Short Story

Noong bata pa ako . . .

Mayroon akong kaibigan na hindi ko makakalimutan.
Simula pa ng bata ako lagi na akong may sakit. Labas pasok ako sa ospital kaya wala akong
masyadong kaibigan. Lagi niya akong dinadalaw . . .
Kathleen , kapag gumaling ka na . . .”
Maglaro tayo.”
Kaso hindi ko na maalala ‘yung pangalan niya.

Bakit ba lagi kang naka-ipit?”

Si Ashley. Kaibigan ko siya . Nakilala ko siya noong nag High school na ako.
Bakit? Hindi ba bagay?”
Palagi kasi akong nakaipit ng ponytail. Wala lang nasanay na ako.

Hindi naman para kang bata.”

BATA? Sabagay Highschool na kami. T_T
Haha. Ang sabihin mo hindi mo pa din nakakalimutan ‘yung lalaki sinasabi mo.”
Si Michelle. ANG DALDAL! Sabi ko secret! Kaibigan ko din siya. Kapit-bahay ko sila. Lumipat sila sa
lugar namin mga GRADE 6, kami. Ang saya ko nga noon eh siya yung una kong kaibigan after
makalabas ako ng ospital. Kaya madami na siyang alam tungkol sakin kasi nagkukuwento ako sa
kanya. Sa totoo lang tama siya, lagi akong nag-iipit kasi ‘nung bata pa ako sabi kasi ng kaibigan ko
sakin . . .

Lagi kang mag-ipit . . .”

. . .gusto kong nakikita ‘yung mukha mo.”

Sinong lalaki?”
Nacucurious tuloy si Ashley. Hindi ko pa kasi nakukuwento sa kanya. OH-OH.
Mich! Wag ka nga maingay!”
Tinakpan ko ‘yung bibig niya. Ito talagang babaeng ‘to ang daldal.
Sabi niya nakilala niya ‘yung boy ‘noon sa ospital ‘noong bata pa siya.”
Shortcut ang kwento ni MICH! Pero tama siya hindi nga lang kumpleto.

Wala ng pag-asa. Hindi mo na siya makikita, ang tagal nap ala.”

Sabi ni ASH. Hindi ko na siya makikita? Oo nga. Mahirap ng mahanap siya. Childhood memory ko yun
bakit ba?
Oo nga. Isa pa high school na tayo. Kalimutan mo na. Hanap na lang tayo ng mas gwapo.”
Pero gusto ko siyang Makita ulit kahit isang beses. Okay lang kahit hindi niya na ako makilala.
Nagbabakasakali lang naman ako. . .”
. . . malay niyo makasalubong ko siya.”
Hindi natin alam. Ayaw kong sumuko. SUS, umandar nanaman ang imagination ko. Kinikilig ako mag-
isa. Siguro, ang gwapo na niya ngayon. ^_^

Oo nga . . . naalala ko na. Mayroon nga pala transfer student sa second year. Gwapo daw.”
Nakita ko na din siya. Ang gwapo talaga . . . CRUSH ko na siya.”
Ano kayang pangalan niya?”
Aba't nag-usap mag-isa. HMP! Haha ito talagang mga kaibigan ko.

Hindi na sila nakikinig. Ito talagang dalawang ‘to.”

