Thursday, August 26, 2010

Not Alone


I was single when I met Allan on the dance floor of a popular bar in Malate. I was in the middle of my law studies then, and he was an agent in a call center. I noticed him immediately; he was tall, with long hair pulled back into a ponytail and eyes that reminded me of an anime character. I positioned myself beside him, and after introductions and some playful bantering, we exchanged numbers.

I saw him again later that night (or morning actually, I left around 3). The friend I had with me already went home. He walked up to me and we talked. One thing led to another, and I found myself inviting him to my apartment.

He was a great kisser, that part I remember. The rest I don't. That's because I fell asleep while we were making out apparently.

(I was a law student cramming 300-400 pages of text everyday. I was tired. Don't judge me.)

So anyway, I woke up, soft morning light coming through my thin gauzy curtains, and saw him sitting on my red sofa a couple of feet away from my bed. I immediately realized what happened, and apologized profusely. He smiled, and said he didn't mind. He liked watching me sleep.

With any other guy I would have laughed because the line was so cheesy, but he managed to pull it off. I fell a little bit in love with him already.

I asked him if he wanted to have breakfast. He said it was already lunchtime. I looked at my watch and saw that he was right. My face reddened. The whole situation was mortifying.

So we went down to my car, and headed to Shangri-la Mall to grab lunch in one of the restaurants there. He was very charming and easygoing that the whole date passed by in a relaxed and comfortable manner. It was already mid-afternoon when I realized how much time had already passed. I told him I needed to start studying for my classes tomorrow, and he said he understood. I walked with him to the nearest taxi station.

He asked me, quite bluntly, if what just happened (or not happened) between us is a one-time deal, or if I wanted to see if we can take our date further. I didn't know how to answer. I didn't know how to explain to him that, marvelous as he was, I didn't feel like I wanted to pursue anything more. He was lovely, but at the time, I wasn't ready. And after getting to know him, I didn't want him to become just a one-night stand, which was all I could offer.

And for some strange reason, I decided to tell him all that. And he said he understood.

***

I saw him again on the same dance floor a year later. We were both still single, and he was still as handsome as ever. I asked him how he was, and he said that his parents have asked him to move to New York with them. He thought about it, and decided to say yes. I said I was happy for him, and I was. He deserved to be happy. We spoke some more, as if we were friends who haven't seen each other in a long time, rather than strangers who had one date and an (almost) one night stand.

He asked me if I came to the bar with anyone. I said I came with a friend, but he left already. He met someone he liked and they went somewhere else. I told Allan I was alone in a dark, gay bar, which was kind of pathetic. And he said "Of course not. You're not alone. You're with me."

And I smiled and punched him playfully on the shoulder. How he can pull off those cheesy lines, I'll never know.

I never saw him again. But in my head he is always that boy who reminded me I was not alone.

Photo taken here.

49 comments:

  1. there are some people who intersect our lives just once or twice, but manage to leave an indelible imprint in our memories.

    nice post :)

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  2. This is fantastic... sometimes that boost we need can come from the strangest places.

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  3. Ahhh, memories...very cute.

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  4. What a beautiful story. Somehow, it reminded me of Before Sunrise, and Before Sunset. The open-endedness of it. The serendipity of the whole affair, and the moving poetic dialogue.

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  5. aylavet!!! cute memories of past never failes to put a smile on my face. :)

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  6. Beautiful beautiful! I'm in awe, really. :)

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  7. cute story. it felt like reading a 16 year old's diary (minus the almost one night stand part).

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  8. hi! i featured not alone as my blog entry of the day in http://joannalyne-randomthoughts.blogspot.com

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  9. falling asleep making out with someone is quite a significant thing that speaks volumes to your affect towards that someone...

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  10. This is so sweet! Pity that you two never got together though :(

    Hazel xxx

    http://pablos-angel-new-kid.blogspot.com/

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  11. Love it. Also, thanks for stopping by my blog - not sure how you found it, but glad you did :)
    http://weirdgirladventures.blogspot.com/

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  12. Good story. I could totally picture the whole thing. I have had these moments before too. Bittersweet I think.

    motherhoodmusicandbeer.blogspot.com

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  13. That is really cute. I also just wanted to say thanks for your comment on my blog, and to ask how you found it?

