(My writing is not that good so please be patient with me... and uhm... It was really hard. The instruction given to us was to make a short story about a fictional family that would fit maybe about 2 pages with Tahoma 12 as the font and size. I think I made a mess in this considering that it took me 5 pages and not a lot of emotion in it, if you know what I mean. :) so here goes, I guess ! )
1st semester
“College sure is different from high school.” “..Uhm.. college is way different.. look at all those shiny new cars, and those shoes she’s wearing. Can she even walk?” “hahahaha.. I wasn’t talking about those Wez. I was talking of the curriculum.” That is my bestfriend Sydney Sage. She’s the type of girl with a motto “Sleep when you’re dead”. “Uh-huh. It is hard but we made this choice to take up pre-med courses remember?” I answered her. “You’re right. It is our dream to become doctors.” She said with a sigh. I felt the urge to change the subject so I did. “Sydney. Why did we choose this school again?” She looked at me with a sly smile and said, “This school has lots of cute guys. It would be a shame if we don’t see them in person.”
Yeah. She really is Sydney. Ever since elementary we had this game every first day of classes to look for cute guys. The one who identifies most wins. It was our way of forgetting our first-day-jitters.
Before entering our classrooms I noticed that there were too many girls blocking the door. I got curious on what the commotion was all about so I made my way into the crowd. I was thinking along the lines of there-must-be-some-cute-guy-in-our-class. Once I got inside, my jaw literally dropped.
“Oh my gosh. He’s so handsome. Is he for real?” That whisper was what I was thinking but my brain seems to malfunction or something because all I could think of is that
is his skin as soft as it looks? Very unwomanly of me right?
“Is there anyone here named Wez?” Hearing my name brought my mind back to the present. I looked around for the person who asked the question and stared at the most beautiful eyes I have ever seen. His eyes are like little twin emeralds with specs of silver. “Hey Wez. Close your mouth.” I immediately brought my hand to my mouth and heard a tinkling of laughter. I looked back again in that direction and felt my face heating. I must have looked ridiculous.
“So let me guess. You are Wez.” The cute stranger asked.
“Uhm yes.” He was looking at me in a strange way so I averted my gaze. Better that way than humiliating myself further.
I sneaked a peak and saw him smiling. I can’t help myself from smiling back. “I’m sure you’re wondering what I’m doing here so I’ll be quick.” He said while extending has hands to me. There must be a puzzled expression plastered on my face so he added. “I picked up your ID on my way to the accounting office.” My hand instinctively went to where my ID was supposed to be. I felt my face heating more if someone brought gas near me I’m sure I would combust. I took my ID from him and replied a thank you.
Halfway through the day and I’m spacing off. My mind wondering and imagining things. Old habits die hard. My way of passing the time is still the same. Ring-ring ring-ring. Class is ended. “Hey Sydney. Let’s go. I’m in-charge of cooking today so I need to get home early.” Sydney smiled. We went home together. That was the usual routine for over a semester. Spring break ended. Another semester begins.
2nd semester
A shy, weird, chubby, chocolate colored skin and a less than average appearance are my identifiers. I didn’t even know that that is what they sometimes call me. It’s true, I guess. I’m not beautiful, I’m not tall, not one of those model figures walking on the hallways wearing Gucci, Prada, Chanel and all those expensive made-for-the-rich products. My usual clothes are composed of a t-shirt and jeans with a jacket on cold times.
I didn’t care. I dress in what I’m comfortable with. My family didn’t care either. As long as I concentrate on my studies, I’m off the hook. Except that homework on a Saturday night is hard to accomplish with my brother singing who knows what about vegetables in a different language if you call shouting-at-the-top-of-your-lungs, singing. All I can understand are words like pechay, cabbage, patatas another like punchilah or something, and kaluh’ hava. Then when I think he doesn’t know the next lyrics he just sings la-la-la-dum-dum-na-na. It really was a concentration breaker.
My mom, Lorna Haclao, is in the living room with my dad, Westler Haclao Sr., discussing about work and other stuff. I’m proud to say that I love my family. They are the best and nobody else can replace them. They are always with me when I need them and sometimes when I don’t. Having them in my life is a great gift that I will cherish. Another addition to my family is my bestfriend Sydney, speaking of which I have to contact her about our Monday’s report.
Logging in the internet, I found her online and chatted with her.
Me: Hey Syd. Have you finished making our report?
Syd: Of course. Do you doubt my AWESOME abilities?
Me: No. I don’t. I’m just on edge.
Syd: Let me guess. Your brother is having his imaginary concert. I’m right, right?
Me: How did you know that? Are you psychic? Hahaha
Sydney is like my personal clown. She makes me laugh almost all the time. I’m super glad that she’s my best friend. A beep alerted me to a received message. I was still smiling when I noticed it has an unknown tag.
Unknown: How are you? Haven’t seen you much lately.
I was like huh, who is this? And asking me how am I? Maybe a wrong send. So I replied back with a,
Me: sorry but you must have the wrong recipient.
Unknown: You are Wez right? Or I’m gonna kill the person who gave me the wrong
e-mail.
