She's Gone! (1)

January 1, six o'clock in the morning upon getting up, Mark grabbed his phone and called his favorite number. After three attempts that were all answered by the operator, he was starting to get annoyed at the same time worried. Is her cellphone dead? He told her last night that they needed to talk today!

He decided to freshen up first then started calling again upon coming out of the shower only to hear same voice from the operator. He shifted to his brother's number and called him at once.

John Paul who was sleeping next to General Lee was awakened by his phone next to him. It was his ringtone for his brother.

"Mark, sup?!" He said sleepily.

"She must be still asleep. We slept late last night. Try calling her later." John Paul hung up.

In the kitchen, Mrs. Law found Niel lying stretched long in the benches infront of the fireplace. She woke up early before everyone else and started to cook for breakfast silently working around his soundly asleep son.

She noticed that the left overs last night were all finished and was surprised to see more than one set of dining wares in the drying rack. She however ignored it, probably this son was too hungry last night that she ate more than his usual serving.

...

"Aunty, I do not see Fem? My brother kept calling her but said he cannot contact her." John Paul asked when they were all gathered for breakfast except for Fem. Niel also had gone to the pasture right after drinking a cup of coffee upon waking up.

"Why, I haven't seen her yet? Is she not upstairs Hannah?" Mrs. Law asked her youngest daughter.

" No mom, she didn't sleep upstairs." Hannah shrugged.

"Anyway, let's all eat first. Maybe she went for a stroll on the pasture. Com'on everyone!" Mrs. Law called. "Just eat whatever you like. There's brewed coffee at the side, please help yourselves." Mrs. Law was so accomodating but he never pampered her visitors. She just let them be and allowed them to feel at home.

There were steamed sweet potatoes, brown rice, dried fish, sauteed fresh vegetables, and bananas all set on the long table. Such were the food of most ordinary yet peaceful villagers for generations.

Right when everyone was leaving the kitchen after breakfast, Niel arrived from the pasture. His rugged looks made General Lee and John Paul almost unable to hide their shock. They must have thought he was some crazy man who escaped from his confinement. Although his upright and clean looking face that was hidden under his hat betrayed his rugged looks.

Niel smirked in his mind at the sight of the confused expression of them. He liesurely took off his jacket hanging it near the kitchen door outside then sat down elegantly crossing his legs to remove his rubber boots. All these did not escape General Lee's attention as he sat on his wheelchair beside the bench outside the kitchen.

Niel was a silent young man but his actions speak so loud that one couldn't help but laugh or admire his demeanor or his ability to convey his message with just a minimum of words. In the university, he causes the girls to giggle even at the sight of him. The way he rejects someone's ideas or the way he pretends not to know something he already does makes one burst into laughter. His classmates knew this side of him and they couldn't help but try to imitate his inborn elegance and humor.

"You must be Niel?" General Lee couldn't hold his curiosity anymore as he watched this young man.

"The one and only Niel Law" Niel replied.

"Hmmmm. What degree are you taking, I suppose you are in the University already?" The general continued.

"I'm taking up Civil Engineering sir. I originally wanted to take up a Generalogy but I was afraid to fire a gun so ...."

"Niel. You don't joke like that to everyone! What time did you arrive last night? Have you seen your sister?" Mrs. Law interrupted when she heard her son spouting nonsense again.

"Why? What happened mom? I found her curled up like a kitten near the fire place. She said she needed to catch up the earliest bus to the city." Niel said while seemingly playing his cellphone.

Mrs. Law felt something was odd but she did not voice it out. She suspected that her daughter escaped again leaving no choice for them to hold the wedding of Ysabel and John Paul on the seventh.

Meanwhile, after trying to the Nth time to contact his love, Mark felt drop of sweats of nervousness from his forehead. How could she do this to him?

He called his brother who ignored his call because he had no precise answer as to where Fem has gone yet.

'Fem, answer my call! Why are you so hard on me?!' Mark was pacing back and forth in the balcony of his room.

