That Little Comment — A Short Story
14 years ago, she was just a teenager. And it was during a summer holiday after she finished high school. She has a big step to take in front of her: to go and study abroad in a whole new country that she has never been to.
She would be leaving all her high school friends behind and she was quite sad about it. But, at the same time, she knew that she will make many new friends and she’s excited about it. In fact, she had already made 2 new friends who will also go abroad and study with her together. She was so looking forward to this.
Her father had been already working there for like a year. He had prepared accommodation for her and everything. So, she is considered to be one of the lucky ones since she has a family member there to help her eas into the whole new life.
One of the sad things about leaving this town, leaving this country for her is that she won’t be able to see her high school crush again. Not that she’s seeing him every day (not even now and then, after high school), it’s the idea that not being able to see him again for a long time made her wanted to cry.
But, it wasn’t long before she could already replace her high school crush with another guy. That’s how fast her affections change towards her crushes back then. This new guy was her high school classmate. But, she didn’t have any feelings for him before. He was just another geeky high-schooler to her.
She wasn’t a geek, she was a slack during her high school years. But, she ended up with good grades. Thanks to her mother’s constant nagging and strict follow-ups on her academic grades. But, him... Her potential new crush was a total geek. He likes studying. He studied hard to get good grades and he got a hunger for new knowledge. So, he finished high school with better grades than her, of course.
They met again after high school at a seminar, held for students who plan to study abroad after finishing high school. She was there with her mother and he was there with his high school friend. Even though she saw him first, he was the one to call out her name as they met face to face in the hallway outside the seminar hall.
They greeted each other like old friends. But, she avoided calling his name because she couldn’t remember it. She felt too guilty that she kept smiling. Then, the thing that he said made all her smiles faded away. His exact words could be translated into—
“Even you, are here.”
And that makes her sour. Why? Because with her interpretation, it sounded as though she should not be here, meaning that it doesn’t strike to him that she is the kind of person who would plan to go and study abroad. And for your information, back in those days and back in my country, studying abroad is either for rich kids or smart kids. She was frustrated that he saw her as neither.
Although she was bothered by his comment, she didn’t show it. She just let out her frustrations when she got back to her grandparent's house. She told everything about her encounter with him to her grandma. She loves her grandma the most in this whole world and she told her every little thing. Her grandma sided with her and she was pleased after letting it all out.
His little comment made her kept thinking about him even after that incident. And that’s how it all started from that little moment on that day of a seminar.
Spoiler alert: that guy has now already decided to let her go as she writes this. And, this is how she reminisces the beautiful past they had shared.
Some nights, she wishes that she had not taken his little comment to her heart back then, 14 years ago. But, most of the nights, she just wishes he would change his mind and come back to her. Then, she could stop herself from waking up with nightmares.
Love is strange. You found it at the place where you least expected it to show up. And then, you lost it when you’re 100% sure that it would last forever. They call it fate.
To some fate…
..and to some Love we had.