There is a lot of stories, particularly the ones concerning love. I have heard several good ones, true story, of course. I am in the mood of sharing some of it. These stories are not the common ‘girl meets boy, boy falls truly madly deeply, they get married and they lived happily ever after.’
Most of it start with bitter thoughts, misery and tears.
Story 1
The girl went swimming. The tide was high and she suddenly realized that she was drowning. She screamed for help while holding on to her dear life. She used to know how to swim but at that time all she can do was pray.
A boy nearby heard her screaming. He ran and jumped into the ocean. He looked for her, found her and tried his best to bring her to shore.
He never made it.
But the girl did. She is alive and grateful to a dead man.
The poor girl cried and cried. She felt guilty. She was supposed to be dead, she said. Now what have I done? If only I had stayed put, if only I’d just…but if only are pathetic words. All was done.
She visited the family for the funeral. She said her condolences. The mother was in tears. If looks could kill she might have bled from head to toe from the looks of all the relatives. Everybody knew this accident was her fault. She was scared but she came anyway though she didn’t dare to look at anyone in the eye. She had to do something, right? She’d help them, she figured. Something that the boy used to do for the family, maybe. Paying bills or visiting the parents, what else a boy does for his family?
She saw his brother and one look tells it all.
He hates her. Her every breath makes him sick.
So she decided that she should visit the poor mother with the brave son, talk to her and care about her. It’s not much but it’s the least that she could do. She’s a student so she doesn’t own that much money but almost every week she called her and if her schedule permits, she would visit her.
This goes on for 3 years.
Last time I heard is that she was married to the brother, the one that loathes her every breath, the very sight of her or the mention of her name.
I guess loath and love is interchangeable with time. She must have done something right during that 3 years until love wins in the end.
Story 2
I met this girl in my Spanish class. My first impression was, gosh, this girl is beautiful. She is gentle and kind, the type of every man’s wish for company all his life.
But she never thought that way.
She was convinced that she’s nothing of the beautiful sort, doesn’t deserve anything good in life and would prefer to drown in her own sorrow. I understand she has been through a lot and life was difficult.
We keep in touch. I am not the kind of person who keeps in touch with people who doesn’t deserve my time so she is important. That’s why I keep her in my life.
She told me she’s not happy with her job. She needs a vacation.
So she bought a ticket to Bandung, Indonesia.
Coming back from the trip, she asked for a meet-up. She sounded cheerful. This is good, right?
Indeed she has good news.
She told me over coffee and I still remember her face, her exact expression and how she laughed while recalling the whole vacation. The trip was a disaster, she said. She planned it with a colleague of hers and the lady refused to go out from the hotel room because the weather was too hot, she had stomachache and she kinda hate Bandung, quite regret making that trip and would rather wait for the flight back home.
This, all explained with a glow from both cheeks. She might even blush saying all these.
And then, what happened? I asked. Something good must have happened. Something incredibly good…like maybe a blessing in disguise?
Her blessing was a man, with whom she announced as husband and recently father to their child.
The man, is a local. He just came back from Japan, where he works since the last 4 years. That year he decided to help tourists and guide them all around Bandung since he was on vacation. His parents saw no problems with his new part-time job, since he would bring extra money. He saw this helpless girl at the hotel he volunteered and asked her why. She cried. This is all a mistake, she said. No, don’t worry, he’s there to help. They could rent a motorbike and he would show her his Bandung.
And things go from disaster to better. Way better than she expected.
It was no mistake after all, right? Things always happen for a reason.
When I received the invitation card, my heart just jumped and I immediately told her that I would come, though I have no idea where is her house, no one else would accompany me and I don’t know anyone else except her. I honestly thought it was a big deal that I should go.
It was a beautiful day. The weather was perfect. Sunny, partly cloudy with no chance of rain. She was dressed in batik, cream and lace and looked like an Indonesian princess. Her husband told me she always spoke of me, in fact he even knew how we met.
It was funny how I just jumped into a situation, even I don’t understand it completely. She was just another classmate of my Spanish class. We exchanged smiles most of the time since we were from different faculties. We were not even close but one day she was complaining that all her friends didn’t want to go to a particular dinner organized by her faculty but she already had a costume to go with the occasion.
I said I want to see it, so I follow her back to her dormitory. Indeed it was a beautiful dress. Well we can’t let that dress go to waste, can we? So I said, I’ll go with you. It took her several minutes to understand that. We were complete strangers and I just agreed to accompany her to a dinner I wasn’t invited to.
We had the nicest time at the hotel. I won the lucky draw (all the people was wondering who was I since I did not belong to their faculty and suddenly I got the grand prize) and I remember we posed for photos clad with other outfits we saw at the hotel (the first event was a fashion show) and giggled at our attempts at the wedding gowns.
I enjoyed it immensely.
How would you forget a friend like this?
Story 3
It was a short courtship since it took them less than a month to tie the knot.
She had on-and-off relationship with a man who abused her for almost 10 years. Last time she heard was that he was married to another. For her, he’s the One, the Perfect One.
She was utterly devastated for several years. She is one of the bravest girl I know. Who do you know who’s able to confess her feelings to a guy she like and able to take it when the guy said we’re better off as friends rather than something else altogether? It took courage of a lion. I planned to do that several times but I am glad that the occasion never arise. Men that I used to have butterflies in the stomach just by listening to their voice turned out not the way I always imagined them to be.
Phew.
We used to complain together. All the good guys are taken, dead or gays. All the good things in life are either illegal, immoral, fattening or taxed beyond reality. You know, stuff like that. She was convinced that men like only girls several shades lighter than her skin or maybe several sizes smaller or maybe different kind of nose, etc – the endless things that you list down to understand men’s preferences but you never get it in the end.
Sometimes life gets to you and it helps to complain a bit. We say ‘venting out some steam’. Optimism can’t be detain on Mondays.
But one day as I was helping her to pack for her new house she told me about this one guy who approached her. She had knew the guy when she was little as they live nearby. She said she had a crush on him.
Wow! That’s nice.
And it turns out that the guy feels the same way too. This is easy. You meet the parents and you arrange the wedding, and that’s exactly what happened.
They’re waiting for their first child.
Maybe it’s fate, maybe it’s what you believe. I don’t know. I read a quote that says ‘there is a path made for you to me’ so maybe if the lucky guy/girl follows then (s)he would find what (s)he’s looking for.
I am just being romantic today 🙂 Feels good don’t it?
[bisa] 