ColdFire

CHAPTER 5: The Best Gift

Being in love is being happy with someone.

Dark was falling very fast and stars started to twinkle in the vast black night sky. I stood up from where I was and saw that I was back on my room and Tristan was no longer in sight. He might have carried me back home.

I removed my legs from the blanket that covered it and stepped out of the bed. I searched for dad in his room to check if he was already feeling well but he wasn’t there. Instead, all I found in there was a pink gown embroidered with leaves of myrtle made up of glittering diamonds lying on the bed. “It must be expensive,” I thought as I held it and raise it up to see it clearly. Then, a letter dropped from the dress. My name was on its envelope so I opened it. The note written in such beautiful penmanship said:

Wear this tonight. You should be beautiful.

Dad

I quickly went to the bathroom and changed my clothes. I also found a pair of dangling earrings and necklace on the dresser that I decided to try it on and it suited me. I arranged my hair the way Japanese do. As I saw my reflection on the mirror, I smiled. It was not Trixie I saw. It was someone else – better. I carefully went downstairs like a little princess walking on a red carpet. The stairs creaked as I laid my foot on it. It was very different from the way it was before as if a celebration was being held. It was adorned with of course, brown laces, and the steps were covered with a crimson red carpet.

As I reached the last step of the stairs, I saw the dining hall full of meal like those in a banquet. There was Aunt Maria dressed in a floral night gown, dad and Tristan in a suit seated on the table. They were looking at me as if I was a special guest.

“Oh there you are,” Aunt Maria greeted as she kissed my cheeks, “Happy Birthday!” It was indeed my birthday, September fifteen. I almost forgot it.

Dad also greeted me and offered me a seat on the dining table. Up to this day, I was still amazed that a wonderful place like this was an orphanage.

Dad lighted the candle at the center of the long table and we started to ear. I could not choose what to eat first for there were so many of them. Even though I wanted to eat them all at once, I remained calm and tried my best to be formal enough so as not to be embarrassed.

“To Trixie.” Aunt Maria said as she took the wine glass and raised it.

“To Trixie,” they all said. I was so happy that this day came to my life.

As soon as we finished eating, Aunt Maria turned on the stereo and played a love song. A song that was usually played on prom nights. The aroma of the night tickled my nose as I wiped my mouth with a napkin.

“Go on Tristan. Dance with her.” I heard Aunt Maria said to him. I just sat on the couch pretending that I didn’t hear anything but Tristan approached me and held his hand.

“Can you dance with me?” I shook my head.

We went to the center of the place and started to dance though I don’t know how. His hands were on my waist and mine was on his shoulders. I could mesmerize the day we moved here as we swayed in the stillness of the night. I was looking down like a little shy girl but he kept on raising my head. He was smiling silently to me.

The music was coming to a stop but before that happened; I looked at him directly in the eyes. His green eyes shimmered along the city lights but it was the only one who reflected a glow that was unexplainable.

“Why are you staring at me that way?” I asked with a smile on my lips.

“I wanted to say this to you ever since we met but I was afraid you might be scared or anything,” he bit his lips, “You know… I like you. Everything about you. You’re long brown hair, your dark eyes, your round face and the birthmark at the right corner of your left cheek. Everything seems to be perfect. Ever since I met you, no day has gone away without me thinking of you. You made everything like a fairytale come true. Every day I was captured by your smile wishing it won’t fade away. Every night I was haunted by your eyes that stick to my head like a scar. Not a single second has passed without you on my mind. I was always out of myself when I am with you hoping that that time would never end. I kept silenced because…” he didn’t continue it, “but now I am standing in front of you getting the courage to say these words.”

My heart pounded even faster than ever. “Does that mean you love me?”

“Well… uhm… I think so.”

Those made me shiver. My heartbeat rose higher that I don’t know what to do. Is this for real or was just a dream again?

The music finally ended and the time seemed to stop. I was happy, very happy for a minute but after that it was all gone. The happiness I was feeling was covered with sadness for the one I love just left the room. Maybe this was it all meant to be – sad and tragic.

“Dad… can I ask you a question?” I asked in a whisper tone as I sat on one of the seat on the dining table beside him.

“What is it?”

I cleared my throat and finally said, “How do you know when you’re in love?”

He laughed. “Want to hear our love story – your mother and I?”

I nodded and we sat on the couch.

“When I was your age, I met a new student on our class. She was pretty, shy and intelligent. Her name wasElizabeth. A week before our prom night, I decided to ask her to be my date but before I could do it, another man caught her heart. He was good looking. He gave her flowers and chocolates day by day which I cannot afford. He was even the school varsity player. Well I was the team leader of the Math Club but that didn’t impress her. Everything between us was completely different. He is cool and I am not. I was sad.

“While walking away from the two of them, I bumped into another woman – your mother. She was wearing long skirts and huge glasses. She was really weird but we became friends. After a few days, I realized that I was happy when I am with her. So I finally asked her to be my date and from then on, we became lovers until she disappeared and never came back.

“You see, being in love is being happy with someone. If you’re happy with Tristan and felt like the whole world was falling apart when you are not with him, then you are definitely in love.”

“But… but… how did you know?”

“All these days I am without you, I felt that you are still happy. And I am your father, I know everything about you.”

            “Thanks dad,” I hugged him, “you are the greatest dad ever!”

“Go on, follow him. Cherish the moments.” He smiled.

I smiled back as I rise and went to the garden where Tristan was. Now I know what love truly means. Happiness it was. The greatest power love can give.