Hi. Im Kathleen. Freshman student.
Noong elementary pa ako, sobrang hina ng katawan ko dahil sa asthma ko. Kaya palagi akong
naiiwan mag-isa sa bahay, they decided to confined me at the hospital to got medical attention dahil
parehas na busy sila Mama at Papa. Si Lola lang ang dumadalaw sa kin so lonely mag-isa lang ako
palagi sa kwarto back then wala akong kaibigan. Isang araw lumabas ako ng kwarto ko. . .
Tapos nakilala ko siya . . . naaksidente ‘yung Daddy niya. Hit and Run.
Kathleen, sana gumaling ka na.”
Lagi siyang pumupunta sa kwarto ko since magtatabi lang ‘yung kwarto namin ng Daddy niya. Siya
lang ‘yung kaibigan ko . . .
Para sayo.”
Ponytail?”
Siya pa nga nag-ipit sakin eh. Gulo-gulo nga lang . . .
Lagi kasing nakaharang ‘yung buhok mo sa mukha mo. . .”
. .gusto kong Makita ‘yung mukha mo.”
Para sakin siya napaka-importante niya . . .
Isang araw, hindi ko na siya na kita sabi ng nurse nakalabas na daw ‘yung Daddy niya. Hindi man lang
ako nakapagpaalam sa kanya. Sobrang lungkot ko noo dahil siya lang ang nag-iisang kaibigan ko.
Makikita ko pa kaya siya? Gusto kong makita siya ulit.
Once in a city there was a girl Ashley. She was an open minded girl with cool attitude. Her father was a
cop in that city. She had joined graduation in nearby university. On the first day, she imagined that, all
people would be more intelligent with mature look. After entering into the class she felt uncomfortable
from inside, but acted to be comfortable form the outside. The classmates were not cool, she felt. She
made friends with the girls in the class. At the end of the day, when she was on the way home, she
was talking to other girls and suddenly said, “I expected boys to be cool, but in this university most of
them are totally average.” One of the classmates listened to that, and said to other boys, what her
opinion was about them. Most of the boys got annoyed but kept quiet.

The days were passing and Ashley was getting used to the university and other activities. The boys
totally ignored her by not talking with her. She thought that, I don’t need boys. It’s their wish. After few
months she fell in love with a boy Alexander. Alexander was her classmate, and he hated her more
than any girls in his life. She started to talk with him, even though he tried to avoid her. One day
Alexander asked Ashley, “What’s your problem? Stop bugging me. I’m not interested in talking with
you.”

“What mistake did I make? I just like to be friend with you. That’s it. Is there anything wrong with that?”
Ashley responded.

“Look Ashley! I’ve work to do, and leave me alone. And try not to talk to me ever again.” Alexander
responded harshly.

“Okay! Fine! I won’t disturb you. But tell me the reason for your anger?” Ashley posed a question.

“Why are asking me? What happen to all this month’s when you were not at all talking to any boys?
And all of a sudden you came and started to talk as if you don’t know anything.” Alexander continued,
“Try to analyze yourself and then get back to me, if you really want to know the true reason.”

“I never did any mistake in my life. I don’t have to analyze without doing any mistake.” Ashley
continued, “You must’ve mistaken with me. When you find out you will come and talk to me on that
day.”

“Ha Ha Ha. That’s really funny. Okay we’ll see.” Alexander said and walked out of the room.

After Alexander went outside Ashley bowed her head down and slowly from her eyes tears was rolling
out and it went on for a while and then she stopped. She was so upset and after reaching home her
mother asked, “What happened honey, your face is not charming at all.”

“Nothing mom, just not feeling well.” Ashley responded and went to her room upstairs.

In deep down inside her thoughts, her subconscious mind started to tell, “What went wrong, analyze
yourself.”

“Now even you started to give me an advice. Great.” Ashley spoke to herself

“It’s better to solve the issue than make it worse. Think of it. It’s up to you.” Ashley’s subconscious
mind responded and kept quit.

Ashley started to analyze herself but unfortunately she was becoming mad to find out the reason and
got nothing but headache. On the next day she went directly to Alexander and stood in front of him.
He was just staring at her and she was waiting weather he would talk first. He saw her for few seconds
and started to walk away. She was astonished and shouted, “Alexander!” He stopped and turned
around. Ashley went near to Alexander’s face and asked, “What you can see in my eyes.”

“Water!” Alexander responded

“Do you know why it came?” Ashley asked a question.

