Garden of Words (Compilation) | Completed

09 - To Love You More

Dedicated to: ShadowOfAnonymous

“Rami, wake up!”

The first thing I noticed was the voices.

“Please don’t leave us.”

“Don’t do this to us.”

But not just any voices, it’s a loud hopeful cry of my family, like the world had taken a deep breath and held it.

I knew I had died.

The pain was gone. It was replaced by a gentle, golden light that surrounded me. I was about to go into a deep long sleep when a calm and soothing voice spoke in the void.

“You have seven minutes. And my soul began to wake up. “Seven minutes?” I echoed, my voice trembling. “Seven minutes for what?”

“Seven minutes to reminisce,” the voice replied softly, not knowing where it came from.

And so, I closed my eyes, and the memories began to flood in, vivid and intense.

“Mama, tignan mo may star ako!”

“Wow galing, dahil d’yan may wow ka rin mamaya.”

“Papa balang araw, magkakaroon din kayo ng architect na anak hihi.”

I saw myself as a young girl, carefree and full of dreams. But those memories quickly gave way to something more specific, more precious.

His face appeared in my mind, clear as day.

His name was Xydrieck.

I first met him when I was nineteen, on a bright summer day at the cultural art events. He had the kindest eyes I had ever seen, and when he smiled, it felt like the world lit up.

“Hi Miss, mahilig ka rin mag-drawing?”

That was the first words I have heard from him. And my heart was bouncing in happiness that time. He captured my interest. Mas lalo lang akong nagkagusto ng malaman kong pareho kami ng hilig.

“Super, ikaw din?”

The way his eyes sparkles, I knew he is.

We spent the whole afternoon together, talking and laughing as if we had known each other forever.

Our connection was instant and deep. Until we became lovers.

I remembered our first date, sitting by the lake, watching the sunset, sketch each other and especially dancing together as we feel the little embrace of the night.

The shadow of ours was the greatest evident of our beautiful memories. We talked about everything, our hands intertwined, feeling the electric thrill of young love. He made me feel alive in a way I never had before.

As the years passed, our love only grew stronger. Xydrieck was my anchor, my confidant, my best lover.

I remembered the night he told me he loved me, under a sky full of stars. His words were simple but filled with emotion, and I knew then that I loved him too, more than I could ever express.

“Love, bagsak ako sa major. Ang bobo ko.”

We faced our share of challenges. We took the same field but my insecurities were challenged when I observed, he’s doing better than me.

Irregular na ako habang siya ay dean’s lister.

“Shh don’t say that. Failure is a just a stepping stone to greatness. If bumagsak ka, it doesn’t mean you’re not good and smart enough. It means, you’re meant for something greater. You can do it, love. Malay mo, kaya ka binagsak ngayon kasi magta-top ka pala sa board exam.”

And I laughed.

With his words, the heaviness in me disappeared. He assured me that everything will be okay. That it was the part of the process.

And he was right.

Because we graduated together. And fortunately, became the topnotchers during the board exams for architects.

Nagdilang anghel ang boyfriend ko.

With him, everything becomes possible. His unending support and gentle strength carried me through some of the toughest times of my life.

“Will you do me the honor of making me the happiest man in the world?”

Then came the happiest day - his proposal. I could still see his face, beaming with joy as I said yes to him. The way he looked at me that day made me feel like the luckiest person in the world.

But life is unpredictable, and our forever was shorter than we hoped.

Xydrieck passed away in a tragic accident two years ago, and the pain of losing him was unbearable.Yet, in these final moments, I realized that our love was the greatest gift I had ever received.

As the seven minutes drew to a close.

I felt a profound sense of peace.

I knew that our love was eternal.

The golden light began to fade, but the warmth of our memories stayed with me, a comforting presence as I moved into the unknown.

With my final breath, I let go.
I am now ready to embrace whatever came next, carrying the memory of him, with me forever...

...and to love him more in the next page of our lives.

Seven minutes theory