STORY 8  WAITING

Here I am again, roaming aimlessly on a busy street. It was a bright sunny morning, neighbours chitchat happily with random things and kids playing will full enthusiasm.  I smiled as I watch them. The scenes emited nostalgic  feelings.

Ahh... it has been a while since I witness such positivity in my span of being a silent observer. It must be the air... or it must be the delicious cupcakes that the nice and friendly granny makes and gives to her neighbours.

Hmm.....speaking of that old lady... I will pay her a visit again. Yeah... I will visit her later... good idea. Maybe have some cupcakes, too.

I placed my hands inside my coat and started to walk.

“Hey, granny told me that she made cupcakes again. She wants us to have some.” A young boy who passed by me said to his friend.

“Really?! Lets go and have some!” His friend, also a young boy, shrieked. Then the two boys ran towards the direction of the old lady’s house.

Excited, aren’t we? I chuckled at the kids.

Well, I could not blame those kids. The cupcakes made by the old lady were really delicious. And the old lady being nice and positive amidst of being alone is a plus factor.

On a late afternoon, I went to the old lady’s house just as I planned. When I arrived at her house, there was already a kid having a cupcake at the porch and was conversing with granny. I walked towards them careful not scare them with my sudden presence.

I stood on the foot of the stairs with the old lady’s back facing me. The kid noticed me and her lips formed an “O”.

“Its you again!” She mouthed happily. I smiled at her. I placed a finger on my lips gesturing her to keep quiet. She nodded happily and continued talking to the old lady.

“Granny.... why do you love making cupcakes?” The gradeschool girl asked granny in between munching the delicious looking chocolate cupcake.

I have to have one of those.

“Oh that?.....” Granny paused and chuckled. She looked at the sunny sky with a smile as if recalling a beautiful memory.

“Because the love of my life loved cupcakes....... everytime I make cupcakes... I would still feel my love’s presence around me.” She said with dreamy but teary eyes.

“Where is your love?” Asked the innocent girl while wiping the crumbles on her chest. The old lady let out a hopeful sigh.

“She died a long time ago...decades...”

I shook my head upon hearing the span of time. The girl wasn’t surprised about the revelation that this old granny had loved, and still loves a woman. There is no reason to be surprised because gone are the days that same marriage was an issue.

“The love of my life is watching me.... and guiding me.... I know...I could feel it.”

Hah! This old lady is really such a hopeless romantic. This kind of love puzzles me. Sometimes I wonder why didn’t she ever moved on. I bet that her lover wanted her to move on with her life and have a family of her own.

Then.... I stopped and pondered...

Geez... silly me. I don’t have the right to question this old lady because I also cannot move on. I’m still hanging on to the one person I ever loved.

I just can’t let you go no matter how hard I try......my Jessi.

I chuckled to my hopelessness and walked away from granny’s house. Maybe she noticed me because she cocked her head and looked at my direction, then waved happily at me. I waved back at her with a sad smile and continued on my way as the family I passed by still waves at her.

“Jessi..... what if....what if we break up......”

“You’re breaking up with me?!”She shot me a death glare.

“What?! No! Wait! Let me finish.” I held up my hands in defence while chuckling at my overacting girlfriend. She snorted and puffed her cheeks.

“EXPLAIN.” She demanded with a low voice and crumpled face. I chuckled again.

“Jessi....what Im saying is... what if we don’t end up with each other? What if you find someone to love more than you love me? What if I fell inlove with someone else? What if I die? What if.....”

Soft lips pressed on my lips silenced me. I closed my eyes and savoured the moment.

“You worry about things too much Tiff.” She told softly with a smile. I stared at her with all my love.

“If that happens... could you let go?... because I don’t think I could if I lost you.” I told her while trying hard to fight my tears.

“We had to let go....sometime...somehow....” She answered.

“Could you?”I darted back.

“Do you want me to?” She asked back.

“Yes..... let go and move on if ever you lost me.... but I can’t promise to let go and move on if I lose you, Jessi....”

