'Til I Found You (COMPLETED)

41

Eli feels dreary in each passing day. It's been quite few months since her dad left that night. A bit of anger flourished upon her towards her mom. If only Lea didn't push away her dad they could've been living happily. But somehow she knew things aren't going however she wants it. Her mom taught her a lot about life. Being distant to her does no good, and Eli felt guilty from it. She only wants to be in a complete family where both her parents are close at hand. But maybe her mom is right all along - it's impossible.

Candyce discerned her silence. She elbowed her, "Are you alright?"

It's dismissal time and Eli awaits Lea to pick her up as usual. After class, she sat near the gate, hoping her dad would pop up to see her but it's been months. She felt hopeless, nearly giving up from that thought.

She averts to her best friend, "How does it feel to wake up with a dad and mom next to you? I felt it just once when mom let daddy to stay for a night with us. It was the happiest day. It felt good to see mom and dad smiling to each other. I thought we're already complete. But ... I guess it won't happen again"

"What do you mean? Eh diba your dad will come back naman?"

Eli shakes her head, "Mommy said daddy won't anymore. He never called since he left. I felt mad at mommy when she pushed daddy away from us but I guess mommy is right. Daddy can't be with us because he has tita Luisa and Alli. I've been waiting for him to come back but it's been months and he never showed up again"

"So, what will you do now?"

"I don't know. Maybe daddy won't come back to us indeed", Eli felt a sudden sting in her chest.

"But he promised, right?"

"Mommy said promises are not all true. Some are meant to be broken"

Candyce felt pensive for Eli. If she could only help out her best friend from this sadness.

"That's fine, Eli. Remember you told me before that seeing your dad even once is all you want? It happened. Though he may never show up again but at least you saw him. You met him ... and ... that's just it"

Though Eli remains to instill in her heart that Aga might be just going through a lot at this juncture, but she can't shun the possibility that he may never come back. Aga might be living happily with his family that he forgot about her and her mom. And she can't do anything about it. Candyce bid goodbye upon seeing her driver, and Eli is left there waiting for Lea. She stares at each student whom got picked up by a daddy. She often thinks and wonders of her dad's whereabouts. If she could only hit the call button to hear him again but her mom forbids any means of communication to him. And she is left with nothing but a photo of him with her and Lea that day they had fun.

Suddenly, a car gets through the campus and pulled over few feet from her. A man got out, he rings a bell. Upon dredging up indications of him, Eli realized it's her grandfather, Don Arnaldo. She rose to her feet upon seeing him coming towards her with a flurry of doubts of his presence. She never got a chance to speak to him not even once, and her ticker beats fast each step he takes. Her mind is flooded by assumptions, and confused as well as to what she has to do. Lea wised her up of her dad's parents. They aren't pumped up to meet her, and it suddenly urged Eli to grab her things. She should not approach him. It may only makes things worse and her mom won't be glad to know she's speaking to her dad's father. As she's about to leave, Don Arnaldo called her name, and she felt edgy.

Don't talk to him, Eli. Mommy will get mad. Just leave. Run. Walk away.

But Don Arnaldo called her name for the second time around when she took another steps away.