Heartstrings of Destiny

Heartbound: Navigating the Five Stages of Connection

I don't have school today. That's one of the advantages of being a part-time instructor. Not hectic with the schedule. And I'm also lucky because Sister Aly is looking for a job now. So I have the house alone. And I can speak to Poopy without having been thought of as a freak who speaks to herself. He doesn't need to eat, but he insisted, so here, I cooked my food so he could eat. We are currently discussing his favorite topic... love.

"Is it true that love is blind?" I asked him.

He snickered. "Love is not blind. It can't even see," he answered.

"Well, metaphorically. Isn't it, when you love, you get love goggles. You often overlook the flaws of someone you love."

He nodded. "Yes."

"Thus the saying."

He shrugged. "How does it feel? Love, I mean," he asked me.

I frowned. "Don't tell me you haven't fallen in love yet?" I asked back.

That made him laugh. "I can't fall in love. I know how it's supposed to feel. I know the signs but I can never feel it. We are beyond that feeling."

"We?"

"Angels."

I gaped at him. "You? Angel? Where are your wings?"

He smirked at me. "Angels don't necessarily have to have wings to be seen as angels. We roam among people. We need disguises."

"But you do have wings, right?" He shrugged again. "Can I see?" I've always wanted to see an angel.

"You cannot." He took a bite out of the chicken turbo I made, then he continued. "I can only release my wings when I'm in my angelic form. And if I'm like that, you still can't see me. You will go blind."

My eyes widened at what he said. "Huh?"

"Humans cannot see us in our true form with their naked eyes. And besides, I can't reveal my true form now. I'm... on detention."

"Detention?" I raised my eyebrows at what he said. Angels have detention? I thought they were kind? Didn't you do something wrong when you were given detention?

He smiled again. "It's something I did not too long ago."

"What are you doing?"

"I can't say."

I didn't push him. Maybe it's none of my business whatever he did. Then maybe if I force him to tell me that, the Lord will be angry with me. I will also be detained.

After we ate, I looked at my jar. It's been a week since Krisha and Jasper became friends. I've been checking the jar for weeks to see if there are any connecting hearts but... still nothing.

"Why is it still empty?" I asked him disappointedly.

He sat on the edge of my bed. "For the hearts to fully connect, your prospects have to get past the five stages of connection."

I sat next to him. "Five stages of connection?"

He nodded. "First stage is awareness. This is where they recognize the presence of the other. This is what is called a spark. Something that will pull them in."

"Like when we saw it in the hallway that time?" I asked him.

He nodded again.

"Second stage is realization. People become aware of the other's existence. They become aware of the feeling but that does not mean that they already know that that is it. Realization takes time. Many have mistaken love for friendship, and it will take a reckoning force to make them realize what the feeling truly is. Sometimes it takes years. Sometimes, it's too late before they realize the feeling. This is a very crucial stage for us. If our prospects don't get past this stage, then they're a hopeless case.

Third stage is acknowledgment. Here, the prospect already knows how they feel. They now need to acknowledge the feeling. They need to own it. They need to embrace it. This is the most difficult for them. To accept their feelings. Humans are often scared of something beautiful. They are afraid of getting hurt. So no matter what, they stop coming.

Fourth stage is confession. This is where they are often afraid. To confess. They are afraid that something so special would not be reciprocated. So they tend to hide it until such time that it's too late. Finally, commitment. This is where they will need to secure the feeling. They have to stand up for their feelings. This is where people often miss. There you are. They have overcome the confusion, the fear, the hesitation... but the feeling, when neglected, dies on its own.

"What about Krisha's? If they need commitment for their hearts to fully connect, how will I ever finish the task in less than a year? I'll wait for them to get married, right?" I asked him confused.

He smiled as he shook his head. "Marriage is not necessary, but it is the most powerful glue that will assure us that the connection will last. Marriage is God's blessing to two people who love each other. And anything blessed by God is indestructible."

I frowned at what he said. "Marriage is indestructible? Then why do things such as annulment and divorce exist?"

"That's a very good question Candice." He heaved out a sigh as he looked at the wall across us. "Almost seventy percent of people fall for the wrong person. It's sad how people behave. When you get pregnant, they force you to get married even though you're not in love. You can't correct a mistake with another mistake. But even though the parents know that, they still do it. Even if there is no connection, if they deem marriage necessary, they will do it. Even if someone else gets hurt, they don't care. Selfishness is one of the many things that is the enemy of love. If we put ourselves before them, then we don't truly love them. Take Christ for example, He sacrificed himself to save us from our sins. Such act can only be done with love. A love so powerful, it can save all of humanity."

So marriage is not necessary. So there needs to be a relationship between Jasper and Krisha. Hmmm... I might have to give them a little push so that they will confess right away.

I heard him chuckle. "You're not listening, are you?"

"I did listen!"

He shook his head. "You don't need a relationship. You just need commitment. It's when you'll selflessly give your love and devotion to a person without asking for anything in return."

