If this had been any other day, he’d be sweating like mad running up the hills of Porta Solas. If this had been an ordinary day, he’d probably be just about to finish a good book. And if this had been every bit as normal a day could get, he’d probably be staring at the window, gazing at the moon as he waits for the dream-giver to arrive. But today wasn’t any other day, wasn’t an ordinary day nor was it every bit as normal. No. Today and for the two past months, he’d been staying up late, forsaking sleep and the books piled just to talk with her. About anything. About everything.

For the most part of his life, he’d been quite the idealist. He’d choose to sleep instead of going to bars. He’d rather have milk than beer. He’d have salad without dressing. He’d always go for the safe, most normal, mundane, most inconspicuous choices. He stayed away from things he’d been told to avoid. In other words, he’s been playing it safe ever since he could remember. Now, his life would have gone along this way, maybe even up to the end, hadn’t he made an abrupt turn. In hindsight, it wasn’t really his turn to make. Part of it, he believed, was destiny, and the other part of it was his heart’s decision.

In a sudden moment of enlightenment, the answers to most of his questions dawned on him. They say people do crazy things when they’re in love. He knew now that this statement holds truth for those who are not in love, but for those who are, the things they do aren’t really crazy—not anymore—they’re more in line with things that were, well, necessary. Most smokers know smoking is dangerous, but they smoke anyway, because a part of them is fulfilled. It’s evident that the things that didn’t matter before, now do. And though living a healthy life was part of his goal, he’d give that up too, if only to remain in her presence every waking minute. He’d risk his life, his health and everything he once held dear, because his life no longer was his own; she was his life now.

And living a life that’s safe, that’s healthy but without her, could never seem enticing to him again. He has found a better source of nourishment. And in his mind, he’s found the best way to live—with her—all day; all night.

I’ve learned to be fond of my broken nose, the numerous moles on my face and my eyebrows. I’ve learned to like the way I breathe, the way I speak, the way I run away from fights and the way I scowl at disappointments. I’ve learned to like the way I walk, the way I sing and the way I flush the toilet. I’ve learned to admire the way my belly protrudes after a good meal, the roughness of my hands and the color of my skin. I’ve learned to value my honesty, my sensitivity and my deep affinity for touch, hugs and kisses. I’ve learned to think highly of my ability to run long distances, the way I step away from the pan when frying eggs and the way I organize my things. I’ve learned to appreciate my reflection in the mirror and the gaze that stares back at me.

I’ve learned to be happy being me, no matter what. And most of all, I’ve learned to love myself, being convicted of the fact that no one else will ever see how it is to look at life in rosy hues.

The moment Gabrielle woke up was the moment she started to cry. She stared at the open window as the sky slowly faded into greys and blues, darkening with every second that passed. She gently sat up and gawked at the pillow where her tears have dried. With tears in her eyes she scanned her room. Books, paintings of every bird she had seen, and a candle that had burned out.

She pulled her long, golden hair gently from under her bed where it’s been carefully coiled and arranged. She wrapped it around her arms, carefully circling it like she has all her life. She moved closer to the window and climbed up its sill. Tears continued to roll down her cheeks as she painstakingly made a noose out of her hair. With force she threw the noose onto one of the wooden beams that supported the tower roof until it came back to her and threw it again. She did this for three times and when the noose reached the level of her head, she pulled it several times to check if it didn’t budge and it didn’t.

Tears stopped rolling from her eyes as she stared at the magnificent forest below her. Her mouth was slightly open in wonder as a flock of birds passed by. The sun was setting and from her eyes reflected the soft golden rays. Today marked her eighteenth year in this tower and she didn’t plan to stay for another day. She firmly pressed her hands around the noose she made, closed her eyes as she placed it around her neck. She never wanted this solitude, yet no one ever came. And she deeply feared that no one ever would.

A faint sound of a galloping horse nearing was the last thing she heard.

***

Tower picture credit here

Oh it’s sad to belong to someone else when the right one comes along. Isn’t that how the song goes?

Darkness has engulfed the whole stretch of the West Palm Beach as Elena drove along the gentle curves of the road. She could see the twinkling reflection of lights on the dark waters of the sea from where she sat. Although the night was too cold for comfort, she left the car windows open, making her cheeks icy as tears quietly rolled down. She glanced at the diamond on her finger and it glistened as she passed by a lamp post. She looked back at the road and wondered what she could have done wrong in her life to deserve this. She thought she was happy, but not until Ryan came. No. Ryan changed everything.

