Miles Away

Chapter 4

im·pos·si·ble 

unable to be done or to happen : not possible 

: very difficult 

of a person : very difficult to deal with : very irritating or annoying

October 3, 2013 

Serendra Towers, Mckinley Hill

Heather dove quickly into the cold water of the pool using breast strokes to make her way through the waves her own body has created. The water drowns out her stresses, her doubts, her worries, her fears and her emotions. The water was her dream world; she likes being consumed by the water. Heather reaches the end of the pool and goes for another lap without hesitation. She's killing time underwater, 30 minutes every single day in the morning to get her blood pumping and relax her before she heads out for work as a 17 year old.  

"Why aren't you in college yet? You graduated high school this year right?" People ask her. 

"I wore myself out too much in school, I needed a break." Heather would reply. 

"A break? Isn't it better to get a break after getting your degree?" Someone else would ask causing Heather to rethink but then she knows herself much better. 

"There is so much I can learn even if I'm not in school. I want to empty myself first, so I can freely accept new knowledge to come in." Heather would answer and leave these people dumbfounded.  

Heather used to think knowledge is the only thing that matters; familiarity, awareness or understanding of someone or something, such as facts, information, descriptions, or skills. She was always on top of the class; she was believed to have superhuman skills because she effortlessly wins at any school competition, gained the fondness and attention from others but this never made her feel contented. She wanted to watch people's lives from the sideline, she wanted to see things differently that's why she was always quietly looking out the windows. She wanted to understand the understandable and to be able to predict what was unexpected. She was tired of the everyday routines of life; it was why she decided to took a different path after graduation. Her friends all went to universities jumping into the big bowl of stress and here she was, swimming in a pool on a Monday, having nothing to do afterwards but appreciate nothingness.  

Nothingness? Heather is not a nothing. Heather isn't clueless. We're more likely to think that Heather is just hibernating from being the regular teenager.  

Heather's phone rings on top of the lounge chair beside the pool just when she was climbing out of the water. She wiped her hands on her towel and sat to answer the call.  

"Where the hell are you?" A familiar high-pitched voice on the other line asks.  

"Who's this?" Heather asks, ringing her left ear with her finger. 

"UHMMMM HELLO?! THIS IS YOUR SISTER! AREN'T YOU SUPPOSED TO PICK ME UP AT THE AIRPORT TODAY?" Heather jumps up off the lounge chair and wraps the towel around her body. 

"I'll be there in 40 minutes" Heather hangs up on her sister and enters the elevator soaking wet.  

She forgot that her older sister Rocio Plaza-Holland was visiting the country for work and today was her arrival; spending the last few days in her apartment editing photographs for a webzine that hired her made her forget about Rocio's arrival. Fast forward to this insignificant scene, Heather doesn't take a shower but quickly slips on a shirt and the pair of jeans from last Friday. She turns on the hair dryer, tries to dry her hair but then her phone beeps and she knew it was Rocio texting her so she decided to leave without even putting makeup and wearing her hair soaking wet. Heather's 17 yes and in any country, only when you're 19 with a license that you can drive. But due to insistent parent demand for her safety living independently in a country that's public transportation isn't 100% reliable (check the recent news about the MRT and other PUV issues), they decided to bribe a family friend who works at the Land Transportation Office into giving Heather a legit driver's license at the age of 17.