Whispers of fate

"Good morning, girls," echoed a voice through the seminar hall. El turned to find Ash's familiar face behind her, a reassuring presence in the shared course between Business and Arts & Commerce majors. It was the one class Nia often complained about but where Ash and El excelled. Ash had coordinated their schedules so he could attend this course with his childhood friend.As soon as they settled into their seats, Ash launched into a discussion about the topics covered in the previous class with El. Nia cleared her throat pointedly, but neither Ash nor El seemed to notice, so engrossed were they in their conversation.Nia couldn't resist teasing Ash as she remarked, "You know, you can discuss this with us too."Top of FormBottom of Form"I would, gladly, if you showed even the slightest interest in this subject," Ash retorted with a playful smirk."Why don't you ask El out then?" Nia's sudden comment, filled with excitement, caught Ash off guard, turning his face red with shock."I meant for a study date to discuss whatever doubts you have," she hastily clarified, attempting to cover up her initial thoughts. "So I don't have to sit through this," she added with a chuckle.Ash let out a big sigh, while El still felt uncomfortable. They both knew Nia's playful nature, and she didn't mean any harm, but they were taken aback when she openly teased them.It wasn't just El and Ash who felt uncomfortable with Nia's comments; Joyce, sitting next to Nia, shared the sentiment. She knew Nia and Ash were childhood friends, and Nia had never shown any romantic interest in Ash or tried to pair him with any other girls. Joyce couldn't understand why Nia was suddenly so interested in El and specifically trying to set her up with Ash.With the lingering thoughts still in the air, the professor had already begun the class. Thanks to Nia, all four of them were preoccupied with their own thoughts, unable to fully focus on the lecture."Students, it is customary for freshmen to visit the International Commerce Center during their first semester. For you all, it's planned for next Monday. Please check your email for updates regarding the excursion. Since it's part of your curriculum, your attendance is compulsory unless there is a valid reason not to attend," Professor Mond informed the class before dismissing them."I'm up for it as long as they don't teach economics during the excursion," chuckled Nia. Her light-hearted comment managed to dispel the strange mood that had lingered since before class.***"You there!" El and her friends turned around to look at the caller. An elderly man, appearing to be in his sixties but still exuding a sense of majesty for his age, approached them. "Do you know the way to the..." he trailed off, pausing to recall which building he was seeking directions to."International Business," a voice added from behind. Startled, El turned to see the source of the voice, finding herself face to face with a man whose blonde hair and muscular physique could only belong to one person: the same individual she had encountered in the elevator with Pip. Realization dawned upon her, but before she could fully process the connection, Carl, the man's brother, caught her gaze. Swiftly averting her eyes, El focused on the elderly man standing beside him, noting the striking similarity in their blue-grey eyes and brown hair. It must be Pip's father, she thought, the resemblance uncanny. Her attention then shifted back to the man who should be Carl's brother, his physique reminiscent of the older man but with distinct features. As El pieced together the puzzle, her friends provided directions to the building. Lost in her thoughts, she failed to notice the intense scrutiny from someone in their midst. Meanwhile, Carl had already recognized El, sensing a familiarity from their previous encounter in the elevator. Whatever the history is between Pip and her, Carl found himself inexplicably drawn to her. As El nervously fidgeted with her fingers, Nia volunteered to personally guide them to the building, given the older man's unfamiliarity with the university campus.As they made their way toward the building where the International Business students congregated, El found herself trailing behind the group, unable to excuse herself as their destination coincided with her own. With each step, she sensed a looming presence behind her, a palpable aura that she recognized all too well—Carl was close by."You're her, aren't you? The girl from the hospital elevator?" Carl's voice was barely a whisper, but it sent a shiver down El's spine. Caught off guard, she hesitated, weighing her options. Denying it seemed futile; his penetrating gaze left little room for doubt. With a resigned sigh, she nodded, acknowledging the truth she couldn't escape."So you knew Pip, aren't you?" Carl's question hung in the air, weighted with an intensity that El found hard to ignore. Despite knowing the truth, Carl seemed reluctant to accept it, his demeanor betraying an inner turmoil."I've just seen him around! I'm not sure if he even knows who I am," El replied softly, careful to keep their conversation concealed from their friends leading the way."I have a feeling that we might meet often. I'm Carl, by the way—Pip's step-brother," he introduced himself, his voice barely audible amidst the bustling noise of the campus.El forced a smile and nodded in acknowledgment. "I'm El," she replied, her tone tinged with apprehension.Unwilling to prolong their conversation, El quickened her pace, matching the strides of those in front. Glancing at her retreating figure, Carl chuckled softly before quietly trailing behind her, his presence lingering like a shadow.