It was the year of my Medical Internship and I was
assigned to have my one month Manila rotation at San Lazaro Hospital and Jose
Reyes Hospital for the month of May…
From Baguio, I arrived in Manila at the condominium that
I rented for a month on the eve of April 30th. Right away, I unpacked my
things, removed all of my clothes and had a quick cold shower. After changing
into my home clothes and feeling fresh again, I just jumped-off into my bed and
pulled the curtain at its side, I just stared at what the Metro could offer,
Manila’ skyline and City lights…
While looking from afar and imagining what I will expect
in my 1 month Manila life, I suddenly remembered this Girl close to my Heart, I
have recalled all of my promises to her months before going here in the
Philippine’s version of “A City that never sleeps”, that I would spend all of
my time with her while I’m here in Manila for a month, being a keeper to my
promises, I tried to call her and have asked her exact address as I was making
an alibi that I would send her all the movies that we talked about. After
getting her address, I right away rode the taxi and went to her place to give
her a sweet surprise. There is a saying that “A key to a Woman’s Heart is an
unexpected gift at an unexpected time” and I’m really after this Girl’s Heart,
so I’m willing to take that extra mile to make her the happiest Girl in this
lifetime & I wanted to be the sole reason of her happiness.
So when I arrived at her place, she still wasn’t there
because she just took off from her work, oh by the way, I forgot to mention, she’s
a Flight Attendant and has an evening flight prior to that. So I sat and waited
outside her apartment’s door for 3 hours… And then I heard her heel’s loud
steps, I stood up quickly, with the excitement within my chest and hanging up
onto my face. Then she saw me… Just as I imagined her, shocked with me being
there, a priceless and perfect moment… She said right away “Oh my Gosh, Armie,
what are you doing here?! You’re crazy! I can’t believe you would do this!”
with an unexplainable awe and smile. And then I said to her “I wanted to
surprise you, a promise is a promise right?”, then She just kept quiet still
keeping that unexplainable smile and hugged me right away… I made her speechless…
While we were talking about this moment back in Baguio, She was already so
excited – excited with all the time and plans she would spend and do with me
here in my month’s stay in Manila.
Every after duty, I would swiftly change my uniform and
run as fast as I could to arrive at our meeting place, endless surprises I have
prepared just so that I could see her smile over and over again, that
enchanting smile that keeps my Heart securely grounded to her…
On our First Real Date, with Her having no idea where I
would bring Her, even if She kept on asking where, I’m still not giving Her any
clues coz’ I don’t want to ruin my plan and the moment of excitement to the
both of us. So I really kept my lips sealed. As we have arrived at our
destination, just as I thought, She became quiet and was speechless again for
the second time around, Her face painted an overwhelming expression, I knew at
that very time, it was romance filling up the air, it was the perfect surprise,
I reserved a Dinner Cruise for the Two of Us along the Manila Bay… So while the
Yacht was Cruising, spellbinding breeze of the wind just blew us away, with a
fine sumptuous dinner and an acoustic performance singing old romantic love
songs… It was the perfect First Date… At that very moment, I knew, I already
had her Heart and this time, I intended to keep it safe within my hands…
One of my many surprises that is close to my Heart was
when I brought her to this Treasured Haven outside the busy buzz of Manila. It
was Nature at its best, enchanted and Idyllic. We had our own privacy and time
together. 6 days of romance-filled adventure, voracious food tripping and just
exploring the exquisite & admirable Province together. It was the perfect
First Vacation. I had the chance to let her experience how I lived my life,
what my world was all about, I was given the chance to reveal to her the “True”
Me… And I knew at that very moment, that she felt within her, that she was good
to stay…
While we were walking down this seemly antiquated but
scenic Dock at a divine & restful Sunset, I pulled this anchored boat
towards us & lend her a hand while she slightly leaped into the boat, as I
too have followed. I removed the anchored rope and just continued paddling
until the boat was in the middle of the Lake… And then I stopped, I held her
hands again, looked right into her, with her enjoying the place and moment that
we have… I called out her name and she looked right through my eyes. And then I
said to her “After going through at what I've thought are the grueling series in
my life, from the day I gave up at everything, there I met you… You were
unaware that you were already saving me from doing something bad to myself. You
were unconsciously giving me the reason why I should pick up myself again. You
let me believe that there is still Life within Me and that remaining Life is
all you… Thank You… Thank You…” And He added “Please stay in my Life, I want
what we have to be permanent, I realized how beautiful Life is again because I
have something to look at now and that is you… I Love You…” With a short pause,
she kept in silence, still gazing at her golden brown eyes while waiting for
what she would say back to me… Then She replied but I did not hear what She
said (Fireworks came into our background), I said “What did you say?” And She
repeated it again – I did not hear Her for the second time until She is
becoming blurry to my sight, it’s like I’m losing Her. I keep on calling out her
name…
AND
THEN I WOKE UP.
With a hazy vision at first, I looked around to orient
myself where I am and then it clearly hit me, I’m at my condominium in my bed.
I called out Her name and no one is responding, I suddenly looked at the clock
and it’s Seven in the morning, I grabbed my phone and briskly scanned it,
there’s no undeleted calls or saved messages coming from Her and I asked myself
“What is happening?”, And then I saw on my phone’s screen that it’s May 1st…
That is the time I knew that we never saw or even talked with each other at
all, that I just had this Beautiful Dream… And when I woke up, it just left an
Imprinted Memory within my Soul, even if it actually never happened in my Real
Life…
- Poetic Prince
*** This Article is dedicated to the "GREAT" ARMANDO Q. LEYVA. Tatay, I always miss you and I love you so much...