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  14. Thanks everyone for the comments! Appreciate it.

    @joanne: regarding link, no prob! and thanks.

    @ashleigh: I've no idea anymore. I blog hop a lot.

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  15. a lovely and beautiful story to bad it didn't work out he seemed to be a very lovely gentleman. btw thanks for stopping by my blog and the comments and yes i'm very weird thanks for noticing. hugs.

    http://www.becca-mycrazystuff.com/

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  16. A pick me up from a random mysterious stranger....insanely hot!!

    I think I didn't mention this before...but ur writing skill rocks!!

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  17. hey tht was a sweet innocent one.... loved it..

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  18. Fond(led) memories of a boy who passed by in one's life :)

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  19. Once again the amusing and magical dance floor of Malate's red district comes into play...

    With memories buried yet excavated for the sole reason of exquisiteness and the people.

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  20. @phunk and mingled: thank you. I appreciate it.

    @carrie: hahaha. ang berde mo ha.

    @guyrony: thanks.

    @hyphen: thank you. and why not?

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  21. That is such a sweet story! Thank you for all of the detail you shared.

    Thanks for stopping by my blog too!
    http://bizformomsonline.blogspot.com/

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  22. nicely written. :)

    would've been nice if you just keep in touch as friend i suppose? :) but then again, if you're not ready, then don't force urself. :)

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  23. :) Aw! That's supremely cute!
    I wish awesome stuff like that happened to me...

    All I have is my dog... to greet me with kisses and give me affection. I should go out more.

    http://maybeimjustanalien.blogspot.com

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  24. @medie: thanks!

    @ana: I read your blog, and being an alien, I'm sure awesome stuff happens to you all the time. :-)

    @william: hahaha. my boyfriend will kill me.

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  25. Cool story & U'v presented it so beautifully... Is he not in facebook? Who knows, a year later you might see him in that dark side of bar again.

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  26. awesome, consider you followed :)

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  27. p.s. www.btils.blogspot.com :)

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  28. @kris: hahaha, I have a boyfriend already whom I love dearly. He'd kill me. This happened a few years ago.

    @btils: awesome.

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  29. Maybe one day you will get to write a happy ending. I believe that you will meet again one day. :-) Love your blog. Thanks for stopping by mine.

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  30. @ that girl: Thank you.

    @ brooklyn: I've already found mine. But thanks for the sentiment. :-)

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  31. Thank God that he gave us the ability to remember and smile for the memories :))

    http://iskangsabaw.blogspot.com/

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  32. Fickie!!! :)

    I have been following your posts for quite awhile now but I think it's my first time to post a comment. Just want you to know that I love your blog. Seriously. And this post of yours made me a bit teary-eyed, I don't know why. Hehe.

    IDOL! :)

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  33. @iskang-sabaw: Thanks for dropping by! :-)

    @k: Hahaha. Thank you.

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  34. Oh em gee, I LOVE THIS STORY!! So well told, wow. I want more :P

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  35. you're so lucky he didn't leave in the morning! a very classy one night stand you can look back at fondly, in my opinion. if i were you, i'd fb stalk him hahaha

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  36. Very well-written.. and I giggled that you fell asleep. That same crap happens again when/if you decide to have small children. I used to be cool.. now I'm just an exhausted mess that needs to be in bed by 10pm. Thanks for stopping by my blog. (Chaos Wrapped in Chocolate-Covered Grins) I'm glad you did because it brought me to yours.

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  37. @Spaz: Thanks! :-)

    @Wair: Hahaha.

    @Jennifer: Thank you. :-)

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  38. how is he, the guy who made you feel un-alone?

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  39. @atticus: I don't know. We've never communicated after that last time. :-)

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  40. short love story without happy ending but with happy memories.. cute :)

    -129

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  41. Jus like in the movies.. wow man!!

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