Chapter 6: Moving On
A week has passed and she has not seen Ronald yet nor has he called her up. After work she decided to visit the place where Ronald hangs out. She saw him there with his drinking buddies and Ronald was surprised to see her. “Hi, where are you going?” he asked her. Elaine was quite frustrated with his greeting, she expected him to be more excited but she let it go. “I came here to see you. You want to have dinner? My treat” she offered him. Ronald did not refuse the offer; it has been that way ever since with the two of them.
While they were having dinner Ronald noticed Elaine’s new blouse. “Hey Tina has a blouse just like that you know” he said. Elaine looked at him and wanted to say that the blouse was Tina’s birthday gift to her. “Really? How did you know she had something like this?” Ronald twitched and said “Well when I went to visit your office to check on you she was wearing something like that” he replied. Elaine became suspicious since at the office they were not allowed to wear casual clothes. They were provided uniforms; she managed to change into casual attire before she met with Ronald. “I see. So you went to the office to check if I was there?” she asked him. Ronald nodded as his mouth was full of food.
The parted after dinner since Ronald had an exam the following day. Back at her apartment Elaine was getting the feeling that Ronald and Tina were seeing each other but she shrugged away the thought since Tina was her best friend. She just slept it out and tried to forget about it.
Another week has passed, it was a Saturday and Ronald came to Elaine’s apartment. They spent the whole day watching movies on DVD. “Ron, can you go to the grocery and buy some things. I want to cook something for you tonight” Elaine told him. Ronald was excited since it was about food, “Sure, write it down so I won’t forget, but I don’t have money” he said. “It’s okay I will pay for it” she said and started to write things down on a piece of paper.
Ronald rushed out and headed for the grocery. Elaine knew it would take more than an hour before he could return so she decided to start another video. As she was about to sit on the sofa she saw Ronald’s mobile phone. She sat down and browsed the contents of his mobile phone and once she opened the message inbox she was surprised to see messages from Tina. She read all the messages and anger was written all over her face.
She was so mad that she wanted to crush the mobile phone but she decided to check out if the two were really having a relationship behind her back. She started to write a text message, she pretended to be Ronald.
“Tina, can I come over to your place tonight?” her message said and she sent it at once.
After a minute of waiting a reply arrived and she read it immediately.
“What? You just left this morning. Do you miss me that badly already?” Tina said in her reply. Elaine was furious, she wanted to call Tina already but she kept her cool and played along.
“Yeah. I miss you badly” Elaine said in her next message.
“Come over then. I thought you were going to Elaine’s place today?” read the message of Tina.
“Okay I’m coming over. Wait for me” was all Elaine could say and she quickly hurled Ronald’s mobile phone on the wall. She was losing control of her mind, she tossed all the things she could see in front of her. She smashed the flower vase on her television. She went to her room and ripped the blouse Tina gave her and all her pictures with Ronald and Tina she burned in thrash can.
An hour later she was knocking on Tina’s apartment door. Tina opened the door and was surprised to see Elaine. “Elaine what a surprise! Hey are you going for a vacation again? What’s with the big travelling bag?” Tina asked.
Elaine managed to fake a smile and said “I just wanted to say two things to you. First I will be leaving again…a longer vacation this time. Don’t worry I will call the office myself and tell them about it.” Tina’s face saddened but managed to ask Elaine “Well what’s the second thing you have to tell me?”
Elaine slapped Tina on the face with all her might. Tina was so surprised and moved back. Elaine took some things out of her bag and handed it to Tina. “Here is the phone of Ronald; you can give it back to him when you see him. Here is the birthday present you gave me, sorry I shredded it but I heard you just had one like this” Elaine told her while keeping calm. Tina took the phone and the shredded blouse and started to cry. “Elaine please forgive me I didn’t mean to hurt…” Tina began to say but another slap on her other cheek from Elaine sent her kneeling on the ground.
“I don’t want to see you or talk to you again. You can tell that bastard to do the same.” Elaine said and left Tina’s apartment. She booked a room at a hotel since she still had to go to work the next day. Even though she just experienced something heart breaking she didn’t feel that sad anymore. She was fed up with Ronald and it was about time they had ended their relationship. She thought about Nathan and she remembered the piece of paper with his phone number. She tried calling his phone but it was not on. She decided to resign from work and move to Baguio city and hoped that she would be together with him again.
The following day Elaine was busy filing her clearances and resignation. At the end of the day she got on a bus and headed to Baguio City. As soon as she arrived there she was expecting to see Nathan at the station doing his routine package claiming but he was not there.
Elaine saw Martha and the old lady was surprised to see her. “Hello Martha, sorry last time I didn’t say goodbye. Have you seen Nathan around lately?” Martha stood up and offered her a sit. “Madam I have not seen sir Nathan the whole week” she revealed.
