I always loved the thought of receiving love letters. What I love about it is that it gives me this thrilling feeling that I am being loved by someone in secret. It may sound creepy for some people but if the contents of the letter are genuine and harmless, then I think it's not a problem at all. What makes receiving one in this time and age is that it's already considered as something as unusual especially that sending Facebook messages and Twitter DMs are way more convenient.
My best friend, Keith, said that sending a love letter is nothing but a show of cowardice. "It's not straightforward," he said. "Why not express one's feelings directly to the person? You're only wasting both of your time." He also added something about it as something that stalkers would do but I didn't really is. Whatever his opinions are, it can't create a dent on mine.
—
On one ordinary day, the love letter came.
It was on the first day of the second week of January. Keith and I were heading to our to get the books needed for the first subject. Opening my locker, a piece of something white in color fell down from my locker. I realized that it was no ordinary paper—it was an envelope with a heart shaped sticker as its tape. Then, before I even picked it up, I went so ecstatic and hugged Keith by his back.
"Quit it!" he yelled as he peeled my arms that was wrapped around him
"Keith, what do you this is this? Could it be—?" I began to ask but I was cut by his boisterous laughter.
"Are you blind or just plain stupid? It's obviously an envelope!" Keith jeered. Sigh. I really don't know why we became this close in the first place. Keith had always been annoying, selfish, and harsh ever since we're still in kindergarten.
Keith was still laughing in disbelief behind his locker door as I carefully peeled the heart sticker that sealed the letter. Although it was quite short, I was still happy to see that it was really a love letter in a poem form. It read:
Cathy,
Your lovely eyes illuminate me,
I love the way you smile so sweetly,
Your face is as beautiful as a blooming flower,
I can't help thinking about you every hour,
You'll know me sooner. . .
-Wild Kitten
"Wild. . . Kitten?"
"What did you say? Wild Kitten? Give me a break!" Keith exclaimed with a face that says 'WTF' all over it. Good thing no one was near to us as he laughed like a hyena.
"So what? At least, he gave me this one. Oh my... My wish is granted! Who could be the sender?" I said as I looked at him suspiciously. "Hmmm ... is it you, Keith?"
Keith laughed even more. That prick. Why did I even ask in the first place? Knowing Keith for years, he's not the type who would actually do this. Other than his opinions toward love letters, he's not really the expressive type of person. But, I kind of really hope that it was him who sent it...
"Me?" he asked while pointing his index finger at his chest, "The Keith would give a love letter to you? No way!" He picked the letter from my hand and read it. "Your face is not like a blooming flower—yours is wilting. Your brown eyes are nowhere near to illuminating—it's dull. And the worst: why would I think of you every hour when we hang out almost every single day?" He raised one eyebrow at me. "Whoever sent that crap to you Cathy, he's a coward. He's not even straightforward about his feelings. Look, he sent you a poem instead of talking to you directly when seaking directly would be so much better."
Again with those opinions. I don't see why he seemed so defensive. I'm already used to Keith's harsh words about me but I just can't accept that my-secret-admirer-is-a-coward thing.
"He's not a coward! He's just afraid and shy!" I exclaimed.
"Afraid plus shy is equals cowardice," he retorted.
"But he said I'm going too see him soon!"
"What if he's lying? You said it yourself that he's afraid and shy. So?" I couldn't argue anymore. He has a point.
We walked to our classroom without a word. Though we usually talk and fight about random things every morning, this time we we're not. I was not mad at him. I am already bored of getting mad at him. It's not a rare phenomeon. Being mad at him is normal and uncontrollable like that of breathing and blinking. I'm not speaking because for the first time, his words hit me. I could not even look at him in the eye.
"Why are you so silent?" Keith asked with his head tilted and his torso bending towards me. He's abnormally tall, well, in my case because I'm vertically challenged.
"I don't know," I responded in a small voice, finally looking at him.
"Ahhh this girl..." he mumbled and then he suddenly laughed, "You're really dumb and stupid, Cathy! I'm so proud of you I'm gonna cry," he said, acting like he's wiping off tears from his eyes.
"Thank you for the much-needed compliment, Keith, and for being so proud of me," I said with a fake heartfelt smile.
He smiled crookedly before he says his usual response to my 'thank yous': "Always and forever welcome."
And that's how we ended up our awkward silence. We talked, fought, and debated on random things again. But my mind never wavered the thought about that love letter. Who could've sent it?
