"Yeah, friends", and I genuinely smiled at him
With that words we really became friends...
Trina welcomed him like nothing has happened way back then and she seems happier.
"Sis, omg, I can now see Ronald everyday and always coming to our table in cafeteria. Oh Romeo, I can be your Juliet", she said like imagining Ronald is Romeo and she is his Juliet. Haayyss, my friend became more insane tsk tsk what a pity
Honestly, I did not expect that we will be friends with Ronald but that's how it is right? As we age we realized that we should move on from the past to move forward.
When Trina was not there, Ronald was there for me to listen. He offers his shoulder to lean on, he became my pillow to cry on, he became my comfort zone... and that's what I'm afraid of.
"It hurts that whenever I came home they are shouting with each other. It hurts that my father were hitting my mother in front of me. It hurts that I cannot see their love for each other... What happened? What is happening with my family Ronald? I don't know what to do", I'm crying endlessly with Ronald's chest and he'll just tap my back to comfort me
4 months had passed...
Ronald and I were on our way back home and Trina came home first because her house is near in school rather than us. Ronald's house is on the other street but since we became friends it became his habit that he will walk me home and he said that he just want me to be safe.
For the past four months my parents became busy with their own matter and I wonder if when will they got a divorce paper...
My parents got older given the fact that they do age but I think it stress is one of the factors. I noticed how my Mother had wrinkles on each side on her eyes and how my Father got lines in his forehead. I cannot understand why people do get marry when they do not understand each other in the first place... or if they had a misunderstanding can't they just talk about it? Like an adult? Maybe my parents got age but their thinking did not.
Ronald stopped walking so I gave him a confused look then he look at my house telling me that we are already in front of our house.
"Ooppss my bad hehe", I said
"Aish, what were you thinking again?"
"Sorry..."
"Anyway, I'll go now?"
"Yeah, thank you for walking me home.", I smiled
"See you tomorrow, Julie", then he smiled at me too while waving his hand as he walks his way home
I entered our house then got surprised that my mom was in front of our door. Well, I'll just ignore her and will walk in my bedroom. Yeah, that's right, Julie, you can do this. When I get the chance to walk pass her she stopped me with grabbing my right arm.
"What?", I asked not looking in her eyes
"Is that Ronald Torres?", she asked with a hint of madness in her voice
"Uh... yes mom, that's him. Can you let go of me now? I'm tired and I want to rest in my bedroom"
"No! Why did he walked you home? Is he courting you? What did I say? Don't let him near you. He's a bad guy like his father!!!"
"What? Do you know him? Do you know Ronald? Why are you judging him based on what his Father did to you? Whatever it is... Mom, Ronald and I are good friends. So please, just this one... don't ruin it... Don't ruin my life", I said tearing up and just go to my bedroom
The set up continues... Ronald always walks me home even my mother do not allow it.
Then the Ball came...
He asked me to be his partner, he even brought a rose for me which I find sweet. And of course, I said yes...
We dance in the middle of the crowd but all I can see was him... his bright eyes, his smile and how gentle this man became. I never thought that I will feel this way for him and I hope he feels the same way for me...
He offered his hand and I held it and just let him wherever he wants us to go...
We stopped at the garden of our school and sit on the swing in the playground. When he started to talk...
"Julie, I know that I was a jerk back then. And I'm happy that you let me in, in your life. I'm happy that we became friends. But I want to let you know that I want us to be more than that. I'm not contented with what we have. I'm willing to be the man that you dreamt. I'm willing to change whatever attitude you don't like. I'm willing to be an honest guy with you all the time. I will love you forever even though you became tired of me. I will never leave you behind. So please, be my girlfriend?"... he said that with full of love in his eyes, I was shocked and don't know what to say at first but... I don't care with the world anymore. All I knew was I love this guy...
"Yes, Ronald. Yes!", and then he hugged me and saying 'thank you' repeatedly hahhaha this guy I'm much grateful than him. He just didn't know.
For the past 5 months, Ronald were treating me like his princess. And for the past 5 months, my mother and father are still like that... fighting and arguing all the time.
Ronald wants us to be official and gets permission to my dad and mom but I refused even though I want us to be official too. It's just that... it's not the right time and my mother doesn't like him and for my father, I think he doesn't care 'coz he doesn't much about me too.
Ronald were the only one who keeps me alive and who can made me smile every day. He is giving me the love and attention that I seek for my parents.
And then one day... I became tired of keeping our relationship so I said to Ronald that we should make it official. He smiled and said that "Okay, alright... Let's go after our class? Together? I'm kinda nervous but I'm really happy. I hope they will accept me tho"
"I hope so too" and held his hand to support him and our realtionship
Whatever happens, I'll never stop loving him...
We're now in front of our house and I let him inside our house then called my mom and dad but my mom were the only one who showed up. And she seems... in a bad mood... but she's always in a bad mood tho' so what's new right?
