Chapter 7 - A Story To Tell

Then he announced while showing the enlarged photo of Leonor. "I am no longer single. Here is my wife."

All the eyes of his colleagues including the diners were focused on him.

A diner had spoken, "You're still too young to have a wife!"

"We fell in love when we were only fourteen. Look at her picture. Is she lovely and sexy?"

His fellow male crew commented, "Far better than Rizaline. Where is she?"

He was persistent with his lies. "She is at home but like me she is still studying in college."

"For the hookers who would like to hook Mr. Kenneth Allen, stop. It would be only in your dreams to hook him in your hands." The manager announced maliciously.

After three long years of pestering him by that flirty Rizaline, his guts to divulge her coquettishness with a concrete evidence had finally halted her from her devious entrapment of him.

His tall tales about being a married man to Leonor was his subtle way to drive away those who were eyeing him to be in relationship with him.

On Sunday, it was a lengthy story to tell for his text message to his darling sweetheart.

But because he had just received his compensation for being a crew, he had money for a load to his cellphone.

After he had gone to a church, he gave Leonora a call before devoting his time to cooking their meal for the lunch.

The call lasted for an hour. Their conversation had never stopped even though he started cooking.

He apologized from her for his lies claiming that they had gotten married already. He was so enthused in sharing of the sudden seizure done by that maniacal devil woman.

He also thanked her for her latest picture he had saved in his mobile phone when he vacationed in his grandparents' that gave him the chance to drop by at their home. Upon her visit to her at her home in Prosperity City, they strolled for sight seeing in 'Rempulas' (Dock) where they had their selfie photo shooting.

His technological skills enabled him to crop her picture that required him to delete himself beside her. The second photo that he enlarged, both of them were in the photo paper which he photo

shopped to look so intimate.

As he continued, he was quite hesitant to describe himself when he was almost naked as his pants, boxer shorts and undergarment were pulled down.

Leonor praised him of his courage to escape from that woman and to file his formal complaints against that devilish female crew. She was all smile when her Kenneth Allen told her about his unforgettable experience.

Aside from his story being the victim of a lustful woman, they also talked about their difficulties in their subjects in tertiary level.

He informed Leonor of his plan not to have a vacation for three years as he was saving big amounts for his fee in flying an airbus. Leonor was an understanding girlfriend. She told him that their togetherness last summer was enough investment to wait for another three years till their next face to face hobnobbing.

Their dejection was always effaced by their conversation on the phone, text messaging and weaving their plan to build a family of their own.

In such a manner, they could have disproved from those who said that a longer long distance relationship is not good. For them, the reason why gadgets and social media were created was because of those partners in LLDR.

To these two lovers, they didn't go for social media, though both were not oppositionists.

Their lives as lovers were lively and full of warmth as depicted by their messages from texting.

"Ken, I missed your singing voice."

"Next month during my pay day, I would sing for you. It would be a Serenade through a mobile phone."

"I'll hold to your promise... Ken."

"Let's hung up and wait for my story to tell you through a song."

He scrolled his phone screen to surf for a song that he would be adapting again. This time a Filipino translation was made.

Here I Am by; Air Supply

Here I am, playing with those mem'ries again, (Dito ako, muling binabalikan ang nakaraan)

And just when I thought time had set me free, (At nang naisip kong pinalaya ako ng panahon)

Those thoughts of you keep taunting me. (Mga saloobin tungkol sa'yo'y ako'y kinukutya)

Holding you, a feeling I never outgrew,

(Sa tuwing hinahawakan kita, damdaming ko'y lalong lumalalim)

Though each and ev'ry part of me has tried, (Buong pagkatao ko'y nasubukang)

Only you can fill that space inside,

(Tanging ikaw lamang makakapuno ng puwang)

So there's no sense pretending, my heart is not mending,

(Puso'y di kayang magkunwari)

Just when I thought I was over you,

(At nang akala ko'y nakalimutan na kita)

And just when I thought I could stand on my own, (At nang akala ko'y kaya kong makapag-isa)

Oh, baby those mem'ries come crashing through, (O, bebe nakaraan nati'y rumaragasang pabalik,)

And I just can't go on without you.

(At di ko kayang mabuhay nang wala ka)

On my own, I've tried to make the best of it alone. (Tinangka ang pinakamahusay gawing mag-isa)

I've done ev'rything I can to ease the pain.(Pilit kong iwinaksi ang hapdi't kirot.)

But only you can stop the rain.

(Ngunit tanging ikaw lamang ang makakapagpahilom)

I just can't live without you, I miss…

(kailanma'y di mabubuhay kung wala ka)

(Hinahanap hanap kita...)

Source: LyricFind

"I hope this will be curved in your heart and mind, bhae."

"I have this printed, Ken like those lyrical messages you sent me before."

"Really? I wish you'd keep that in the safe that I gifted you, hon."

"Even the flowers you gave were wrapped in a paper and was in here."

"Three years from now, I will be able to see it."

They continued sending text messages until they were both fallen asleep.

Whatever occurrences in their lives, they used them to tell a story as their text messages or topics to be talked about. They believed in 'Little things mean a lot.'

Whenever it was Leonor's birthday, Christmas season, Valentines Day and Anniversary, Kenneth would send something especial for her through mail or any courier agency.

His thoughtfulness made Leonor's heart grew fonder for him. Unlike Kenneth, Leonor was unapproachable to her male classmates because of her DOA- Display Of Affection to the very handsome young man at the cover of her lecture notebooks and phone's screen.

She even teased her Kenneth that his photos were similar to a cat whom the mice were afraid of.

On the contrary, in Metro City Kenneth's life was the contrast of what Leonor would tease him. He was similar to a bulb light which the flying ants and moths were attracted to go near it

He was thinking that he was already able to get rid of an importunate woman in his work. It seemed that here in school he would have similar problem.

Alas, his premonition was true. At first, he thought the female student who was behind him would had turned left to the building he was about to enter. He was mistaken that when he stopped, she also stopped.

Confirmation should be made. Hence, he turned left crossing the path to be in that building at the left side. She followed him. He went back crossing to the path moving to the building at the right side.

Is this student a female dog? A bitch? His fear of what occurred to his work alerted his adrenaline to sprint as speedy as he could to get rid of her.

He was out of breath, gasping for an oxygen, when he halted from running. Still, his priority to be more cautious made him look around to be sure that he completely escaped from her.

Checking the time from his phone, he found out that he was already late from his class. Because he was already in front of the library building he decided to continue his research work for his report.

His text messages to Leonor that Sunday were his fleeing experience from that female student who was tailing him.

As promised, he really rang her the next month after his pay day to sing a song for her. He sang the song "God Gave Me You" by: Bryan White

For all the times I felt cheated, I complained

You know how I love to complain

For all the wrongs I repeated, though I was to blame

I still cursed that rain

I didn't have a prayer, didn't have a clue

Then out of the blue

God gave me you to show me what's real

There's more to life with just how I feel

And all that I'm worth is right before my eyes

And all that I live for though I didn't know why

Now I do, 'cause God gave me you

For all the times I wore my self pity like a favorite shirt

All wrapped up in that hurt

For every glass I saw, I saw half empty

Now it overflows like a river through my soul

From every doubt I had, I'm finally free

And I truly believe

God gave me you to show me what's real

There's more to life than just how I feel

And all that I'm worth…

Source: LyricFind

Leonor was so responsive that when Kenneth Allen was over with his Serenade through his phone, she also sang back with "Wind Beneath My Wings" by: Bette Midler.

Just like that... The call was wrapped with hearts flitting and floating in the air around them.

The call had ended with a soft word of "Goodbye."