It’s been a long vacation. I can still remember the royal blue skies on top of the green mountains from afar, the birds formed as a group flying to the south, and the warm sun hiding before the moonlit strikes the quiet little island.
The cold breeze gently rushed into my skin. My long, brown hair danced sweetly and brushed to his nose. We tossed our glasses of red wine and drunk it slowly staring at each other.
“Honey, I always love the scent of your hair. It makes me want to kiss you,” Justin whispered next to my ears while starting to press his lips against mine. I looked at him and answered with a kiss, touching his face slowly. It felt like we were dancing across the shore where we stepped into the rough white sand with little curved shells. Waves patted the shore wetting our feet. We moved away and walked to our place while kissing. The torches were warmly lighted. As we approached the doorsteps, I’ve seen it filled by candle lights and rose petals. He held my hands as I stepped inside our place. It was classic, themed by white curtains and wooden furniture which look like a bit of ancient. He got a white handkerchief from the pocket of his trousers. He kissed my forehead and had me turned around to blindfold me. I was about to ask why but then he pressed again his lips to mine so I won’t ask. He caressed me by a touch on my back. His hands were so cold. He begun to unzip my clothes and slowly turned me around him and told me “Don’t be afraid, Honey. I love you.” I felt so cold so I immediately embraced him and spoke softly, “I am not afraid, Honey. I trust and love you.” We were embracing for a while until he held my hands and kissed me in my cheeks. I felt like he was getting something. Then he had me wore it – a dress with a colour I neither knew nor recognized, all that I felt was it was not too short and not too long, was soft and used to be a silk cloth.
“Go with me Honey. I got you so just walk with me. I’ll take care of you.” Without any word coming from me, we walked together. I may have not seen anything but I heard a sound that I clearly knew the tune. Violins played the song, together with some other instruments that made it more pleasant to my ears. The sound was slow as we walked with our feet still wet. I felt something special but I still didn’t know what it could be until the music stopped and he untied the blindfold on me. I opened my eyes and seen people close to my heart. Mom and Dad with arms locked were there looking at me very happy as I have seen it in their eyes. My baby sister was holding a small basket full of rose petals that she scattered on the sand making the place so welcoming and touching. I started to cry and looked at Justin to ask but before I did, he said to me with joy in his eyes “Kate, I know you never liked surprises ‘coz it makes you cry but hopefully at this moment you love it. This is the time that I’ve almost waited to have with you. I love you and I want to stay with you forever. This day, I am asking you to be my wife who I will cherish forever. Kate, will you marry me today?”
I was overwhelmed at that moment. Tears kept flowing down my eyes and never stopped. I nodded and said yes with an exceptional happiness. Everything was prepared at the peaceful island. It was full of lights and our wedding song played. The priest blessed the two of us as we exchanged our vows. Finally, Justin and I have settled down, to make our own family, and live happily.
Right after we were officially proclaimed as husband and wife, we had dinner with my parents and little sister. This is the only family that Justin has - my parents, little sister and I. His parents abandoned him since he was a baby. He learned to live alone by the streets asking for alms and being rejected million times, getting hungry almost every day, and dying after the cold rain. But then, Justin remained strong till he was fortunately taken to an orphanage. There he grew and started a new life. The nuns taught him how to pray and as a young kid, he learned to believe in God and have faith in Him. He was a bright student and was the top in the class. Those made me notice him. We were still kids that time. I was also in the same orphanage where he was. I was 7 and he was 9. One time he had seen me in the park alone sitting in bench, crying silently and just rubbing my eyes so the nuns won’t notice. I was crying because I wanted to be in a place called home not just like the orphanage where were staying at. He approached me but didn’t even give a look at him. He asked me if I was crying and sat right next to me. I still ignored him. He handed me a white handkerchief but I said I don’t need it. He left it in the bench and walked away. Since I was that stubborn to take anything from anyone, I didn’t pay attention and just ran to the canteen when the bell rung for lunch time. I tried to check it after I ate but then it was gone so I didn’t bother at all. It so happened that I always cry every day and the white handkerchief was always there and never gone like before. I decided to use it one day. It had a scent of a powder – a powder that nuns must be using on them after taking a bath. After that, I felt good and the sadness was gone. The next day I tried to look for him to say sorry about my attitude towards him and I was just so sad that time. I kept looking on all classrooms but didn’t see him. I tried to ask our teacher and she said that Justin left already because someone adopted him. I was left alone in the orphanage and I started crying again and every time I do, I use the handkerchief that he left to me as a memory.
