Forever Jude

3. He is a Total Man Now

We don't go up after breakfast. We go outside, drawn by the ocean. There aren't many people on this part of the beach at this time.

There's a bit of an empty stretch of land between our hotel and the next, then some more to the next one. It's quiet for now.

I can only imagine how it'll be at night while people gather for the beach parties that are bound to be rampant at this time of the year.

We hold hands as we walk down the beach, talking about everything and nothing. We talk about school, and work, and our families.

Jade recently got engaged to her boyfriend of two years. Jude doesn't like it. He says he has a bad feeling about the guy, and thinks Jade is too young anyway.

She is in medical school, going into her fifth year. Jude thinks it's the wrong timing, with the wrong guy.

I don't know much about Jade's fiance, so I don't know whether Jude's reservations are based on fact or whether it's just him being an older brother who'll never think any guy is good enough for his little sister.

On my end, other than my older sister getting married, the most exciting news is about Trey. He's on the verge of signing a deal with a top football team in the major league.

Right now, talks are ongoing, but there's a huge probability that he'll get the contract. He has done quite well in the first half of the ongoing season, and several top clubs are eager to snatch him from his current second-tier team.

He has only been getting better since he made it to his university's first team, and he had various contract offers right after he graduated.

It's almost unreal.

If he gets this contract...when he gets this contract, he'll be a real star. Not a footballer only a handful of super devout fans know, but someone whose name is known by everyone.

He might even end up on the national team. I've always thought he'd make it big, but it's still surreal to think that's my small brother–not so small but oh well.

Sam ended up going for basketball. About two years ago, he shot up like a beanstalk, and by the time he was sixteen, he was taller than everyone else in the house. The school basketball coach poached him from the football team and he never went back.

About Maria...let's just say my parents are glad she hasn't dropped out of college yet. She is always missing at home when everybody is around during the holidays–road trips with friends, part-time gigs, extra classes. I don't think anyone falls for the last one.

We walk quite a distance and turn around about half an hour later. The beach is busier on our trip back. We'll be back later to get the entire beach experience. But for now, we are going up. To our four walls.

We are walking past the hotel's outdoor restaurant when someone calls Jude's name. I look towards where the voice came from and see a woman waving at us. She is sitting at one of the tables, having breakfast. Jude halts, and so do I.

The woman calls his name again, and then rises from her seat. She looks to be in her forties. She is wearing a white flowery sundress, with her brown hair pushed over one shoulder. Her red lipstick draws attention to her lips, which are curved into a smile as she makes her way over to us.

"Who is she?" I ask Jude before she gets within earshot.

He doesn't answer. I look up at him, and that's when I notice he is frozen. Like he's in shock.

"Oh my God, it's really you," the woman says excitedly. She comes right up to us, to him, and I barely get out of the way fast enough before she wraps her arms around him and hugs him.