R E D ! [Under Revisions/Editings]

"Me and Marie"

My heart was really pounding and my hands were literally shaking way back then. 

I picked the Sunflowers on the floor.. And I handed it to her, "Ohhhh.. Yeah.. Yeah... Yeah.. Ittttsss... For you..", what on earth was that answer?!!!!

She received it with such a lovely smile, and said, "Thank you so much! I really, really.. I mean, really.. Appreciated  this beautiful flowers. It had been a long time since I received such..."

I scratched my head. Look at her. And smiled..... and still, I don't know what to say.

"Are you nervous?", Marie asked me in a very gentle manner as if trying to soothe with her very gentle tone.

I sighed deeply, and took the mouse out of my heart. Then, I tried to make a comfortable answer, to create some sort of comfortable conversation. But I don't know if my confidence went too far that time, I just uttered in reply, "Oh, your father told me that you love Sunflowers. By the way, I am Red, Red Santos, a student of your father.", I don't know if it was fine that I spilled te tip about Sunflowers or not. But I'm one heck of damn nervous, crazy lad, I guess.

Then, she move her face towards my face.... As if.... As if... As if...
"Oh gosh! Is she going to kiss me?", I ask to MYSELF.

I closed my eyes!!!

But...

... she just whispered to my ears with a chuckle, "I guess my father's playing CUPID for us, don't you think?"

(Oh yes.. I expected way toooooooo far back then. You can accuse me that, I'll accept it!)

My heart pounded so hard, my adrenaline all pumped up, and my face turned so red.
Oh, that was glory days I guess. Whenever I tried to remember those thoughts of the first time I met Marie, all I think was her beautiful, angelic face, just almost an inch towards mine.

I am so shocked to just utter a word.

Marie, moved a step backwards towards me and chuckled. She then shouted across the house to her father, Dr. Arañego, "Dad!!! Look, Red is so red!!!" Then she laughed so hard, and I heard Dr. Arañego was also laughing.

Somehow, I lost my blankness and nervousness because of that skit.
Later, she told me that the reason she did that, was to ease my nervousness and agitation. And frankly, in some awkward way, believe it or not, it does helped me!

I spent time talking with Marie the whole day, as if I'm the only visitor who visited on her 25th birthday. The other visitors and relatives were catered by Dr.Arañego, and still, he was playing the CUPID.

Marie asked me so much about my life, and I told her all. I also asked her about hers and I'm shocked that she also opened many stories about her, her dad and her deceased mother. She told me about her journey, why did she wanted to become a teacher, what her plans for the future.... and so on, and so forth.

We talked and talked and just talked. We sat on their beige, leather sofa for about three or four hours straight, just sharing life stories with each other. We have never even realized the time. We became easily attached. Attached in a sense, that we became easily comfortable with each other.
Its just like what Dr. Arañego told me, "she's one heck of a kid like you".

Marie was far beyond any spoiled brat lady. She was so simple, and humble like her father. There's more to her angelic face. She was beautiful - inside out. So, I am quite shocked when she said that, "I have never been fallen in love before."

I uttered, "Really? I mean, you are beautiful, humble, kind, lovely, easy to get along with and you have a very pure, honest heart... I mean... Anybody would fall in love with you.", I'm in disbelief that I have that kind of vocabulary hidden in my tongue. It just flowed down from my heart to my lips.

We gazed eye to eye, and she asked with a huge smile on her face, "Now, you have so much confidence, huh?" we laughed, then we continued to gaze each other, eye to eye,

"Honestly, why do you chose to stay single? Is it your father's choice or your own volition?", I asked.

She replied, "No, it's my choice. I just believe in fate. You know, like.......DESTINY. I just believe that the right man will come at the right time, right?"

"There's much 'RIGHT' in your sentence, and all I can say is, it is right!" then we laughed again, and I felt that the barrier of doubts and awkwardness, began to shatter. I continued, "But believe me, whoever that man is, he'll be so blessed to have someone like you... And if I could be that man, if God wills, I would be the happiest person in the whole wide world.", I DON'T KNOW where I got the guts to say that, but then, there was silence on the part of both of us. We just gaze each other, eye to eye, with so much vivid happiness, flowing in our faces.

It was one of the happiest day of my life - Me and Marie, sitting on their warm beige, leather sofa, laughing together. I wouldn't even imagined in my life that I would've met someone as good and as beautiful as her. And now, I'm here, sitting next to her, and the most important thing was, we were happy.
We contnued to talk with each other, and we never saw that it was already past 9pm!

So, acting as my alarm clock, Dr. Arañego came out of nowhere and interrupted us, "Hey, kid, you want to sleep here?", he asked while laughing SARCASTICALLY.

"Can I, sir?", Marie and I laughed so hard on those sarcastic conversations.

Dr. Arañego, with an old husky voice of his, replied, "Yes.. you can son, if you knew how TO DODGE BULLETS from that rifle on the wall, I'll allow you to sleep on my bed.",then he laughed like Santa Claus, once again.

"Oh, perhaps I would just leave now then, Dr. Arañego.", I chuckled in reply.

"Oh yeah kid. 10:30pm was your curfew right? So hurry now.", he just smiled at me and bid me goodnight.

Marie, walked me outside their gate, so I could be able to catch up the 10:30 pm curfew hours inside the campus' dormitory.

Me and Marie didn't even noticed that many guest had already left. Only close relatives stayed, drinking liquor while singing songs on the videoke machine.

Out of all the bouquet of flowers given to her that day, she chose to hold the three pieces of Sunflowers 🌻🌻🌻I gave to her, as we slowly walked towards the front gate of their warm abode.

We were like three steps distant from each other... She uttered,
"Thanks for coming, and thanks for this beautiful Sunflowers 🌻🌻🌻, GOODBYE Red.", then she smiled at me.

"No GOODBYES.. Just GOODNIGHT.. We are just getting started, right?" Then I smiled back. Then we gaze at each other, eye to eye.

She looked at the ground, and I saw a huge smile on her face. "You do have a point. GOODNIGHT Future Doctor...", she replied with a chuckle.

Then I slowly walked backwards ....

I waved at her.

She waved back with those Sunflowers on her hands...

(To Be Continued...)