"But shouldn't it be two-way? If you commit and the other didn't, then it's not really a connection, is it?"

"Good point." He smiled. "What I mean is, you don't need labels. If your heart is committed, you are already connected."

Ah, it's like that. Now I understand.

"Someone's coming," he said out of the blue. I stood up. I listened intently. Yeah, someone's definitely home.

I left the room. I saw Ate Aly slumped on the chair, sweating profusely... and sad.

"Sister? What, how are you? Didn't you get accepted?" She shook her head.

I sat on the arm of the couch then I hugged her. "That's okay. You can find a job too."

"That's not it," she answered.

"Why are you sad?"

She sighed. "We saw Jean."

"Salve?"

She nodded.

Jean is my brother's ex. They were classmates in college. Then they became a couple by the end of third year. They only lasted a month. I remembered it all too well. sister Aly cried for me then. Since Jean became brother’s girlfriend, sister Aly has been away from him. That was the reason for Jean and brother’s break-up. Jean made him choose between her and sister Aly. Big brother chose his best friend.

"Jean is the HR who interviewed me earlier," she said softly.

"Oh? Where's Big Brother?"

"He's having lunch with her."

"Whaaaat! Why did you leave? Are you addicted? What if the two get back together?" I asked him a little annoyed. Ever since, I have rooted for Sister Aly. All of Brother's girlfriends, I fight. Sister Aly is the only one I really want for Brother. It's her or no one. And my stupid brother, only thinks of Sister Aly as a best friend. It's annoying.

"What do you want me to do? Have an OP? They don't need me there. I'm just a nuisance."

I looked helplessly at Poopy. 'Help, please?'

He shook his head and spoke. "I think you're the only one who can help her."

And by the look he's giving her, I realized I knew what to do all along.

--

"Are you serious here, Candice?" Sister Aly asked me.

"Yes sister."

I started braiding her hair. This is one of the reasons I see why Brother doesn't see her as someone more than a friend. Sister Aly doesn't really fix things. I don't think she's ever worn makeup in her life. He really took being a man seriously just to get close to Brother. So here she is now, friendzoned.

After I braided her hair, I put a little color on her face. I made her wear a dress. It's something for him. It's just that she's not used to it because she only got dressed once. When they graduated from college. And still fail. I can see her shorts underneath because of the length. Today, I dressed her with short sleeves and a ribbon on the collar. Well... she doesn't look like a woman.

He was a little bit different. He even lowers the hem of the dress to go past the knee.

"I-I'm not used to it, Candice."

"You'll get used to it, sister," I assured her. "Let's go? I'm bored here."

I asked him to go out and wander. At first he didn't want me to force her. She knows that I rooted for her and she also knows that I know that she has feelings for Brother. That's why it's easy to blackmail. She didn't do anything but come with me. I don't want to expose Sister Aly to some other guys but my Brother needs a wake-up call. If he continues to be numb, it's up to him. She can't wait for him forever.

We were leaving the house when the door suddenly opened. Brother has arrived. And he was really surprised when he saw Sister Aly.

"Brother!" I congratulated Brother. But he ignored me. He was just looking at Sister Aly. It's like... he's seeing her for the very first time.

Poopy approached me and whispered. "Awareness. Good job Candice."

I smiled at him.

"Oh what? Are you just going to stare at it?" I put the two of them in the middle. Then I looked at Brother. "Yes Brother, Sister Aly is a girl. Is it okay? Move on. We still have a way to go."

I pulled Sister Aly out of the apartment.

"Wait! Come along!" Brother is chasing. I swear, if only the gaze could melt, Sister Aly would have already melted. So Brother really can't get over it?

"Brother, melt," I told him. I was in the middle of the two. Sister Aly, has been walking bent over. Brother, on the other hand, couldn't take his eyes off of her. Brother made me suffer. I poked him in the side. "What? Don't you realize? She's beautiful? You're..." I pointed at her. He removed my hand. "Shut up!"

"Yeeee. You can't look down!"

Brother blushed. I couldn't believe my eyes. I made him blush! I've never seen him blush like that. With the many girlfriends he has had, he only smiles when he teases her.

Candice: "Where's Alyssa?"

Poopy: "Hmm, I think she's over by the ice cream stand."

[They both look towards Sister Aly talking to a man]

Candice: "Brother doesn't seem too happy about that. What's happening, Poopy?"

Poopy: "It's the second stage, realization. Sometimes, things move faster than you think."

[Brother approaches and pulls Sister Aly away from the man]

Brother: "Do you want to catch a movie?"

Candice: "It's OK. How about you, sister?"

Sister Aly: "O-It's okay."

[Brother leaves to buy tickets]

Candice: "Sister, are you okay?"

Sister Aly: "It's terrible! My heart almost skipped a beat earlier!"

Candice: "Heeeey, I saw that. Brother was jealous earlier!"

Sister Aly: "What do you think? Seriously?"

Candice: "Congratulations, Sister. You are now out of the friend zone."