Chapter 2：Obsession Unfolded

Jia hurriedly stood up as if to shake off her most unwanted thoughts. Those were poignant memories after all that became irrelevant to the current status of her triumph against failures and sadness, against loss and frustrations. High school life is such a silly period of unnecessary frustrations and infatuations entangled by its role confusions as emphasized in its stage of growth and development.

However, what started out as an infatuation bloomed silently into a strong emotion through her irresistible urge to follow him at a distance. She had constant communications with Jay, her bestfriend, who gave her the updates of everyone in their group. Though she suddenly disappeared and had not been heard of for ten years, her life was still an open book for Jay to read aloud.

It was from her that she knew the whereabouts of the five of them in their group, from the minutest detail to the broadest facts. And, of course, the full details of Anthon's life that became her weekly bread.

Little did she knew, that everything she confessed was relayed to him.

Obliviously, her thoughts went back to an event 15 years ago.

"Jia, make room for my arrival next week. I want the six of us to be there. Don't ever plan to make excuses." A message suddenly popped out from her phone.

"Where? Is he coming?"

She asked with stiffled excitement.

"Blue Whale Mountain Resort."

She knew the place was situated on top of a mountain several kilometers away from the city. She also knew that it would be difficult for her to go and leave without her own transportation because of the distance. With this thought alone, she felt humiliated while the rest of them had already reached the pinnacle of success.

"I think I am not going. I don't belong there."

"I have no time to argue with you but you really have to be there. Don't be silly. My family will be moving to Australia and I cannot figure out as of now yet , on how long will we be back. See you there, my love."

It seemed that she could not escape from her bestfriend's request.

Her insecurities were haunting her again like festering wounds which throbbed endlessly and painfully within her. She was the only one being left who had not yet succeeded yet in their chosen field. All of them had families of their own already except Anthon. Mira and Sheila were teachers who became directors in each of their institutions and Jay became one of the highest paid accountants in the city. Eventually, she got married to a foreign businessman.

Liz, on the other hand, was completing her medical residency but was married to a surgeon who was US - based.

Anthon became a successful engineer who got long term contracts with the largest shipping industry of the country.

What about her? She was still expecting luck would be so kind to her as her prayer to finish a college education was still very vague. She may had intermittent semestral enrollments but due to financial scarcity, she was forced to stop and , reluctantly, found herself working at a textile factory.

years , she also engaged in part - time jobs to be able to support them.

She may had the beauty and the brain but her fate of being born to a poverty - stricken family was beyond her control. With this, her self-esteem went so low that even an inspiring love affair with someone else had no place in her plans.

Somehow, she had a rare attitude of consoling herself. She was good in making myriad and diversed wild imaginations a reality for herself and, thus, find comfort and hope in it. In her make - believe world, she scripted a series of events that would eventually lead herself to Anthon's life.

Her constant nurturing of these thoughts made the feeling so intensed that she rejoiced upon the knowledge that he had not tied himself to someone else yet.

Why was he not married yet? Could it be that he was also waiting for her? The thought would always flatter her. Anyway, it was just an imagination and no one would punish her for doing that.

It was being said that one's dreams in the night could be the images that run through the mind during daytime. Perhaps because her fantasy of him was her means of escaping from life's pressure and frustrations, she kept thinking about him. She would create in her mind different stories of their meeting like a novelist who could create different fictional chapters to complete an inspiring book.

And every night, she would see him in her dreams, holding and kissing her.