Fiction

I laughed so hard when my friend told me that she thought the short stories I wrote were about me. Seriously, the three short stories I recently wrote and posted here were fictional. It didn't involve me or anyone I know. They are all love children of my wild imagination and immense boredom.

So to avoid further confusion, I've re-tagged those posts and placed FICTION. :)

The Perfect Stranger

The last of the three stories.

I’ve never approved of blind dates. I find that kind of arrangement too desperate and creepy. However, after almost a year of eating mac-and-cheese alone and playing solitaire on Friday nights, I decided to give it a try. Agreeing to it proved to be a wrong move though, because my date turned out to be total jackass. That’s why after “accidentally” spilling some wine on him, I sat on the bar alone. I don’t really drink, but it just felt like the appropriate thing to do at that time. So there I sat, thinking about the poor life choices I’ve made and how low I’ve sunk.

I’m not sure how much I drank that night, but somehow I must have been really drunk because at that time I witnessed an apparition. An angel appeared and sat beside me. He was really beautiful and was dressed to the nines. I could only gape at this marvellous creature that sat beside me and flashed me the most beautiful smile I’ve ever seen.

I sat very still after that. I couldn’t concentrate on my drink. All I could think about was how awful I look sitting beside such beauty. I was a wreck and I should probably have left, but I couldn’t. I wanted to bask in the presence of this handsome demigod. He probably noticed how my hands were trembling because he turned to me and asked if I was okay. His sensual accent made it hard for me to move without effort. I could only turn my head halfway and smile meekly when I replied, “Could be better.” I probably should’ve just smiled at him and not bother to give him an actual answer as he was, I’m sure, just being nice and didn’t really care how I was feeling. However, I was caught off guard when he frowned a little and asked me to explain. Why would this man care?

For an hour or so we talked about how my life wasn’t going the way I hoped it would and how hard it was to find someone who’s actually worth my time. Every time he opens his mouth to say something, I find myself admiring him more. He was really smart and very nice – a killer combination. And when he laughs, God, I swear I could feel tingles on my toes. I was really into the guy. He was the man I’ve always dreamed of. Jackpot.

He was such a catch. Too good of a catch, in fact, that he’s taken. Oh, God, How could I have even thought I had a chance with the guy? Surely he was off the market! Plus I didn’t think I was his type so I guess I was just being entirely foolish thinking our little encounter would have lead to something more. He was only here for a week to surprise his wife for her birthday, which I thought was awfully sweet. They were supposed to meet in that same restaurant but it turned out that his wife had to finish something important and was running late.

Two hours have passed and still no sign of his wife. I began to wonder if maybe fate was giving me an opportunity to do what I’ve always wanted since this beautiful stranger came along. Maybe fate wanted me to take a chance before I wake up from the dream. So as he was explaining to me how they made their relationship work, I closed my eyes and took a leap of faith. I leaned into him and kissed him. I expected him to shove me off, but he didn’t. He didn’t kiss me back either, in case you were wondering. He just sat still and let me do what I wanted to do. When I realized how much of a fool I was making myself out to be, I let go. It was probably the most embarrassing thing I have ever done in my entire life and he just sat there and smiled.

After apologizing for what seemed like an eternity, he lifted up my chin and told me it was alright. He told me he’d be lying if he said he didn’t like it, but he knew he had boundaries he shouldn’t cross. Being the perfect gentleman that he is, he let me down slowly and told me what I wanted to hear. He told me how beautiful I really was and how much he adored my personality, but that there’s someone else out there for me. He told me how I should be patient and that someday I’d find someone who’d go out of his way to surprise me for my birthday as well. In his words, he told me how I didn’t deserve to be just a one-night stand to a married foreigner. I deserved so much more than that.

When the door of the restaurant swung open, a plain looking lady came in and waved at him. He told me his wife had arrived and offered to introduce me to her. I declined and said that I really had to go. We had a perfect two hours without even exchanging names, and I wanted to leave that wonderful moment the way it was.

On my way out of the restaurant, I thought about the blissful two hours we’ve shared. Tonight I met the perfect stranger and he turned out to be an angel. A French angel who was sent to lift my spirits up and restore my faith to the world. So before I started to walk home, I turned to look at him through the window and said, “Au revoir étranger.”

The Prince

With much enthusiasm and diligence, Juanita drew. Her crayons were scattered on the floor and her paper was thin from too much erasing. She wanted her work to be perfect and didn’t mind what was going on around her. The time for recess had come and she still showed no sign of stopping anytime soon. Luis, the kid with whom she shared her table with, asked her to go play with him at the playground and she didn’t even bother to look up. Juanita has never ignored him before so it made him frown, emphasizing the heart shaped birthmark on the corner of his lips.

Being the curious little boy that he is, Luis asked what it was she was so busy with. He didn’t like being ignored, so he wanted to know what it was that got hold of Juanita’s full attention.

“I’m drawing my prince charming”, she replied. ”I need to make it really good so I’d know him when I see him.”

“Cool!” said Luis. “Can I help?”

Juanita just shrugged in response and said, “I guess.”

