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As far as I could stretch the whole content of my brain, I always believe in destiny, in a story of a million years in the making. That our lives are paths constructed long before our birth. I believe in soulmates, in someone who bears part of my soul. That we all spend the entirety of our lives searching only for one thing, love.

“Oops! Sorry!” 

Those were the first words you uttered to me. I should have gone hysterical and bitch out like I usually do but I didn’t, instead, I looked from my ruined dress to the worried expression on your face then a smile formed on my lips. I was totally… gone. I thought you were an angel sent from above. Call me cheesy and mellow dramatic but I thought I was in love, right there in the middle of an estranged place, in a crowded mall. My heart thumped in my chest like a rabid horse’s galloping that it almost hurt but it was a joyful pain. My smile turned into a lopsided grin and I was almost certain that you thought I was a lunatic. Who wouldn’t be? A stranger whom you spilled your drink, staring at you with a wicked smile.

“Miss, miss? Are you okay?” You asked, cutting off the flashes of our first date, first kiss,marriage, and the laughing sight of our daughter as she hangs herself on your biceps; our lives together.

“Uh…yes. I am.” My voice came off as little squeaks and I thanked God that you understood them. You handed me your hanky and I accepted it. I was about to ask for your name but your friends beat me to it.

“Carlos!”

You turned your head to look at the source of the voice and gave me an apologetic look, “Sorry about your dress.”

I only smiled because I knew my voice was lost and I couldn’t afford another humiliation, you copied my smile and headed out. I was still holding your hanky as I looked at your retreating back, my mind locked on a certain mission. With your first name and your face etched forever in my brain, I promised in the same spot where you spilled your drink on my dress that I would go and find you; that I would see you again.

After a hundred and thirteen days of endless searching with an equal hundred cups of black coffee, I finally found you again, I have succeeded! Take me as the stalker and obsess type but I needed to hasten the pace of destiny. The moment I saw your profile picture on Facebook, I didn’t think twice to click that add friend button. I was restless for a week after that, the waiting time was making me anxious and sleepless. I get overly excited with the sound of dings from my notifications that my heart would almost burst out from my chest. Then out of the blue, my long wait was at last been paid off. I jumped like a sugar-crazed kid over my bed, hysterically almost hyperventilating with so much joy and I squealed who knows how many times like a trapped mouse. My mom even went to my room to check out what the hell was happening to her daughter. If I have suddenly gone crazy, well, I might have been.

I was afraid to send a message, I couldn’t count how many times my fingers hovered over the blue circle button, unable to send a simple message of hi. So over that summer before I go to college I spent my whole time stalking you. I know what I was doing was somehow weird and creepy, the least to say, but, no one could have stop me from doing it. And it wasn’t as if I follow you around like a shadow or a serial killer of some sort. No, I didn’t. I was just constantly checking your Facebook account. Okay, the whole lot of social media accounts.

“I want to be an ARCHITECT,” I announced to my mom after I saw the results of my entrance exam at the same university you were in. I was ecstatic, nothing could contain the joy that I was experiencing at that moment.

“You? The you that couldn’t even draw a stick figure? And you want to be an architect? Are you going insane? I thought you wanted to be a doctor?” My mom reasoned out to me, startled by my question, yet, was still meticulously chopping our dinner.

"I've changed my mind! I wanted to be able to draw my dream house with my future family! Come on ma?" My mom just eyed me after but didn't press more questions. She respected me and was happy for I was able to have my own decisions.

I registered at the university and I befriended the gay registrar for the sole purpose of getting your schedule. I know, I was getting seriously mentally ill.

You were a second-year student, got two back subjects which I got the same schedule. I could even remember that time when I walked late in our 'Drafting 101' class and the only seat left was beside you. I was on cloud nine the entire three hours, I was happy even though our professor was yelling to the tough of his lungs because somehow I couldn't get how to use the effing triangle and mechanical pencil together. Up to this day, I was sure as hell it was because you were sitting beside me, making me jittery. Well, I thought you would remember who I was.

I spent my freshman year being a coward, looking at you from afar, flirting with other girls. I felt a strong pang of jealousy but I was contented that you were within my eyesight. Until that night of my second year when I saw you crying your eyes out, it was late about eleven, maybe. I was just there because I forgot to take something from my locker and there I saw you on one of the benches, eyes puffy from crying. My heart broke at the sight, I always see you as a strong person to a point that I believe that you have no weakness, well besides being lazy.

