Dear Jhi,
I didn’t know this day would feel different. It started like any other. You sent me a message. We talked during lunch like we always did. I remember our call getting cut because you ran out of load. Before I could even wonder what happened, you sent me a text telling me exactly that.
“Wala na akong load.”
It didn’t seem unusual. I smiled and thought we’d just continue talking later, like we always did. That’s what we always did. There was never a reason to worry. As the afternoon went by, I found myself opening Discord every now and then, expecting to see your name.
Nothing.
“It’s okay,” I told myself.
“He’s probably busy.”
Evening came. Still nothing. I looked at my phone more times than I’d like to admit. Every notification made me hope it was you. Every time it wasn’t, I’d lock my phone and tell myself not to overthink it.
You’d message eventually. You always did. Before going to bed, I sent you a simple message.
Good night. Sleep well.
I wasn’t asking for a long conversation. I wasn’t asking you to stay up with me. I just wanted you to know I was thinking of you. I put my phone beside my pillow, half expecting it to light up before I fell asleep.
It didn’t.
The next morning, I woke up and reached for my phone almost immediately.
No messages. I sent you another one.
Good morning. I hope you have a good day.
Again, I wasn’t asking for much. Just a tiny sign that you were okay. The day moved forward without you in it.
Lunch came. No call. The afternoon passed. No Discord notification. Night arrived. Still nothing.
It’s strange how quiet a day can become when you’ve gotten used to hearing someone’s voice.
Just a few days ago, we’d find any excuse to talk. Now, I found myself waiting for a single message. I kept telling myself not to assume the worst.
Maybe you were busy. Maybe your internet was acting up again. Maybe something unexpected had come up.
There were so many maybes. Enough to keep hope alive. Enough to stop me from believing that silence could mean something more.
So I waited.
Because that’s what you do when someone has become part of your everyday life.
You wait. You trust. You believe they’ll come back. And tonight, that’s exactly what I’m choosing to do.
I’ll wait for your message tomorrow. Maybe tomorrow will sound like us again.
Always, Nikka