When Destiny Plays (Completed)

Chapter Fifteen

We bid our goodbyes to the rest of the clan after lunch the succeeding day. Since Mark is busy with his honeymoon, Clint was the one who drove Auntie Mathilda and I to the port.

Both of us arrived at the brink of dusk to a well-tended house, in fact it is much cleaner now compared to the one we left a week ago. Auntie payed and thanked Crisselda for her services and immediately set her off.

It's definitely good to be back home, to meet my friends sooner and be in somewhere I truly belong. But there's that longing to go back to Cebu and hangout with the rest of the family even more. It's not been a day, but I already miss the babbles and the earsplitting gaiety that my cousins make.

Apart from that, I miss Dad the most. He wasn't even there hours ago when we're about to go. It's just by his letter attached to my phone the moment I woke up this morning that I forced myself to understand.

It's says- 'Sorry I won't be there to drive you to the port Litte Bitty. I got a call from the base early this morning. They need me for an emergency meeting. I know this was completely out of the plan but still have patience with me, okay? You're still my only Little Bitty general.

-Daddy Colonel, Over and Out.'

It's always been like this when your father is in the military. You should learn not to get your hopes too high whenever he says he'll make it up or he declares that he'll be with you during your birthday or at Christmas. In the end, things will just fail to happen even if they're carefully planned or regardfully promised. Destiny always carved its own path.

***

Time flies by so fast beyond notice. Even the memory of our stay at Cebu seemed just yesterday even if it's now weeks but so distant and away. Summer break is drawing to an end and barely a week from now, a new school year and my last year in junior high school will start.

Today, enrollment starts for incoming fourth year students. The usual squad- Jassmine, Erin, Martha, Sandra and I decided to enroll together and buy our school supplies afterwards.

It's the first time we'll be out together after their visit at the house the very next day of our arrival from Cebu, two weeks ago. That was when I gave them my so-called 'wholeheartedly-given-homecoming-gifts'.

It's the personalized shirts that I ordered back in a shop at Cebu. Printed in each of those is a saying- "A good friend is a connection to life- a tie to the past, a road to the future, the key to sanity in a totally insane world." -that the five of us got in our different favorite colors. Mine was grey, Sandra was emerald, sapphire for Jass, ruby for Erin and indigo for Martha.

They even complained about the prizes of the shirts but eventually took them without any hesitation. As what I've promised, I also bought a late birthday present for Erin. I gave her a scarlet purse with a Cebu City charm that I attached myself and she took it delightedly.

I showered, get dressed and ate breakfast to meet the girls at the school and have an early start of the day. Aunt Mathilda accompanied me with the enrollment for it's needed and immediately left afterwards to supervise the farm.

After the not-so-long queue of enrollees, me and the squad dined at Winn's Eatery to fill our hollow tummies before buying our school supplies.

"I can't wait to eventually start the school year," said Sandra, helping herself with a serving of fish fillet.

"Yeah? Because Jake's transferring here?" I said.

"It's not just him, okay? There are loads to look forward to within this year, not to mention moving from junior to senior high school," she replied.