LEAVING THE COUNTRY

The following day after the morning lecture, Mandy’s arm was linked into Daniella’s as they both sauntered out of the hall.

“I called Matthew yesterday. He said he's out of the country, Ella, and it’s most likely he won't be returning anytime soon,” Mandy uttered, looking as sadly as she felt.

Daniealla only puffed out a breath and said nothing. Maybe it was for the best.

“Have you heard that Mr. Brandon resigned yesterday?”

These words wafted toward Daniella and Mandy and they both stopped walking directly and then spun to see who'd just spoken.

There they stood two ladies, facing each other and seemed really engrossed in their discussion.

“Which Mr. Brandon? You mean the same Liam Brandon? The most handsome per-time lecturer in our school?” the other girl asked her gossiping ally, her eyes bulging outwards with shock.

“Of course, Priscilla. The same Mr. Brandon who has a daughter here in our college. Don't tell me you haven't heard of it when the news has been spreading around the whole faculty like wildfire,”

“Just keep quiet already! What are you talking about?” Mandy lost her temper and moved swiftly toward the girls, “What do you mean Mr. Brandon has resigned? Who fed you such false news?”

The first girl who had initiated the subject, a brunette pretty girl with a white face, swerved her head and gazed at a fuming Mandy.

Then, she came closer to Mandy while wrapping her hands around her chest, “The last time I checked, girl. You're the only friend of Mr. Brandon’s daughter which means that you would have heard of his resignation before the news leaked out. So quit the pretense,”

“Shut up, girl! What are you even talking about?” Mandy cautioned with a yell but the girl only hissed and gestured at her friend for them to start walking away.

Mandy then turned back to face Daniella— a silent understanding weaving between them.

Abruptly, Daniella turned on her heels and started running along in tears.

“Daniella!” Mandy called out, running after her.

“Please don't follow me, Mandy,” Daniella shouted out ahead, her voice fading the farther she went.

Mandy then slowed down her pace and fisted a hand in her hair. She couldn't bring herself to understand what was going on.

She was left standing there like her situation now. She couldn’t move up or down and she was stuck in the middle. She felt terrible until she couldn’t breathe.

Why would Uncle Liam want to resign?

Her train of thought ground to an abrupt halt when she heard someone softly call out her name from behind.

She tilted her head back at first, blinked twice in recognition before scampering toward the source of the voice.

“Oh my goodness, Uncle Liam. Where have you been? You got everyone worried, Daniella especially, she hasn't been herself since these past days. Why did you do that, Uncle Liam? It was too much,” her nervousness took over her as words started rushing out of her mouth.  

Fidgeting with his fingers and lowering his eyes, Liam shook his head while sadness radiated from him.

“I’m truly sorry, Mandy. It was not my intention,” the bone-deep pain he was feeling filled his eyes.

Mandy shook her head and raised her palms, “No, no, Uncle Liam, please save your explanation for Daniella,”

A wide grin split across her face as she pointed a finger toward her back, “She just ran this way. I'm sure she would be damn happy to see you. Let's go,”

Mandy had veered around and planned to start leading him but Liam’s next words terminated her footsteps.

“No, Mandy. I can't go with you,”

Mandy looked back at his face immediately, “Why, Uncle Liam? What's the problem? Why would you not want to see her?” she asked, confused.

“I’m not prepared enough to meet her, Mandy. In fact, I don't think I'll ever be able to meet her anytime soon. So that's why I've made a decision,”

A pin drop could be heard in the heavy silence that followed.

Mandy gulped and put forward a step, “What decision?” she murmured, her eyes meeting his.

“I’m leaving the country for Spain, Mandy,” Liam replied and then took a glance at his wrist watch, “My flight will be taking off in one and a half,”

His words hit Mandy like a thunderclap and she felt as if she had been poured with cold water from head to toe and her entire body was numb.

“You don't mean this, Uncle Liam? You can never leave Uncle Liam,” tears slipped down Mandy’s face while her heart ached terribly inside her chest.

“Forgive me, Mandy. I’m deeply sorry,” Liam pressed his palms together as a sign of pleading, “And please take care of yourself,”

With that, he whirled around and began walking away, turning deaf ears to Mandy’s calling.

“I’m sorry, Mandy,” he muttered to himself, cleaning his face with the back of his hand.

Like a mad girl, Mandy searched everywhere for Daniella and soon saw her coming out of the women's washroom.