She knew it wasn’t right, but deep down inside it was everything she ever hoped for. Only then when she looked into Ryan’s eyes did she feel emotions she has never felt with George. They can’t even be compared. These were feelings she never even thought possible for her to feel. And that’s why she didn’t understand why she was driving 60 miles per hour now with every minute going farther away from Ryan and ever closer to George.

Oh George. He was a good man. She knew he’d never hurt her. He’ll provide for her always, and he loved her so much. She tapped the steering wheel in frustration. This makes it all the more difficult for her. She didn’t want to hurt him, didn’t want to make him suffer for things he didn’t deserve.

Elena’s heart ached stronger as she recalled how the past week with Ryan went. It was nothing short of perfect save for the fact that she was engaged. She could easily blame Ryan for tempting her; he knew all along. Oh but it just happened. Love happens, she supposed. Doesn’t it? Elena knew that Ryan tried to resist her too, but somehow they always ended up together. Meeting at places and situations they didn’t expect. Could they be victims of coincidences? No matter how Elena rationalized things, she knew that what happened has happened, and though she knew she cheated on George, she didn’t quite find any form of regret inside her. Leaving Ryan tonight was the hardest thing she had to do, of that she was certain.

Elena reached home 27 minutes past 10pm. She opened the door and immediately caught sight of the only thing vivid in the room. She didn’t even like this wedding dress, she thought. Placed at the center of her sitting room, she approached it and touched the gentle wavy lace that decorated it. Tomorrow is coming too fast for her, for everything. It’s so unfair. She couldn’t imagine herself walking down that aisle for George, it just didn’t seem right so she closed her eyes and imagined Ryan waiting there by the altar. There. “I do,” she gently whispered.

Oh it’s sad to belong to someone else when the right one comes along. That, she thought, was a colossal understatement. 

Any new word/phrase contributions? :) Give me anything! TA me here. Thanks!

This project is still on-going! You can send me a word or phrase I’ll use it as an inspiration to write something. For those who’ve already sent their word/phrase, you can still send me another, there is no limit as long as you’re willing to wait! :)

Here are 23 compositions I finished writing:

• Romeo (Inspiration: “Woebegone” sent by randooomed)

• Single and Accompanied (Inspiration: “Being single” sent by iamjankenneth)

• Braving Uncertainties Ahead (Inspiration: “Uncertainties ahead” sent by eyesofbiophiliac)

• Your Universe (Inspiration: “Your universe” sent by robertlance)

• The One Thing He Lacked (Inspiration: “Faithfulness” sent by beben-eleben)

• Utopia (Inspiration: “Utopia” sent by funkienokie)

• Exit (Inspiration: “her locked heart was searching for something more” sent by marianne-nicolas)

• Unrequited Love (Inspiration: “Unrequited Love” sent by youpitralala)

• Beep. Beep. Beep. (Inspiration: “Depression is not merely just a state of sadness” sent by lendlklein)

• A Sunrise and A Stranger (Inspiration: “Stranger” sent by batangmahiligkumuha)

• I Love You, But Shouldn’t (Inspiration: “I love you, but I shouldn’t” sent by charlesy)

• The Longest Night (Inspiration: “Longest Night” sent by tsubibongbata)

• Orphanage (Inspiration: “Orphanage” sent by yorence)

• Labyrinth (Inspiration: “Labyrinth” sent by  funkienokie)

• Romantic Confessions (Inspiration: “Romantic confessions” sent by  youpitralala)

• Waking Up From Paris (Inspiration: “Dream” sent by arielmagyawejr)

• Dead Center (Inspiration: “Dead center” sent by bugoyprince)

• When Boy Meets Boy (Inspiration: “When boy meets boy” sent by  funkienokie)

• All He Ever Had (Inspiration: “Music/musicianship” sent by joshmaldito)

• Priya (Inspiration: “I wish time itself would stop today” sent by carbiehydrates

• Saved (Inspiration: “through thick and thin” sent by  carbiehydrates)

• Deafening Silence (Inspiration: “deafening silence” sent by chentryx)

• The Supremacy of the Popular and the Underdog (Inspiration: “the supremacy of the popular and the underdog” sent by noahobi)

THANKS TO EVERYONE who sent their word/phrase contributions! :)

Jessica’s flashy pink convertible made its way into the parking lot. Sweet music blared and the warm sun did everything it could to highlight her strawberry blonde locks. Slowly, she parked the car right on her usual spot, under the tree four cars away from the main entrance. Tomorrow was Election Day and today, she needed every minute she had to make her campaign work. But as anyone in the school could argue, surely it is already enough that she was Head Cheerleader and Captain of the Volleyball Team, and it clearly should be enough that she didn’t have any contender for Student Government Presidency save for some misfit named Margaret who blabbered daily around the corridors about projects she envisioned. Like that’s going to help her, well, sure if the students here were born to families of Bible sellers and freaky do-gooders. No, of course not and Jessica knew better. Students here adored popularity—3,031 Facebook likes on her status update about her Chihuahua getting a new dress couldn’t be wrong.

