His Memories of Her

19th

“Henboy?” A voice came around as soon as he came in the parking lot that almost made him jump in shock and bump his own car.

Henry looks around frightened as most part of the parking lot is dark making almost everything hard to see until his eyes caught a silhouette of a person, a man in his guess by just looking at its build which is almost like his or even more. “Who are you?” Henry said trying to seem strong even though he feels like his legs are getting numb especially that he just finished preparing for his and Catherine’s big day tomorrow.

“Have you forgotten about me too?” the source of voice said stepping near, closer to him.

Henry looked at the figure, he stares at it until the face of the person became visible when someone’s headlights shone on to him and Henry looked at him with mixed feelings, emotions that he has not felt in a while or is it right to say that the feelings and emotions he has fought over and over in the past just to get rid of it.

“Henboy, it has been such a long time, what ten years more or less right.” The man said as he came just close enough to make Henry a picture out of his figure.

“It is you!” Henry exclaimed and he went closer to the man that he gave him a big tight hug which the man returned the same thing at the very same exact manner while chuckling.

“How have you been?” the man said as he gives Henry a light pat on his back before the let go of each other.

“I am doing good, finally.” Henry said with a solemn expression on his face.

The man looks at him, let out a sigh as he puts his arm around Henry’s shoulder and said “I am so sorry, I know I have told you why it has to end that way.” With a trace of sorry in his voice.

Henry looked at him with a weak smile on his face and said “I know.” And before he stared into space blankly.

Henry’s Flashback

“I will see you later after your graduation?” Henry said over the phone as he walks out of his classroom. It is his last day as a freshman year in the university which he applied.

“I could not wait.” The person on the other end of the call said with obvious sound of excitement in her voice.

“Irene! Sorry but I need to borrow him now!” Michael exclaimed after popping out of nowhere.

Irene chuckles to the other end before she said OK and bid goodbye to Henry and hung up the call giving Henry the chance to hit Michael on his head as hard as he could making Michael exclaimed in pain.

“Ouch!” Michael said as he gives his head a rub on the place where Henry’s hand landed to hit him.

“You deserve it!” Henry said as he continues to walk towards to wherever he is supposed to go.

“Well, I just came to tell you that everything has been set missing only you, the bouquet and Irene.” Michael said with a pout in his face before he continued and added “And as a thanks this is what I get.”

Henry stopped in his tracks and look at him and suddenly gave him a tight hug as he wears an excited expression and said “Sorry and thank you.”

“This is so gay so I wish you release me already. And do not mention it as I am just happy enough that after four years of holding yourself back, finally the day has come when you will be asking her to be your girl.” Michael said giving a light two pats Henry’s back before he started pushing him to break from their man-to-man hug.

Henry chuckle as he finally let go of Michael and said “Well, I could not help but to as I am told. Waiting is better than never.”

“Well, I was thankful that day that you decided to meet her brother first before you go confessing your butt only to be rejected by him as soon as she brings you home to introduced to him. Or worst you would have ended in jail.” Michael said.

Henry looked at him and smile small and said “He did tell me, that if I do not intend any good towards her, I should go away before he lock me behind bars and the only thing that surprised me was when I look at him straight into his eyes and said ‘I do not intend anything like that, I just simply want to be with her because I feel happy when she is around, beside me, near me.’”

“And what he said back to you?” Michael said looking at him with full of curiousness.

Henry looks at him for a moment with his face full of indecisiveness before he turns his head and look the other way before he finally decided to talk after a moment of silence “Well, he only said ‘So, should I take that as you want to keep her all to yourself.’ Which I was not really sure how to answer and plan to not until I blabber out of consciousness.”

Michael looks at him with fright in his face, feeling something to be scared about what Henry just said that he even gulps down and take a deep breath before he opens his mouth and said “Please tell me you did not blabber anything stupid.”

Henry looks at him, rub the back of his head without saying anything, he seems to be looking so trouble, not sure if he should open his mouth and tell everything to Michael who looks at him full of anticipating while they stand out of their campus gates waiting for something or so what it seems.

