I was preparing for evening rituals when I heard a soft knocked at my door

I'M GETTING MARRIED

I was preparing for my evening rituals when I heard a soft knocked at my door. Who could it be at this time? Well, I wont be surprised if it was one of my friends. It was not really new to me especially these past few weeks. My wedding is fast approaching and everyone paid a special visit to say his or her best wishes for me. But what kind of friend who will visit a friend this late. Look inappropriate, right? But it's ok this friend must be very important and has something to say very significant that she can't wait for tomorrow. It was already 11:00 and I'm tired. I've been very busy this morning preparing and organizing some details for my wedding and I need to make some appointments early tomorrow morning. But something inside me tells that I should go ahead and opened the door. I went down the stairs and almost tumbled down in a hurry. Never had I imagined that this night would be the most memorable night ever. I opened up the door and was really surprised to see it was Tezuka.

Tezuka and I were very good friends since grade school. We went to the same intermediate school then later on decided to take the same course in college. He has a loved for music and writing composition and poems. Tezuka was loved and adored by people around him. Maybe it was because of his attitude. He was nice and sweet. If you asked for a direction a good person would tell you (how to get there) the right way but Tezuka was so sweet and kind that he would accompany you until you reached your destination even if it caused him a lot. He didn't talk that much but when he smiled, it was so re-assuring that I know everything would be ok though the situations were tough. We were totally the opposite of the other. I am the loner and naïve while he has all the friend in the world. I always shut myself for opportunities and always turned my back to the world, feeling left behind and disappointed. I was always misunderstood by all. While Tezuka has this mild and gentle spirit that's why people were drawn to him though he didn't talk that much. He excels in everything he does.

It was our 3rd year in college when Tezuka left to pursue a different career, something different from all of us. He decided to be a soldier and I haven't heard anything from him since then. I can't believe he was right here in my doorsteps. Tezuka had grown so much since the last time I saw him. He has now perfectly tone muscle from shoulder down. He is a well-disciplined man and I could see it on his body. "Tezuka!" that's all I can say. I motion him to come inside "Come in. Have a seat". He didn't say anything. He hadn't change a bit, not a bit. He still has this quiet spirit. "Can I offer you something, coffee, tea, or what?" I try to sound casual. He didn't say anything he was just watching and studying my every move carefully. I don't know what to say. Then I blurted out to say the news. "Guess what? I'm getting married!" He didn't say anything. "Fuji decided to have our wedding on the 8th of May. It's just a simple beach wedding that will be attended by family, closed friends and relatives. I have made some spare invitations for times like this." I handed him the spare invitation. It doesn't have a name on it. He just looked at it. "May 8", he said. "Yes and I believe it's the best time, not too late for summer. I've dream of becoming a summer bride ", I said. The truth is it's not Fuji who decided, I did! Something was special on that May 8. Fuji didn't know why it was so special. It's just a secret between that man and me. "You still remember", he said. I still and you still remember, I thought to myself. "Remember what? Fuji said it was month of May when his Mom died and he promised his Mom that he would marry the woman who would love him the way her mom did on the same month. Kind of sweet." I don't want to look at him. I talk just to make myself at ease. And memories of that May 8 were still fresh as if they happened yesterday.

It was May 8. I decided to take summer job at the resort near our place. Tezuka and I decided to work together because this maybe our last summer together. He mentioned that he's changing plans. I don't know what kind of changes and how drastic. If only I knew. It was pass 10 pm. It was warm inside the room so I decided to unwind. It was so beautiful outside. The moon and the stars, the ocean, the beach, the night, it was perfect. There was a hammock tied to the two coconut trees at the front of my room. The hammock was so inviting so I get myself in. The sea breeze was so refreshing and I almost fall asleep but I can't take my eyes off the sky. I was pondering over some thoughts when Tezuka came. "It's late", he said. "Yeah, but it was warm inside and I can't sleep ", I said. "How's your day?" I asked. He didn't say anything. It's quite obvious. I myself was tired. Doing my job on the resort is tiring and challenging but very rewarding in the end, you know what I mean. Sometimes tourists gave tips more than I could earn that week. A soft breeze blew. It moved strands of hair covering Tezuka's face. His eyes were focused on the sky. Ten minutes had passed between us and no one talked, I guess we're just really tired. Trying to make things light, I told something interesting about the moon. "Tezuka, look at the moon. It was bluish white and it's beautiful. Old folks said that it might look beautiful and wonderful but for seamen it indicates bad weather condition with in the next 24 hours. For others it's a bad omen. How something beautiful could signify bad luck. Why blame the bad condition to the moon? It's not right. They just don't know how to appreciate the real beauty. It's captivating". Tezuka sat on the sand then looked at the moon. "It's a blue moon and it came only once in thousand years. That's how the expression 'once in a blue moon' came about. According to poets you will be spending the rest of your life with the person most special to you if you kissed under this blue moon", then he took a deep breath. "Tezuka, now you're talking. That's nice. I never imagined you could be that romantic", then I smiled at him. I don't know if he notices it but that's the sweetest smile I ever give to someone and I never regret it. Then all of a sudden Tezuka gets serious. I'm surprised. "I'm leaving tomorrow but I promised I'll be back here. I have to. Someone gives me a reason to but promise you'll wait for me. Remember what I told you while we're on the play?" I remember that when the prince played by Tezuka whispered, "I love you " to a me, a maiden who played a not- significant role in the play. "That's just part of the play, right? ", I asked. "No, it's not and it's almost a whisper. " I'm more surprised now than before. There was something special going on between us. I know there was but I was afraid to admit it and now Tezuka was confronting me about this. I don't like confrontations because they always put me on awkward situations. Sometimes there are words better left unsaid, actions best shown in silence. "I say 'I love you' and I don't want this to mean goodbye. I love you and that's forever. Promise me you will wait for me. I will comeback here exactly the same day to fulfill my promise", Tezuka said as he holds my hand. Suddenly all of the emotions I kept blurted out. I don't want Tezuka to see me crying, not of all the people. But I can't help it. I started crying and the next thing I knew I was wrapped around his fingers. What good is tomorrow without a guarantee? This night I let his promise to be my guarantee. It's easy to made promises when you were young but as you grow older it's hard to keep a promise specially after trying, everything fails. Then Fuji came, a guy both Tezuka and I knew in college. And now after 15 years Tezuka came back. And now here he is but it's tool late. I'm getting married. It's always been too late for both of us.

