1 A Boy And A Woman

Want to know the myth of Wish upon a Church's door? Well, it all started with an innocent young boy who crazily loves a woman.

It was still February and the weather here, in the two-seasoned tropical country, was still refreshing. Raindrops unexpectedly fell and mixed with the cold wind that blew to the ground.

"John Dale Suarez! John Dale…" A woman kept calling the boy with the umbrella. He was walking just a few meters ahead of her.

"Huh! Can't you hear me?" she said after approaching the teenager. "I've been calling you since earlier. Share me your umbrella, will you?"

She continued speaking while doing her best to keep up with him. She starts acting cute like a kitten in front of this boy, but she was more like an adult cat!

The boy stopped, his narrow lips curled, raised his thick eyebrows surely higher and colder than Mt. Everest! Then took off his cap. The tiny sweat drops on his reddish-white face instantly made the woman smile inwardly and she felt heat rise to her cheeks. It was as if she was daydreaming, she saw the raindrops pour in slow motion.

His hand moved to his ears then pulled out his earphones. "What are you saying again, Ms. Lucy?" he asked with a serious expression.

Lucy was flustered. "Ah-ah I mean, can you share your umbrella with me? I didn't bring one eh…" She bit her lips.

"Oh, I'm sorry but what to do? This umbrella is too small for the both of us, and I got sick last week so I don't want to be sick again!" he said, his fingers pointing at his umbrella.

Lucy felt she just got struck by a bolt of quick lightning because of this teenager. But as an adult, she tried her best to smile. "Oh, alright, you should go ahead then." She breathed heavily. "I will take my time and don't get sick again, huh..." she said, smiling like an idiot.

She stood outside the convenience store that was a few blocks away from the Training Center. "That arrogant kid! That rude kid! How come many girls in the Training Center had a crush on him anyway? Okay fine, he's handsome but a jerk!" She couldn't stop herself from cursing the kid over and over while feeling like a pitiful wet duckling.

Tug-tug... Tug-tug... your heart pounds so fast. The sound becomes louder and louder like that of the train starting to run faster. The sound makes your ears deaf. Your tummy hurts as if it is being squeezed, you start to feel nervous and it is hard to breathe. They say this is the feeling of love at first sight. But maybe they're wrong because I believe it's unusual to love someone at first sight but instead, perhaps this is the feeling of a crush!

CRUSH...

The year 2019... Fairview Quezon City, Philippines.

The freezing wind was coming inside the Training Center. Lucy hurriedly ran inside, approaching the table that was near the stairs. "Huh... I made it!" she was nearly out of breath.

Her face and neck were wet, it erased her makeup and showed her pinkish bare face.

She sat heavily in the chair beside the wooden table, fixing her messy hair with her slim fingers. She pouted as she glimpsed at Dale who looked so calm right then. She did her best to smile. "Good morning students, you can sign up here now."

"Ms. Lucy, why are you late? Did you have a morning date with your boyfriend, hmm?" It's Charlie Xu, the beautiful half Chinese student. She speaks in a pout as if she's teasing her, ignoring their age difference.

"No, I didn't!" Waving her arms, showing the time on her wristwatch, "Look, I am not late!"

"But I was right, right? That tall, handsome guy who looks quite older than you is your boyfriend, right?" She's so excited, she keeps playing her words that reflect her young age.

Lucy hesitantly smiled. "You should go to the Comlab (Computer Laboratory) with your co-trainees, now." She speaks formally, instantly changes the topic. She is Maria Lucy Fonce, cashier and in charge of assisting the students while they're in the Training Center vicinity.

The trainees have gone to the second floor where the Comlab is located except for one. Lucy notices Dale, quietly sitting in the waiting area. She felt she didn't have a choice but to approach him. With heavy steps, she boyishly walked towards him, sitting one seat apart from him. She fixed her yellow dress onto her knees so it wouldn't be too short.

"Why are you still here, John Dale Suarez? Are you waiting for someone?" awkwardly she didn't get any answer. It's so quiet that you'll even hear the sound of the blowing wind.

He ignored her, looking gloomy staring down the floor, or maybe it's his sneakers that already look dusty?

"You know what, I know your mom --- I chatted with her before she went back abroad." Lucy tried getting this teenager's attention.

"She said she made you study here even if you already knew many of the lessons here because you're not just handsome but into studies too!" Saying that brings goosebumps, her heart pounds rapidly without realizing why. She sighs as she can't get a proper glimpse of him.

Nothing new for he's often like this, cold and kind of rude even to his age-mates. Her patience got burned, she stood up and was about to leave but she got startled after feeling electricity on her wrist! It's cold and a little wet but it instantly electrified her veins making her look back to the one causing it.

"She just wanted to show off! Now that she's giving me to my father --- she wanted to show him that she did a GOOD JOB taking care of me by herself all these years!" Dale's voice cracks as if he's starting to cry. His chocolatey eyes stared straight to Lucy's face, his hand holding on to her.

While he contemplates what to say, it seems like there's no one ready to listen at all. Because Lucy seems floating on her own outer-space inside her creative mind. Thinking about the sensations that she's feeling.

Her stomach felt uneasy as if there were too many butterflies or maybe dragonflies flying inside her. He's just a kid who happened to be bigger and taller than you! What is happening with you, Lucy? This is not even the first time you've been held by a guy! It's as if there's another person inside her who doesn't want to stop chanting.

Luckily she now saw Dale's dazzling face, his teary eyes took her back to her senses. She shivered all over as her eyesight moved down her wrist.

AHHH! So this is why I kept feeling the electricity!