"Hey, mom. This is Ronald, you knew him already. He's my boyfriend", I said politely
My mom looked so surprised and held her chest
"Good afternoon ma'am. I'm Ronald and I'm here to tell you that I really love your daughter. And we want to ask you for your blessing", then he offered his hand but my mom just looked at his right hand
"How... how could you! I told you to stay away from this guy! He's just like his father, Julie. And you're still young! You're not allowed to have a boyfriend at this young age!", she started to angrily shout at me
And so I can't suppress my feelings then just started to tear up...
"No mom! You know what I'm leaving! I'm leaving this house and will never come back again! I'm tired with you and I'm tired with everything!"...
I grabbed Ronald's hand and my emotions filled me up and did not even think to get my stuffs or just some clothes in my house
"Hey, calm down Julie. Tell me that you didn't mean it? Go home and make it up to your mom...", he carefully said to me
"No... I want, I want to get away from that house... Please, Ronald... You love me right? Live with me. Let's make our own family...", I cried to him
"I love you Julie but this is not the right thing to do... we're still young, we should not make impulsive actions" he said which made me mad at him
"Okay, then let's break up right now and I'll just live on my own!"
"No, Julie. Oo--okay I'll live with you. I have savings on my bank account..."
We rented a small apartment even though it is not big as our houses that's fine with us as long as we are together. I know that my decision is wrong but I want to live my life free and I'm sure that Ronald and I will survive.
For the past one week that we lived in, we decided to stop studying because allowance will just be an expense for us. It did make me sad but I still don't want to go home and my pride doesn't let it.
One month had passed
Ronald and I started to look for a job and found one but we faked our age 'coz we're still underage and will not be qualified if tell the truth. I'm an assistant in a small company just printing and typing in computer and Ronald became a driver of our boss. The salary was fine for us to save money. But after one month, I resigned because Ronald got jealous by our boss as Sir Gutierrez hold my hand while I'm typing data in his computer and Ronald saw it but he did not say a thing inside the office but when we're on our way home he got mad at me that I'm flirting with our boss while I really did not. I got shocked also when that incident happened. And out of his jealousy, he said that I should resigned so I did.
When I resigned, I felt alone in our apartment and tired doing all the household chores which I don't know how to do properly and worse is I can't cook even a fried egg, argh... I was not cooking all our meals when we started to lived in because we were just buying outside but now, we're short of money so I am obliged to do all this.
Ronald came home late at night, and I kissed him on his cheeks while helping him to pull out his polo. By looking at his eyes, I noticed that he is tired.
"Love, uuhh did you ate already? Uuhhmm, the egg got burned out... you know I don't know how to cook. Sorry..."
Then he slammed the table
"What?! I'm so tired and starving! Why can't you fried a simple egg?!", he massaged his temples meaning that he was mad...
I cried with his sudden reaction...
"I tried to cook. I tried to wash the dishes. I tried to wash our clothes. I tried everything that I shouldn't do", then I just endlessly cry and go to our bedroom.
Early in the morning, I woke up in bed but Ronald was not beside me anymore maybe he goes to work. I felt a heavy feelimg inside my chest because we still did not make it up until now...
I put all our laundry in the pail and go to our neighbor because we're out of water as we dis not pay the bill yet. Fortunately, our neighbor treats me as her daughter.
Aunt Linda, our neighbor, is washing her family's clothes beside me and I'm washing Ronald and I's dirty clothes.
"Julie, did you not regret to lived in together? I mean you two are still young. Does your parents does not looking for you two? They may be worried for the both of you... This is just a piece of advice because I treat you like my own daugther. Go home... and do not live like me. I did not study and just like you I run away from our home, from my parents and until now that I have my own family, my parents do not consider me as their daughter anymore... So look at me now, washing all these dirty clothes with my bare hands because we cannot afford to get a maid nor buy a washing machine..."
I was walking my way home holding our washed clothes. And I'm still thinking with what Aunt Linda said to me... Should I go home? But I'm afraid after all that I have done... Will my parents accept me again?
Then I suddenly felt my head aches and everything went black...
I woke up with my blurry vision and saw a light. Then, when my vision was cleared I looked around and saw lot of patients and nurses who were busy monitoring. I'm at a small hospital and when I noticed that someone was hding my hand I looked at my side, it was Ronald. He was sleeping beside me and opened his eyes when he felt that I'm now awake.
"Oh, thank god, you're awake now", then he kissed my forehead.
Then two persons came in sight. My mom and dad were talking with the doctor about my situation and I got a Gastroenteritis. I looked at Ronald...
"I need to call them, Julie. I'm so sorry... it's just that I love you but we're still young and I've got dreams too and you have your own dreams to fulfill too... I hope, I hope that you understand my decision. We need to break up and set things right. We don't need to rush things for us, we should not rush things. I care for you and I love you... but it's not just the right time. Don't forget about me okay?", then for the one last time he kissed my forehead and turned his back on me... I just silently cried because I know that he was right.
"I'm so sorry sweetheart. We're so sorry", my mom said while crying and she hugged me then my dad kissed me in my head.
People can do a lot of mistakes but we just need to face those mistakes and don't do the same mistakes again. We need to change... and we need to continue our lives no matter what.
THE END