"May 8. I still remember when I made you that promise. The night was perfect just like this but I guess it's too late to fulfill my promise. You are getting married ", he said reminiscing as if it happened like yesterday. "I know it's my fault, I should not keep you from waiting that long". Trying to avoid focus on our past I said "Tezuka you've grown so much. Hard training, huh?" Tezuka acted as if he never hears me. "May I invite you for a walk even just for the last time?" he said. "Tezuka, don't make this too hard for both of us. It's too late, I'm getting married! Can't you see?" then I started crying again the same way I cried when Tezuka made his promised that night of May 8. "A walk is just a walk, it won't change your wedding at all. Besides I know you love Fuji, the same way you used to love me. I won't take you away from him. You deserved to be happy ", he said with this looked in his face that I can't take. "Tezuka, please, don't!" Pause. "It's always been too late for both of us. Remember that prom night I was about to asked for a dance because I wanted to be the first in your life but Fuji had already asked you. Do you remember the night I was at your doorstep carrying flowers? It was a lie. It's not for your mom. It's for you and I was about to ask you for a dinner when I saw Fuji asking you out for a movie. How I wish you said no but you came with him. I've waited until it's late but I still show up to check how did it went and then the rest of my story was a lie. How about the… ", Still he has something more to say when I stopped him. "Why are you telling this to me?" I said. "If only I've been brave enough I know this wont happened" he answered. "It would be a lot better if we talk while we walk." Then we decided to walk on the same beach where he made that promise. None of us talk. Silence spoke for our hearts. When we get tired, we sat on the shore. We watched the waves and how the moon made reflection on them. The stars were shining brightly. It brought back memories of that night. He let me lean on his chest. I felt the same warmth I used to fell before when he used to hug me. Time stood still that night. We let it past by. It was perfect. We're on the seashore and let the waves played on our feet. "Paula, I want you to have this before I go" then when I looked there on his hands the most beautiful engagement ring I've seen in my life. It's not because of the ring itself but it's because it came from the man I love. He held my hand it put the ring on my finger. Then he looked at my face, memorizing every details of it then he hugged me then kissed me on the forehead. He didn't say anything. He left without saying anything but I know that's another promise. This time I'm going to wait. I know he will comeback because my heart says so.

I talked to Fuji and I decided to cancel the wedding. I wanted to be fair with Fuji. He's a good man but I don't want to make him believe that I love him when my heart says it' is Tezuka all the time. I don't want to make his life and my life miserable. Fuji understands. I find out that Tezuka was on AWOL when he visited me. He was there all this time watching me and had seen my life before him. Then something wrong happened. I was informed that Tezuka was gone missing after they're last encountered with the rebels. His body was never found and he was believed to be dead. It's been 5 years now and I'm still waiting. I still look forward for tomorrow when one morning Tezuka will come knocking at my door. We might not have the chance to see each other lately but the ties between us gotten us to be closer. I always remember that somewhere somehow someone is thinking of me. Life must go on with a firm and strong believe that we can be together again on that one sweet night of May 8.

12 Months To Fall in Love

Everyone was so excited. Twelve women were chosen to live in a mansion to live with a handsome prince. These women came from different part of the world , women who have high status and were carefully selected among all women by elite group from elite society. They will live with the prince for 12 months then at then end the prince will decide who will be the one. The concept is like "The Bachelor" but women won't be eliminated , twelve months will be enough to prove their worth to the prince. At the airport we were fetched by a limousine which brought us to the mansion where we had a grand welcome. We haven't seen the prince yet and everyone is looking for him. We were introduced to the elite group who selected the us twelve. They discussed the rules and how we will be compensated. We are free to do anything as long as we're inside the mansion and that's from Monday to Friday. Saturday and Sunday are like day offs and we can do anything outside the mansion like shopping, bar hopping, visiting friends or doing things that we enjoy the most. After the introduction, we were given the chance to introduce ourselves. The first one is the blonde miss with a nice body. She was a super model I can tell from the figure. The next is a young actress who won an Oscar at such an early age and earn respect in Hollywood. The list go on and on. There's a real princess from a kingdom I haven't heard of the name, a daughter of an oil tycoon, yes all of those rich and famous are here. My head is already spinning and my nose was bleeding. So what am I doing here? Why of all the people. I really don't know how it happened. Everything happened so fast that I couldn't keep track of it. All I know is I'm here for a purpose. I won't compete with those girls to get the prince attention. I will do my task and be properly compensated. That's all. Besides I'm not his type. Good for me. I won't be an eye sore to those girls. I can do my task w/o a fuss. We had a dinner at the concede

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