Fateful Jeepney Ride
Mariane Lee C. Bautista
I met Kim on December 18, 2008. We were both wearing green and heading to our own workplaces. I went to Megamall for our team pictorial, and he was on his way to work. I was inside a jeep (only in the Philippines) and was about to carried off when I glanced at the part of the street where he's walking. He looked so familiar and I tried to catch his attention. I turned to him and smiled at him, checking if he would notice me too. Yes, he noticed me! When I got off, it so happened that he walked toward where I was. I smiled again and being so friendly and the Ms. Congeniality that I am, I asked him if he was Kim. Then I told him I am Mariane and said that I remember him from college. I barely knew him since we were not really that acquainted when we were in college.
When we met, we didn’t have the “spark” or the magic. We exchanged numbers and then started sending text messages. He sent me quotes and I called on New Year's Eve, when I was alone and had no one to talk to. Thanks to the 20 minute call promo! That was the start of our friendship.
Before we went “steady,” Kim never admitted he liked me since the time we had met. He never even explained why he “invested” time texting or seeing me for almost five months. But he was so nice. He brought me pizza and my favorite leche flan, we ate dinner a lot of times together, and, for my part, I remember I made this graham cake (one of his favorites). We added each other as friends in Facebook and Friendster too. He posted quotes and sweet nothings on my wall. We have this proxy site at the office and that helped me a lot to go online.
My teammates and my friends teased me since they were not used to see me having a date. It embarrassed me, so I sneaked and waited until break time to check my PC. I learned deleting browsing history too because they stalked my PC when I was not around. I also learned sneaking my cellphone inside the operation floor (strictly prohibited) because I wanted to text him. He then kept asking me out, and our first date, I remember, was on January 11, a few days after my birthday.
What Kim and I had that time was extraordinary. I missed him when we didn’t go out, and I really felt I should not assume something might happen, although ending up with him was possible. Those times I felt he never liked me, that's why I chose to partially shun away myself. For three days, I didn’t send him messages and didn’t even answer his calls. Then I was shocked that on the third day of my cold treatment, he knocked on my door looking for me. I almost cried, but he did not notice that. I missed him, and I was mighty glad to see him again.
I knew it was love. But I didn't want to fall for the wrong guy again.
We spent more times together, still being friends until one fateful day during a trip to Lucban, Quezon, for the Pahiyas Festival. But that’s another story.
Now, we are almost two years in our sweet, fun, and steady relationship, I am hoping I will count more. I still pray deeply for us, and only time (and destiny!) can tell.