***The canteen was bursting at the seams today, a clear sign that many students had managed to arrange their timetables to crowd their classes into the middle of the week, leaving the latter part lighter. This strategic scheduling meant the canteen was the busiest it had been all week, with the queue for food stretching much longer than usual. On a normal day, you'd see a maximum of 10 students waiting in line, but today the numbers had swelled considerably. El, having arrived later to the canteen than she'd intended, found herself at the end of this unusually long queue, a lone figure amidst the sea of chatter and clamor, separated from her friends who had arrived earlier and were already somewhere ahead.El felt the unexpected chill of Pip's presence even before she turned to acknowledge him. His greeting, though outwardly simple, carried an icy undertone that seemed to freeze the air between them. The brief meeting of their eyes, his quickly averting as if unsettled by the encounter, only added to the tension."Are we close?" His question, straightforward yet laden with unspoken context, took her by surprise. Known for his detached demeanor, Pip's approach for any conversation was unforeseen, leaving El momentarily disarmed. Her response was just as direct, "No," a clear acknowledgment of the distance, both physical and emotional, that lay between them.El's surprise at Pip's cold approach quickly turned into shock as he leaned in, his words a harsh whisper meant only for her ears. "Then you don't know me well enough to engage in a conversation with my family. Haven't you heard the rumors already? Stay out of it," he said, his expression unyielding, almost cruel.The blunt force of his words struck El hard, a physical blow she hadn't been prepared to defend against. Tears welled in her eyes, not solely from hurt but also from frustration and anger. She was someone who usually didn't let anyone walk over her, always ready with a sharp retort or a defiant stance. Yet, confronted with Pip's unexpected hostility, she found herself speechless, her usual quick wit and courage deserting her.Her silence wasn't one of acceptance but of shock and indignation. Even though no words came out, her eyes—reddened with unshed tears and burning with a mix of emotions—conveyed all the responses she couldn't articulate. They screamed of her innocence in this tangled mess, her anger at being unjustly warned off, and her frustration at being unable to voice any of it. Pip's mean-spirited warning had intended to intimidate, but it also inadvertently revealed the depth of the turmoil that lay beneath his icy façade, leaving El caught in the middle of a storm she had no desire to weather.Looking at her golden-like eyes shielded by a wall of tears, which seemed like they could collapse at any minute, he felt guilty. Although he initially wanted to maintain his cold demeanor, his warm heart melted his facade. Witnessing Carl talking to her as they approached the building from his second-floor corridor, he realized that Carl must have recognized her from the elevator incident. This realization sparked a concern within him, especially considering that Carl's involvement could potentially bring trouble to her. This worry for her safety weighed more heavily on him than the obliviousness of others regarding his family's affairs.When El turned away without uttering a word, it tugged at his heartstrings."I... I didn't mean... It's for your own good," he managed to stammer out before abruptly storming off.El swallowed her tears and resumed waiting, her frustration simmering beneath the surface. While she could understand that he was likely trying to protect her or others from getting entangled with his family, what upset her was his refusal to hear her out. He had always been the one to give her the cold shoulder, whether it was at the hospital or during the encounter with her brother two days prior. None of it was her fault; she hadn't intended for any of those situations to unfold as they did. It was all just coincidence. Yet, he showed her no compassion and was nothing but harsh, despite never having exchanged a single word with her before. It left her feeling more angry than sad.She collected her lunch and returned to the table where her friends were seated. Stirring