Wednesday, December 9, 2009

OVER DONUTS AND HOT CHOCOLATE

This is a flash fiction romance I wrote for my Literature elective on Romance. It garnered a 4.0. Isn't that nice? Enjoy.



OVER DONUTS AND HOT CHOCOLATE


“You have to leave.” I told him, my eyes watering.

“I can’t do it.” He said, staring at the untouched donuts on the table.

Both of us weren’t in the mood to eat. I couldn’t even fathom why we’re here at this godforsaken place, eating donuts and drinking hot chocolate. Donuts and hot chocolates are supposed to be for happy people and should be eaten over happy conversations. And this is not it.

“It’s your dream. You love your job.” He had this job in Amnesty International and had to leave next week for Saudi Arabia.

“But I love you more.”

I tried to laugh but I choked over it and tears came out instead. Crap. “You’re making this harder for both of us.”

“I will stay here in Manila.”

“Why?” I asked, my vision getting blurrier by the second. I know what he’ll say but I asked anyway.

“Because you’re here.”

I tried to laugh again but more tears came out. My friends tried to dissuade me from seeing him because he’s already 27 and I’m only 17. But I’m in love with him. Heck, I’m crazy about him. I’d do anything for him - except this. Anything but this.

“I already told you. Two choices. Go with me or I’ll stay here with you,” he said.

“I already told you.” I looked at him across the table and I wanted to weep. I couldn’t go with him. I just couldn’t. I knew how they treat women in Saudi. It’s a man’s world. The free spirited, reckless me will not survive there. I’ll get into trouble. That’s right, I’m his little trouble maker, and I know that if I stay with him in Saudi my spirit will wilt and die. I will not be content there. “I can’t go with you.”

Demurely and with poise, I dabbed the tissue paper on my eyes, just like actresses do; when what I really wanted was to scream and weep. I took a deep breath. “I know you would not be happy here. Also, I don’t want to deprive of the people in Saudi of your help.”

That was the reason why he went to the Philippines in the first place – to fix some documents regarding his mission in Saudi Arabia. Now that’s its fixed, he had to go back.

“I don’t want to go.”

“Liar.” I told him. He may be happy here if he stays with me but he will not be content. He will be restless and at the back of his mind, there will always be that memory of his mission. “That’s not entirely true.” If I let him stay, there will come a time when he’ll hate me because I allowed him to stay and withdraw from his mission.

I counted to ten and took a deep breath. I opened my eyes, my red rimmed, bloodshot eyes and said, “Go.”

He looked at me from across the table and looked at me intently. Then he closed his eyes, took a deep breath and stood up. He leaned across the table and kissed me lightly on the lips. He straightened and looked at me as if trying to memorize my features. Then he turned around, and walked away.

I stared at the untouched donuts and hot chocolate, and I realized that other people were wrong. Donuts and hot chocolates could also be for unhappy people that were having unhappy conversations. I picked up a donut and took a bite.





2 comments:

Anonymous said...

nice read! so is this based on le jerk?

Paige said...

Haha. This is not based on Le Jerk. Haha. This guy isn't a jerk at all. :)

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