The following story was published in GIBIK V. The Marinduque State College Literary Folio. Copyright 2007

TEXT MESSAGE! by John Carlo Lustre

 

There was a girl named Dianne standing in the middle of the crowd waiting for a bus to come. She is going to a place where her family lives. Suddenly, when she was  about to encounter heat and miasma, a brand new bus arrived and stopped in front of the terminal. Some people got out from the bus. She entered in the door, and looked for a seat to occupy until somebody offers her a vacant seat.

 

“You can occupy that seat”, the amiable girl in the first seat said.

“Thanks!” she replied then sat on the third seat.

“By the way, I’m Che”, the girl said.

“I’m Dianne”, she answered with her typical smile.

 

There was a vacant seat between her and Che. Suddenly, someone caught her attention, someone very familiar to her. He sat beside her and his presence made her heart beat so fast.

 

Damn. He’s Little. She just said to her self, “Yah he’s Little, a person who once became a part of my life. My first love”…

 

She met him through her cousin in college. They exchanged text messages until their cellphone batteries got drained. She was so much in love with Little, but something happened in their relationship that made them feel bitter toward each other. She found out that he was flirting with other person. She read his messages on the phone that he sent with his other girlfriend. He had been seeing other person behind her back. She saw his greater attention with other person and its hurt her, because he never bothered to pay her an attention, where in fact, they are still handling a relationship. They broke for a days, but she still love him and found a way to get him back again.

 

She just couldn’t forget that he cheated on her. They broke up; get together only for a day, then broke up again. The relationship is not genuine, in short, fling.

 

“Do you think I’m gentleman?” One day Little asked her.

“No” She answered.

“Do you want to be with me?” He asked.

“No” She answered.

“Do you like me?” Again, he asked.

“No” She answered.

“The moment I leave, would you cry?” He insisted once more.

“No” Finally, She answered.

 

Little was speechless and still didn’t know her real intention. He thought he heard enough so he stood up and bid farewell. As he went away, she held his hand before him and said, “You are not gentleman, you are handsome. I don’t want you, ‘cause I need to be with you. I don’t like you, I LOVE YOU! The moment you leave, I will not cry, I will DIE!”

 

Speechless again, quietness surrounds them, and because of the words she said, he embraced her so tightly. She thought he was serious because he even dumped his girlfriend at that time to be with her.

 

One night, he stopped texting her and would never answered her calls. She was sick at that time. The next morning, she received a message from Little telling her that there was something wrong with his phone, that he was sorry for not being able to answer her calls.

 

Suddenly, that was it, the end of their relationship. He never called her again or even texted her. After what happened she vowed to herself, that she will move on and start her life a new. With the strong determination formed in her personality, she didn’t texted him, and slowly, she became happy again.

 

But one day, she motivated to respond with Little’s irritable text messages. She just then realized that, our heart has its own mind.

 

“Can I have a date with you?” As what his text stated.

“Sure” she replied.

“I’ll wait for you, behind the seashore”. He said.

 

The scenario between them was contrary on what she expected. Their date made her felt offended. He didn’t mean to see her. He almost pushed her away. She pities herself and went away. Tears were streaming down her face when she rode in the tricycle.

 

Suddenly… “Schhhhhhhhhhhrrrrrrrrrrrrt… Blooooooooooog!!!”

 

She was shocked. She was a victim of a vehicular accident. She had lacerated wound forehead. She undergo for a CT scan to ensure that there is no problem with her head. She put the blame on Little, saying to herself that he almost ruined her personality. If he only knew that she was so depressed and devastated that she cried every night. She found out that, Little really didn’t love her because he didn’t even visit her when she was confined at the hospital.

 

Some tapped her shoulder and asked “Why are you stunned?” Before she knew it, her mind came back to the reality, in the bus, and she is near in her destination. Little is staring at her inside the bus waiting for her answer. She just answered him “Nothing”. But her hatred and anger wants to come out.

 

She got out from the bus, but Little was continuously insisting her at back.

“Little, what do you want from me?” she said while walking.

Once again, Little asked her, “How are you? Do you remember our past? Our romance?”.

With those questions, she can’t help herself crying in front of him.

Finally, she didn’t know where she got the strength in uttering the words came out of her mouth:

“Yes, I still remember. I’m still moving on, and as I moved on, I’ll be leaving our past behind. I will be leaving the pain that you caused me. I could then thank you for making me strong. I loved you but you broke my heart. Thank you for all things you put me through. Thank you for all the memories - good or bad. Thank you for MAKING ME BELIEVE THAT YOU LOVED ME, EVEN IF YOU DIDN’T. I wouldn’t know how strong I was if it is not for you…”

 

THE END