SAM

Chapter 4

"She's working in that shop, Ma'am"

Raffy's voice resonated in my head as I am approaching the nearby shop he pointed to me yesterday. Not only I learned where she is working but also I got to know her name. Her name suits her, Jenn. It is 11 o'clock in the morning, the exact time I planned to to visit this place. God, I don't know what I am feeling, I am excited but nervousness is all over me. I've been thingking of doing this for days now so no backing out now for me.'I can do this, Aja!' I breathed in deeply before stepping at the entrace of the shop.

"Hello?" I asked while staring to the home essentials display. I can feel the pounding of my heart in my chest.
'Just relax Charlie' I tried to calm myself.

"Oh.. it's you,how can I help you today?"A girl emerged from the counter and smiled when she saw me. 'How could she be charming all the time?'I muttered mentality to myself. 'Geez back to earth Charlie, she's asking you now." I startled by my thought and realized she's waiting for my answer.

"This" I raised the water deeper which I chose to pick among the other products. Jenna is working in a dry good store.

"Oh..you guys don't have a water deeper at home?"she inquired amused at my selection.

"Yeah..one of our water deeper at home got broken"I replied shyly averting my eyes to the water deeper.

"Hmm..Okay" she said smiling at me after analyzing my answer.

"How much it is then?"I asked breaking the silence.

"That one is only 40 bucks." she responded with the smile I got addicted to see now.

I went straight back to our shop after paying for the water deeper I bought.I smiled behind the tinted counter and gave an imaginary thumbs up to myself.'I did it!'. Last night I was taking my shower when the idea of buying a water deeper came to my mind after I saw a break line in our water deeper.I didn't expected that she'll start to make a conversation with me by asking me if it's the water deeper I really intended to buy. 'I think I surprised her with my selection'.I can't help myself to burst into a big smile with a blush.

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"Sister! James just arrived and he is waiting for you outside now." I heard Andre's voice as he is climbing to our room's bed.

"Oh he's little early.I should get going now little blow fish". I told him before getting up from my pillow.

"Nooo I am not like a blow fish sister!"I chuckled when I heard him whined. A blow fish is a fish full of spikes on it's bulging body.I gave him this nickname because of his big tummy.

"Yes you are."I teased him again before kissing his cheek.

"Bye now blow fish!" I added before I walked out of the door and chuckled more when I heard him yelled.
"Noooooooo!!"

I picked up my guitar which I keep in our storage room and walked out to meet James who is now sitting in the bench.

"Hi James! I am ready now" I smiled and gave my guitar to him for him to do some string adjustment.

"Sure let me fix the tune of your guitar first." James said casually and start doing his thing. Tonight is the first session of my guitar lesson.James will be teaching me how to play the guitar properly.I love music deeply and playing musical instruments became my thing since I was a grade schooler.I have a keyboard, violin, flute and 2 guitars though only one guitar left functional now.

"Strum this way, down up up down, down up up down.." James is showing me how to strum with his fingers the chorus part of the song.

"Okay,I think I got it now" I confirmed James and was about to strum the strings when I hear my phone ringing and noticed an unknown number.

"I'll just pick this up James for a minute yeah" I told James before tapping the call button.

"Hello?I asked the unknown caller and before a minute passed I heard the voice I thought I won't ever hear again.

"Charlie! Charlie!"I heard the clear voice of a woman I know very well.The woman's voice that I missed hearing for months, it belongs to Kazie.

"Kazie? Uhmm..is that you?"I felt my body became rigid.I am too shocked that I unconsciously told her this
"Am I dreaming right now?"

"No, you are not" I heard her chuckling in the other line.

"Listen, I want to see you before I go abroad next month so please come here in the city very soon."I am still shock that I couldn't speak.

"Charlie? Are you there"she added.

"Oh yes..I am here Kazie,I.. am.. here"I stuttered and tears starting to cloud my eyes.If this what they meant of tears of joy then this what I am feeling right now.

I decided to end Kazie's call after few minutes to continue my guitar lesson with James but after the lesson I called her again as I promised.We talked and tried to catch up about each other lives in those days we lost  our communication.I learned that a lot happened to her lately but doing good now, she already moved on from the difficulties she experienced and above all she's very happy to meet a very nice guy who became the topic of our talk.

"Kazie, why you left that day?"I finally brought the question that I am dying to ask her since then.

"Oh about that, I am sorry.It's not only you I left that time.I needed time for myself thus I decided to stay away from you guys for awhile".

"I missed you, I was very worried about you" I confessed. I feel like the heavy feelings just vanished the moment I heard her answer.

"I missed you too, we should catch up in real Charlie! Can you come next next day or something?"she asked ecstatically.

"Sure" her giggles warms my heart thus I found myself reassuring her quickly.I smiled big and remembered something.

"Oh who's that guy who called me late at night?"I asked her curiously while smiling.

"Ah..he's just my guy friend"she said slowly and I am sure she's biting her lips right now to keep herself from laughing.

"I know" I simply replied and we both burst into laughing like we used to do before.I totally gained my bestfriend back tonight.