Dear Sadie

7: What's 82 Miles For?

As Sadie's family enjoys a vacation in one of their farms in Batangas, she searches for her diary inside the Kubo.

It has been a week since Sadie hid under her mom's bed for two hours, chased a garbage truck bare-footed, and got her heart shattered into pieces. She doesn't even remember the last time she had a nice, relaxing sleep, and these past few days she needed to eat melatonin gummy bears just to help her fall into a deep slumber. 

For the lone Sadie, it doesn't feel like a week ago. It all felt so fresh and new and it seemed like an open wound, and every time she catches a glimpse of a pen and paper, she would feel her wound sting.

On the other hand, she doesn't know whether it's fate or only a coincidence, but her uncle had once again invited them to visit his land in Batangas City since the quarantine rules had been less strict and quite flexible. 

At first, Sadie hesitated to go with her family, but Elliot insisted that Sadie comes along—perhaps to get some fresh air and have a new environment even for a few days, to ease herself after what had happened. 

Elliot knew, somehow, that Ethan was so important to Sadie. He was the only friend Sadie had conversed with all throughout the quarantine; and Elliot supported her because ever since Sadie's best friend betrayed her, she never let anyone enter her life again—then and there, she decided to live in solitude. 

It was never good for her, though; she was always lonely and quiet. But the thing is, she had Sadie—her diary, or more like, herself, and she writes in it every day to make herself feel better.

Writing helped Sadie cope—while Ethan saved her, entirely. And, no, it's not like he's some knight in shining armor, nor a prince charming that saves a damsel in distress—but he was a friend to her. A companion; and God knows how relieving and safe it feels knowing you have someone that has your back, someone you can cry on, and someone you can turn to when things go unplanned. 

In these trying times, sometimes having a companion is the only saving we need; and luckily, Sadie found hers, in the most uncanny manner.

Upon reaching the farm, Sadie immediately plumped on one of the monoblocks. The sun was too hot for her to even amble along with the trees. On the other hand, inside her uncle's house in the middle of the farm, her family conversed and drank like there was no tomorrow to arrive. 

It was five in the afternoon, and still, Sadie was left all alone by the porch, her eyes focused on the tall Kubo far across her, located on the other side of the farm. It seemed like it belonged to another person, because of the bamboo barricades.

Suddenly, a memory relishes in her mind. "My diary!"

Like an electric jolt, Sadie reached the barricades as quickly as she could. It was near six, and once the dusk approaches, it will be harder for her to look for her journal—that, if this Kubo she made a run for is the Kubo Ethan was talking about. 

Sadie scans the area, seeing none but pure greens and newly-planted papayas. She looks for the certain garbage bin, only for her eyes to catch a glimpse of bright-yellow sunflowers, just beside the Kubo. Her heart skips a beat.

"Are these yours, Ethan?" she mumbles to herself, her stomach turning knots.

Sadie marvels at the sunflowers' beauty, and she couldn't help but think that if these were really Ethan's, then he really fulfilled his promise of growing sunflowers for Sadie. But he never mentioned about them growing already. She sighs, brushing away her silly thoughts.

"Please let this Kubo be the one," she prays as she climbs up the ladder. "Tall Kubo..."

She's surprised to see it open; she flicks the switch, shielding her eyes from the bulb's bright light. Realizing that it was already thirty minutes before six, she rummages inside the Kubo, from under the table and chairs, to cabinets and even drawers.