The pledge
Jay Blancaflor
And I woke up one day with a smile on my face.
Last year, I really got tired of waking up for school. I found school as one big bundle of boredom. The thought of having another quiz to take, another project to pass and another presentation to make made me feel of just dying and just stopped from breathing. This everyday routine really made me feel that I was only breathing for a right.
Just this one day that turned my whole world into a whimsical one. The first time I laid my eyes into her eyes actually stopped the running of time.
This is so insane. I told to myself. Her eyes. Her lips. And her whole physique. I think I found the one. I found her. I grabbed her stuffs scattered on the floor of our school corridor.
"Oh, hi! Are you a senior?"
"Yes. Why?"
"Uhm, I'm a senior, too. But why..." I got confused knowing that she is also a senior. And that confirmed that she is a transferee.
"Yes. If you're thinking that I'm a transferee, yes I am."
"Ah, by the way, I'm Micheal. And you are?"
"Kristina. Kristina Barrameda."
"Kris, do you want me to tour you around the campus? You know, I studied here since freshman. Maybe, I can help you adapt with your new environment plus new faces including me."
"Sure."
Since then, we became friends. We got closer and closer each passing day. I found the reason of going to school. And she was the reason. Aside from this, Kristina's presence helped in motivating me to go to school everyday. She was easy to be with. I really liked her sense of humor and her childish actions.
A day without her was a total poignant.
"Kris, can I ask you something?" I asked her. We were busy that day with our presentation in English. We buried ourselves with tons of literature books in the library.
"Yes, what is it?" she answered. She was still busy looking for other information in our presentation.
A moment of silence embraced us. Hesitation filled my whole presence as I was constructing thoughts in my mind.
"I'd thought you've something to ask, Mic?"
"Kris, what's your idea of true love?
"True love? Actually, I don't believe in true love. We, humans, believe that true love exists, but actually, it's not. Love between two people couldn't really be defined as true love, it's love beyond compare. That love exists even before the meeting of two persons. That love knows them even before they know their names."
"Kris, can love be measure?"
"No. Love is immeasurable."
"How about finding the right one? Or should I say have you found the one?
"What kind of question is that, Mic? How about you, have you found the one?"
"Yes."
"Where?"
"She's sitting beside me."
Another moment of silence embraced us. I couldn't find any words to say. I just held her hand but she refused to hold my hand. She stood up and didn't mind to say goodbye and she just ran away.
Starting that day, she never came back. Days, weeks, months had passed. We never saw each other again until I decided to take a visit to her house.
My heart started to beat fast as I entered in their doorway. Few steps from their door, I saw a silhouette of a woman sitting on a rocking chair. As my steps get closer to the rocking chair, I made up my mind. I knew who was sitting on the chair. It's Kris.
She looked pale and weak. Her eyes. Her lips. And her whole physique. It never looked the same. Even her hair, I could count them even using my fingers.
I held her hands. Tears started to run over my cheeks.
"Kris, what happened?"
She was struggling from great pain even when speaking she had a hard time.
"I missed you Mic!"
"I missed you, too, Kris." I kissed her hand.
"What happened?"
"I have diagnosed to have leukemia last year. And just these past few months, the disease is slowly killing me. I'm so tired, Mic. I can't take this anymore."
"No. Just be strong Kris. God is always there to guide you, just hold on."
"Each passing day is another hell to me Mic. I'm slowly dying because of this disease. I just wished that He'll get me to stop this agony."
"No, Kris. No. I wanted to be with you forever, Kris. Just tell me that you love me, too."
I held her hand tightly and I kissed it. Tears fell on my cheeks. I just couldn't believe that my only love is dying.
"I'm dying Mic but I want you to know that I love you, too."
I hugged her as tight as I could. She was still so weak that even a warmth reply from my hug she couldn't give but she tried so much to hug me. I could feel her weak hands on my back.
"See you in heaven Mic," she whispered. She then kissed goodbye and gone with the wind.
Her hands lost grip and I could feel her breath no more. I just closed my eyes and felt her body close to mine.
"Goodbye Kris! I love you."
Love took no pleasure. Love was never jealous. Love is kind. The moment I saw Kris for the first time I said to myself that she's the one but she's not. If it is God's will, I accept it with all my heart.
We could never tell what lies ahead of us. All we have is the now that we should enjoy and cherish. Learn to move on and learn from your past. God has its own way of finding who's best for you.
"Thank you Kris for being a part of my life. See you in heaven Kris."
