Sanjie, Aniah & Sander

Chapter 6

"You missed him, don't you?"

I looked at Lorraine who's staring at me. Maxi wasn't around today because she's excused from school for a week and it's because of a family reunion. So it's only Lorraine and me for today.

We're staying at the Library because we're doing our assignment, but I can't focus.

I sighed. "I do," I responded.

After I saw Sanjie walked away. I didn't hear anything from him. He avoids my text messages and calls but I didn't halt reaching him. He's not also answering Sander's calls and texts, and I'm getting anxious because he didn't go back to school after that. Sander visits him in his house but he's not showing up and locked himself in his room. He's even averting his cousin and it makes me awful. I don't tempt to visit him in his house because I supposed he doesn't want to see me. I think he's beginning to hate me for hurting him—for damaging his feelings.

I missed him already and I wished I could see him by visiting him, but I don't think it's a good idea. He despises me and I loathe myself even more for hurting him.

She put her pen down. "Then why don't you visit him?" She asked.

"I don't think it's a nice notion. He hates me, Lory." I replied.

She scoffed. "I don't think he does, Aniah. He's too kind to hate you." She said.

"What if he does?" I asked her.

"But what if he doesn't?" She asked me back. I didn't answer.

"Just try visiting him in their house and ask how's he. If he doesn't show up, then he hates you." She said.

I just stared at her.

***

"Are you sure about this?" Sander asked me while driving in his car.

I thought about what Lorraine said to me at the School Library a while ago. So I've agreed to visit Sanjie at his house. I want to know if he hates me or I'm the only one who's thinking about it. So I think of a sign, if I'm welcome to his home and he shows up, then he doesn't hate me. But if I'm welcome and he didn't show up, then he hates me.

I sighed. "I'm sure. I don't want him to be like this. I don't want him to hate me...to hate you."

Because that's not the Sanjie I knew...

He also sighed. "I never wanted him to despise me, Zephaniah. He's like a brother to me and I don't want to lose him."

"I know you don't want to lose him. You two were so close, Sander." I said.

He gave me a bitter smile. "But we're liking the same girl."

I looked away. "If only I could wish this never arisen. That you and I didn't occur, that he and I didn't also prevail. If only I knew this would've transpired, sana lumayo nalang ako."

I shouldn't let this happen...

He holds my hand, so I looked at him and his eyes started to get watery. "Don't say that. It hurts me, please don't say that. If you didn't come into my life, I wouldn't be this happy." He said.

I smiled bitterly. "Sumaya ka nga pero sinira ko naman ang relasyon niyong magpinsan." I retorted.

He looked at the road. "It's not your fault. It will never be your fault. We just love the same woman by likelihood. Don't blame yourself, Zephaniah."

I looked at the window. Trying to hold my tears. I'm not going to cry again. I won't cry again, and I'm going there to fix this.

After a couple of minutes, we arrived at his house. I was stunned at his house because I've never been to his house before. It was enormous and neat. Sander was the one who rings the doorbell and a minute later, one of the maids went out, who was in her 50's and was happy to see Sander. She instantly opens the gate for us and let us in. Sander introduced me to her, and her name was Manang Linda. I was stunned when she was happy to see me. I didn't know that Sanjie tells stories to her about me.