Love Hope In Batanes

Reunited

"Hello everyone! This is Amber Josephine Liu, that we all know as Kuya Seph. And she's the founder of Give Hope foundation that donated 3 buildings for our school." Around of applause was their way of saying thank you to her.

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Hope POV

Its been 5 years, I was dead sure I had moved on... WAS. I was sure, until I saw her again... in flesh.

My breathing became deeper to the point I began to hyperventilate. My heartbeat is so loud like there was a drum pounding in my chest.

Why am I feeling this way?
What am I feeling anyway?
Is this because I am still angry with her?
Is it because she made a fool out of me?

Or is it because...

"Hope..." she spoke in the microphone.

I cant help but to get nervous in hearing her voice...
For the first time, in a long time...
Saying my name...
Like she's calling me...

"...Hope. That's all we need"
Am I still what you need?

"You know its not me who have done all these, but the people behind 'Give Hope Foundation'."
Of course, its the name of the foundation and not me. Why am I assuming anyway?

"There was a time in my life wherein, I was so down that I thought, I'm loosing my senses, but I found my hope in this island. And I think, this is the least I can do, to give back."

Im still listening to her speech when someone nudge me that made me startled.

"Isn't she so sweet?" Anna said out of nowhere.

"Sweet? What's sweet in that?" I asked.

"The name of the foundation itself is already sweet but hearing the speech is so much sweeter, oh my gosh! she found her Hope! And they'll be reunited soon enough ahhhh" Anna said like a fangirl. This kid! Aist!

"... And I would like to call here the girl who actually reach out to me... Anna?" We heard Amber looked for Anna.

"I'm here!" Anna shouted before she walk towards the middle of the stage again. I became more nervous than I already am, and hid myself in the crowd.

********************************

I walked out totally ditching the whole event.

I asked one of the villagers to get me back to the island where I could be alone and away from everyone. They shouldn't look for me, they'll gonna be busy in that event.

If only I knew that it was her behind that project, I shouldn't attend and go back to Manila since yesterday, I shouldn't be feeling this way ... Again.

"Hope, are you sure you wanted to be alone here?" The villager snapped me out of my thoughts as soon as we arrived at the island.

"Yes, I'll be fine. Just go back before sunset. Thank you." I assured him.

Once he left, I took a walk. This will be the first time I went here since that day... I never thought I would be back. Maybe I'll remince everything and exhaust all my feelings until nothing has left. Someone made an advise to me long time ago to face your pain, once you learned to embrace it, it couldn't hurt you anymore. Maybe that's the reason why this feeling is still here, because I always avoid the pain. I made myself believe that I was already over it. I lie to myself and that lie became my truth... Sadly, ‘my truth’ never became a FACT. And the fact of the matter is, I am STILL in love with her. But anger overshadowed that love, I don't want to be trapped anymore, I wanted to be free and move on. And so, I keep moving forward.