Unwithered Love

Chapter 13: A Covenant

I did not go to the chapel that morning for the morning devotion. I wondered why Eunice did not annoy me that time. She knew then that I was hurting inside.

When the assistant dean roamed around and came to our room, I told her my head was aching. She looked at me with disbelief, but when she saw my puffy eyes, she told me to take medicine. After she closed the door, I turned off the light and returned to my bed.

On my bed, I thought of Michael. He is probably leaving now.

The words that he spoke last night were  still fresh in my mind. I hugged my pillow and imagined myself embracing my Michael.

"Lord, can you please hug Michael for me? I am missing him already."

With Michael in my thoughts, I fell back to sleep. It was almost  9 o' clock when I rose from my bed. My sister was about to leave for her exam, she kissed me on my forehead and said,

 "I can't be late for exam. Please eat then take a bath. You would not want to face your visitor with that haggardness."

She left..and what did she say?

I completely ignored what Eunice had told me.

I went to the table to see what's for breakfast -fried rice, boiled egg and meatloaf. I had no appetite, but knowing my sister, she would surely get mad if I don't eat. I prayed for blessing for the food and added this request: 

"Bless my Michael too, Lord. Please, guide him and protect him."

A knock on the door startled me. I stood up to open the door,  but the assistant dean just came in, with her was a bottle of soy milk and cinnamon bread.

"Michael was here and told me to bring these to you."

"What? From whom?" I asked.

"From Michael, I think he's still outside. But he didn't tell me to call you out."

"I thought he left this morning. Did he leave a message for me?"

"Just to give you those." She said pointing to the bottle and bread."

She was holding the knob and blurted,

"Forgive me, I told him you were not feeling well, and that you missed the devotion this morning."

She shut the door and left me stunned.

I remembered my sister, she told me a visitor might come. She knew then that Michael did not leave yet.

My heart was puzzled. He told me he needs to leave. I looked at the mirror and pinched my arm. It's not a dream. Oh, I look terrible.

I ate the cinnamon bread and finished the soy milk. Looking at the food that my sister had prepared, I thought, Now I have an excuse for not eating you.

I smiled but still contemplating. He's still here...or he might be leaving anytime this day.

I rushed for my bath and did some cleaning in my locker. I saw the book he  bought for me. I took it out from its plastic. It's a devotional book. Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus. I turned on its pages and found a small piece of paper. I looked at it and read:

"I made a covenant for you to remember: I will always pray for you. Love, Michael."

I could not believe he wrote the word "love." My heart was throbbing and my tears were uncontrollably falling.

Thank goodness I was alone in the room. There was complete silence, but my sobs and the throbs of my heart were too loud for me.

It was lunchtime already when my sister and roommates came back in our room. I told them I would not go with them to the cafeteria for lunch, since there's still food on the table. But before they leave, I sat beside my sister and looked at her, with that she understood what I wanted to know.

"I saw Danny at the cafeteria this morning. He told me that Michael will stay until Saturday. He was called at the village, at the Monteros. They're the foster parents of Michael when he was here 2 years ago."

That explained.But I wanted to know why he was called at the village. That time I wondered also why Chelsea was quiet. She probably understood how I feel. They left, and with a smile Chelsea patted me on my shoulder.

 So I was left alone in our room. I took that chance to rethink what's going on in my heart. I began to recall what had happened and what had been said by Michael. The gestures that he had been showing me were enough to make me conclude that he cares for me. Probably, it so happened that his ordeal at home was causing him to suppress his true feelings for me. I hoped that it was not a presumption. But if it was, so be it. I just wanted to assure myself, that even though he could not show or tell his feelings for me, knowing that he cares.. or he loves..that was already rewarding and comforting for me, compared to the pain and the misery I had been through since the day I met him.

With that in my mind, and in agreement with my heart, I smiled and told myself;

 I will hold on to your promise. The covenant that you made for me was the same covenant I made for you.. to pray for you.. to love you...whatever it takes! And if time comes, you forget about me, I still thank you, that once, or even for a short period of time, I was there in your thoughts.