“Why you’re asking me? How would I know?” Alexander continued, “May be due to dust.”
“Don’t act funny. It’s because of you my eyes is filled with water.” Ashley said.

“I didn’t poke in your eyes; neither put a sand or dust. You can’t blame me girl.” Alexander responded
with a serious look.

“I was thinking about the thing you said yesterday and entire night I couldn’t sleep.” Ashley continued,
“I came to you to say, ‘I LOVE YOU’ but you don’t have a heart to accept my love.”

“Wow! That’s good to hear from you.” Alexander stared at her and continued, “Do you know that ‘I
LOVED YOU’ as the day I first saw you, but you don’t deserve it at all.”

“What! Are you joking?” Ashley said and asked, “Then why you’re hurting me like this. I’ve never seen
a person to hurt whom they love.”

“I said, ‘I LOVED YOU’ Did I mention now I’m in love with you.” Alexander continued, “Do you know
what your problem is?”

“I was searching for your problem with me, never thought other way around.” Ashley continued, “I
would appreciate if you can tell me what I did wrong with you in the past.”

“On the first day when I was coming behind you to propose you, you suddenly said to you colleagues
and friends that, ‘Boy are not cool in this university.’ By listing to those words I saw the evil side of you
towards boys” Alexander continued, “May be after that if you had spoken to other boys it would’ve
been better, but you always ignored everyone, and now you came to me because you love me.
Otherwise! You would’ve not even spoken with me now also.”

“It was not like that. On that day everyone started to comment on the boys in that manner, and I also
said in that way. Beside I’m bit scared to talk with boys apart from that, why I would’ve kept so distance
with everyone.”

“Look! If everyone likes to die and go to hell, will you follow them blindly are you will use your brain?”
Alexander exclaimed, “If you want to prove your love, try to make the things better in our campus. Be
friendly with everyone and gain their friendship. Then I’ll consider your proposal.”

Kelly was in shock with that long conversation with Alexander. She was puzzled, because she doesn’t
know from where to start to bring back the things to normal. She started to talk with boys by asking for
pen, book, assignment, Xerox copy and many more. The boys in the class were not spoken to her
properly. She was intelligent, so she started to use her knowledge to explain to the average
intelligence level boys and made friends with them. Other boys also started to like her attitude and all
of a sudden everything changed according to the she wanted. Alexander was pleased with her style
and went near her. Kelly suddenly turned and saw that Alexander was in front of her. She said,
“Thanks for everything.”

“No need. What you learn out of this?” Alexander aroused a question.

“Well! First of all, I learn that life would be great with plenty of friends around us. Secondly, all boys
are not bad, there are even good guys in an around us.” Ashley responded with a cute smile.

“That’s really good to hear from you Kelly.” Alexander continued, “I want to say to something and I
want to give you one thing.”

“What is it?” Ashley asked with curiosity.

“Not now. Evening before living the campus, meet me I’ll tell you.” Alexander said and went back to his
desk and sat down.

Ashley was so excited and she waited till evening. She felt that the time suddenly started to tic slowly.
At last in evening she went near to Alexander and asked, “You were telling something in the morning.
What is it?”
“I never thought that this day would come. First let me give you the thing which belongs to you.”
Alexander continued, “Close your eyes. Please!”

“Okay!” Ashley said and closed her eyes.

Alexander was tensed but acted bravely and kissed her. She was shocked, surprised and happy. After
kissing her, he said, “I LOVE YOU.” Continued, “Will you marry me?”

“Yes! I will.” Ashley responded and from that time onwards they had a great life. After completion of
their graduation they got married and made their life enjoyable.

The moral of the story is that, in life everyone has to have friends. There will be good and a bad person
in our society and surroundings, but it doesn’t mean that all are bad. Even if a person have rotten
attitude, if you speak with them in a positive manner you can still have a chance to change them.
Changes of the surrounding starts with the way you start to think and do, not in the way of seeing and
hearing.