugged. "I don't want to say yes because that's unfair to Lorelei. But I also don't want to say no because I haven't sorted out my feelings yet."
"It's also unfair to you. Pinapasakit ng papa mo ang ulo mo, 'no?" She giggled, then her face turned serious. "Frankly, he was shoving this archaic idea down your throat. Who still does arranged marriage nowadays?"
"I've read that ninety percent of marriages in India are arranged," I recalled. "In Mindanao, arranged marriages have been a long tradition, like among Maranaos. It's still a thing today."
