Timeless Love

Chapter one

Ara's POV

Sabi nila, ang pag-ibig walang pinipiling oras. Walang pinipiling panahon. Basta-basta nalang itong dumadating nang hindi natin namamalayan.

Minsan yung taong nakalaan satin ay nasa paligid lang pala, nandiyan lang pero di lang natin napapansin, na matagal na pala natin silang nakakasama pero di lang natin alam na sila na pala ang 'the one'.

They're just around us, breathing the same air we breathe, walking the same path we walk, and looking at the same view we see.

I've always believe in love, what it can do to a person and how it changes one's perspective in life. In fact, I've witness a real one, with my parents and grandparents. They're the ones who showed me what love truly is, the most magical thing in this world. Something that your eyes can't see but your heart feels.

Sana gaya ng mga magulang ko maranasan ko rin ang pag-ibig na meron sila sa isa't-isa. Something that would last forever, an happily ever after.

And so I'm waiting for the right guy, the other half of me. But it seems like he'll gonna be late for a while.

××

I am Ara Jung, a half Filipino and half Korean. Ang mommy ko ang may dugong pinoy, si daddy naman purong koreano. Nagkakilala sila rito sa pilipinas, dito na kasi lumaki si dad.

I grew up here in the Philippines kaya may alam akong managalog kaysa magkorean. Wala rin naman akong masyadong alam sa lenggwaheng yun. Mahirap kasi e and besides, si daddy rin naman mas madalas magtagalog kaya ganun. Atsaka sabi ng iba mas mukhang pinoy raw ako kaysa koreana. Dad said I got some of my features from my mom.

I'm already 22 years old, But in my young age, I already had built a name in the art industry.

I'm a famous painter. But no one have ever seen my face yet. Hindi ako pumupunta sa art exhibits ko, kapag ifi-feature ako sa isang magazine I always make sure na hindi nila ipapakita ang kahit anong litrato ko. They didn't even know my whole name, people just know me by my pen name, The sleeping beauty. My cousins always laugh at that, korny daw kasi. Pero hindi ko nalang sila pinapansin, ang ganda kaya. Tapos parehas pa sila ng pangalan nung bida dun sa story.

Actually, I was named after my mother's late grandmother. Sa kanya ko rin kasi namana yung talento ko sa pagpipinta. I actually never met her, but I seen her in a portrait in my mom's ancestral house. At nang unang beses kong makita ang portrait niya, hindi ako makapaniwala. We really look so much alike, we could considered as a twins. Nagulat nga ako kasi I thought it was me, kung hindi ko lang nakita ang malaking nunal nito sa may leeg aakalain talagang ako yung nasa painting.

NANDITO AKO ngayon sa kwarto ko na naging lalagyan narin ng mga canvass ko. Dito kasi ako naglalagi kapag nagpipinta ako, halos magkulong na nga ako rito e. And all I would do is paint, paint and paint.

Mas prefer ko kasi ang mag-isa. Yeah, I'm a loner. I only have few friends and all of them are my cousins. I don't really like mingling with other people, I rather like being alone.

And besides, no one likes to be friends with me. Kahit nung bata pa ako, ni kahit minsan walang ninais na maging kaibigan ako. Ang isang dahilan narin siguro nun is because of the name I have. My family was a very well-known in the country. Both my parents are from a very rich clan, kaya kadalasan ilag sakin ang ibang tao. Kung meron mang lumapit sakin at gustong makipag-kaibigan agad akong umiiwas. Nalalaman ko kasi agad kung if it's sincere or fake.

Marami rin akong naging bodyguards noon, super protective kasi si daddy when it comes to my safety. Naiintindihan ko naman siya, ayaw lang niyang may masamang mangyari sakin, sa na-iisa nilang anak. And since then, wala na akong naging totoong kaibigan.

Not until that little boy came in the picture. I remembered when I was in fourth grade, everyone was playing happily but me. I was with my bodyguards instead and playing alone in the park near our school. When a little boy suddenly approached me for the very first time.

…Flashback

I'm staring at the other kids not so far from me. They are playing together, happily, having fun together with their many friends. I look around, my two bodyguards are just standing behind me. I pouted, I like to ask them to play with me but their too old. And so I put all my attention back to my doll.

I am in a park near our school. I always come here every afternoon, wanting to join them, to play with them. Feeling envy cause each of them have circles of friends, something that I don't have.

I tried not to cry. I don't know why everyone avoids me. I've been a good girl. My mommy said I should be good so everyone would like me but why is it no one still wants to be friends with me?

My eyes started to become misty and I was sobbing when I saw a pair of feet standing in front of me.

I raised my head up to see who it was and I was surprised, a little boy was looking down at me smiling.

We were just staring at each other until he broke the silence. "Are you crying? Why are you here playing alone?" He asked frowning.

"A-Ahmmm..." I don't know what I'm going to say. It was the first time someone talked to me.

"Are you mute?" The boy asked again.

I just move my head sideways. I don't want to talk. I'm scared to say anything that he might not like and would be the reason he'll leave.

I stop thinking when the little boy spoke again. "You don't want to play with them?" He said pointing the other kids.

"Nobody wants to play with me." I finally answered.

"You don't have any friends?"

I shook my head once again then look down and played with my fingers. "I don't have any." I said sadly.

"Well, you already have one now." He paused. "I can be your friend."

I gape at him wide eyes. I saw him smiling that made me smile too. "Really?"

He nodded. "My name's Phillip, what's yours?" He sat beside me on the bench where I am sitting.

"I am Ara.....Aurora."

He was the first and only one who asked me to be his friend. And the moment I saw his smile, I just knew that he was sincere, that he really wanted me as his friend. Since then, we always play together all the time, after school and in the park.

I felt so lucky having him, felt so happy being with him. I thought we we will be together each days as we grow. But that happiness vanished eventually the moment he left away with his family, in a place I don't know where. At wala na akong naging balita sa kanya mula nang araw na umalis siya.

Kaya ngayon ginuguhit ko nalang ang mukhang yun, ang batang lalakeng unang nagpatibok ng musmos kong puso. The first boy I had a crush on.

I hope I could see him again.

What would he look like now? Maybe he'd grown as a fined good looking man. If ever our paths cross again, will he still remember me? I surely hope so.

Sana magkita ulit kami.....sana. Kasi ako, halos araw-araw kong ninais na magkita ulit kami. Na sana magtagpo ulit ang landas namin. And I hope he feel the same way.