Chapter Twelve:
Everything felt like a huge, massive hurricane the moment I went back to Manila. I flew back the night after I proposed to Sam to finish the few remaining weeks of my High School. And let me tell you, those “few” remaining weeks were even harder than all of my four years in that school combined. And I wondered how Samantha was able to stay intact while she was going through all of these. I mean, seriously! I had literally become a zombie (well, not quite) the moment Graduation day arrived. I couldn’t breathe, I couldn’t get up the bed, the only thing that shot me right up to go attend the ceremony was the voice of this beautiful girl calling out my name. Samantha had taken some time off from her school to surprise me on my Graduation day and her coming inside my room as I tried my best to keep my eyes open basically made me one of the happiest almost High School Graduate on Earth! Energy ran through my veins as if I was struck by lightning!
Now, the way I see it, I think that the whole school already knew that someday Sam and I will end up being together. But the thing was, they just didn’t expect that us, ending up together, will be that quick. We saw how everybody’s jaw dropped the very moment we announced that we were already getting married. Some questions like, “How old are you?”, and “Don’t you think that you’re rushing things a bit?” met our ears as we faced people after people who interrogated us like were some kind of criminals. Samantha would just smile politely and not answer as she motioned to me, while I just took the floor by telling them that I just simply love her. She makes me happy—and that sure got them silent.
I was class valedictorian when I graduated. I got accepted to a ton of schools and I had scholarships sent all the way from Harvard, Cambridge, Yale, Princeton, even MIT. I didn’t know why I never thought of applying to Oxford—stupid, Clay! I could hear my conscience teasing me. But then, every time I try to beat myself about it, Samantha would just squeeze my arm, “It’s okay.” She would whisper. And whenever she does that, I’d find myself being able to breathe again.
Her—with those amazing eyes—looking at me made me feel how blessed I was that she was there—with me. She would gaze at me, leaving me out of breath, as I held her face to kiss her sweet lips. I love you, Samantha. If you’re reading this, I love you.
After my graduation, I accompanied Sam back to London. I decided to stay there for a couple of months too because I wanted to be with her as much as possible. But we didn’t live together, (I mean, duh! We weren’t married yet) and never did we try to sleep in the same room. Samantha resided in her dorm at Oxford while I lived at my parents’ place. I mean, London was my home town you know. Though you can’t really tell since I don’t have that whole English I accent things. Mine was a lot like Samantha’s. Upon hearing my voice, you’d think that I was from California like my dad was. But my mom’s pure British and I was born there. I grew up in around the City of Westminster until I was like five. So, yeah.
But moving on, while in London, I would wake up early every morning, and would sleep very late every night because I wanted to spend every minute possible with Sam. Breakfast, lunch, I would even wait outside her campus so we could have dinner together. Take a walk under the dazzling stars and even watch a movie if we had the time. (Action, of course) I mean, it was also one of the things that I was so blessed about when it comes to having her. Her movie preferences. Have you ever seen a girl who seems to be so elegant, and so classy, so First Lady material, yet would rather watch Predator vs. Aliens than The Notebook? The answer? My girl. Oh how my fiancée rocks!
“Your boyfriend, David?” Her professor once asked as he saw Samantha holding on to my arm.
Sam, with the wind blowing through her hair, smiled at her teacher and gazed back to me,
