Another Way Around

Chapter Seven

I flip the photo album to the next page with a label, “Done with High School”. I don’t know what to feel after seeing those pictures all over again. All the memories came back like it all happened yesterday. And I feel so dumb knowing I was dying to catch attention, to top the class, to have a chance to cut Mrs. Roberto’s hair, to be a perfect pianist, not to be Ali, to be loved by Jake, and dying to be beautiful. With a little smile, I also remembered how we escape from classes for nothing, to have food under my table while Mrs. Roberto is lecturing, to know how precious time is when I’m with my best friends and to be betrayed by them. I’m just happy I experienced all of that and that I’m done with it.

“Aren’t you going to help me find your video tape or what?!” Susan yelled. As far as I know I’m her boss, we pay her to help in household chores and everything. I don’t know why she hates life so much and don’t respect those who help her make a living.

“Yes,” I said, controlling my temper.

But as I opened the boxes and looked for that video, I keep on thinking about what happened to us. I mean the four of us, Jake, Matea, Me and Gino.

We all became busy preparing to enter college after the graduation. Jake went to University of Saint Michael, one of the most prestigious schools in the country to pursue Degree in Medicine. No doubt He can afford to catch up with the brightest students in the big city. And Matea took up Physical Science in England. Her family moved out 2 months after graduation. She never mentioned it to me, even to Jake. Their love story became so dramatic and tragic at the same time but never a second did I become happy with that. But after 6 months, Jake decided to move to England for Matea. So I ended up alone with Gino. I hate the fact that my “best friends all my life” leave me and fulfill their happily ever after. They always say that though we are apart, we are always in each other’s heart, which is a very classic statement for friends who will chose different paths but ending up drifting apart, so that doesn’t lift my sadness. They are still absent physically. So in college, I studied hard, I took up Literature, I made new friends and enjoyed college life. I had a different perspective at this time, I know I deserve to be happy, I can’t close my door of opportunities to became happy just because the people I loved so dearly are now having a life without me. So I became closer with Gino. He is the only person I knew when I entered college, we go to the same school, Oxford University, but he took up Fine Arts while taking some units in Photography.

After having a glimpse of thought of having Gino in my college life, again, I don’t know what to feel and again, my face is blank and staring nowhere. So Susan became irritated again, “Are we still going to continue this?!”