Seasons of love - Short story

SEASONS OF LOVE

by: The Little Prince

Chapter 1- WINTER

I was driving on the road. I can see those little snowflakes falling from the skies. I can feel the chill inside my car as I travel. The road on a winter night is quite dangerous. Yet I need to go home. I need to feel the warmth of my bed, the safety of my room, the comfort of my home. Suddenly, a bright light appeared nowhere and…

oOoOo

The sun hadn't shown up. It still hides itself amidst the clouds above the blue horizon. Snow was everywhere, and it only mean one thing~its already winter. The city was cold and bustling, with busy people walking, talking and moving everywhere, resumed to their normal lives.

I was walking then in the sidewalk, thinking if I should prefer coffee to cappuccino 'till a girl caught my attention. She was just an ordinary gal, like the thousands of others out there. But she was no ordinary to me. She made my heart beat so fast~so fast that I can hardly breathe. “The woman of my dreams!” I exclaimed. She accidentally dropped her wallet along the road unknowingly. But despite to those uncanny things that happened to me, I still don't care. A man picked the wallet and ran. Must be a pickpocket, I thought. But as I listened to the lovers behind me talking about their "Destiny", I decided to run after her to know her name. She had just crossed the street. I crossed too but unfortunately, she was gone.

I went home that night half- hearted. I thought that I had found what I am looking for~the woman of my dreams.In my mind, as I lay in my bed, I wish to meet her once more. I sighed. I told myself that the world might be small enough to make us meet.

Days and weeks passed, and the winter was gone. But still, the feeling was still there, inside my heart.    

Chapter 2- SPRING

Flowers blooming, trees growing, people winding. The city was full of life again. The sun was done from hiding, extending it's rays to Earth. I was getting ready for school when I saw a familiar face~it was her! The girl that I saw at the sidewalk, the girl that made me smile. I wanna run after her, but my feet was trembling so much! Five minutes passed till I decided to put down my fears and go after her. But it was too late, she was gone.

I was late in arriving to school. To my surprise, she was introduced by our adviser as our new classmate. I wanna shout for joy! Then I found out that her name was Toni~Toni Ferrulo to be exact. B the time she was introducing herself, I got the chance to see her on a closer look. She ain't that beautiful, as I had appreciated before, but she was extremely attractive. The thing that makes her simple is her style. She wasn't elaborate on her looks. And that makes me like her more.

Soon we became best friends. We then know each other so well. We've shared and knew each others secrets, but the only secret I kept to myself is my feelings to her.

Due to my playfulness, I got a girlfriend. There was once that we were kissing with my girlfriend at the back of our campus when Toni caught us. As expected, my girlfriend and I were interrupted. Instead of panicking or bursting into laughter, Toni stayed calm and told us to go on. Then she left.

The next day, I found her at the park, alone with her eyes swollen. I asked her if she was okay, then she answered me with a smile. But I know that deep inside, she was hurt.

At night, I realized she was really hurt, so I decided to talk to her. When I arrived at their house, her mother told me that she had just recently took the last trip to their province, where she would spend the rest of the summer. I flew to the Bus station, only to find that she was gone.

The dawn is breaking then. I do feel the warm touch of the sun on my face. Spring had just passed away, and summer is coming.

Chapter 3: SUMMER

The array of light touched and awakened my senses... And as I stood by the terrace I know that one thing is for sure--my days wont be the same without her. I took a bath, wore my plaid shirt and blue jeans and started to walk towards the park. I watched the sun blazing above me--it is summer. Plants opened their leaves as if it has been too long since they touched the warmth of the sun. Its as if the whole universe is glad for thus brand new day, well except me. I sat on the bench thinking if I am just over thinking things or am I just overreacting, when a thing caught the glimpse of my eye--the wishing well. I am not a superstitious type of a person, but this time I will take every possible way to see her. So I took a coin and tossed it in the well, and wished that I might see her.

"So what does my unsuperstitious friend wishes?" Said a familiar voice.
I turned my head, and time moves like a slo-mo when I saw her face, It was her!
"Does your logical, impeccable reasoning disagrees on supersti-" Then i hugged her real tight. To her surprise, she suddenly stood frozen. After a moment I spoke,
"I missed you"
"Well...I-I missed you too..."
"Can we walk around and, you know, talk?"
"Sure..."
And we spend the whole day talking and talking and talking...

oOoOo

On the afternoon she dragged me towards the bay, telling me that we must see something. Then we sat by the bay walk. After a few moments, the sun begins to set. The crimson-flooded sea makes me feel happy and sad. Happy because my wish came true, but sad because sunset reminds me of one thing. All things has an end. Out of the blue she asked,
"Which do you like most? The sunrise or the sunset"
"I prefer the sunrise, because it makes me happy. It tells me that a new day has come. Sunset is quite a bit sad, and I dont like sunset much. It makes me sad.
"Well for me I like the sunset."
"Why?"
"Simple. Ever wonder why the sunset is very beautiful? Because it is a promise. A promise that it will return. A promise that after the long hours of darkness there will be light once more.”

In that moment I felt it in my heart that I had lover her more. She was no ordinary girl to me. For me she was someone, perhaps she was the one.

And hand in hand, we walked in the bay walk, not thinking the past or the future, just savoring every moment while she was next to mine and I to her.

The season has passed, so as that moment. But I know that it will stay in my heart forever...

We walked on the pavement, we parted ways. I thought of telling her my feelings, but when I turned around, she was gone. The summer has passed, leaves are falling, and I know that this moments seasons are changing ..

Chapter 4- FALL

Trees started to wilt. Leaves descend as I walked through the park, like it was softly raining on me. Once again, Fall has come, I said to myself. The cherry blossoms fell as if it was signifying pain, farewell, death. But I want to take it away from my mind. There is a weird feeling that domineered my senses, and I felt a sudden pang of doom.

