I’ve always been in love with the idea of falling in love. For most of my life, I have dreamed about experiencing love, have written a lot about love, have gone searching for love. I fell in love once before and it didn’t end well. I was young then and perhaps a little too young to actually understand love. But a few months ago, after years of searching, I came across love once more. This time I knew I am ready for it. I knew I can handle it. This time I knew that this would be one great love. And I guess I was right.
We met in an unconventional way. We met through a chat service. There have been stories feature on TV shows about happy couples meeting each other through the net and I never though that day would come when I would be one of those people sharing stories about having met somebody over the net. It may be weird or absurd for some but it really is possible.
Yes, I’ve met this person over the net. I’ve met this person who made me feel more special than I really am. I felt my importance. I felt wanted. I felt loved. And I felt happy in more ways than one. There were no days when I will not be smiling before I sleep. Or after I woke up. I remember when I would wish I could make the clock tick fasters so my classes would end. And I would be rushing to a nearby phone booth to call my baby. I would be loading my phone up every now and then for unlimited texting. I remember taking exams with nothing on my head but my baby, our conversations, our laughter, our stolen moments. We would spend hours talking on the phone. Most of the time, only an hour’s left before the sun rises when we would hung up. It sounds perfect. But of course we argue. We argued about late replies, we argued about jealousy issues, over a lot of things. And we would always work it out. I remember this one big fight we had when we did not communicate for one day. I purposefully did not so that I could surprise her. By that time, we haven’t really seen each other in person; through the web cam, yes, almost everyday. Anyway, I knew where my baby lives and so the day after our fight, I went there to bring chocolates and to say sorry. But I’ve been a coward so I didn’t show myself. I returned the next day. And for the first time, we laid eyes on each other. This time, it’s for real, not technologically-aided. I can remember perfectly how my baby looked at me. And I don’t think anybody has ever looked at me that way. Nobody else has smiled at me that way. And, nobody else has made me feel that way. I was on seventh heaven. I remember how we were shy to talk to each other at first and I remember our “kulitan” afterwards. Damn, was I ever so happy! And I spent the night there. One night I’ll never forget. The sweetest night of my life. The night when the sweetest words have whispered to my ears. The night when I’ve spoken those words with everything I have. The night I got the answer to why I am so in love with the idea of falling in love. The night when we have said a thousand words without saying anything at all. The night we saw forever. The night when I came across love’s many mysteries.
And a mystery, love is. Until now I haven’t figured out how forever can end in an instant. I’ve been soaring so high until I lost my wings. I looked down and saw nothing but treetops. I never got to see where I would fall because even before I reach the ground, I was already broken.
I’ve tried so hard to recover from the fall but I guess I’ll never get completely healed. I’ve done a lot of things. I’ve waited. I’ve looked for explanations. I’ve waited even more. I’ve done a lot of crazy things, stupid things to divert my attention but it was just so damn hard. I’ve asked God a million times why. I’ve tried so hard to get angry so that it would be easier for me. But I just couldn’t. I just kept on loving and hoping my baby would come back to me. I’ve tried so hard to understand and I think after almost two months, I did understand. After almost two months, I did understand why love worked out for me this way. After almost two moths, I’ve managed to let all the feelings out. After almost two moths, I’ve managed to cry. And it felt good. It felt really good to let it all out—all the frustrations, the confusions, the hurt. I felt much, much better.
Of course every now and then I would remember yesterday when I see something that would remind me of it. Every time I see a phone booth or a gesture, when I hear a song or a voice or familiar words and expressions, when I eat or buy a chocolate, when I go to places, I always go back to those times when we were together. And I know I will never learn to forget.
But I realized I should move on. I realized I should let go. Through all these ordeals I managed to learn a lot of things. I learned that when you let go, you don’t necessarily have to stop loving the person. I just understand now that I can’t be inside my baby’s life but that doesn’t stop me from hoping and from loving my baby. Right now, I just pray for my baby’s safety and happiness. I know love can fade or be replaced by another love, but for now, I am contented with loving my baby from where I am. Right now, I understand that I shouldn’t go looking for love anymore. If love comes, then surely love comes. Right now, I’m reliving our days together and I can’t help but smile.
Right now, I’m starting to live again.