Why I Have To

Chapter 23

March 23, 2011

Jade's been doing fine. Better than fine, actually.

Or maybe that's what she wants people to see.

Finding a job that pays well and has decent working hours since she's still a student has been hard for her. At first, law firms were very much interested with her— given her outstanding grades and brilliant mind. A lot of employers have been calling her non stop and offering jobs, all she had to do was choose. But then it stopped.

Of course her father would do everything to make her regret her decision. He might not have searched for her and dragged her back home, but he used his money and power to influence prospective employers into hiring Jade. He got her phone line cut, her credit cards, her ATM and bank accounts— everything that she might need. Even her tuition fee was withdrawn, I don't know how he did that and if it was even possible, but he did.

I told her countless of times that she doesn't have to work, that my family could provide for her, but she's insistent. She said she wants to prove her father wrong, but I think she's doing this to prove something to herself.

She practically begged me to let her be a grown up.

She got a job eventually. A public defendant offered her a job as a junior investigator. It has decent pay, but the hours are grueling, and the office is almost an hour away from home. It was inconvenient, but since it's her only choice, she accepted it.

She became so self-sufficient for the past months that it makes me both proud and worried about her. She almost never accepts help from anyone, including me. She won't even let me pay for our dates— she always offers to split the bill instead.

Despite everything, she's still the same Jade that I know when we're together— full of life and full of love. Even when she's tired from school and work, she still finds the energy to make me happy. So I do everything I can to keep her happy, to help her forget about her problems even just for a little while.

Today's a Sunday. I just finished doing the laundry when I saw her sprawled on the couch, watching television. This is something that I've noticed for the past few weeks, she's always on the television especially on weekends.

Weird. She's not too keen on TV before. Her weekends are usually spent lying around with a coffee in hand, and a fictional book on the other- that was her weekend routine.

I scooted over the couch and tucked her legs over my lap while she rested her head on my shoulders— channel surfing.

"Why aren't you reading that much anymore?" I asked curiously.

She shrugged and almost too casually said, "books are currently not my priority. Not on my budget."

That broke my heart.

Reading is Jade's lifeline. She practically lives and breathes books. It was her escape from reality.

Her father could've taken everything from her but this is something that I never saw coming. I can't let anybody take her simple pleasures in life. Not after what she's been through— going through.

"Why didn't you say so? We could go to the bookstore, I'll buy you one."

"Nu-uh, you don't have to, love. That's not really necessary."

"E-books then? I could download you lots," I suggested.

"You know I hate e-books. It's not the same thing as holding a real book."

"But love, I know how much you love to read. Please let me spoil you even just for today."

"You're spoiling me enough already. You can spoil me in a lot of ways, but I don't want you spending money on me," and she kissed me full on the mouth to shut me up. And it worked.