On the jeep from Philcoa, the scratchy radio was playing a 'senti' song. The old and dusty speaker mounted on the roof over the driver's head could hardly be heard, but I heard it. Yes, as clear as the day today, i heard it.

"How can we be lovers if we can't be friends?..." The other words were drowned out by another jeep overtaking ours. But the other words did not matter at all. Those were the words my heart needed... no, wanted... to hear.

Yes indeed, how can we be lovers if we can't be friends? The best of lovers are usually the best of friends too. This I know to be true. However, in my sad story, the best of friends might never be lovers at all.

I gave her flowers, red roses to be exact, in an effort to move our 'special' relationship one level higher. I've always thought that when two people love each other, then there's always a natural progression to the higher level relationships. It happens right? Strangers become acquaintances. Acquaintances become friends. From there, the branch splits. Friends can either become best friends, or lovers. Correct so far?

Our relationship is special. We both know that we can never be best friends. We're much too different for that. We've both admitted having romantic feelings for each other, so I thought we'd end up as lovers someday. Well, I guess I was wrong.

And so another branch is added to the relationship progression tree: Friends becoming 'People-who-love-each-other-but-won't-be-lovers-or-best friends'. And there we stand together. Back-to-back, facing the world alone, never permitting the connection of our hearts to blossom into love.

It's lonely.