Comfort.
"A strength or hope that is given to someone who is feeling distressed or sad. It could be by words, through an act, or just by the presence of a certain person."
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Work. Home. Work. Home. Repeat. This was how GEORGIA'S usual routine was except for Sunday's day off. Seldomly, this routine would only be broken if Walter would ask her to hang out after work--which she would always decline but still would end up being dragged, though, at the end of the day, she would find it fun to be with his company.
Walter wouldn't accept 'no' as an answer. But this time wasn't one of the days she would let him have his way. She had to make things progress with Jimhuesh. Months had already passed since she asked for his answer, and this would be the last time she'd ask him again. She decided that if he never changed his mind, then she would give up on him and would no longer bother him again.
"Walter, I can't today, okay? I need to sort out some things and it's really important to me. So, can you leave me alone just this once?" she pleaded.
Walter groaned and pouted as he crossed his arms. "Fine, I'll let you off the hook for today. But we will hang out again this Sunday. No, nos. Got it?"
She heaved an exasperated sigh. She was getting annoyed by how Walter was being clingy to her, acting as if she owed him her time and attention. "Why are you always like this? Don't you have any friends other than me? It's not like I am your only friend. I'm sure you have plenty with how friendly you are."
He chuckled and then gave her a playful nudge with his side, making her lose a bit of footing. Georgia made a face and steadied her stand as Walter laughed. "You're absolutely right. I have plenty of friends, I like having lots of them, but only one of the best is enough."
Georgia blushed a bit. She didn't expect him to consider her to be his best friend. "Are you saying that I'm your best friend?"
Walter laughed as he shook his head. "Don't get me wrong. I may be your friend but you are certainly not my friend."
"What?" she muttered. Georgia felt hurt by his words--like a deep cut in her heart. He was her only friend and he didn't even think of her as one. She was confused. It was so sudden that she couldn't believe it. Was she the only one thinking they were friends? Georgia's eyes started to water, she blinked away the tears and inhaled deeply. "Then what am I to you? Someone whom you can boss around? Past-time? Or worst, an escort?"
Walter burst into laughter. Georgia was overly offended by now. She stomped her feet as she turned her heel to walk away. She couldn't afford to be seen vulnerable--not by the friend she thought he was.
"Hey, Georgie! Where are you going?" Walter said, grabbing her hand to stop her and make her turn around to face him. Georgia's eyes were now red and teary. Walter's face turned serious and worried. "Did that make you upset?"
Georgia just stared at him, trying to make him feel guilty and it worked. "Look, I'm sorry," he said softly as he took her other hand, squeezing it gently. "You're 101% wrong about everything you said. You're not passive, you have a strong personality. I enjoy your company but that doesn't mean you're just a past-time, and certainly not an escort either. I told you you're not just a friend to me. You're..." He cleared his throat and continued. "You're like a little chipmunk to me."
Georgia's brows met. She pulled her hands away from him. "A chipmunk? Are you kidding me right now? I almost considered our friendship over!"
Walter laughed hysterically while clapping his hands. "I got you good!" He placed his hands on Georgia's shoulders and pushed her lightly. "Go on, sort your things out, then we will hang out on Sunday."
Georgia felt relief. She was thankful he wasn't serious. They were still friends. "I wonder why I still take what you say seriously sometimes when you don't even know how to be serious."
He chuckled and shrugged. "I know, right."
Georgia smiled freely knowing that Walter wouldn't see it since she was now walking away. She just let him know that she was going by wagging a hand.
"Georgie! Did you bring an umbrella with you?" Walter yelled.
She turned around, eyes wide, and then giggled. "I forgot! But don't worry, there are lots of stars tonight! Surely, there's no chance of rain! Bye!" She then continued to walk and went off even if she was still hearing Walter yell, though faintly, "you can't be sure! I told you to always bring an umbrella!"
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The restaurant was quite peaceful with relaxing music playing in the background, but Georgia's beating heart was enough to make a deafening sound. She could hardly breathe while typing his text to Jimhuesh with cold sweaty hands.
She typed and typed and delete and typed again only to delete her constructed message so many times. She inhaled and exhaled deeply before typing again. "This will be the last time, Jim. Please come to the usual place and spare me time for a bit even for just 10 minutes. I'll wait for you."
Seconds turned to minutes, minutes turned to an hour, but Jimhuesh still had not replied. Several times the waiter approached her to take her order and several times she just asked for water. Right, the water wasn't free, it was twenty-five pesos.
Georgia kept on looking at her watch, and phone's time, even, to double-check if an hour had truly passed. There really wasn't even a text from him. She was beginning to think he was purposely doing it. She thought he didn't want to entertain her or waste his time on her. But her other thoughts would make an excuse for him. "Maybe he is busy. Maybe he didn't see my text, yet. Maybe he doesn't have a load. Maybe his phone is broken. Maybe he didn't receive my text, yet?"