As I walked through the pavement, I remembered the time I first saw Toni. She was still as attractive as ever. Its been two months and I have never seen her till then. I started missing her smile. Her touch. Her existence. My heart gets heavier every time I walked towards home. Something invisible is pulling me towards Toni. I turned my backed and walked. I need to see Toni. I will tell her this feeling that I got inside me. But as I got nearer and nearer to their house, a feeling of dread started to engulf me. I faced the door of their house, with trembling hands I pressed the doorbell. Then I pressed it again. A woman wearing a nurses' uniform and two men stood on the front door. My heart races as if I am being chased by death. Then with much courage, I asked,
"Where's Toni?"
Then the nurse answered,
"Signiorina is in her room, are you expected?"
"No, but I..."
Then the two men dragged me away from the Mansion. I started shouting Toni's name, but for no avail. Rain started to pour above me. Every drop dissolves my strength, every thunder silences my screams. I know there is something that they are keeping from me... I know there is...

oOoOo

After almost a month, I received a phone call. It was Toni's number! I almost jumped because of joy. But when I answered the phone, It was a woman's voice.
"Is this Daniel?"
"Yes, this is Dan, mam. May I spea-"
"Please come to our mansion now. I know you know where Toni lives"
Then the phone hung up. I got dressed up, ran towards their Mansion, and a middle-aged woman opened the front-door for me. I entered the mansion. Their house was elegant. I assume that Toni's family is well-off. Then on the side table I saw a face so familiar to me.
"That was Toni when she was twelve. That was after her first operation. Toni suffered a Congenital Heart Failure since her birth. Doctors said that she will not last long. But I believe that it was God's will to let her stay longer. Her heart started to get strong this past winter. She said something--or someone kept her strong. She saw a man last winter on a coffee shop that really captured her heart. Then she started stalking you. I find it funny and amusing that my little girl is deeply hit by Cupid's arrow. She even transferred from the prestigious university where I enrolled her to your university. She even took a course that she hated--Mathematics. I let her be, thinking that life is short, and me being an overprotective mother might make things worst. But as I feared, her illness really took over her.that time when you were standing on the front porch, was the time when Toni had her last breath. It was her request to stop you going inside. She doesn't want to hurt you, she never wanted to leave you. But her time is done. She died smiling, as she called your name, and the name of the Lord."

My eyes grew heavy, and I didn't notice the tears that rolled from my eyes. As I held the picture frame, I remembered all the moments that Toni and I spent. I remembered her words, I remembered her eyes, I remembered the sunset. Its as if time and universe stopped to lament with my pain. I broke down and cried.

"Before she left, she wrote this letter for you.", and she handed me the letter.

"Where is she now?", I asked.
"At our ancestral tomb.", Toni's mother answered.

Her mother took me to their ancestral tomb. An eerie feeling shrouded me as I walked towards her tomb. And I read:

Toni Ferrulo
1920-1943

From loving family

"Sunset is a promise"

I was too late, she was gone...

Then leaves started to fall once more. A gentle breeze touched my face, and I turned my back from her tomb, a tear rolled down my cheek, and I whispered,
"I love you Toni, I always will..."

Chapter 5- WINTER

All I can see is the whiteness of the place. I can feel the soft bed at my back. I can feel a little sting in my back. I can hardly move. Even if I can, I don’t want to. I want to rest. I want to stay there. I want to grieve…
“He’s awake!” a woman shouted. I can see a little cross above my head. Then, a doctor went towards me and stuck an apparatus in my chest.
“Heartbeat, normal. Brain Activity, normal. Vital signs, increasing…” faint voices are all that I can hear around me. They are too busy checking me… till I can feel that my eyes went heavy…

oOoOo

“You were in a coma.” The doctor told me. “You were lucky that you survived that accident”
“How--how long am I in a coma?” I slowly asked
“Almost a week”
So all of it was a dream? I thought…

oOoOo

The sun hadn't shown up. It still hides itself amidst the clouds above the blue horizon. Snow was everywhere, and it only mean one thing~its already winter. The city was cold and bustling, with busy people walking, talking and moving everywhere, resumed to their normal lives.

I was walking then in the sidewalk, thinking if I should prefer coffee to cappuccino 'till a girl caught my attention. She was just an ordinary gal, like the thousands of others out there. But she was no ordinary to me. She made my heart beat so fast—so fast that I can hardly breathe. “The woman of my dreams!” I exclaimed. She accidentally dropped her wallet along the road unknowingly. I then realized, this is all a déjà vu! Everything in my dream, they are all happening! I must not waste time. I must act. I must change my Fate! It is never too late! Then I ran as fast as I could. Swiftly, I crossed the street. I can’t see her! I must not surrender! I ran towards the pavement and searched for her.
There she is! I ran towards her and yelled “Excuse me Miss!”
As she turned her head towards me, it’s as if time stopped around us. It’s as if there was nobody there but us. She made my world came into a halt. Then she spoke,
“Is there anything that I can help?”
I went towards her and held her hand, gave the wallet to her, and said,
“You dropped this”
“Thank you!” she said happily, and as I looked into her eyes, I know, and I promised that I will never lose her anymore…

oOoOo

“Do you know? I prefer sunset over sunrise. Because…”
“Because it is a promise. A promise that it will return. A promise that after the long hours of darkness there will be light once more.” I interrupted. She was frozen as she listened to every word that I speak.
“How did you know that?” she asked, astounded.
“Destiny, perhaps?” she gave me the sweetest smile in the world. A smile that took my breath away.
As we walked home, hand in hand, my entire dream went back to me. But I worry no more. Because since that winter day, when I changed the fate for both of us, I see it in my heart, she will never be gone… not anymore…

END