Maybe This Time

Chapter 2

 -Caleb's Time-

"Do we SERIOUSLY have to go back?!"

My voice echoed throughout the house. Mom and Dad gave me their exasperated looks.

"It's my job, Caleb. I'm already promoted as the senior supervisor of the company. They need me to take hold of the company's dealings there."

"No. No way in hell am I going to go back to that place! I'll stay in the condo. You guys can go ahead and have fun."

"Caleb, why are you being so stubborn? This is really important to Dad, and it can give us the luxury that we want," my mom urged.

"Why? Are we not living a good life here? I'm perfectly happy! I will definitely not go back."

Dad sighed. "It's the place where you were born and grew up, Caleb. Although you are already a citizen of this country, you are a Filipino by blood."

"So? Let me stay here in peace."

"No Caleb. I refuse to accept that. Whether you like it or not we are going back to the Philippines in two weeks and you are going to finish your studies there." And with that my dad stormed out of the living room.

Mom sat beside me. "Tell me, Caleb. When we left the Philippines, you wanted to stay there. When we want to go back, you want to stay here. Why is that so? Are you afraid to go back to our home country because of what happened?"

I sighed in response. "It's just that... I don't want to be haunted of my past. I want to forget about it and move on."

"Oh, Caleb." Mom hugged me and I saw her getting teary-eyed. I then realized that my own eyes were glassy with unshed tears.

"The past will always be there. It's like our very own shadow. You can never get rid of it. It makes us who we are, makes us unique in a way. You can't fix the past, but you can definitely fix your future. Caleb, don't let what happened before destroy who you can be. Who knows? Maybe you could find your future there."

She broke the hug first. "Now I have to cool down your Dad."

"I'm sorry for being such an ass, Mom."

"I understand, Caleb. You're a teenager. Teens usually speak before they think. I've been in that stage and so I know." She winked at me and went outside to be with my dad.

I went up to my own room and scanned it. I opened my drawer and tried to find a little box that I've been keeping since I first came to this country. When I looked inside, an antique stopwatch was there. My grandfather gave it to me on my sixth birthday, saying it's a family heirloom or something and that I should keep it. It isn't working anymore and the time it showed would forever be carved in my mind.