Some guy opened the entrance doors for her. She gave him a nod like she cared and continued her way inside with her chin held high. She wasn’t even 10 steps in when she heard the annoying sound of her contender’s voice. Margaret, there again, was continuing to mouth her way to her electoral disappointments. Usually she’d ignore her, but Jessica was feeling a bit off today. She assumed that it must be the nerves about tomorrow; believe it or not even popular people get butterflies in their stomachs, too. Or it probably was because she chipped a nail in the shower this morning. Hmmm. Either way, she didn’t want to endure the irritating sound any longer so she accelerated her pace, grabbed the trash receptacle lid made of tin nearby and stood behind Margaret. With all the force she could gather she banged the lid on the lockers nearest Margaret. And when the blabbermouth stopped her speech, Jessica flipped her perfectly conditioned hair and gave the snidest grin she could form.

“That’s more I like it,” she uttered. This is the supremacy of the popular.

***

Margaret was feeling optimistic today. After 2 weeks of inviting passersby to listen to her plans for the school, today, she finally has more than 5 listeners. Finally. It was definitely a good day. She hoped that this development happened weeks ago so she could really relay to people the adamant issues that needed to be addressed. The cafeteria management, students’ rights, toilet paper shortage—these were noteworthy issues and she would have kept her silence if she heard even the slightest concern from Jessica Fields, the most popular bitch girl in school. But no, Jessica had to be Jessica. Margaret knew the Barbie doll was just in this so she could add this to her resume. It’s not like she needs a good job, or even a crappy job at all because she was filthy rich. 

Margaret was just about to tackle student rights issues when the strong smell of perfume saturated her nostrils and this was quickly followed by the loud noise of metal hitting metal. Jessica was repeatedly banging what looked like the cover of a trash can when she turned around. After Margaret had stopped her speech, clearly adding insult to injury, Jessica grinned.  

“That’s more I like it,” the monster with the blonde hair said.

Jessica stepped closer to the trash can and threw the lid on it. It missed and hit the floor loudly.

Margaret saw the opportunity and wasted no time. She took the ink bottle resting on one of the open lockers, uncapped it and threw the ink on Jessica’s hair.

The school corridors were filled with loud shrieks that could only come from a fallen Head Cheerleader as Margaret ran away as fast as she could with a smile on her face. This is the supremacy of the underdog. 

Earlier at lunch, she had dropped her fork. It was classic of her to do things like this. She was clumsy; not as refined as she would want to be. No matter what she did, she’d always end up a little short on being ideal. She dropped her sight to the floor and scanned. When she saw where the fork went, she slowly bent down, but he was already onto it.

He touched the fork first, but with her gained momentum, she couldn’t stop so her hand hit his. They both smiled at this as they slowly sat again. She placed the fork at the far corner of the table. He requested the waiter to hand another fork. Deep inside, she was flying because whenever she was with him, she didn’t feel lacking in anything, she didn’t feel clumsy and more than anything, she delighted in the feeling that she was somehow adequate.

They walked in the park with full stomachs and whiled the time away in the warm afternoon breeze. They talked mostly. They sat on the cool grass and under the dancing leaves of a mahogany tree, she shared her personal thoughts and musings—childhood experiences, adolescent adventures, and adulthood fears. He listened intently and not for a moment did he seem disinterested. She always thought of herself as boring, but with every word she spoke, that thought faded.

She rested her head on his lap as she gazed up, scanning the leaves with the sun constantly peeking, twinkling. When the bright ray hit her eyes she closed them and at that moment, she knew that being near him was everything she wanted. Being with him was as easy as breathing, as natural as a heartbeat.

The hours seemed to fly. The sun had weakened and the crowd in the park thinned. It was already sunset when they started walking to the terminal station. He was holding her hand as she faced him. He kissed her on the left cheek and let go.

