Memories

A familiar face I saw on the mall and at the top of escalator. She was there, kitang kita ko siya and it felt like a dream.

It has been 2 years since I last saw her. My heart started to smash against my chest. Ayoko sana siyang tignan pero yung sinasabi ng puso ko tignan ko daw sya. Ang babaeng unang nagpatibok ng puso ko ay nandito ngayon at nakikita ko.

The escalator was on move bringing her closer to me with every passing second. Her eyes caught mine and I skipped few breaths for sure. Every memory of days we spent together was alive between the two pairs of bonded eyes.

IN THE PAST

"Keith accepted your friend request" the pop up display on my cellphone screen.

Among the few random selected beautiful faces from Facebook someone finally accepted my friend request. Hindi na ako nagaksaya ng time kaya nagchat na ako sa kanya

Charles: Hi.

Charles: Hello?

Keith: Do we know each other?

Charles: Not yet but the process has been Initiated.

Keith: And do you thing that I might be interested?

Charles: (send crying emoji)

I was 22 then and my life was completely lost this time.

Keith was 23 then, a girl with a smaller dreams. She had never been in any kind of relationship before.

At di nagtagal, the chats were replaced by phone calls which later started to consume most hours of our days. These hours became my escape from reality. We mostly talked about things that never made much sense but those few hours certainly gave some sense to my life.

Few months passed and in the process we got to know each other.

She changed my attitude towards life. With her I learned to accept things. And I fell in love with her. But, I didn't admit it to her, natatakot ako kasi baka magiba ang tingin niya sakin.

Our friendship became the best thing that happened to me.

On the phone

Keith: Hi.

Charles: Yup.

Keith: I have 2 news for you.

Charles: What news? Baka naman niloloko mo ako ha? HEHE

Kieth: Seryoso ako.

Charles: Sige ano ba kasi yon?

Keith: Ikakasal na kasi ako.

Keith: Are you there??

Keith:  ???

Charles: Yeah congrat's and what is the other news?

Keith: What happened parang galit ka ata?

Keith: Anyways the other news is that I'm in love with you Charles.

Charles: Tawagan kita saglit ah.

Charles: What is the point telling it now when you are getting married?

Keith: Alam naman natin na hindi tayo para sa isa't isa complicated ang sitwasyon natin. Ang gusto ko lang eh malaman mo na mahal kita before all this get over.

Charles: Before you getting married. Pwede ba tayong magkita? I want to see my first love in person before its time for goodbye.

I knew she was in tears. Kaya hindi siya nakapagsalita agad

Charles: Keith are you okay?

Keith: Yah I'm okay. I have to go now. Catch you later and she hung the phone.

So here I was in love with a girl whom I have never met and who is getting married to someone else in couple of months.

Exactly one hour later I was on the flight to Cebu.

This was my first visit to Keith at kinakabahan ako ng time na'to. Pag dating ko sa airport ng Cebu marami akong tao na nakita na nagaantay at nakita ko siya kahit na natatakpan siya ng ibang tao. Lumapit ako sabay sabing

"Hello Keith" sabi ko sa kanya

"How did you recognized me?" Sabi ni Keith

"Sa ganda mo nayan hindi kita makilala." I replied with a chuckle

At habang naglalakad kami, she kept laughing mostly looking away from me.

After an hour of drive we finally reached my pre-booked in hotel. The room was big and was elegantly decorated with big curtains. The complete room was themed white.

"Shit. How much did you pay for this?" Sabi ni Keith

"Hindi naman mahal to." Sabi ko

"Magkano nga kasi?" She was not giving up to ask me

"Almost half of my salary."

"What?" Sabi ni Keith

She looked so amazing with those shocked expressions. Time stopped that very moment. Everything went extremely quite except for the harmony of our breaths.

We talked and talked and talked hanggang sa napatingin siya sa orasan.

"Oh it's 8 pm, I need to go home. Bukas na lang ulit pupuntahan na lang kita." Keith said.

"You are not going anywhere Keith." And Keith was shocked for what I said.

"What will I say to my parents?" She replied.

And she turned towards the door to exit. I wanted to stop her and in the effort I grabbed her and pulled her towards me. Her body moved in to my arms.

Our lips are lock together. Her soft lips were alternating between the grip of my mine.

After few minutes I ask her again

"Do you really want to go back home?" I said

"I think I can do something about it." She replied

I was unable to drift my eyes away of her while she remained busy making arrangements over phone. After the call she came to me smiling

"Done. I am staying here with you tonight." She said

"What did you say to your parents?" I said

"I told them that me and my friends are planning for girls night out today." She said

We kissed more times. Tears rolled out of her eyes and found its way down to her smiling lips. Her lips were almost touching mine. The battle between the two came to an end with a touch of our lips. It was the only night we had and our clothes found their way out of the bed.

The first light of morning enhanced the beauty of the white themed room. Her naked body meant to sparkle in the reflection of sunlight. This was the most beautiful morning I have ever lived but deep down I was scared that this might also be the last for many years to come.

And Keith woke up and starting to cry.

"Please don't cry." I said

"I promise I won't cry." She replied with smile

I looked at her. Kissing soon accompanied the tears. Our lips were locked again.

Eventually it was time to leave. All memories from previous day flashed before our eyes as some movie of our own. We saw ourselves laughing and crying, making love and expressing love. In short we saw ourselves living for real within those four walls.

We spoke nothing when we walked towards the waiting taxi.

"So it's a goodbye then" I said.

"I guess so" She replied.

I hugged her and kissed her. In response she handed me a letter.

"I wrote a letter for you. Read it after your flight takes off."

She kept on waving her hand as the taxi drifted away. I saw her fading away from my sight with  increasing distance and soon she was out of my sight.

BACK INTO PRESENT

"Hi Charles" Her voice brought me back to the present

"Hello Keith, how are you?" I snapped with a smile

"I am good. Long time but you haven't changed a bit." She replied

"Neither have you." Somehow our eyes were doing more talking then real exchanged worlds. Pero biglang may nagsalita sa likod nya

"Hey Love. Nandito ka lang pala. I have been searching for you all over." A man said at her back.

"Joe, meet my friend Charles, Charles he is my husband Joe." She said.

We both greeted each other. After exchange of formal sentences for few minutes I wished goodbye to them and took off.

"It was really nice to see you Charles."  I heard her voice as I turned to leave.

"Same here Keith." I replied with a smile.

On the way out of the mall, I took out the letter which she gave me, to read it for many times.

–END–