Eleven Years Ago

Guess I should blame it on my niece.

"YEEEEWWWW!!! Valentine's Day! That sucks!"

"Don't hate the commercials if you lack a man now." I didn't even move my eyes from the newspaper I was reading.

"Aju, have you ever really celebrated Valentine's Day?"

And that was the very moment your name came up in the conversation. The memory of you -- never really disappears -- started lingering again. It was the Valentine's Day eleven years ago, and your Valentine's card. I'd had a crush on you for over a year, didn't hear from you for months, and thought that I would never see you again.

But the card was in my mailbox. I stared at your name in disbelief for a few seconds, and called my best friend to share the joy (ah, so typically girls!). It took me a half-an hour conversation before I got the gut to call you to say thanks.

Yes, you said that you had sent Valentine's cards to all your friends. I held myself from asking whether those included your male friends, heheheh... believe me, I was tempted to!

Although we hadn't seen each other for quite a long time, we chatted as if we did it everyday. As usual, you were an engaging talking partner. I can't remember how, but at a point we came to the topic of your birthday, which is only a week after the V's. I said that "Traktir-traktir dong!" thing and you quickly responded, "Okay."

I still suspected that maybe you were only being nice to me. But a day before, you called me to confirm it. "I'll come to your house at eleven, we'll go see a movie, and get our lunch afterward."

It was beyond my expectation. I had assumed that we'd go out in a group.

Everytime my mind brings me back to those days, my heart is filled with warmth. We were together like, what, 10 hours a day? (That didn't include the long-distance calls when you were out of town doing your final project). Ahahahhaah.. young love. Yet, you had been quite mature, and I was usually the childish one. You bought onde-onde for my late grandma, knowing how she loved them. My mom liked you a lot. Especially when she knew that you had to go home straightly after church because you had to do the laundry for your whole family. She called you "responsible". Of course! I was spoiled, dependent too much on her "back office" assistants to do house chores, heehhehe..

I don't know where you are right now. A cousin told me last year that she saw you. You were with your son, and she said he was cute. Well, I can only wonder when we'll meet again. Until then...

I wish you bluebird in the spring
To give your heart a song to sing

I wish you shelter in the storm
A cozy fire to keep you warm

I wish you health
But more than wealth

I wish you happiness. Because you deserve it, nevertheless.