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1129 Words
Him... I remember him again.
The wind is howling, making me shiver with cold. I looked up at the sky and see some stars peeking through the cloudy night sky. I smiled, memories came rushing in like a dam of water has been released to a river. Was it five years? Six? Eight or nine? No, it was ten years. Ten long years had passed and yet I can still clearly remember the feelings, those irregular heartbeats I had whenever I see or hear his name. Ten long years and still, I remember...
I shook my head to clear my mind -- I'm daydreaming again. I need to focus, I have to. I have so much to do, and so little time to spare.
Just then I heard my phone ring, a call from my editor. I answered for fear that I might upset her more if I don't.
"Mia! Where are you? When will you send me your manuscripts? You're way too late from your deadline." -- no 'hello's', 'how are you', 'you okay?' Just work. All about work. "Mia! Don't you dare think of giving up on me. We're both dead if you do," she warned.
I sighed and just hoped she's beside me to see how I rolled my eyes at her exaggerated thoughts. "I know Claire... I know. Don't you worry, I'll have something, don't worry." I assured her, knowing it will never satisfy her nature.
"Be sure, Mia. Be sure..." She conceded. "I'll wait for it this week. No more than that... You know me," was her lame threat on me.
"I know. I swear I will. I promise."
"Okay, good... I have to go, I've got a lot to do." She said and hung up -- not waiting for my goodbye.
I put my phone down and gave one last look at the sky. Then I went inside my studio-type apartment. I opened my laptop, stared at the blank space in front of me. I touched the keys, but I couldn't form words. 'Ah! Writer's block!' I thought to myself.
After an hour I gave up. I turned off my laptop without saving any work, just a new record of high score in solitaire. I just curled up in bed and willed myself to sleep. Maybe, just maybe, tomorrow I'll have something worth working to.
The following day I decided to run some distance since it was a good weather. I came to the city's park and saw other people working out, children playing in the early hours and I watched a friendly soccer game in the open field. It was cool seeing how active the players were. A flash of memory hit my mind. A game, blue jerseys, number twenty three, messy hair, sweaty forehead and a pair of mischievous eyes.
Him... I remember him again. And a light bulb suddenly went off in my brain. Why not make him the hero in my story? And maybe I could be the heroine... Maybe, just maybe...
I ran home, running fast-paced, eager to sit down and start my story. I immediately set up my laptop, not minding the sweat I have or how thirsty I was.
'...it was July and raining when Reese went to church. That was when she saw how Eric was someone whom she can admire and have a crush on.
Eric, the hardworking guy that he is, has little time to spare for social mingling so it was hard for Reese to befriend and know him better. She always see him, and it seems that he's just around but feels so far away....'
A loud banging outside caught my trance. I tried ignoring it but it was persistent and then came different voices, loud and noisy.
I lost my ideas as the commotion became louder. With my sweatshirt and jogging pants I stormed out, ready to raise hell on the intruders.
When I opened my door a large furniture blocked my vision. "What the hell?" I blurted out. "I can't go out! Who dared block my doorway?" I shouted.
"Oh, I'm sorry!" I heard a baritone voice. I tried searching for the owner of the voice but I really couldn't see. "I'm really sorry, I thought nobody's home so it would be fine to let these stay here for a minute," he continued as I hear the movements of things.
"You should have checked first!" My voice was still some decibels higher. "What if there's an emergency? What if there's fire or a criminal was inside my room? How could I escape that?" I continued my speech while the man kept on moving the things away from my door until the only one left was a large cabinet. "Do you think you could revive me if I suddenly died of heart attack? Do you think ---"
"But you're safe, alive and so loud," he cut me off as he moved the cabinet aside. Then I came face to face with my hero! Real, alive, out of the laptop screen! In flesh, in my face, grinning at me. "I think I know you..." He trailed off.
I just shook my head, unable to speak, lost for words. I just couldn't believe it. He's really in front of me.
"Hmm... I really have this feeling that we know each other. Am I right?"
"N-no... I mean... Y-yes..." Do I really have to stutter? "Mia... Mia Ocampo, choir member at St John years ago... Elwood, right?"
His eyes glimmered, "yes! Yes. Mia. I remember. How are you? How have you been?" He then smiled widely.
"Fine... Fine. Just fine. And you? What are you doing here? I thought --"
"I'm moving here, for good. I'll be in 23, and you're in 24 so I guess that makes us neighbors."
"How about church? You're a priest, right?" I asked.
"Oh, you haven't heard? I went out. Two years into priesthood I left. I figured I could serve Him in other ways..."
Shock enveloped my being. It was the first time I heard it. I never bothered asking my friends what happened to him. I just assumed he would become what he dreamt after he rejected my affection because he chose his calling. I was hurt, who wouldn't be?
I made peace with the thought that he would become a star to light and guide people by becoming a disciple of God. I was not selfish, I just knew he was meant for greater things.
But now here he is, in front of me, saying he went out... And now the story I was writing became a blurry image because he suddenly declared he's moving in the same building as I was and worse ---or maybe, better?--- his unit is just next to mine!
- Writer
