Lovers Park – It was one of the dozen mini-parks in Kim’s school. It was nicknamed that because of the many romances that have sprung from its storied benches. It's really romantic just sitting there beneath the shade of the stately mango trees knowing that many love stories had their beginnings there. From the graffiti of love on the table surfaces to the etched names on tree barks, Kim could not help but sigh on her own state of heart.

As she sat on one of its landmark benches, Kim was musing on the text message she received from Aki.

It said, “B, ILY. CU L8R.”

Short. Impersonal. Was it supposed to be romantic? Aki couldn’t even spell out the words I LOVE YOU... Just ILY. It could have meant a million things.

Kim could not help but think of how far love has gone from the time of the poets to now. Gone are the days that grand gestures of love were made. Nowadays, the more subterfuge it was...the more romantic it was supposed to be.

Kim sighed once more. Maybe she was just an old soul trapped in a modern girl’s body.

She loved Aki...at least she allowed herself to believe that. But Kim, was not too sure that the love she was feeling for him was the same kind of love Shakespeare felt when he was writing his Sonnets. Was it the same kind of delirious feeling of happiness Shelley, Browning or Keats felt as they filled the pages with endless incantations of their true love?

There has to be more to love than just text messages made up of 12 letters and digits. Aki didn't even make an effort. It was more of a...convenience.

Kim believed that there should be more to their relationship...there should be MAGIC. IF love as many said is a deep sinking feeling of desire, then why is she not blissfully happy? And that is what’s bothering Kim the most. This last few weeks she was starting to question herself. Was this really LOVE she was feeling for Aki?

As Kim pocketed her cellphone, the person she was waiting for, finally arrived. It was Pauline and they were supposed to meet there for lunch. It was their last day of school.

“Kimmy, anong nangyari kagabi?” Pauline greeted her with a peck on the cheek. “Ba’t ka tumawag?”

“Siyempre ano pa?” answered Kim. “Tinatanong pa ba iyan?”

Pauline sits beside her. Noticing that there are number of young men in the area, Pauline quickly takes out her compact face powder.

“Hay naku, mare...” Pauline said as she checks her face on her small mirror. “Let me guess...Tita Agot and you had an argument again?”

“As usual...”

“When will it ever stop?” asked Pauline. “Aren’t you guys tired of fighting each other?”

“I don’t know, mare.”

“Your battle scars with your mom are really deep, huh?”

“It’s not my fault, friend. My mom does not make it easy for us to like her...”

“You don’t have to like her, mare...just love her...”

“Now that’s deep...” Kim laughed.

Both girls would giggle at the quip.

“Hay naku, friend....” said Pauline. “I’ll give you an advice na lang...makinig ka, ha?”

“Yeah sure, what is it?”

“If your family life is in crisis...” Pauline leaned in. “You need to kick it up a notch in your love life...nang sa ganoon, hindi ka ma-losyang sa mga problema mo. You need balance in your life.”

“Anong ibig mong sabihin?”

“You need to get your love life to the next level!”

“Ano namang next level yang pinagsasabi mo?!”

“Uy...si friend....nagmamaang-maangan...”

“Ano nga...”

“OMG...don’t tell me hindi pa naka homerun si Aki sa iyo?”

“Anong homerun?”

“Gosh...first base...kiss. Second base...touchy-touchy. At yung third base at home run...alam mo na iyon...” screamed Pauline.

“Loka-loka ka talaga...” Kim blushed. “Hindi pa kaya no...”

“Ows...you mean to say hindi pa naka-score si Aki sa iyo?”

“Hmmm....siguro first base lang.” Kim revealed.

“Yucks naman...corny niyong dalawa...” Pauline said. “That is why sinasabi ko sa iyo...dapat i-level-up mo iyang love life mo.”

“What do you suggest I do?”

Suddenly, Pauline’s eyes light up.

“Eeeee....I have an idea...” Pauline screeched.

“Ano naman iyon?” Kim wondered.