“Uncle Liam is leaving the country for Spain, Ella,” she dashed toward Daniella and held her hands, “He just came by and told me he can't face you just yet and has made up his mind to leave the country,”

Daniella, who had originally locked herself in the washroom to bawl her eyes out, came to understand the reason behind Liam’s resignation letter.

Her throat felt heavy and tears blurred her eyes, “So be it, Mandy. I hope he never returns,” her face turned from red to bloodless pale and her eyes were filled with a dead stillness.

“No, Ella. He won't even get to reach his destination because you're going to stop him now,” Mandy affirmed.

“What do you mean stop him, Mandy? Didn't you tell me yourself that he doesn't want to see me? So why must I stop him when he clearly doesn't want me anymore,” anger surged through her veins, her cheeks hot and her pulse wild.

“You know that’s not true, Ella. Between me and you, we both know how much Uncle Liam loves you. He loves you too much and can never stand you hurting,”

Daniella scoffed, “If he loves me so much, then why is he running away from me?” her anger barely refrained as she regarded Mandy carefully.  

“You’ll only get an answer to that when you reach the airport, baby,”

Daniella moved away from Mandy, shaking her head, “No, Mandy. I can't do it. I can't chase after him,”

“Stop being stubborn and start going now, Ella!” Mandy whispered-screamed, moved to where she stood and held her arms vigorously.

“You can't love someone else the way you love Uncle Liam and the same thing could be said about him. So stop this ego of yours and run after your love before it’s too late,” Mandy advised, her eyes pleading with Daniella’s.

Silence hung between them for a second before Daniella broke it on an exhale, “Don’t you think the love I feel for him is nearly too much, Mandy?”

“That’s because the connection between you two is so strong and it can never be broken,” Mandy told her friend while skimming through her handbag and fetching her car keys.

“Now take this, Ella, and start going. You have barely an hour now, so you have to hurry,”

Daniella took the keys and lugged herself into Mandy’s embrace, “Thank you so much, Mandy. I love you,” she whimpered.

“I love you more, bestie. You could do more if I were in your shoes,” Mandy muttered and kissed her cheek hurriedly before unlocking from the hug.

“Now, quick. Go. You don't want to lose him,” She said gingerly, a wide smile tugging to her lips.

A few moments later, Daniella was already halfway to the airport but had been caught up in traffic.

Her throat tightened as her fists kept clenching and unclenching around the steering wheel.

“Oh, no. Not today of all days,” she whined, honking and honking non-stop.

Fortunately, the traffic wasn't an hectic one as the road gradually cleared and she soon returned to her speed.

Reaching the airport, she parked the car roughly,  grabbed her bag, shut the door and started hurrying into the entrance but was stopped by a security guard.

“Where’s your passport, Miss?” the middle-aged security man requested politely.

“Passport?” Daniella repeated, batting her eyelashes. “I’m sorry, Mr, but I don't have a passport. Please let me go in,”

She hadn't finished talking before she wanted to make her way into the terminal. However, the second guard had quickly obstructed her way.

“You can't go in without a passport, Miss,” the first guard, who seemed to be the superior among others, told Daniella sternly.

Daniella scratched her hair and opened her handbag to produce her school ID card, “Here, sir. I’m a student and here’s my school identity card. Please, let me just go in. I need to meet somebody before it’s too late,” she pleaded with them, her vision swimming.

“I’m sorry, Miss. I wish I could help you but that's the regulation,” the man said bluntly.

Daniella then lowered her head and pretended as if she wanted to turn away from them but in the next second, she had hopped into the queue and wanted to squeeze past the people going in.

However, she was astounded when she was suddenly being carried by two men.

“Please let me go,” she cried but the two men only let her go after climbing down the large stairs, releasing her at the footing.

Quickly, Daniella ascended the stairs and went to the senior guard.

“Don’t you have a wife or a girlfriend, sir?” she began, tears gushing out of her eyes in waves.

“Or don't you have someone you're in love with and the person is about to leave the country for good and only your confession can stop her from leaving,”

A look of empathy etched across the man’s face in an instant as he listened to Daniella.

“Please, sir. I don't know what my life will become if this person leaves me. Please, I beg you, let me go in,” she cried harder, pressing her palms together earnestly.

“Alright, Miss. Please stop crying,” the senior guard cajoled and then turned to one of his men, “Please escort this lady inside,”

At the man’s instruction, Daniella’s lips curled into a grin as a wave of excitement washed over her.

“Thank you very much, sir,”

That was all she got out before she broke into a sprint, leaving the man to scurry behind her.