One December night, she sent me this message. By that time we had been exchanging messages for more than a month. God knew how happy I was. She was right. Although we had not seen each other, what we felt was enough to make us both realize what was keeping us together.

I sent her another message, “Loving you secretly is a hard thing for me to do, hoping, wondering that you will feel the same way too, but I can’t read your mind if you love me too. But whatever it is, I’ll still be loving you.”

“How I wish I could really tell you how much you mean to me, but I’m afraid to love, scared to get hurt. I hope that you will wait for me and pray that you will not get tired of loving me...=) “ was her reply.

And then I replied again. “The reason why I met you because of destiny but if destiny will suggest that I’ll live without you, then, I’ll lie not by destiny but of free will.”

Whenever I asked her when we would meet personally, she always answered, “Soon... soon, love... soon!”

Not seeing each other did not lessen, even a bit, what I felt for her... rather, it grew deeper and stronger each day. And I was sure, she felt the same way, too. Love messages continued to flow through our lines, between our hearts, which made us go on each day with the thought that sooner, we would see each other, face to face, heart to heart.

Just a few days before Christmas. She stopped sending messages. At first I thought she had run out of prepaid.

 But there was something that kept bothering me. I couldn’t understand what was it, but it made me feel nervous. I tried to call her but she wouldn’t answer. Nevertheless, I continued sending her messages.

Suddenly one night, just three days before our Lord’s birthday. I heard my phone’s message tone again... at last! It was from her!

“Oftentimes, we say goodbye to the one we love without wanting to. Though that doesn’t mean that we stopped loving them or we stopped to care. Sometimes, GOODBYE is painful way to say I LOVE YOU.”

I was dumbfounded. I didn’t know what to think of. What did she mean? I texted her back, searching for answers, but found nothing. I called her but she would not answer.

For the first time in my life, I felt so miserable... desperate... empty. I didn’t know what to do. I didn’t want to lose her. I had learned to love her. And I wanted to be with her forever.

The following days I felt nothing but emptiness. It seemed that Dara took the life out of me. I missed her so much... her messages... The tones that would tell me she’d sent another loving message. Nothing around me could feel the emptiness I felt.

Tut... tut... tut... tut... tut... just a day before Christmas, my cell beeped again. It was her!

“Meet me at d cafe, 10 AM today.” I read aloud, making sure the message was true, then I jumped with joy upon hearing from her again. Hurriedly, I got myself ready and went to the mall. I knew it was still early, but I wanted to be there before she arrived.

I arrived at the meeting place ten minutes earlier. I was surprised to see her already there, smiling at me. She was very beautiful. Black, deep-set eyes that spoke a thousand words; small kissable lips; a nose perfectly chiselled and long black hair –everything in her was beautiful. And yes, her eyes radiated kindness and love... but there was a flicker of something in them... sadness?

“Hi, GD!” said the angelic voice I had been dreaming of each night. The voice that I had waited to hear for so long. “Please sit down.”

“I am very pleased to meet you, Dara” I said, as I took my seat and gave the roses I brought for her.

“Thanks, GD!” she smiled, obviously pleased with the roses. I knew she loved pink roses.

“You are always welcome, Love.”

“GD, I can’t stay.” She said, sadness in her voice, or was it tears? “I really must go.”

“But we just met, Dara. Can’t we talk a little longer?” I asked pleadingly.

“I can’t really. I just came here to see you and thank you for the time you shared with me. Thank you for everything, GD. I will never forget you... you will always be here in my heart.”

She was looking at me straight into the eyes, and I could really fell sadness in her voice and I swear, there was something in her voice and I swear, there was something in those lovely yet lonely eyes...

She got up and smiled at me, lovingly.

“Tomorrow morning, please come and visit me,” she said and gave me a piece of white linen paper.

I read what was written and when I looked up, she was gone.