Second Month

My Christine is the most beautiful person you’ll ever know and see...
God has sent me the greatest miracle;
And the greatest person someone can ever be.

----

"Ready?"

She let out her sweetest smile and looks at him, "maybe yes?"

"No, you're just shy to say that you're ready. I want to hear you say it. I won't move here 'til you tell me."

"You're a child, why don't you grow up? Then don't move if you don't want to."

Michael turned back, averted his attention to the lovers sitting together along the boulevard. How he hoped that someday he would be like them, sharing the night with someone they longed to be with for the rest of their lives. He was quite dismayed for he felt that his Christine was not yet ready to be with him. So there he was, the usual childlike boy, sulking inside the car and listened to the love song playing.

Suddenly, he felt something warm in his back, in his nape; and this got him perspiring. There was tension building up within him. The rhythm of his heartbeat changed, the pace became faster, faster, and faster.. faster. Then suddenly, he felt a tap on his arms.

He faced back; and next thing he knew, his lips were already on touch with Christine's. He unconsciously closed his eyes. Their world spun in a different way, slow, slower, and slowest. The feeling was surreal, yet nice. The cold wind of the night was breezing on them but all they felt was the warmth of real sweet love. It went on for minutes. They did not breathe. They did not move. Then Christine moved back, looked into the eye of his man and smiled.

Nothing really beats first kiss.

"See, I told you, I was ready."

Michael chuckled. He blushed and was out of words. He grabbed Christine's body close to him and embraced her real tight with his arms as if he won't be letting go of her. And tears flushed from his small Chinese eyes.

"I love you." she whispered
"What again? I didn't hear it."
"Whatever. I won't repeat it." she laughed.
"I love you most" he answered back, still confining her in his arms; letting themselves feel the warmth of each other's loving company.

----

It was on a cold day of February when they first met. They were both applying for the same university for college. Michael, seventeen. Christine, sixteen. From the very first time Michael's eyes had a glance of Christine's engaging beautiful face, he had her running on his mind.

"I know. That girl, will be my girl." Boys will be forever boys. Yes, he got infatuated.

Christine on the other hand, didn't mind him. When their eyes met, she just gave him a casual smile and that smile made Michael giggle more deep inside. That casual smile, Michael treated as a sign from the above.

The first day of college came. Michael was so jolly as usual; making friends, cracking jokes, laughing out loud with people whom he just met that day. As their first professor came, they were asked to sit wherever chair they wished to sit on. Michael chose to be at the right-most corner of the room, sat on the second-to-the-last chair and left the last chair vacant.

"She's gonna be late. She's gonna be here." he thought.

Minutes later, a late-comer entered the back door. Greeted the speaking professor and apologized for being late in the very first day of college. "Sit beside that Chinese boy; on the last chair" the cross professor ordered. She just nodded and obeyed--sat there and gave off her usual sweet charming smile.

"Hello, I'm Michael."

"And I'm Christine."

"I still don't have any friends here, so can we eat lunch together?"

"Surely. There would be no problem with that."

..and they went along with each other well. They were very good friends. They had a very good platonic relationship together. They belonged in the same clique. They had the chance to know each other well, had the chance to know each other deeper.

At their sophomore year, Michael realized that a different kind of love for Christine has grown in him; and Christine also felt the same way for him but she just let it pass, knowing that something great would eventually come out, would eventually happen.

And one day, while having their habitual after-lunch walks, he asked:

"Would it be awkward if I court you?"

"Court me, woo me?"

"Haha, yeah. Does that sound funny?"

"Well, sort of." I never expected that from you.

"So? What do you think?"

"How will I know if it'd be awkward if you haven't done it yet?"

She let him woo her. For quite a long time that was.

and lucky he was; she was wooed.

College juniors they were already. February 2009. Christine asked Michael for a usual night joyride along the boulevard. Of course, Michael didn't turn down Christine's request. They drove, played their favorite songs in the car's MP3. They sang together, laughed together. That was really one of the happiest moments they've shared together. They were filled with love and happiness. With everything they're feeling, they seemed to be the happiest in humankind.

And on that night, they had their very first kiss. :x

"Want ice cream?" Christine asked.

"Sure"

Christine went out of the car, excitedly ran across the highway like a child lusting for her strawberry cream-flavored pop. Michael also went out of the car then noticed, overjoyed and enjoyed the sight of her beautiful girl smiling. He went in the car again to change the song and when he came out, he saw that a fast-paced ten-wheeler cargo truck was on the way. He shouted to warn Christine. Christine stopped in the middle of the road and looked back.

DEAD ON ARRIVAL.

---

Thank God it was just a dream. Christine was awoken by her husband's very tight hold of her hand, his moans and cries. “He had those recalls and dreams again”, she thought. Christine hugged him and made him feel secured.

It has been always like that since her Michael was diagnosed with Alzheimer's last year. He can't remember anything in the present; all he remembered was the past. All he had were recalls of both his best and worst memories way back. And he often got dreams like that.

"Christine, Christine. My Christine left me." Michael cried like a tantrum-stricken child
"No, she didn't; and she won't"
"Why, did you see her? I haven't seen her for a long time now."
"Yes, she told me. She won't leave you, I promise."

Christine held him with her now wrinkled hands tighter. Tears fled from Christine's eyes. How she wished that her husband was not suffering from the disease so they could have continued the joyrides they had, the laughters, the happy memories that they had; and so that they could have enjoyed the goodness of life together longer. Although the case, she never felt lonely for every time he would hear Michael tell stories to her and their grandchildren, "My Christine" would always be the topic of his 'speeches'.

When I was nineteen, my Christine said she’d not kiss me; because she still wasn’t ready.
I sulked like a child for a moment then someone tapped me from behind.
I faced back; and you know what?

She did. She did. SHE DID!

My Christine is the most beautiful person you’ll ever know and see…
God has sent me the greatest miracle;
And greatest person someone can ever be.
She was very beautiful when she was sixteen.
It was the first time when I saw her.
I haven't seen her for quite a long time now
But I know when she goes seventy-nine like me
She'd be more beautiful
She will forever be.
As much as I want you, my grandson to also have a Christine
I'm so sorry because I was born earlier
And because for being so good, God has given me His greatest Christine;
Now, my Christine.

Two thousand and nine to two thousand and sixty-eight. It has been always amazing that nothing has changed. Not even a dreadful disease has changed it. Their love never failed and as time passed by, it grew even more beautiful that it used to be.

---------
Haha. Corny ba? Sorry na, galing mo kasi eh. Sige nga, gawa ka nga.

Oh well, Happy Hearts Day, everyone! :)

You,

thanks! happy hearts day! :) I hope you get to read this. :)

love,
ME. :)