There they sat for the remainder of their recess. Juanita drew as Luis offered his thoughts. It was Luis who said that princes no longer wore crowns, but used multicoloured caps instead. It was his idea to have the prince wear blue because, according to him, princes don’t like red. It was also he who had said that sneakers were what princes wore nowadays. Luis would tell Juanita how to draw her prince and she’d simply follow like a mindless droid.

When they were done, they patted each other’s back for a job well done; just the way their teacher, Miss Chan, does. It was as perfect as they could hope. Proud of their work, they decided to show it to Miss Chan. But before Juanita could hand it to their teacher, Luis snatched the drawing from her to give it the “final touch”. After adding a little detail, he folded it and handed it to her.

Juanita walked up to Miss Chan’s table with a big smile on her face and handed her the folded drawing. As Miss Chan opened the drawing, she made a curious face before smiling so sweetly. Juanita wasn’t sure what Miss Chan had in mind and thought that maybe she didn’t think it was good enough. Before Juanita could open her mouth to ask for drawing back, Miss Chan patted her on the back and said, “Well done, Juanita. You even drew his birthmark.”

Confused, Juanita asked, “What?”

Miss Chan just smiled a little wider and said, “It’s so sweet of you to draw Luis.”

Tides Turned

My attempt at writing a short story.

The rain was pouring hard. Every drop of rain slammed to my umbrella with fierce intensity and I was just standing there on the sidewalk, staring into space. It’s been three years since that fateful day and yet I still find myself coming here every day for the past year, hoping to see him come out of that big black door and run towards me.

“Hey, move it!” The sound of a man’s voice and his screeching bike tires startled me. That was when I realized how stupid I looked. Why did I keep coming back here anyway? Why did I want to keep hurting myself like this? I made a stupid decision once upon a time, and now I had to man up to it and live with the bitterness of regret.

I saw the door open and out came Johnny –- or should I say, Conner. That’s what they call him now. He’s no longer mine and they made it official by giving him another name. Ha! Why did I even bother to look for him when he clearly doesn’t need me and all my baggage in his life?

The sky was starting to clear up and the rain had reduced to a drizzle. I kept my eye on Joh–- I mean, Conner, hoping he’d look my way once. I didn’t care if he wouldn’t recognize me; all I asked was a quick glance. A passing glance at an odd stranger who stood across the street.

I had stood there in vain, for when they drove away he didn’t even look my way. I remained standing there for twenty minutes, keeping my eye on a moving truck that was long gone out of sight. I’ve abandoned him a long time ago, now he has abandoned me. With tears in my eyes and thorns in my heart, I whispered to the wind what I came here to say. Happy birthday, son.

Waiting

You sit on the corner

Sipping your hot coffee

Watching the people pass by

You sit there

You sit there and wait

You enter a bookshop

Browsing along the shelves

Looking at shadows on the floor

You stand there

You stand there and wait

You walk out to the sidewalk

Feeling the rain on your skin

Listening to the pitter-patter

You stay there

You stay there and wait

You lie on your warm bed

Feeling your own heart beat

You sigh and feel hopeless

The truth is obvious

But still you wait

Boy, Do I Think Too Much Before Sleeping!

Lying on my bed, waiting for sweet slumber to take over, I find myself thinking about my friend's dilemma. Talking about her boy trouble was the last conversation I had before I decided to hit the sack.

Just lately, my girl friends were having boy troubles, and trying to help them somehow feels like directing a drama written in a language I don't understand. I feel like I know how it should go, but in reality, I simply have no idea! I haven't had much experience in terms of the heart, and my feeble wisdom on the subject comes mostly from the fiction I read. I'm a novice trying to coach a team in the big league.

"I'm married to my friends", that's what we always say. We are a tight group of friends who claim that we are enough for each other, but I know that time will come when we would finally open our doors to other people for a more intimate commitment. And although our bond would remain intact, our little group would probably have to take a back seat for some. I know this and I've prepared myself for it. It might get to the ones left behind, but we'll surely come to terms with it. My friends mean so much to me and I won't take it against them because I don't want to hold them back. That's why even with my lack of experience and the prospect of that inevitable-but-a-little-unwanted future, I try to help out with their problems of the heart.

I really want things to get better for them. I want them to experience something that I feel is long overdue for people as lovely and amazing as my soul siblings. I want them to feel how it is to love and be loved, and maybe how it is to get your heart broken too. I want them to realize how they deserve nothing but the best, and that compromising is never an option. I want them to feel the rush of a budding love affair and taste the bittersweet fruit that's out of my reach.

I'm not gonna pretend that I'm not hoping to hitch a ride on the love train, but right now it's my best friends' turn to get on. And although I'll still be stuck at the station waiting, I want to make sure that they enjoy the ride and get off at the next stop in one piece. So whether they ask for it or not, I'll be here to share my honest opinion and point out their blind spots. I'll be here to cheer them on when they need it or give them a good smacking when they let things get out of control, because that's what friends do. And no matter where I am or what I'm doing, they can always count on me to be one.

Keep In Mind