When November Ends

Chapter 3 "Life Isn't Like the Movies"

    The meteor shower was beautiful. It was a shame I didn’t bring a good quality camera with me. That also explains why there weren’t a lot of people since the last time. They knew they won’t be able to take a good picture, especially when the subject of interest is moving across the sky. I guess it’s time to commit it to memory.

    November 18. Oh, how fast time flies, and so do rumors. The same day, several years back, a rumor circled around about me dating an already committed man. It was my fault though. I should’ve made sure he wasn’t in a relationship before attempting one with him. I asked him after hearing about it, but he was quick to deny it and I believed him. If only I didn’t believe him and left, then no one have been hurt.

    That’s why whenever I met a guy I always ask them, ‘Do you have a girlfriend?’. Though in the end, even if they don’t have one, I’m too afraid to try again. Because either way, I’ll get hurt.

    “I’ll come back later,” Yohan said out of the blue.

    I thought he had work. I was about to ask but Yohan immediately added. “It’ll be on my conscience if I leave you alone and something bad happens to you.”

    His words made me chuckle. “Aw, how sweet of you, Yohan.”

    “I’ll be back. Don’t talk to anyone you don’t know.”

    “Okay, doc.”

    Yohan goes to work then comes back a few hours later with a take out from a fast food chain, and although he doesn’t admit it, he also brings me home cooked meals. He didn’t like the idea of me eating canned goods all the time, and it’s too dangerous to go fishing when I’m alone.

    Yohan was being thoughtful. I know he’s just being a good guy, but every little thing he does for me makes my heart flutter.

    “Why did you become a doctor?” I ask him.

    Yohan gave me a plastic container containing the food he made. “Same as everybody else. To save lives.”

    “Aren’t you going to ask why I’m here?”

    “I thought you wouldn’t want me to,” he replied, looking up from his food. “I didn’t want to impose nor make you feel the need to explain yourself. You don’t have to.”

    I pursed my lips together to hide my smile. “But you were curious?”

    “Yeah.”

    “I ran away,” I told him.

    Slowly, Yohan put down his container before looking up again. “Did you do something wrong?”

    That made me laugh. He made it sound like I did something illegal.

    “No, silly. It’s more like I’m running away from anything that might go wrong.”

    Yohan’s eyes scanned me for a moment.

    “I understand.”

    “We all want to get away for a while,” I said, putting my chin in the palm of my hand as I look at him. “There’s so much going on even when you think nothing’s really happening. Life would’ve been easy if we can just pause.”

    Yohan didn’t say anything else. He had this distant look in his eyes as he ate, it told me how deep he is in his own thoughts. Yohan’s still probably processing my words so I let him be.

    After eating, Yohan quietly put the containers back to his bag while I watch him, wondering what’s going on in his mind.

    “Do you want to watch a movie?” He suddenly asks. “I have a projector back home. I can bring it here.”