ASYMPTOTES

Chapter 2.3

It took him a month to finally make up his mind. He and Mika had broken up by then-a mutual decision actually, since her whole family will be migrating to London.

This is it. He's going to make that phone call.

He got out of bed and looked for the piece of paper with the precious number of the mystery caller. He wrote it down a month ago and tacked it onto his corkboard for safe-keeping. But he couldn't find it anywhere.

When was the last time that he saw it? For the life of him, he could not remember.

But being a Math whiz, he could visualize the numbers swimming in his head. He dialed and got a busy tone. He tried again, to no avail.

He must have tried more than a dozen times, until his arm felt numb from cradling the telephone receiver, and then he gave up.

Maybe he'll try again tomorrow.

-----

Maine has been using the telephone for more than two hours already. She was on a three-way call, talking to her best pals Kat and Ola. They were planning to go to an event, if her parents would allow her.

"Ano ba kasi ang gagawin natin dun?," Ola whined.

"Tangina, Ola! Candy Cuties yun, shet ka! Andun si Daniel Padilla! Hinding hindi ko palalampasin yun!," Maine shrieked.

"Hay naku," Kat interjected, "punta na tayo. Libre tayo ni Meng pagkatapos."

That sealed the deal. They were going to attend the Candy Fair event.

She's going to see THE Daniel Padilla.

-----

The two women were pensive.

"Could we make him call her again, please? Binaba na niya ang telepono," Mommy Rio pleaded.

"You know what they say up here, we do not interfere with free will," was Lola Mameng's reply.

"So should we count this as another near miss?"

"Yes. Another near miss. But aren't you glad she read your letter?"

"That was the highlight of the day," Rio said while blowing a kiss to her beloved son.

On earth, Richard was surprised by a sudden breeze that came out of nowhere.

He felt that.

And he knew where it came from.

~ End of Chapter ~