Despite of my suspicions that comment made me smile. A Sydney-like person is on the other end of this e-mail. Speaking of Sydney, I haven’t received a reply yet.
Unknown: Uhm. Sorry but I have to go. See you tomorrow.
Me: Oh. Ok.
Unknown: (offline)
What the hell. Just like that and my first online friend is gone. If you even call that a friend. With Sydney still not replying my message, I don’t have any other things to do so I browsed up the latest chapters on the manga I was reading. It was past midnight when my dad passed by my room. He peered inside and said, “You need to sleep. It’s already past midnight. And we have to get early tomorrow to attend the mass.” I was totally engrossed in my reading that I forgot about the mass. “Ok dad.” I replied with a smile. We often went to the church together. It was a family ritual I guess.
After I turned off the computer, I laid down on my bed with a sigh. I was tired and was about to close my eyes when my phone beeped. I checked the message and had an unknown number. Is it beep Wez day? I thought irritated. I was sooo close in getting a good night’s sleep. Well, I guess it can’t be helped. Maybe it’s Sydney.
Date: July 13, 2013
e-mail: unknown
subject: I forgot.
Message:
I forgot to ask if you’re free tomorrow. You might be guessing who I am and is suspicious of my intentions but don’t be. You know me. I mean. You saw me before but I’m not sure if you know me know me. So, uhm, yeah. Good night then. Sleep tight and don’t let the bed bugs bite.
–xyph-
I was sleepy but fast came to wake. I want to send a reply but I don’t know what to say. In the end I closed my eyes and found solace in the comfort of my bed.
Morning came. I got ready. We went to the church and had picnic lunch in the park. “Sydney is here.” My mom announced. I looked to where she’s looking and nearly dropped the sandwhich I was holding. “Who is with her? A friend?” my brother asked. “I didn’t know you had another friend who is a boy?” my dad chimed in. “I don’t.” I replied back to them. I stood up and made my way to Sydney.
“Hey Wez. He was looking for you so I brought him here.” Sydney came near me and whispered “I didn’t know that you know each other.” “Well, I don’t.” I reiterated. I smiled at the guy with Sydney whom I noticed is the same guy that found my ID during 1st semester.
“So, Sydney says you are looking for me.”
“Yeah. I e-mailed you last night. I was going to ask you for a date.” With the word date Sydney started to choke on the sandwhich she took from me. I barely noticed her with my mind whirling with different scenarios. Me and him? On a date?
“Uhm. Can you repeat that? I think I lost my wits and imagined what I just heard. And I don’t even know your name.” He suddenly burst into fits of laughter. He’s cute when he laughs. Those eyes of his are twinkling…. Oh gosh… get your mind off the gutter… I chastised myself.
“I forgot. Again. Let me introduce myself milady.” And he bowed with a grace a ballet would be envious off. “My name is Xypher Raphael but you can call me Xyph.”
That day was the day we started to hang out with each other. Another important addition to my family. When I think about it, family is not just your blood relation. You form your own family. I was the one who considered those close to me as my family. It would be a huge blow if something bad happened to anyone of them.
Summer of 3rd year
It was summer when Xypher and I started dating. I was so open to him because of how we like most things and how he listens to everything I say. When I want to watch anime, he watches with me. It was so fun. Sometimes we finish about 10 episodes a day. You might think that it’s weird when instead of chick flick movies or romance or action movies we watch anime instead. It’s just that I feel more into the story when watching anime compared to real life movies.
Xypher loves star-gazing. When not watching, we sometimes meet up at night at his house. His parents and mine are all open to us dating.
One night, he started to tell me about how he believes that there are so-called soul mates and we are soul mates and that there were lifetimes maybe centuries ago where we were together. I believed him. I also have a feeling about us being destined.
It was nearly end of the summer when our relationship started to shatter. Xypher said, “My parents decided that I should continue my studies abroad.” We had a fight over that but eventually I accepted it.
Fast-forward
On the day of his flight was the day my life was torn fully apart.
News: Flight 101 heading to New York City crashed. There were no survivors.
It was hard for me to take that news. It was the flight Xypher and his family bored in. I cried all night and begged the Lord but it was impossible. My parents came to my room and comforted me. They were there the whole time. Sydney came too. But it was hard to loose someone important in your life. Especially one I considered a part of my family. I was so anguished and full of grief. I went to my computer and started looking at our pictures with Xypher together. Then I remembered the things he said to me on the night when we star-gazed. We are soul mates.
My family keeps on reminding me that no matter what happens they are always there and would never leave me. With them by my side and all the others supporting me, I started to recover. With the knowledge that I and Xypher will meet again at our next lifetime, my life continued on. I kept on holding on that fact and the sentence “True love never has an ending.”
I closed my eyes, thinking of my family and came awake. I looked at the clock. 6:00 Am. I started to panic and laughed at myself. I opened my cellphone and saw the message from the unknown number. I ran to my laptop and scanned our conversation. I read Sydney’s message dated July 14, 2013.
Sydney: gotta get ready for the mass ! !
I smiled and laughed at myself again. It was all just a dream. A big cheese-cake of a dream.
