1123

If I remember it right, 1123 was his condo unit in the Arizona Tower along the filthy street of  P.Campa.

This is the story of how I met the perfect man.

He had the perfect eyes, the perfect brows to match the perfect eyes,  the perfect natural hair color, the perfect soft slithered lips, the perfect 5’10” stand, the perfect skin tone, the perfect hands. He wore the perfect surfer shirts, played the perfect bball games, drove the perfect red bmw. He listened to the perfect songs, he thought of the perfect ideas. He has the perfect black scarf. He gave me that perfect cuddle. We had the perfect talks and even the most silent moments, we still felt connected, as I said, it was perfect.  He was, for me, the perfect counterpart.

I met him many years ago in the lobby of the condo he was staying. It was funny how I did because I had those shaky knees catching his glances. I became more than every time I looked at him. Then I became “blushier” when he finally came to walk my towards me. He was like an angel with halos behind him. His scent was lovely.

We always had the perfect late night randezvous in 1123. I came from school because I was a junior then. He was a fresh grad from the same college. Those were the oerfect days of the perfect month. After a month, he was gone with the wind.

The story does not end there though. Of course he was gone but the intensity of how I fell in love with my ideal man did not leave me. I was struck; I was madly in love. I mean, you read it, right? He was perfect.

He was gone for years, probably dealing with the quarter life crisis then which I am having right now. It was very hard for my part though. I’ve grown attached. I know who am I kidding it was only a month but love knows no rules nor time. I was attending classes and hospital duties still wondering about him.I listened to the songs he listened and it would hurt even more. he made a complete fool out of me. I waited for too long while he decided on what to do.  Nevertheless, when the semester ended, I moved on gaining vindication by rocking my grades and making my way to the pilot class of the batch.

I sent him an sms about that. How I’ve done good with my studies because I looked up to him and his visions. It paid back, he replied. And that, was the only time when we talked yet again. Nothing big really, just a couple of text messages and then it ended. I could scream out loud how I moved on over him but my heart always knew what my mind always denied. 

I fell in love again this time. With a different man. You should know by now that when I fall in love, I fall in love in two inevitable ways: deep and hard. Hence came a new boyfriend.

After a few months, he left for a job in a very far away place. He told me he had to see me. Aghast, I said yes.

Again months have passed by, until we talked again. He was coming back to the PI and he told me he wanted to see me again. I did not know what to do. I had a boyfriend and God knows I was in love with my guy. How and why on earth would this man want to see me again? I know, questions like, what does he still want from me, kept bothering me.

I said to myself I wasn’t up for seeing him. It was my decision. It was definitely a NO.

But you know, when you plan so many things ahead, you always end up doing the other way around. I did see him.

Things were going very rough with the boyfriend that made me want to escape. It was January first of this year. I embarked on a bus for a 2-hour ride south of Mla. Come on, you all know where I was headed.

I saw him again. His perfect self. Wore the perfect black jeans, black shirt. He did not change a bit. His scent was still very lovely.  For a good 4 hours of having lunch and staying in the parking lot, you could say my mind was just flying. He was like alcohol. He made me forget the hard times I was going through during those times. And that meet-up was followed by a lot more meet-ups- everywhere we wanted. I must say he was having fun himself. And that just maybe, he died to see me too. He drove for two hours to see me, so maybe he really wanted to do so.

So was I falling for him again? NO but was I enjoying his presence? HELL YES

Then, came the question. THE QUESTION. “why can’t it be us, Ria?”

I smiled. I have thought about this for a long time. And when I say long time, I mean really long.

Him and I, we were not meant to be for each other. We were both the same puzzle piece and then would never complete a puzzle. We were alike in so many ways that it was hard for us to understand each other because we both wanted to be understood.

I said this exact line “whatever we have now, it’s at the best of it”.

Nothing more and nothing less was there to settle on. I would know. Going beyond this point would give us problems and settling less than this would make us only want more. Indeed, whatever we had then, it was at the best of it.

I know for myself it wouldn’t work if I said yes.  I was sane this time- more matured and definitely not madly in love.

I told him he had work waiting for him back there and I had this guy who loves me waiting for me too.

It ended. Not in much words, or closure or whatever you call those things. But it ended- not because it had to or we wanted to, it just did.

He is not mine, was never mine, and never will be mine because this ain’t a movie.

But I’m sure glad I met him.

He, was Marku Domingo.