[Again. I summoned myself to write a strange dream into something worth reading. Good dreams. Fantasies. Nightmares. Been haunted of those lately. I challenged myself to make it as short as possible but it turned to be the other way around. It became longer because of a new style I employed. I still used first person but in present tense mostly except the last parts. And also adding direct quips from the characters who are partly fictional. Partly. lol. I suggest reading this slowly. Very slow. :) ]
time will always tell me my story..
my
ETERNAL ANNIVERSARY..
time will always tell me my story..
my
ETERNAL ANNIVERSARY..
I've always loved October breaks. Tripping down a well-paved slopy road using my bicycle with no other vehicles around but only the wide ocean sparkling beautifully on my left right below the indigo-painted afternoon skies gives my heart a piece of rare warmness. It is about the end of the October's second week and thus by far, 2001 has been a year of endearing blessings. That's why happiness keeps my feet in a quick cycle of pedaling to my destination. As I travel from home to the place where she's probably waiting right now, I think of all the sweet and lovely moments I shared for a year with the world's most wonderful girl. Remarkably, today's also her birthday and with these freshly picked pink roses wrapped in a silver foil, I will be the luckiest guy out there to greet her, "Happy 1st Anniversary baby!".
There she is. Standing at the front of the door of her small but two-story house. She is wearing a familiar almost all-white floral short gown with big maroon buttons and an inseparable angelic smile. I just smiled back not saying anything. Only my eyes speak of the joy that fills me inside.
"So how do I look?", she asks. Predictably.
"I bought that dress because I know you really love flowers. And as usual, you look good.", I answer in a low tone not looking at her.
"Then? That's it? Good? Isn't that your favorite cliche? So wordless.", her lines echo thoroughly like barging in a holy occasion.
"I wasn't finished talking yet. You disrupted me!", I proudly exclaimed. "And as usual, you still look good...", I turn my back and raise my head as I utter my then unfinished line: "...and will forever be the same angel heaven has sent me".
There is this amazing sound of swaying trees and the aura of an upcoming swirling sunset.
The next thing I hear is a series of fragile footsteps from behind me. I am not certain if it is a chuckle or a sob I am hearing. All I can conceive is her face sidewards pressing on my back and her arms caressing me like a little baby. I am about to hold her gripping hands but she covers both of my eyes then tells me that I'm not the only one with a surprise. Blindfolded by her soft hands, she leads me to their sala. The scent tells me so. She releases her hands after letting me sit on a flat wooden chair whose height fits my knee.
"Wow. Since when did you have this grand piano?", I asked with awe.
"Papa bought that yesterday for my birthday. However, I want the first person playing this to be you. I know you miss doing this so much, don't you?", she explained gently.
In no time, I already see my fingers in harmony playing it. I don't need any request, it's not mine but her favorite song I'm playing. She sits beside me staring closely to the every press of my fingers on the keys. Few notes before the chorus, she leans her head in my left shoulder saying, "It's beautiful."
I am left to smile about this same romantic position we used to hold every time I read her special poems I make out of her request. Talking not just about the poems but sharing of dreams as well. We do that every Saturday afternoon as we sit under the huge tree at the back of this house.
"So, what will you do if I cannot be with you anymore?", she asks in a pure tone. No doubt. No hesitation. But there's pain.
"Where did you get that question? Out of nowhere? It sounds stupid.", I bounced back with small-lit anger and commencing fear.
"Just answer it.'', she said softly, her head still leaning on my shoulder.
"Well, let's see. Uhm, I'll be doing things I promise to you with all other girls. I'll go to that old tree with your cousin Erika and read her all the poems I make out of my soul. I'll go mountain climbing with your childhood friend Karen and shout at the top of the mountain that it's our 2nd anniversary. I'll propose marriage to your bestfriend Brittany in front of many parentless children when we are in the middle of a visit in the orphanage you always go every month. Maybe I'll marry the Korean actress Eugene in a large flower garden in Palawan then go caving right after. I'll also have Danielle's hand hold mine as we make footprints in the sand at any beach on California on our fourth honeymoon. How about buying a DSLR camera for the 6th birthday of our eldest son as he blows those action figure candles then focusing the camera to my wife's smile. Or maybe giving any other girl in the world a fabulous floral wedding gown at our Golden wedding anniversary. How about that, huh? How 'bout that?", I gather all these answers while I still manage to play the same song on the piano.
Without any word, she grabs my left hand using her right hands perfecting the spaces on our fingers. She lets me play the song once more as she does the other keys of the notes with her left hand. Her head seems irremovable from my shoulder. We are already playing the song together. Two hands that are meant to be together. Ten long fingers that promise years of staying longer. One tight grip of hands that tells passion. And two hearts singing a same melody as one.
Her tears are now falling. They land on the hand that is tightly gripping hers and not letting go. Never.
"What's happening?", I ask while she stands behind me.
"Just continue playing.", she answers while taking few steps toward the door. She continues even if I'm facing the piano, "You are the best thing that ever happened to me. Happy 1st Anniversary baby!".
"Oh no, I'm more than blessed since the day I met you. And hey! I'm supposed to greet first.", I stop playing the piano and turn my back.
She's not there anymore.
The door just closed right now. I hurried to follow her outside but I had accidentally moved a picture frame of her. It fell and broke. My heart pounded, I couldn't explain why I was crying.
I opened the door and looked outside. I just covered my mouth and wiped my tears. There was nothing but total darkness. An endless one.
Then I heard a slamming of the door. My mom shouted my name and shook my shoulders. I opened my eyes. It's already late noon and the TV is on a fashion channel set by my sister. Another nightmare! The same old fairy tale that turns into condolences.
"It's the birthday today of the legendary fashion designer Ralph Lauren", the narration on the TV announced.
I curled up to stand and get things ready. However, the picture frame of the girl closest to my heart is lying there on the floor. All the broken glasses are scattered.
"It's her birthday today right? She's gone for long. Still not over her?", my mom asked in a concerned tone.
I put back the picture frame under the lamp on the table beside my bed.
I then spoke, "Yes, it's her birthday and our 11th anniversary".
