MAN DOWN
Rejected. Ignored. Turned down.
All the jolted kind of synonyms ㅡ name it. Every girl I've courted have made me experienced them all.
I felt Andy's hand tap my back with an apologetic look.
"Cheer up, it's not the end of the world." She tried to cheer me up after seeing the sunflowers I made into a bouquet in the trashbin.
She has always been the one who stood by me whenever I was rejected.
This is the sixth, and when I say sixth, the sixth time my efforts were thrown in the dumpsters along with my unrequited love.
Six failed attempts of trying my luck, yet she's still here, trying to tell me that there a lot more of women who could reciprocate my feelings so I shouldn't sulk.
"Look around, maybe there's someone out there who's secretly admiring you from afar."
I looked at her and her eyes were filled with hope.
So starting from that day onwards, I secretly averted my attention to her without her knowing.
It was only then that I realized how much of a keeper Andy was.
She would get me table napkins when we eat, buy me a bottled water when we went out for a jog and she'd save me seats in the cinema with the one farthest to the air-conditioner because she knows I get the cold easily.
The small things she does were an act of love. The way her eyes glisten whenever we're talking, her sweet voice that echoes through my system and her smile filled with ardor which could beat the sun from shining so bright.
Why was I so blind not to notice that easily?
It was not hard to love her. So after months of evaluating my feelings, I courted her. It didn't take long before she said 'yes'. And the moment she did, I was the happiest man alive loved by the most beautiful girl on earth.
When we reached a year, she blindfolded me and led me to their backyard.
"Ready?" I nodded.
Once the cover from eyes were removed, a bright sunflower garden welcomed me with their swaying petals. It was all yellow and beautiful!
"You grew this yourself?" She smiled as an answer. "You're one crazy green thumb, Andy!"
"Actually, you helped me grow this sunflower farm."
"What do you mean?"
"You've always given the ladies you like with sunflowers and they end up throwing them in the garbage. So whenever you don't look, I take those flowers home with me and try to revive it. It took me this long before I could bore myself a whole farm of it."
I was speechless.
Never in my entire life would I thought that someone, a woman for instance, would give this much effort to me!
"You helped me grow this farm, Nico. Your flowers are like you, they get rejected and thrown away but I am always here to pick you up ㅡ to plant you, nurture you and see you grow so beautifully."
Her last remark made me burst into tears.
Without a word, I hugged her tight ㅡ so tight in my arms like she's the most beautiful gem I have ever held.
Now here's someone who loves me.
I experienced a crazy feeling with Andy. Giddy, nostalgic, romantic ㅡ different kinds of 'em.
Unlike my one-sided loves before, this feels different. It feels whole, it feels complete.
The best part of loving was not only giving love but also receiving it in return.
I'm so glad my I was thrown away, becauseif I wasn't. Andy wouldn't have pick me up. She showed me the beauty of loving and being loved back.
