Her Miracle

CHAPTER 9

“Are we there yet?” My voice came out unsteady. I caught up with my breathing.

I haven’t gone hiking and following trails in the woods for as long as I remember. I had no cardio for this. I did walk but that’s the only physical thing I’m able to do. I’m not allowed to participate in Gym class even. All I did was sit and do written activities on par with the class’ activities.

It was hard to breathe and a good thing I’ve reached this far without collapsing. I’m the least of all people who you should expect to do physical activities. My chest tightens. I exhaled and inhaled like I was instructed to whenever my chest tightens.

My body says otherwise. I stayed slim no matter how much I ate. Possibly from my parents’ genes? Fast metabolism strikes well. I never really cared about what I ate as long as I’m full and satisfied with the food.

He helped me up in the rocky trails. The tall green grass that touched our knees. The wind was blowing on our faces. And even if the sun was out, it was still cold. It sent shivers down my spine. The grass swayed with the direction on where the wind blew.

“Almost.” He answered in a sing-song manner.

He still held on my hand like it was the most precious thing in the world. I found it too cute. I chewed the insides of my cheek to stop myself from smiling and giggling. His presence gave me peace for some reason, making me want to spend more time with him.

He let go of my hand and stopped. He looked at me, giving me the adorable baby-faced look. “Cover your eyes first.”

“So what? This is a surprise now?”

“I don’t think you have been here.”

I shook my head, as I complied. I covered my eyes with my palms. At least get the sun away from my face for a while. He positioned both his hands on my shoulder, preparing to guide me on our way to wherever we were going.

“Are we visiting an old undiscovered shack?” I squealed.

“Nope,” He answered like a kid, emphasizing on the P, prolonging it. “A few more steps and you can remove it,”

I felt the ground was much more solid than those we’ve stepped on with all the rocks. There was no grass sticking unto my pants. Where the hell are we? I’m so close to giving it a peek. My curiosity lit like fire within me.

I realized that he stopped walking. Both his hands disappeared from my shoulders. His footsteps faded. I waited for a couple of seconds for him to tell me to take my hands now. My heart was beating faster than it’s supposed to. Pumping not only blood to the different parts of my body but different kinds of energy I cannot comprehend.

“Okay, get it off your eyes now.” His voice was from a distance.

Both my hands inches away from my face, as my eyes slowly adjust to the brightness of what was right before me. Everything was blurred in a second but the moment I got back the steadiness and sharpness of my eyes, I took off my backpack and covered my mouth in shock.

“Holy s**t! Are you serious? Is this even real?” I shrieked as I jumped up and down. I continued, “Yeah, I haven’t been here.”

The view of the small town was right before our eyes. Different greens covered our town since there are parks and reserves surrounding Castle Rock. He was right, I haven’t been here before. I mean, I haven’t seen the entire town from way up here. Like seriously, up this high.

He had his hand on his stomach. His laugh was louder than usual, enjoying this moment. He obviously laughed at how I reacted. The way he looked, together with the view is undeniably something I’m never going to forget and get over.

“You were like a kid who just received a toy! Jumping in joy,”

“Well, this is indeed a surprise.” I smiled at him, “I’ve never seen the town up this high. How’d you find this place?”

“I thought that you’d need this and you’d love it. A breath of fresh air from high up above is what you needed in days like this. I don’t know what you’re going through but I hope this helped you…” He paused, “I found this place when I strolled one time… I was just so angry at the world. Now, it’s something we share. I’m happy to share it with you.”

I didn’t mean to be dramatic and overly emotional. But seriously he’s too sweet to handle. Sweeter than those cookies I piled up earlier. I bit my lips to stop these overwhelming feelings. But I couldn’t anymore. Tears of joy escaped my eyes. Nobody has ever thought of doing this for me after everything I’ve been through. How can a stranger make you feel things better than those who you’ve known for years?

“Thank you, Titus. This is just perfect… and amazing…” I wiped my eyes. Titus made his way to me and pulled me in a hug. It was perfect. The dollar bill, indeed, was my lucky charm.