her pie with her fork absentmindedly, she showed no interest in eating."Was the queue long enough to lose your appetite?" asked Joyce, noticing El's lack of enthusiasm."Oh, no. It's just a bit hot for me to eat right now," El replied, forcing a smile that couldn't quite mask her troubled expression."Before I forget, Lawrence from our class was looking for you, Joyce," El changed the subject, hoping to distract herself."Yeah, I'll ping him later. We have a case study to do together because someone didn't want to partner with me," Joyce replied, throwing a pointed glance at Nia.Nia grinned, leaning closer to El. "That's because you're a stickler when it comes to assignments. Luckily, I have my lovely El to work with," she said, wrapping an arm around El's shoulders.Despite the nods and smiles exchanged in their friendly conversation, El couldn't shake off the subject that bothered her. Although she knew Pip's intentions were good, she couldn't help but feel unsettled by his approach. If she were in his shoes, she wouldn't have handled the situation the same way. The topic kept circling back in her mind, casting a shadow over her mood for the rest of the day.Top of Form***"Come inside, El," welcomed Simmy. "You look tired.""Mentally, yes," nodded El."We're just having tea. Care to join us?" offered Simmy, and El agreed immediately, hoping it would distract her mind a little."How's Mrs. Shaw doing?" inquired El."We were just talking in the balcony. I thought some fresh air would help her since she's always cooped up in her room," replied Simmy.El seated herself in front of Mrs. Shaw while Simmy poured her a cup of tea.El was cautious around Mrs. Shaw since the previous incident. Mrs. Shaw didn't recognize El and wasn't in a bad mood; she was peacefully watching the backyard. It was a serene evening. Simmy asked about El's day, and although El didn't disclose any specific events, she mentioned a rude encounter with one of the students and talked about the upcoming excursion trip. While they were conversing, Mrs. Shaw suddenly began shaking Simmy's forearm, calling out."Look, it's Dave. My love. Call him here to have a drink with us; he must be tired after coming back from work," Mrs. Shaw pointed to the garden."It must be her hallucination, don't worry, it happens all the time," Simmy said calmly, sensing El's nervousness."Ah, really?" El joined the conversation with Mrs. Shaw."He's my husband, David. You didn't know because you didn't come for my wedding," Mrs. Shaw replied."After my first husband died in an accident, I met Dave in the church. We got married three months after our first meeting," Mrs. Shaw continued. "And after that... later..." Mrs. Shaw looked distressed as she snapped out of her hallucination."Where is Dave? He was right next to me," Mrs. Shaw's eyes searched for Dave.Realizing that Mrs. Shaw was getting restless, Simmy patted her shoulder and reassured her that she was safe there with them. She reminded Mrs. Shaw that she was just drinking tea, pointing to the teacup. With Simmy and El around, Mrs. Shaw started to calm down a bit, picking up her teacup for a sip.Turning to El, Simmy clarified the situation, explaining that Mrs. Shaw often gets scared or starts crying whenever she hallucinates. She also shared insights into the usual behavior seen in dementia patients, such as experiencing mood swings and easily transitioning from a calm state to frustration or tears. Simmy thought that understanding a bit about the condition and how it affects people would help El handle situations better in the future.***In the quiet hours of the evening, nestled amidst a sprawl of textbooks and class notes, El found her mind wandering, drifting away from the complexities of her college studies and the interaction she had earlier to the simple, yet profoundly intricate world of an old woman with Dementia. The contrast was stark, almost jarring. Here she was, at the cusp of adulthood, her days a whirlwind of lectures, friends, and the endless pursuit of knowledge, each moment an opportunity to shape the future she dreamed of. Yet, in the gentle confines of her owner's room, time seemed to stand still, the past and present blurring into a tapestry of fragmented memories.El couldn't help but compare the freedom she had to explore, learn, and grow, with the shrinking world Mrs. Shaw inhabited, where recognition flickered like a faulty light, and familiar faces sometimes became uncharted territories. It was a poignant reminder of the fragility of existence, the relentless march of time, and the preciousness of the moments we often take for granted. As El refocused on her textbooks, her determination solidified—not only to chase her dreams but to become a pillar of strength, someone her late mother would be proud of. Her commitment to remain unshaken by the day's turmoil was fortified. She resolved not to allow a stranger's actions to disrupt her life, blissfully unaware that the seeds of chaos had already been sown.*****