Immediately, Georgia resent her message. She came with different maybes but this was the most probable reason, he didn't receive her text. She decided to believe in it even though she knew deep down inside it wasn't true. Jimhuesh probably saw her text and didn't even bother to reply. A tear fell to her cheek as she looked out the glass walls to see the light shower outside. Soon, the drizzle turned to rain, and the rain turned to a downpour. People outside ran to take shelter, some didn't have an umbrella, some had, and some used their bags to take cover.
Georgia couldn't help but laugh as tears streamed down her face while watching raindrops to the ground. She was feeling heartbroken at the moment because of Jimhuesh and feeling laughter at the same time because of Walter. She should have brought an umbrella. Walter was right. She couldn't be sure that it would not rain. Stars weren't always the indication of good weather. Just like how she shouldn't have fallen for Jimhuesh's good facade. Him being kind to her didn't mean he was interested in her, she finally realized. The other customers must have been thinking she was stood up and dumped and having a breakdown and even going crazy by now. Georgia wiped away her tears with a handkerchief and steadied her breathing. She didn't want to be more embarrassed.
Not a minute later, her phone vibrated. She looked at the screen instantly and opened the message with Jimhuesh's name. "I'm sorry, George. I was in a meeting I couldn't reply to you, but there's nothing to talk about, really. We're done with this and you know my answer. If you are still waiting for me to come, please don't and just go home."
Without a second thought, she pressed the call button and brought her phone to her ear. It rang once and Jimhuesh picked up.
"George," he uttered.
"I waited for you more than an hour and you're telling me to just go home and not wait for you? I never thought you could be this cold, Jim. If I knew that you would change like this, I would have never told you my feelings," Georgia said without a beat. She did her best to control her emotions until the tears that wanted to come out ran dry.
Jimhuesh let out a sigh that was audible from the other line before he began, "George... You're not in love with me. I'm sure of it. It is not romantic love that you feel for me. It's just an attachment...or love...like when you love a friend, family, or even a pet. I'm not comparing myself to a pet, though."
"Are you trying to make me laugh? And how do you even know my feelings better than me? They're mine, not yours to feel. I know what I feel and this is romantic love."
"No, George. Have you ever thought of us kissing or maybe even doing beyond that?"
Georgia's face blushed and a sudden panic rushed to her entire system. "What? Why would I even imagine that? I'm not a pervert!"
After saying that, she tried to imagine herself kissing Jimhuesh, but her heart faltered when she couldn't even start to visualize it and her skin crawled all over as if it was a thing that was unimaginable.
"Have you tried it? I'm not trying to sound pervert here, it's just a thing I heard from Rychie. If you're truly in love with a person, you must have at least once imagined the two of you kissing."
"N-no way. I'm not lustful. I don't...imagine things like that," she responded faintly. She lied. She had done it before...but not with Jimhuesh, but with her ex. Perhaps, she wasn't really in love with Jimhuesh, after all. "I need to go, b-bye."
And then she ended the call and slid her phone into her bag. She stared into space for a bit, not thinking about anything, until a waiter came to take her order again. She shook her head and stood up. "I'm sorry. I'm leaving now."
Georgia left the restaurant with her mind in nothingness. Her hand clutched to the strap of her bag on the shoulder, her dead eyes at the front with long intervals before blinking, and she was walking slowly like a zombie. It was as if the world had fallen into her shoulders.
"Miss, are you okay? Do you have an umbrella?" asked some stranger taking shelter on the entrance roof of the restaurant. But Georgia didn't hear him, or so, didn't have the energy to respond. She continued her steps. Not even the rain could stop her.
Georgia was soaked in rain instantly after walking in no pause. The cold water and wind seeped through her skin making her shiver, but she didn't care and still walked aimlessly. She didn't care if her bag and its inside were also drenched. She didn't even care if her shirt was now see-through, and she also didn't care about the thunder and, if ever, being struck by a lightning. At that moment, she felt numb from external forces, but internally, she was screaming. Did she chase for a mistaken love? How can she be this fool?
"What is love, actually?" she muttered and then began to cry. Her tears mixed with the rain, and her eyes were red and stinging. She sobbed profusely as she wiped the rain that slipped into her eyes. Then suddenly, the rain stopped.
She stopped crying for a moment and looked up and saw a maroon umbrella. Before she could turn around, a jacket embraced her back, and her body, and there was a familiar touch of a hand on her back shoulder. And that was how she knew it was him. It was her best friend. Her only friend. It was Walter. But it was a version of him she didn't know he had. His voice was gentle and serious with a little bit of hint of worry and anger. Still, she found his voice soothing. "Don't turn around. Just stay like this. This way, you can cry it all out without being embarrassed to me."
Without any warning, Georgia's sobs went louder than before as she cried her eyes out. There was nothing that could comfort her, but knowing how he always got her back. His presence was all that she needed.
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Hello, Noomiells!
Thank you for reading this chapter. Hope you liked it. :D
Walter said she's like a little chipmunk to him! Come on, Walter, we all know you like her. XD
So, do you agree with what Jimhuesh said about the imagination thing? Have you, guys? XD Well, technically, according to him, he just picked it up from Rychie. XD
Do you ship Walter x Georgia?
Do you think Walter has a chance with Georgia?
I would like to know your opinion. Please, let me know! :D