“Stop worrying, Tiff. We will grow old together. Wrinkles, rheumatism, dentures and all. We will be together forever.”She said which I find cringe worthy cheesiness.. but still sweet.

“I hope we could be young forever.”

“Aish! I said stop worrying!!!” Then she hit my head.

I stared at the night sky as I reminisced the past. That was our last conversation. I lost her in a car accident on our way home.

I sighed.

Yep... you’re right about that, granny. Not moving on is a choice I never regretted to make. I will wait until the day that we will meet again.

Years passed by. The old lady doesn’t make cupcakes anymore. Its not that she got tired of it but because her body became too weak to do even simple tasks like walking or even standing up.

And also, she’s not living alone anymore. Her niece and grandson moved with her in her house because she refused to leave the house where she had lot of memories with her lover.

As I was strolling at the silent neighbourhood  under the bright stars, I suddenly felt uneasy but excited at the same time. I couldn’t explain it. As if something is going to happen but I cannot quite put my finger on it.

I noticed a commotion coming from houses near the old lady’s house. People were coming out of their houses and running frantically on the old lady’s house. Some were shaking their heads with a sad smile.  My heart pounded. I ran towards the commotion.

Is it time?.....

I made way into the house, in to her room. And there she was, lying peacefully on her bed with a smile on her face.

Her niece and grandson were crying but happy at the same time because the old lady told them moments before she passed on that she’s happy and excited to meet her lover on the other side. And with that, her relatives are happy for her, too.

“You waited for this moment too long, Aunt. I hope for your happiness.” Her niece told the lifeless body.

The nice and friendly old lady is gone... and me?... I am waiting for someone.

And after moments of waiting, she came. The old lady stood at the foot of her bed staring at her lifeless body. I tapped on the wooden door to make my presence felt to her.

The old lady slowly faced me. And when she turned around, the old lady wasn’t there anymore. Instead, a woman on her early twenties met me face to face. The spirit of the old lady turned back to her age when I died.

She stared at me with unreadable expression as I smiled at her. Soon, her lips quivered, her eyes are full of longing. I chuckled and gave her an assuring smile.

“Missed me?” I asked her while grinning. I reached out my hand to her. She stared at me with shock and disbelief. I gave her a small wave and a smug face.

She took slow steps towards me as her tears made a waterfall .  

“Is it you?... is it really you.... Tiff?” Jessi,the love of my life..err.. of my soul cupped my face and asked me with questioning eyes. I gave her a nod to reassure her. She hugged me tight.

“I missed you a lot... since you left me.”  She whispered as her face buried on the crook of my neck. I caressed her hair and kissed the crown of her head.

“I never left you Jessi. I accompany you to my grave and tell you that you look pretty even in simple clothes, you would say that I am a smooth talker.” I snorted.

“I had been with you.... always.....”

She broke the hug and stared at me lovingly. She cupped my face and caressed my cheeks with her thumbs. Tears flow from her eyes.

“You didn’t change a bit.” She said.

“And you changed a lot.” I teased.

“Lets go Jessi...you already made me wait 60 years!” I grabbed her wrist and made a run for it with a shock and confused Jessi in tow. Then after a while, we were both laughing and giggling as we run towards the light. 

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A/N : Its my third day in Legazpi City, Albay. It is a10 hour bus ride ( if you travel by night and the ride is continuous and fast) and is far from home ( I live in a town just outside Metro Manila). I am slowly adjusting from the environment ( and the dialect because I speak Tagalog and these people are Bicolano.. good thing that they know how to speak Tagalog because people in other provinces with different dialect have difficulty in speaking and understanding tagalog).

It is cold here.I wonder what resort did 2NE1 stayed when they went on vacation here in Legazpi.

Anyway, I came here because I was assigned by my boss to supervise a construction project. And I cant wait to go back home.

Note : For other nationalities out there, Tagalog is the main dialect of Philippines,which also tagged as Filipino language.