“This Saturday...” Pauline hinted. “When we are at Jim’s resthouse...we can arrange for you and Aki to have a moment...candle lights, romantic music...what happen’s next...bahala na kayo mag-improvise... O di ba romantic?”

“Anong romantic naman dun?”

“Siyempre...what happens next...yun yung romantic part...”

“Pauline, hindi naman ako yung tao na magpapakita ng motibo...”

“Hay naku, Kimmy...” said Pauline. “Madali lang iyan. Don’t worry dear, I’ll teach you some techniques...strategies to unleash the inner wanton in you.”

“Anong wanton?”

“Ano pa eh di...kalandian...”

“Inaykupo...”

“No use being sanctimonius, dearie...you and Aki will eventually get there...”

“Saan nga?”

“Do you want me to spell for you?”

“Eeeww...you mean kayo ni Jim...” Kim exclaimed. “...you two have done it?”

“Ano ka ba? That’s what I’ve been trying to say...”

"How many times?"

"How many times what?" asked Pauline. "Have we done it?"

"Yes...I'm your best friend...you shouldn't be keeping important details like that from me!" Kim protested. "So how many times?"

Pauline held up her two hands. "See how many fingers I have up....?"

"Yes...you mean to say you did it ten times already and you haven't told me?"

"Come to think of it..." Pauline scratched her chin. "Eleven times na pala...I forgot the one in the car..."

“Oh my God!” shrieked Kim.

“You’re making it sound so dirty...” said Pauline. “I love Jim...he loves me...and we made love...that’s it! What’s so bastos about it?”

“Everything!” Kim said. “The mere fact that you make it sound too casual is what’s wrong with it!”

“Kimmy, you’re seventeen...” Pauline explained. “By April, you will be eighteen. IN other parts of the world, girls already have three babies by the time they reach our age. “

“Loka-loka ka talaga...”

“Hay naku...bahala ka...” said Pauline. “Pag-iniwan ka ni Aki dahil ayaw mong bumigay...huwag na huwag mo akong sisisihin...”

“If he loves me he’ll wait...”

“Wait till when?”

“Until I’m ready!” Kim said as she rolled her eyes at her friend.

“When is that going to be?”

“Perhaps until I find the right person to give my body to...”

“OH EM GEE....we’re just talking about simple here, friend...” Pauline laughed. “It’s not like we’re surrendering our sovereignty back to the Spaniards...”

“Sorry, friend...pero unlike you...I give importance to my...umm, ity...” Kim teased back.

“You make me sound like a harlot...ayoko na!” Pauline complained.

“Sige na nga...” said Kim. “Change topic...”

“O sige...let’s talk about that new guy in the basketball team. He’s so cute...”

Kim however was still lost in her thoughts.

“Hoy, Kim...ano ba?”

“Sorry...” Kim apologized. “I was thinking of something.”

“About what?”

“Wala lang...may gusto lang akong malaman...”

“Ano naman iyon...”

“Did it hurt?”

“What?!!!” Pauline screamed with half laugh and half amazement.

“The first time that you did it with Jim...” Kim blushed terribly. “Did it hurt?”

“Like hell it did!” giggled Pauline.

Kim grimaced. “OH noo...hindi ko yata kaya gawin iyon...”

“Pero, I promise you it really gets better in time...”

“Oh shucks...ayoko na...change-topic na...”

“Kimmy, I thought you wanted to know...”

“I changed my mind,” begged Kim. “Pleaseeee...spare me the details!”

“Basta, friend...if you need advice on the subject...” Pauline said proudly. “You know who to ask...”

“Pauline, I hope that day won’t come when I will have to ask advice from you on . I will never...ever do that. Because if I do...I’ll never forgive myself.”

“Hmmm....Kimmy, never say never...” Pauline winked and wagged her finger at her.

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March 29, 2009

(Author's note: Please forgive the english-tagalog shifts...I wanted to do all the dialogue in Tagalog but I'm struggling with some of the words + grammar issues.)