Elaine was kind of sad to hear that. “Maybe I should go and visit his place then but I don’t know the exact address” she told the old lady. “Madam the day you left he was here until the evening waiting for you to return. He came the following day waiting for you, wishing you might come back. From morning till evening he was sitting with me telling stories about his life. I enjoyed his company for he helped me out the whole week” Martha told her. Elaine was moved and said “He came and stayed here for a week waiting for me?” she asked.
Martha nodded and bowed her head “Last time he was here he said something about moving on. I did not quite hear what he was saying because there was a customer. The next thing I know he was gone, that was last week” she revealed. Elaine felt lifeless and confused and her mind trying to understand what he meant by moving on.
“I tried to call him up but his phone is turned off. I know his place but I don’t know the address. How am I going to find him now?” Elaine said bowed her head. “Although he did not say why he was here I knew he was waiting for you to return. Did he give up and move on as he said? I don’t know the answer to that. All I can say is that I could feel he really loves you” And Elaine started to cry once again.
“Madam, maybe he gave himself one week, that one week he waited. I know it’s foolish of him waiting but at least he tried to wait. In the end he probably gave up and moved on already thinking that you were back in your hubby’s arms” Martha added.
“But I’m not…and now he is gone. Why did he move on without me?” Elaine said while sobbing. Martha could not say anything more to comfort her so she just patted her back.
In a residential area within the city Nathan was watching a lady and her young child playing in the park. The woman notices him from afar and was surprised so she carried her child and walked towards the Nathan. “Nathan! What are you doing here?” she asked him. Nathan just looked at the child in her arms and he reached out and touched the little boy’s hand. “Hello Arlene, long time no see. He has your eyes you know” he said.
“I have not seen you for a long time, how are you?” Arlene asked him. Nathan looked at her and let go of the child’s hand, “Do you really want to know?” he said and Arlene was speechless. “You just left me without saying a word” he added.
“Walk with me lets talk” Arlene said and they walked towards a bench and she sat down. Nathan sat down beside her and the child reached out to Nathan. “He wants you to hold him” she said. Nathan took hold of the baby and the little child laughed. Nathan smiled and asked “What’s his name?”
“I named him after you, his name is Nathan” Arlene answered and Nathan started tickling baby Nathan. “Every Saturday you come here in this park, you and him and baby Nathan” he told her. Arlene was surprised that he knew that. “How did you know?” she asked. “I come here too every Saturday but I just stay far away, just enough to see you” he said.
“I know you hate me for what I did to you” she said softly. Nathan looked at her “The funny thing is I never did, instead I hated myself since I thought maybe it was because of me that you left” he told her. Arlene bowed her head and tears started to fall down her face. “It wasn’t you, it was me. Please don’t hate me Nathan.”
“If it wasn’t me then what?” he asked her and Arlene looked at Nathan then she looked at the baby. Nathan looked at the baby and he understood what she was trying to say. He was so angry at that moment but as he looked at the child in his arms he was quickly tamed. “So it’s about this baby” he said and he looked at the baby. “I am going to tell you this now since you cannot understand what I’m saying, I have to get this off my chest. You made my life miserable. I love your mother so much and don’t forget that. We both have the same name so I do hope you won’t feel the kind of pain that I went through when you grow up” he said and he took a deep breath and hugged the baby. “I could have been you father you know” he softly whispered in the child’s ear.
Arlene cried hearing those words from Nathan and all she could do was bow her head in shame. “Nathan I am so sorry, it just happened, I was scared to tell you but ...” she said but Nathan interrupted her. “I don’t want to hear the details, I have gone through enough. I am happy to know it was not me. Just promise me to raise little Nathan well. He then passes the baby to her and stands up.
“You know what ever since you left I have been in pain and misery, 10 months to be exact. I met this girl, and being with her for just seven days took away the pain I was feeling. Too bad she had someone in her heart that time so I didn’t want to mess up their relationship. Even if she did not have someone I could not l totally fall in love with her since our relationship still didn’t have closure. Now I can move on.” He said and smiled at her.
The baby started to cry and was trying to reach out to Nathan. “Where are you going now?” she asked Nathan and she patted the baby but still baby Nathan kept crying. “I don’t know yet but I feel free to do whatever I want to know” he replied. The baby’s cry was getting louder and louder and Nathan held him again in his arms and the crying stopped.
“Arlene are you sure I’m not the father of this baby? Just kidding!“ Nathan joked as he started to make the baby laugh. Everytime Nathan would return the baby to his mother it would start to cry so he had no choice but to wait until the baby fell asleep.
Once the baby was asleep Nathan gently handed him over to Arlene. “I have to go now” he whispered in her ear. Arlene looked at Nathan and asked “Where are you going now?” Nathan looked at her and smiled “I am going to find her and tell her how I truly feel, if I am too late then its alright, I will just move on again” he softly whispered. Arlene pouted and looked at her baby. Nathan stooped down and kissed the baby on his forehead and he kissed Arlene her cheek. “Its okay I forgive you. You will always have a special place in my heart, but this time you will be sharing it with baby Nathan” he said and walked away.