And then there was the deafening silence because no words could be uttered to fully reconcile the deep sadness both were feeling at that moment. She walked onto the train unwilling to leave, unable to stay. Trying to grapple with the question, why do hearts which belonged to each other have to be far apart?

Friends! This project will go on as long as you have word(s), phrase(s) and sentence(s) to send me! TA me! Thank you!!! :D

jerardeusebio:

UPDATES (03/09/12)!

Here are 21 compositions I finished writing:

• Romeo (Inspiration: “Woebegone” sent by randooomed)

• Single and Accompanied (Inspiration: “Being single” sent by iamjankenneth)

• Braving Uncertainties Ahead (Inspiration: “Uncertainties ahead” sent by eyesofbiophiliac)

• Your Universe (Inspiration: “Your universe” sent by robertlance)

• The One Thing He Lacked (Inspiration: “Faithfulness” sent by beben-eleben)

• Utopia (Inspiration: “Utopia” sent by funkienokie)

• Exit (Inspiration: “her locked heart was searching for something more” sent by marianne-nicolas)

• Unrequited Love (Inspiration: “Unrequited Love” sent by youpitralala)

• Beep. Beep. Beep. (Inspiration: “Depression is not merely just a state of sadness” sent by lendlklein)

• A Sunrise and A Stranger (Inspiration: “Stranger” sent by batangmahiligkumuha)

• I Love You, But Shouldn’t (Inspiration: “I love you, but I shouldn’t” sent by charlesy)

• The Longest Night (Inspiration: “Longest Night” sent by tsubibongbata)

• Orphanage (Inspiration: “Orphanage” sent by yorence)

• Labyrinth (Inspiration: “Labyrinth” sent by  funkienokie)

• Romantic Confessions (Inspiration: “Romantic confessions” sent by  youpitralala)

• Waking Up From Paris (Inspiration: “Dream” sent by arielmagyawejr)

• Dead Center (Inspiration: “Dead center” sent by bugoyprince)

• When Boy Meets Boy (Inspiration: “When boy meets boy” sent by  funkienokie)

• All He Ever Had (Inspiration: “Music/musicianship” sent by joshmaldito)

• Priya (Inspiration: “I wish time itself would stop today” sent by carbiehydrates

• Saved (Inspiration: “through thick and thin” sent by  carbiehydrates)

THANKS TO EVERYONE who sent their word(s) and phrases! :)

This project is still on-going! You can send me a word or phrase that I can expound on or write about. I will try my best to come up with something. For those who’ve already sent their word/phrase, you can still send me another, there is no limit as long as you’re willing to wait!

She sulked as she realized how very superficial all her efforts were. She painted her nails pretty colors. She did her hair perfectly every single day. She mastered the art of putting on make-up; she knew how to perfectly obscure scars and highlight her features. She put on just the right amount of perfume. And she enchanted everyone with her perfect smile. She did all those things to make him want her more and more, but what he saw in her transcended that.

A tear rolled down her cheeks as she tightly pressed over her heart the note he dropped in her locker for her this morning.

It read:

I just remembered the first time I met you. We were in kindergarten and you were crying because you peed in your pants. I approached you and told you that the same thing happened to me yesterday and that everything would be okay. I hugged you and you hugged me back. Ten years later, I hugged you again after you took that fall from cheer dancing. You hugged me back. And today is our last day in high school and I just want to tell you that during those brief moments that we were hugging, though you weren’t mine yet, I’ve never felt more at peace and secure. Now that you are mine, I always want to acknowledge that. I want to always make you smile, to always make you comfortable and happy. I want to wipe your tears away every time, because you deserve a life full of laughter and joy. I want to be there when you take another fall, to catch you or at least break your fall. I want to lull you to sleep after you tuck our children at bedtime. I want to provide for you and give you everything your heart desires. I want to be all that you need, your universe—capable of doing everything you ever wanted, everything you ever imagined: possible or impossible.

See you at lunch, love.

The sound of the waves woke her up. She was surprised to see that the sun hadn’t risen yet. Last night was her first here on the island and she decided to sleep early. The sky was beginning to display a hint of blue when she left her room. It was a cool February morning and very few people were up at this time. Walking barefoot on the sand, she headed to the wooden dock. She aimed the farthest side and from where she stood she saw that a man was there, too. She could see the water between the slabs of wood that she walked on. She stopped a few meters away from the man who was staring at the horizon, she made sure both of them had their private space. She began to breathe deeply and then placed both of her hands on the wooden railing while closing her eyes.

