Perfect Strangers

Maybe we're perfect strangers

Maybe it's not forever

Maybe we'll stay together

Maybe we'll walk away

Maybe we'll realize

We're only human

Maybe we don't need no reason

I turned off the loudspeakers to silence the mood. Alone inside my room, I decided to check my laptop to know what's waiting for me online. I'd stopped using social media for a month, why?

I'd experienced something that made me curse the people I met online. I got scammed for being so innocent and dumb; I got scammed for being so gullible and naive, and for being fond of writing. That dilemma has been on my mind for the past months, none of my family members were aware. None of them knew that I lost half of my savings just to invest in that Writing Seminar.

Oh, well, moving on. I was still alive and kicking, hitting every letter of my keyboard to type, to let out what I have in mind, and put it on writing. I had a blog account, wherein I post poems, prose, and some stuff about my daily life - - identity hidden to secure my privacy. After my hiatus, I was welcomed by notifications from the site.

One stands out, and this reply made me smile. 

Someone out there just wrote a reply to my poem.

It goes like this:

Don't leave me so fast
There's still another sunlight
Dream with me tonight

And I got this reply:

Yes, the stars are up
They're good company tonight
I have to go now

The reply was a bit sad for he intended to leave me behind, but it caused me to paint a smile on my face. Someone exerted an effort to notice my work, aside from giving compliments and reactions.

I hit reply and told the sender that I appreciated his/her simple reply.

After doing that, I checked my inbox 'coz this was the first time I received a message while using this account for over a year.

The message was from the same person. HE introduced himself. Yes, he.

The message was about him admiring my works and the way I write. He put it this way, short but sweet.

It had been staying in my inbox for almost a week. Hesitating to reply, with thoughts of being scammed, I ignored the messages.

I posted another poem, and after a minute, history repeats itself. The same person replied, and for the second time, he sent me another message. Trying to goad me to notice him and that he was totally harmless. He wanted us to be online friends; he said my poems were cute and sweet.

Your works are really cute and sweet. I'm harmless, can we be friends? I'm from the same country as yours. :)

Cute and sweet, seriously?, I thought. 

xx

"Aren't you going to eat?" I heard my mom's voice from behind the door of my room.

"Hi, Mom! Sorry, but I need to finish this draft. Ten more minutes!" I shouted, having heard or not, I continued doing my poem.

About the online guy friend I had, yes we were friends now, we were always talking online. I thought that our previous conversation would just be fleeting, but it still lasted until today.

He wanted to be called prosaist; he loved to write prose. Beautiful lines that would go deep down your heart; prepossessing, leaving you insatiable.

We'd been in touch for a month now. I was a taciturn, but whenever we were talking, I couldn't explain where did I find the right words to say. Instinctively, I had no romantic feelings towards this guy; he was a nice online friend having the smart mouth, turning it to mood affecting words.

I checked my inbox, there's a red bell. A message had been received, and it said...

If you're not busy this week, can you spare me a day? Let's meet :)

I gawked at the message. Oh, no. This was not happening again.

Are you a scammer? None of your tricks is effective. No.

I guess he was laughing at the other side of my laptop. Geez, this was irritating. He insisted on meeting me since last week. He was asking me out to join him to attend a Writing Workshop, take note, this time it was a writing workshop this time. 

This guy was very forceful, through words he was doing his best to encourage me to go. He said he wanted to meet me in person, and thought that we could get along personally. His idea was insane!

xx

I tried to be calm, approached my parents while they were busy chatting. I asked them to let me join the said workshop.

I can sense that my voice was quavering.

"Of course!" and that was a quick response from my dad. "You are always allowed, if it concerns your writing, I'm very willing to accompany you."

I eyed my mom, she was nodding in approval.

Does this mean I was going to meet him now? Mr. Prosaist!

Though hesitant, I asked the prosaist guy to send me the details about his so-called writing workshop. It surprised me that it would be held at the mall nearby our place. Too close to our home, guess there was no harm if I would go. Besides, my dad would  be there to accompany me.

xx

The day had come, and here I was waiting at the registration area. Trying to find the person I didn't even know what looked like, and his real name, too was unknown to me. How could we find each other at this crowd?

I opened my account and found a message waiting for my response.

[You can find me waiting for you, harmless I am, at the registration area. I'm holding my phone, wearing a blue shirt and a black cap; with a cute backpack, perhaps the only handsome here lol]

I looked around for him and I found a guy holding a small banner with a PROSAIST word written on it. I didn't have to approach and tell him that it was me who had been looking for him. He walked toward my direction, a smile on his face. 

"Hi! A pleasure to finally meet you, Ms. Poet! I'm harmless."

He made me laugh.

This time, I was risking to trust this good friend of mine. Online no more. It was time for more writing experiences with Mr. Prosaist. We would write tons of poems together. 

xxx xxx