John Lloyd did not pursue the conversation. He reasoned to himself that they still had a lot of time. He was more worried about Sarah’s hiccups than he cared to admit. For most people, it was just something that happened on an ordinary day. But Sarah was not most people. She still had her heart condition. True that she seemed to be getting better, however John Lloyd could not just ignore the hiccups. He insisted to Sarah that they go back to Guangzhou and see her doctor.
She shrugged off his fears. She told him the hiccups happened not because of anything else but because she did not drink a glass of water after breakfast.
“ You made me forget. And then you kissed me. Made me forget some more.” She tried to make light of the situation. She knew any minute now, he would start packing their things and book a flight.
“I’m serious here Sarah. Let’s go back and see your doctor. We can always come here again. “ He reasoned with her.
Sarah did the unexpected. She kissed him. It was her first time to initiate the kiss. She took advantage of his shock. She let her lips linger on his for a few seconds before she pulled away.
“Please.” She used her eyes now to plead with him.
There was still the shocked look in his face before he finally recovered himself. He pulled her to his lap and started to kiss her again. Sarah suddenly feeling selfconscious tried to stop him with her hands. But she could not back down now.
“Promise me we’ll stay at least the whole day and go home tomorrow.”
“No, we go home today.” He insisted.
Sarah bit her lips. She seemed to make up her mind.
“Ok, we’ll go but later. Let’s do some sightseeing first. I’m okay. Don’t worry about me.”
He examined her and when he thought she would not budge, he agreed.
“Ok but you have to----”
“Thank you! “ She did not let him finish what he was saying. She kissed him again and quickly jumped off his lap.
“Let’s get ready now.”
She smiled at him and left the room before he could catch her again.
***
“Yes, Thank you. Yes. That’be great. Thank you. “
John Lloyd caught Sarah’s words before she placed down the receiver. He could see that her things were ready. They would probably just eat lunch in Beijing and would be back in Guangzhou by late afternoon. He went to her room to ask about the flight schedule that she prefered.
“What is it? Anything else, you need?” He inquired about the call she made.
He stayed by the door. He knew he would be forced to sing “I have two hands Baleleng” again to distract himself if he came inside the room and sat beside her.
Sarah was glowing in her blue top and tightfitting jeans while she smiled at him from her bed.
“Come here.” Sarah tapped the space next to her.
“Why? We’re running late.” He tightened his grip on the door handle. Oh no, Baleleng come rescue me again.
“No, we’re not. We have plenty of time. Why don’t you come and sit with me first?" Sarah widened her smile. "Afraid of me?”
Is Sarah flirting with me, dear Lord?
“If I sit there, I can’t promise that I’m not gonna sing again. Either you suffer from that or....” He let his words trail. He was watching Sarah’s reaction.
“What? Kiss me again?” She laughed and decided to come to him.
“I have two hands Baleleng..” He started to tease her by singing.
“You’re crazy. “ She said while she held his hand.
They looked at each other’s eyes. Just smiling. It was the last day of their weekend getaway, they wanted to bottle that moment and bring it home with them.
“Where do you want to go? But first, what time do i book our flight?”
“That’s settled already.”
“What do you mean?”
“Everything’s been handled. Don’t worry about it.”
“Sarah..” John Lloyd started to get suspicious. She must be planning something that’s why she was extra sweet to him.
“I promise, we’ll live for Guangzhou tonight.”
He continued to search her eyes.
She could not anymore delay it. She knew he’d blow off but he’d eventually come around.
“We’ll leave via train.”
“What?! That’s a too long travel for you!”
There it was.
Sarah gave him time to worry and let off steam before she said anything.
“We’ll fly to Guangzhou this afternoon, and see your doctor.”
Everything was all about timing. She put her plan to action.
She touched his arm first.
“Idan..”
He looked at her for a split second and tried to escape her. She blocked his way.
“Idan..Idan...Idan...” She repeatedly called his name while she tried to catch his eyes.
“Bebe..bebe..bebe..”
John Lloyd stood still and looked at her.
“Bebe..bebe..wooo.” She sang the Bieber song while she laughed. He tried to step away again, but she caught his face with both her hands. She knew there was really nothing to worry about. She had never felt better. He was just worrying too much.
“I’m okay, believe me. I should know. I’d tell you if I’m not feeling well, but now I just feel great.”
“But we have to make sure—“
“Ok, we’ll go to my doctor first thing tomorrow. Today, we’ll enjoy our stay here and leave tonight. “
“The train ride from here to Guangzhou is 12 hours!”
“And we’ll have 12 more hours together. Do you not want that? ” She kissed him on the cheek. Her final talisman delivered.
She knew she won the argument.
“You drive me crazy, do you know that?” He pinched her nose.
***
They spent the whole day visiting the less crowded places in Beijing. By 7 o’clock, they were in the train station. The train would leave at 8:30PM so that gave them time to eat dinner at a nearby restaurant. A couple of Filipino waiters recognized them but they pleaded not to take pictures of them. They understood.
There was already a line in the train station, and fortunately nobody seemed to notice them.
The tickets that Sarah bought were for a cabin. She was told that they would be sharing it with two more passengers.
“Where do you want to sleep?”
“Where do you want me? Here or on yours?” He teased her again.
She stuck out her tongue at him.