All of her worries seemed so far away from her, like the distance ensured they mattered no longer. Work has taken a toll on her and this trip made her as spontaneous as she has ever been. She prides herself for facing her problems head on, but doing that for the past few years has been taxing and she decided to take a break from it all. She earned this. Nobody could argue about that.

Anticipating the sunrise at that moment, she realized that she had been busy with things she wasn’t sure were really important. Yes, they were important for the company, but not for her life. It surprised her how this realization just dawned on her now.

You are so young to be engrossed in such unnecessary things. Live a little. Her mom’s voice ringed in her head. Of course, her mom had been a homemaker all of her life; she expected her to be the least intrigued about the ways of the corporate world. But somehow, she knew she was making sense.

What kind of sense her mother had instilled in her she wasn’t able to decipher for at that moment, the man who was a few meters away from her had neared.

“Good morning!”

“Good morning to you, too,” she replied calmly though she found him rather attractive.

“I’m Richard, by the way,” he held out his hand.

She shook it gently and replied, “Hello, I’m Helen.”

“Nice to meet you, Helen… Hey, I was wondering if you were free, maybe we could eat breakfast together at the hotel. I’m a bit starved and I could use some company if you don’t mind,” he said nervously.

She found his expression quite adorable. She looked him in the eyes for a brief moment and then stared at the sky. She looked towards the horizon; the sun had now peaked over the mountains, shining. She has never seen it this way—hopeful.

Her stomach grumbled and they both heard it. She laughed. 

“Alright, I’ll let my tummy speak for itself! Sure.” After all, it did seem like a perfect day to spend with a stranger and who knows, maybe she might even live a little.

She laid her head gently on the sand as the faint light from the sunset gently touched her cheeks. The sun faded and the night settled in. The black skies were strewn with stars tonight and the distant sound of waves crashing on the shore perfected the mood. She placed her arms above her head and savoured the salty air. How could life get any better?

He was looking at the horizon when she glanced at him. He slowly turned to her and sat beside her. He reached for her hand and brought it closer to his face. He kissed it softly. He then pressed it onto his chest, right on top of his heart. His heartbeat seemed to scream amidst the quietness of the night. She slowly sat up and hugged him tightly.

“Thank you for rescuing me from my past. For fighting my fears and insecurities. For making me believe everything I ounce doubted. Thank you for saving me from myself,” she softly whispered in his ears.

Tonight, her heart was silent, peacefully content, knowing that the person she was sure would continue to be with her through thick and thin, was by her side. She gazed at the dark space above trying so hard to grapple the fact that she was somehow favoured by the heavens. The reason for it, she couldn’t fathom, she just couldn’t, even if she tried. And it didn’t matter now. Not really. What’s important was now and the forever that waits to be conquered.

Lajpat Nagar, South New Delhi, India - 1:17pm 

Priya was sitting, her best sari donned on her. She was restless. Her eyes browsed the marketplace crowd. She has been like this for two days and she worried that her mother might notice and suspect something was of the matter. But what other choice did she really have? She very well knew now that in the pursuit of love, people can do foolish things. But was she in love? She was 23, what could she possibly know about love?

All she knew was that while she was sitting in for her mother at their shop a few days ago, a man she has never seen before came by. His camera was dangling from his neck, obviously a tourist. He was looking for cloths which he could bring back home. He had a certain charm which was hard to miss. Everything seemed normal enough, though until that moment when their eyes met. She couldn’t quite understand, but it was like, at that moment, something in her started to burn. Not the kind that hurts, but the kind that makes your heart beat faster. In that single moment, time itself seemed to stop and she was caught unguarded. The stack of cloths she was carrying fell to the floor as her arms lost their strength. She immediately snapped out of the haze and quickly went on her knees to gather the cloths. He almost dived down after her to help. Their hands accidentally touched and the electricity was undeniable. She stood up and thanked him profusely. She smiled at him and he continued his gaze on her, enchanted. She blushed.

He ended up buying almost half of the store’s goods. She watched him as he walked away. Before he came out of her sight, he looked back, waving. She was still smiling.

Today, she sat at the same spot and observed the crowd, waiting for a man. The heat was almost unbearable. She just wiped her forehead when a man with a camera came into her view. He came back. She was smiling when he faced her. They looked at each other with the same intensity as the first.

She was 23, what could she possibly know about love? Maybe nothing. Maybe everything.

This entry, as well as ”All He Ever Had” are spin-offs from my previous composition, “Dead Center”.