“Come on! Just tell me already!” Michael exclaimed like a girl who wants some gossip to be spilled already as he could not wait any longer. He looks at Henry for a moment before he opens his mouth and added “Well, judging from the fact that you are here, standing while breathing alive, that only means it was not that stupid enough to break you into pieces he wants." that made Henry look at him speechless.

“Well, now that you mentioned it, I guess that blabbering somehow saved my life, the moment when I told him ‘I would not mind sharing her with you.’ That I almost dig a hole below my feet so I could hide away from him.” Henry said with a trace of fright in his face.

“What? You said what?!” Michael exclaimed with disbelief in his face.

“Right? Pretty stupid right? I did not know what I said until I already did.” Henry replied.

“And what he replied when it is you who wants to share with him even though he does not want you to.” Michael said throwing a punch on Henry’s arm with almost full of his force making Henry growl in pain.

“Ouch! I told you! I did not know it. I could not look at him in the eye after I said it but then I heard him laughing which somehow calmed me down. It has been two years but is till felt the same way I did that day and remembered it like it was only yesterday. And then there, he said his one and only condition, that I should wait till she graduates from high school and so I promised him while he kept checking every time, I visit her or accompany her home.” Henry said while rubbing his arm where his stupid friend has punch him with all he got.

“Well, at least today, you finally get the chance. Just stand proud and confident with everything you got and prepared just for this day I am sure he will be more than willing to hand her over to you, with your patience that is just so admirable, that even me envy you too much right now. You deserve her just as much as she deserves you.” Michael said giving him more than he needs of a pat on his shoulder.

Henry smiled to him and pats his back, back and said “I know, I am just more than happy enough that I made it through this day. You just do not know how much I almost give up.” Henry said.

“Gave up? Give her up?” Michael said in question.

“What? No! I meant the deal with her brother. You just do not know how much I have thought ‘Screw him!’ so I could just walk straight towards her and just tell her everything I have been hiding, I am just happy that I have been seeing him every time so I am being reminded even though it is only unintentionally.” Henry said with a trace of fright in his voice.

Michael laughs while giving him again another batch of pat on his back and said “Well, if you have only told me that you have been suffering, I should have helped you, but for now, I could not be so much more happier that you have held tight and made it through this day and I hate to say it but you need to go because in just one hour she will be seeing you.” With a triumph smile on his face and bid Henry goodbye which he returned before he runs back to his car to drive home and prepare for everything for the moment he has been waiting for years.

“Finally, this is the day.” Henry said to himself before he stepped on the gas and went to full throttle in hurry to be somewhere he needs to be before everyone or anyone else. 

“Hey!” Henry said answering a call through his headset.

“I am out of school, but it is still one hour away from the appointed time, so I guess I will just go home and do something.” Irene said from the other end of the call.

“Do something what?” Henry said wearing a mischievous smile.

“Prepare? It is the first time you ask me on a date instead of hanging out like always.” Irene said riding alone with to where Henry’s thought is.

“Date? Did I specifically said that it is a date? I could not remember saying it like that? In fact, if I remember it correctly, I do asked you to hang out, the only difference is, we will be celebrating something today just like your past two birthdays.” Henry said chuckling.

The other end suddenly became quiet that Henry suddenly become worry so he said “Are you still there?” a couple of times before he heard a sigh that he also sigh in relief.

“Sorry, I was just thinking of something, I will just see you later. Got to go now.” Irene said before he hung up the call not even letting Henry a chance to say something.

He needed to tell her that he would pick her up so she does not have to go out alone since it is pretty late, and the fact that he promised her brother that he would pick her up so just to make comfortable enough to let the late hour happens.

Thinking that her brother would might kill him, he called her brother and said “I just talk to her but then she cut me off before I could tell her that I will be picking her up later, and so I called you so you could tell her once you get a hold of her since she is not answering me until the minute I called you.