“Why? We’re alone in this cabin. No one will bother us if I sleep beside you.”
Sarah frowned and gave him a dagger look.
“I’m just kidding hehe. I bought the other two tickets so you can sleep comfortably. At least now, we don’t have to worry about sharing this with strangers.”
He kissed the top of her head before he busied himself with their bags.
This time, he won.
***
“Idan?”
“Yes?”
They were both lying on their respective beds. The train had already left Beijing.
“Nevermind.”
“Try to get some sleep. “ He told her.
After awhile she stood up and went to the door.
“Where’re you going?”
“CR”
“I’ll come with you.”
She was about to argue but thought better of it. She didn’t want to try her luck. She knew he would just insist that he accompany her. That had been the case the whole day. He did not allow her to be out of his sight. She complained but he just shrugged it off, denying it.
Good thing she let him come with her to the comfort room.
The words in the train’s comfort room door were in Chinese. She could not distinguish which was closed or opened. She tried the red one. The door still opened. The green one, the same thing.
“Lloydy, just hold the door for me please. I don’t know how to close it.”
“Sure. You okay in there?”
“Yes.” Sarah smiled to herself. An image came to mind.
***
They both slept late the next day. Contrary to what John Lloyd imagined the train ride to be, it was actually comfortable. The movement of the train lulled them to sleep. From time to time he would sneak a peek at the sleeping Sarah, checking if she was comfortable.
When he opened his eyes next, the sun was up and Sarah was reading from her cellphone. A worried look at her face.
“Something’s wrong?”
“No. Nothing.”
“Sarah”
She took a deep breath before she answered him again.
“Mommy is in the apartment now. She arrived this morning. And..”
John Lloyd didn’t need to hear the rest of it nor read the message her mother sent her. He knew already. He knew that they were both in trouble.
When he asked permission from her father about their trip to Beijing, her father was also hesitant at first. He was worried about what his wife would say. Yet he knew that Sarah needed the trip so he agreed and made John Lloyd promise that he would take care of her, and that it would be a secret to her mother.
They did not expect her to come until the following week.
So, all of them were in trouble now.
There was no cellphone signal anymore so they could not reply and tell her parents that they were on their way to Guangzhou. John Lloyd knew Sarah was worried. She was fidgeting all through out their brunch.
“Don’t worry yourself too much. I’ll explain it to Tita.” She removed her hand when he tried to hold it. He let it pass.
They still had their usual banter but Sarah seemed to be pre-occupied and merely reacting to him to get her mind off the looming scolding from her mother. John Lloyd tried to touch her hand again to comfort her but she took her hand away.
“So, this is how it’s going to be?”
“Huh?”
“When we get off this train, I’m not going to matter again.” He said matter of factly.
“What do you mean?”
“I attempted several times to hold you hand but you avoided it. Why?”
“You must know why.”
“No. I don’t understand it. Explain it to me. What have I done wrong?”
Sarah kept quiet.
“When we get off this train, we’ll both pretend that nothing’s between us? That we have no relationship? That’s what you want, right?”
“There’s still no us. There’s no relationship.” Fear and tears in her voice.
John Lloyd could not speak right way. There was a clog in his throat. They both remained quiet. The train was bringing them closer to their destination while this latest fight was drawing them away from each other.
“So that is your answer..”
When Sarah did not speak, he went out of the cabin.
***
It was almost 6 o’clock when John Lloyd came back. He was not speaking to her even during dinner.
“Sorry.” Sarah quietly apologized.
“Sorry for what?”
“I’m sorry for hurting. I’m sorry for not being ready yet.... It doesn’t mean that I care less for you. I have my reasons.”
“What reasons? That you don’t trust me enough to risk having a relationship with me?”
“My parents..”
“I get that. I understand that you are worried about your parents, but you know that we can get their permission. You’re of age already. They may not agree at first but if we fight for what we feel for each other, they’d be okay with us.”
“But—“
“What? You've thought of another problem again? You just keep coming up with reasoons not to be with me that sometimes I think between the two of us, it’s only me who’s insisting there’s really love. Am I? Am I just insisting on it when there’s none actually?”
“Of course not. There is. Just give me time.” She finally said.
***
They reached Guangzhou a little before 9o’clock. They called Sarah’s parents from the taxi and explained why they were not able to reply. Her father told them that Sarah’s mother was worried but was okay now. He had explained the situation to her.
Although both of them knew that they would still hear it from her mother.
John Lloyd handed Sarah a folded piece of paper while they were in the elevator.
“I have two words for you to help you decide. Just choose one. Open it when you’re ready and let me know.”
She kept the paper.
She held on to it while they faced her mother and received her scolding. She held on to it when John Lloyd left for his apartment. She held on to the piece of paper until she went inside her room.
She held on to it when John Lloyd managed to convince her parents that he instead go with Sarah for her check-up. She held on to it when John Lloyd told her the following week that he had to leave and go back to the Philippines to settle some unfinished business that he could not put off any longer.
Sarah held on to the two words that John Lloyd gave her.
One or the other. If she chose one, she’d have to cross out the other.
Two words.
NO JOHNLLOYD.
Those were her two choices.
----------------
And the big conflict has started... this won't be a love story if there's none. :)
And to my 5 loyal readers na pabalik balik lang haha, thank you!
