Meeting Luke in 27 Days

Chapter 22: It's Not Goodbye

"I was made and meant to look for you and wait for you and become yours forever." -Robert Browning

***

I have been pacing back and fro, I don't know if I am ready to see him again. What will I do? What will I say? Should I be the first one who will approach him or I should wait for him to make the first move? Will he even make the first move? What if he's not coming back to me? What if? What if-

"Can you calm your ass down?" Gene asked impatiently. "You still have a day to go before your big day." She smirked.

"Don't you have any news about Luke? Anything?" I asked desperately.

"Well he'll take medicine that's why he's back." She said casually while checking on her finger nails.

I rolled my eyes at her, "Something that I do not know."

"Obviously nothing." She said. "Try to contact Brent or Keith then."

*

The hotel's function hall is full of students, teachers and guests. Today is our graduation day, the day when our highschool life ends. I already passed the scholarship that I applied for in one of the universities in Manila and I am going to take the BS in Interior Design, I am going to reach my dream but I am worrying about Luke, I want him to take a pre-med course just like what he wanted to. But he is stuck between what his family wants for him and what he wants.

I look at Luke's back from where I am sitting at. He's sitting two rows away from me since we are alphabetically arranged. He's talking with one of the jocks, Alex Harper, as to what I can see from here.

The graduation ceremony went smooth. We had a picture taking after with each other and with some of the faculty staffs. The night was full of laughter, cries, I will miss yous and good lucks. I was talking with the girls when Luke suddenly hugged e from behind and pulled me away from them.

"Luke, I was talking with them you know." I said while smiling at him.

He turned around and hugged me again but this time his hug was tight, like the night at the graduation ball. The kind of hug that makes me feel that he doesn't want to let me go. "I have something for you." Then he pulled out a small jewelry box his pocket and opened it.

"Luke, you've given me so much!" I told him. There's a ring in the box that he opened, it's actually a simple white gold ring with a small diamond gem in the middle. It is simple but very elegant.

He put the ring our of the box and held my hand to insert it to my left ring finger. The ring is stunning, it is beautiful. "I know this is not much," Not true! This is actually too much! "But I really want you to always wear this ring as a symbol of my love for you." He chuckled. "That's just too cheesy, I guess. But, really Amethyst, I love you." He looked directly into my eyes. "And I hate it whenever you're sad or hurt especially when I am the reason why you're feeling down." Then he hugged me again.

"Luke, I-"

"Shhh..." He cut me off. "Let me finish, I want you to hear everything I need to tell you." He told me while he's still hugging me. "Amethyst, I'm going for my dream. My grandfather will support me." He said.

I broke his hug to look at his face, to make sure that he's really going to take a pre-med course to become a doctor. "Really? I am so happy for you!" I exclaimed and he hugged me again breaking our eye contact.

"But Amethyst, I have to go. I have to leave my family behind, I have to leave you and everyone." This broke my heart. He can take this course in Manila or even here in the province, why does he has to go? He said he loves me right? "Amethyst, I'm leaving for US. It will be long but..." He finally looked at me with his eyes pleading. "Will you wait for me?"

To tell you I am shock is nothing but an understatement. I was actually beyond that. I am sure that I can wait for Luke but the separation? I don't know. How long am I going to wait anyway? There are so many questions I want to ask Luke but I am speechless. I don't know what to say. I want to stop him from leaving but can I stop him from something he wanted to be in his life?

"Amethyst I will be back, I promise. I will always communicate with you. I just need my family to accept what I want to do in my life." He paused, his eyes are already glassy like mine. "I'm sorry I have to leave, I'm sorry. I promise I will come back for you." He assured me again.

I gave him a sad smile. "We'll always keep in touch right?" I paused. "You will come back?" I asked him, I want to be sure that he will come back, that I will not lose him.

He cupped my face and made me look straight it him, "Yes." He answered.

His answered made me smile and gave me hope even if I am already crying now. "I love you Luke."

"I love you too, Amethyst." Then he kissed me.

*

That was the last time I ever talked with Luke. After that we never had any communication, he's not even active in any social networks. Trust me, I tried to find him. I even tried to asked his sister and his close friends but none of them have any communication with him. Though there is one person who knows his where about but how would I possibly ask a congressman about his grandson anyway?