I suddenly grow a pair of balls and approached you. This is destiny knocking on your door, I whispered to myself. I handed you my hanky and I smiled, seizing the moment. "I thought only girls cry or am I going blind, are you a girl?"

You took the handkerchief from my hand and laughed, snorting a bit in the process. You told me that you saw your girlfriend, now your ex, cheating on you, you've given her everything, and yet she cheated. I became your shoulder to cry on, I cuddled you and let you cry your heart out. That night without my knowledge, it became the start of a friendship I would cherish my whole life.

We became friends then best friends in no time. I became your listening ears and you were the big brother I never had. You would always invite me to every party you would go to, I became part of your gang; the baby of the group. I was happy even when you started dating girls again and when you even set me up with boys. I was to say, content with our arrangement, but deep within me, I was still hoping that you would see me as a potential candidate for your heart. I stayed at your side through every heartache, every drunken state. Damn, I even stayed when those girls spat words of jealousy to my face for being your best friend.

At times I would often think that I was stupid to set my sight only for you. I got that moment when I wouldn't answer your phone calls or tell you that I was busy because I was trying to let myself breathe off of you. Though I always give in. I just couldn't resist you, especially those nights that you would call me drunk. I would jump in my car and drive the fastest I could. I never thought you would give such an impact on my life. You were like a star that I would stare at night that no matter how much I reached my hand to, I would never get a hold of.

My grades were failing, I didn't have the slightest bit of idea what my subjects were about and I was drowning in a sea of a one-sided love affair. Though to think of it, I was happy or I didn't know if I was just lying to myself. I got no idea if you were aware but at times, I felt being used, yet I continued to stay and be an idiot.

I didn't know how things got ripped apart but maybe it started that one night. You were in your last year of college and I was barely hanging on my fourth year. We went partying and like most of the time, you got drunk and I was assigned as your driver. We were in the parking lot when you dragged me along the dimly lighted path. As you saw my car you pinned me on the unopened door of the red jeep, you held my chin and then you kissed me sloppily, stealing away my first kiss. I felt a swarm of million butterflies danced in the pit of my stomach as jolts of electricity jabbed at my toes. I was out of breath when we broke apart. 

Your body pressed on me and you whispered something in my ears, "Why can't I just fall for you? It would be much, much easier." After that, you passed down cold.

I cried in my car for hours while looking at your sleeping form before I finally found the courage to drive you home.

From that moment, the calls and the texts became minimal. Then you graduated and I barely hear from you until there was no more to hear. On the other hand, the rope I was holding finally broke, I failed three major subjects and I switched schools.

We both lived our lives separately, to my surprise, every passing day was bearable without you, your memory was still well tacked up in my brain but I was surviving. Years passed and I'm still alive, unlike the fear that used to roam in my head.



"Grace!" My mom shouted downstairs.

"Yes?"

"Your cellphone is ringing!"

I run down the stairs to where the phone was. "Who is it?"

"I don't know it was an unknown number. Might be important though."
My heart leaped for whatever reason it was. 

I took the phone from my mom and pressed the answer key. "Hello?"

"Grace?" I stood frozen at the sound of the voice. It was long ago but I remembered it like it was just yesterday and not three years.

"Would you see me?" you asked.

"Sure! when? I missed you by the way!" My voice sounded happy but tears started falling down my eyes, the memories flashing before my eyes.

......

I look at Carlos intently and at the piece of paper in his hand as I tell a story, my story and maybe his also.

"Sorry," He says, handing me the letter I wrote the next day after the kiss. I shake my head and look up at his face.

"Nah, it's yours. And don't ever be sorry, maybe it was inevitable. I still believe in destiny, I still consider you my soulmate-" I hold up my hand to stop him from butting in, "One of my soulmates. You see I don't believe that we have one soulmate there is more than one, it depends. For me it's like this, as we search for love, we meet people that become significant in our lives. Changing us, for the better or worse but one thing is certain. It wasn't coincidental that we meet them, because they are our destined ones. Every time we meet one of these people, and as they finish the task in our lives, part of our soul was also given back to us. This process would go on until the one who bears the most comes. I don't regret every single memory I have of you, well most of it." I laugh as I finished what I am saying.

"Thank you." I smile at him. "So you're coming to my wedding?"

"Of course. I wouldn't miss it for the world! It's my best friend's wedding!"
 




......


AUTHOR'S NOTE:
Hi! This is my first time here. I'm a bit hesitant but here I am. Next time I'll make it to join the contest. Thank you.

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