It’s nine pm at night. It’s time to tuck her daughter in and read her a bedtime story. Sara takes turn with her husband reading fairy tales or singing songs before their daughter, Monique, falls asleep. After having her hair combed, Monique went to her bed. As usual, Sara covered her up with the blanket and adjusted the room temperature.
“Mommy, I don’t want fairy tales tonight. What about telling me your past experience?” Monique asked while her mother was searching for a book to read.
Sara turned around and asked, “What do you want to know, love?”
“Besides daddy, did you ever love someone? A crush, perhaps?”
“Why do you ask me such a question out of the blue?”
“I’ve noticed that your and daddy’s love is like the love you read to me. The love in those tales; a love that requires struggles and sacrifices but have a happy ending. It looks like it’s your first love. Even though I am in this world for only 8 years, but mommy, I believe this love will endure.”
Sara said nothing but let out a wide grin.
“Will you tell me the truth, mommy? I know you will never lie to your beloved daughter, right mommy?”
“I can tell you anything, darling. You have all the right to know anything.”
Sara came close to the bed and lay back beside Monique; she gently caressed Monique’s head and said,
“Long before I met your father, back then I was at the age of 17, I knew a guy who studied in the next room. We didn’t talk much to one another, just smiled. And we had this social network called ‘Facebook’ where you could add strangers as your friends, got to know them. Some people even got married to their random friends. And he added me. Since then, we chatted, sent documents, helped one another doing the assignments things and stuff and occasionally we had heart-to-heart talk. I can’t remember when I started to fall for him, but the feeling was so intense that any tiny problems came between us would break my heart. I didn’t have the courage to confess my feeling nor I let it shown. I kept it in till one day I could hold it no more, so I texted him saying ‘Me Gustas.’”
“What is that, mommy?” Monique interrupted.
“A Spanish phrase means ‘I like you’”
“I see. And then?”
“He replied and ask mommy what the phrase meant, I told him that I texted the wrong number. After that day, I never texted him or tried to reveal my feeling towards him. But we still kept contact and talk to each other. One day, he came to me and told me that he loved my best friend. He asked me her favorites, her relationship status, and her ex-boyfriend. He aIso asked me if I could introduce him to her. I was heartbroken. I was seriously ill, spiritually, emotionally, and physically. From that day, I tried to escape him. It took me two years to look at him in the eyes and be friends with him as usual. And that year, we both finished our bachelor degree. I’ve never seen him since then.”
“Do you still love him, mommy?”
“He and that love exist only in my memory, darling.”
“Does daddy know about this, mommy? I will not tell him about this, he will be heartbroken like you did.”
“There is no secret between mommy and daddy.”
“So did daddy use to love anyone?”
“He told me I’m his first and only love”
“I must be his second love then”
They both chuckled. Suddenly, there was a knock on the door.
“Come in, daddy! We are gossiping about you.” Monique called out.Labels: Stories