THE GOOD SISTER

Chapter 12 - Stet

Hello, my dears. Ok, two more chapters of angst, then we'll get to enjoy the weekend with happy chapters naman, just as I promised. Chapters 1-13 were crucial to lay the foundation on the strength of Dei's and Richard's feelings for each other. It would have been difficult to just narrate the back story without showing you how they survived through the difficulties of juggling college life and they feelings for each other. 

Dei is what we know as a 'sigurista.' She's pragmatic to a fault, she wants to be absolutely sure of the things she would like to get into before throwing herself whole-heartedly into it. And once she is sure, she gives all of herself to that. This was evident in her sacrifice to relocate to Evanstonwaway from her family, to pursue her dream.

Sometimes our path strays away from our plan, and we wonder why it does, especially when what we want is not bad for us, nor will it harm anybody. Like maybe you're applying for a job you really like, or  saving up for a house and lot in a nice location, and you feel devastated when you don't get what you pray for. The thing is, we need to see the positive in the things that happened to us, because there is always a positive angle.

I wanted to last longer in my previous job, and although I tried so hard to fit in, I just didn't. I wondered why it seemed God was not listening to my prayers, and why the nagging thought of leaving that job kept coming to mind. But where I am now, is a more stable company, better work team and the compensation is much better than where I came from. It's a job God gave that I never really asked for.

The next time things don't work out, don't lose hope. Pray for understanding and enlightenment, pray that you see His plan for you. There is always light at the end of the tunnel :)

It was their last day for the school year, exactly three days after that embarrassing incident in Richard's home. Richard wanted to follow Dei then, but Lei's hand needed medical attention. He drove her to the nearest hospital to get her hand stitched and took her home. A talk with Lei revealed that she mistakenly assumed that their togetherness was progressing into a real relationship after Dei remained unresponsive to his ploy of making her jealous. Thankfully, Lei was relocating to a different state. 

What was wrong with them? Why did the universe seem to conspire against them being together? Could it be that God was telling him something? He was a firm believer of messages from God, and knew that there were times that God's plan for him was not exactly the same as what he felt he needed. After trying for close to a year of winning over Dei's heart, he decided to turn to God for guidance on how to proceed.

"Lord, show me the way. Give me a sign that there is a future for us."

But what sign should he ask for? What sign would be a clear indication that God had a separate plan for them both? He thought of their togetherness, their shared classes and break periods. The next term would be focusing on their specializations and he knew that Dei was choosing between screenwriting and fiction as her field of endeavor. He was already decided on pursuing fiction as his specialization.

"Lord, if she decides to choose fiction as her specialization, it can only mean we are meant to be together.

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Unknown to him, Dei was also battling with her own demons. She couldn't forget about that moment when she let go of her inhibitions and allowed them both to express their innermost feelings physically. It was a heady experience marred by the reality that he already belonged to someone else. Or did he? Was she wrong to assume he was in a relationship already?

She figured that his door was left unopen in Lei's rush to buy him some medication. Lei's shock at seeing them in such an uncompromising position brought back memories of how she felt when she saw Diane and Ron, in an even tamer scenario than what she and Richard were in. Her face heated up at the memory, and wondered what Lei thought of her.