“I’m here for you. You’re not alone.” He whispered in my ears.

Those words were something I needed. From the way I see it, he meant it. His arms perfectly fit in my embrace. It didn’t feel odd. He was sweaty with all the walking up here yet he smelled like strawberries. I’ve just met him days ago and he’s making me feel things.

He patted my back, relieving me. Titus was the best shoulder to cry on. His lean arms wrapped around me was not suffocating me. It felt like he was my oxygen tank. He made me breathe again.

“I’m sorry I don’t have a handkerchief or anything to wipe your tears away,” He stated.

“What?” It took me seconds to process what he said, and laughed, “Oh, don’t worry about it. These are tears of joy.”

I let go of the embrace, slowly putting into memory how this all felt. He let go as well, and he stared at me with so much concern. His green eyes were so much lighter here that we’re now under the sun. I wiped my tears with my fingers.

“Let’s sit, we need it after all the walking we had to endure.” He sat on the bermudagrass, facing the town.

“Yeah, good thing I didn’t die from it.” I joked.

“That wasn’t so bad.”

“I’m grateful for this. I’m thankful that you’ve shared with me your bubble.”

“It’s not a problem.”

We sit in comfortable silence as we watch the cars go around town. The wind continued to gush, tickling our skin. The community hospital, where my mom worked, was across the town hall and the town museum was in the middle. Eleanor’s right next to them by a few meters. And Willoughby High School stood a bit farther with our country’s flag raised together with its not-so-vast Lacrosse field. This town right before my eyes was the town that I’ve overgrown.

Seeing the entire town, it didn’t make me remember the hate. It made me think of what was outside. Beyond those boundaries which were other people’s limits. The town is beautiful… but what more on what’s out there beyond the entrance and exit lines of Castle Rock. There was something out there outside this town. I knew it within me. It was a future in store for me.

“How could such a small town hurt a girl like you?”

“Pros of living in a small town? Rumors spread fast. People tend to believe them without a doubt. One mistake and they judge you your entire life.”

“Nobody should feel that way. I’m sorry that you do…” He spaced out as he focused on the hues of the sunset. “But sometimes you should never be fazed by it. The bolder you become, the more they forget it. It’s their expectations that kept you from being that kind of person... I know it’s a tough process but I believe in you. That one day, you’ll be able to get past all your scars. It’s an everyday battle you have to conquer.”

“It’s just every single thing that starts in school. First week. And there I go… down the drain… Students are mean, ganging up on me. I’m just tired of it. I’m tired of protecting myself. The danger I have is the entire town itself.” I explained with sadness in my voice.

“ Stay and prove it to them. Leaving wouldn’t mean you’ve conquered it all. In order to have peace in getting out of town, you shouldn’t leave while everything is in chaos. Because it usually follows you wherever you are. Settle the things and talk to them. Confront them… that’s what people usually hate. I believe in you though.” He expounded.

“Thank you for believing in me. Even if you barely know me,”

“I might only know you by name but I know you so much better than most with what you’ve shown me.” He licked his lips, “You haven’t told me your story yet but I can see right through you through the pain in your eyes.”

I was right. He’s seen right through me. I didn’t know how to answer as if I was tongue-tied. I pursed my lips and leaned onto his shoulder with our eyes fixed on the sun going down.

“Just like the sun, you’ll have your own happy ending too…” He added. His voice was serious and airy.

“And you’re just like the sun,” I mumbled.

“Why’d you say that?”

“In all the grays and darkness in my life, you came and gave light.”

“Andy…”

“What?”

“I didn’t expect you to be so cheesy…”

“Hey!” I shrieked at him, nudging him by the shoulders, “Like you aren’t!”

He just covered his mouth as he laughed. His laugh was music to my ears. I smiled at the thought.

The orange and yellow skies made us look golden for once. I laid down the grass, feeling the orange light that poured into our faces with my hands sprawled on the ground, feeling the earth. It was damp but I had no care in the world. Not right now. This afternoon, I was free. The smell of trees and pure greens descended straight into my nose. I looked up at the sky, wishing for more days like this.