After having heard Niel's statement, John Paul called back Mark. By this time, Mark received a text messages from Fem's number.

(Happy New Year failed brother-in-law! This is Niel. My sis forgot her cellphone here at home when she left early this morning. She probably arrived in the B City by now. I wasn't around last night when they had a talk so I have nothing much to tell you.)

(Bro-in-law, I heard my sis cancelled your wedding. What a sad story ending! Anyway, I'm not gonna use this number anymore. I just felt the need to inform you in case you might wonder. Bye bye!)

Niel entered the kitchen to have his breakfast alone. After copying the simcard's contact list in his phone, Niel shut off his cellphone and removed the simcard to place back his own. He heard John Paul speaking on his phone outside.

"Mark, please calm down. I tried but what else can I do? You can talk to Mr. Law here but you need to calm down first." Niel could hear John Paul speaking tensedly over the phone.

"Nobody told her so. It was a decision she came out by herself. I know bro!... Would you calm down first! "

Niel went out to see what's happening. Greg sat down calmly on his carved chair as he listened to the man talking over the phone at his back.

"Is that Mark? Give it to me! " Greg demanded extending his arm to receive the phone from John Paul.

"Uncle, he is going hysterical." John Paul's voice quivered handing the phone to Greg.

"Mark is it you?" Greg asked calmly.

"My daughter made the decision to cancel your wedding to give way to your brother and sister-in-law. Nobody forced her to do it. I'm not blaming you for Ysabel's action and I also don't blame my daughter for coming up with such decision. I hope you two will just learn to accept things. There's nothing much that I can do. I just raised them and they're adults now to decide on their own." Greg said.

"She has not spoken about where she'll be going. But she's gone before everyone was awake. I believe she will come back after some time though. I just don't know when." Greg spoke like an uncertain messenger. Half unsure, but half reassuring.

Mark on the other hand held his head with his hand as his elbows rested in the steel railings of the balcony. His other hand gripping his phone very hard and eyes frosty as he was lost in thought.

His fear came true! He was hoping and holding on the last thread of hope that his woman will value what happened between them and fight for it. In his mind, she would atleast consider that moment they shared together. But how can she easily give up like that! As if she was willing to throw herself to the fire believing she can extinguish it if she did. Whether she gave up their relationship or not, the reality still exists. He loves her and his brother loves her cousin turned sister.

He was furious at her for having sacrificed their beautiful relationship, furious at her father for not stopping his daughter's stubbornness, furious at his brother for not giving way and furious at himself for having not stayed to fight for their relationship!

"Father, then what shall I do now? Where can I find my wife? Why did you let her go just like that? Did you know she's the only one I want in life?" Mark suddenly uttered out of his anguish, not realizing that his voice was quaking.

Greg was touched by this sudden pleading and anguish in Mark's voice. This young powerful man, although how prominent and high he stood, knows how to bend and acknowledge his elder's wishes.

"I wish I could answer your questions child. I am a father, but I have already done my part in raising them. As for their choices, I taught them to be responsible with every decision they make. I just hope they learned something. So if there's nothing more, I shall hang up. Ask your brother about their plan on the seventh." Greg immediately ended the call.

...

On top of the third mountain two mountains apart from Greg's territory, the duo sat tired and hungry as they panted for water like tired dogs. The subordinates quickly handed them steel water container. A young lady probably few years older than Fem came carrying two boat-like banana stalks filled with rice with some prawns and vegetables.

"Eat up Ka Balik. What shall I call you junior sister?" She asked, priceeding to hand Fem the other one on her hand. Her voice was crisp and almost manly.

"Call her Maia. That's her name!" Vhan made his sister a random name.

Tsk! Fem smirked at what random name her brother gave her. Where did he ever hunt that ugly name? Seems like a name of a lazy bird!

"Hmmm... my brother is poor at names, but that's okay. Call me Maia." Fem twitched a smile and proceeded to devour her food.