Stories from the heart 4 - Surreal

Surreal
by Patricia Umali

I didn't know how a business-oriented activity such as our Business Unit’s Strategic Planning Session could turn out to be such a romantic rendezvous.

I've met him at that unforgettable event somewhere in Laguna last August 2006. He was one of our Business Unit's Officers and he has that quiet confidence and intelligence that I couldn't help but notice. My co-team leads and former AM knew that I had a crush on him but I didn't know they had a plan on our last night there.

Since I just had my birthday a few days before the session; they called me and the other celebrators in front. Little did I know that they would ask him to kiss me on the cheek... -I could've died on the spot in total embarrassment. While the whole crowd howled and teased us to death, he coyly kissed me. After that event, I had trouble looking him in the eye.

We had a few hours to socialize after the sessions. Some people went social drinking, playing poker, or singing at the videoke. I went swimming and even tried to race with our Director. Of course I didn't win, but somehow I felt like I did when suddenly I felt another person swimming beside me. There he was swimming like a pro and he had no clue that I liked him even more.

When suddenly everyone left us alone at the pool (I wonder if it was on purpose), we had a moment to talk. The folks were cheering for us beside the pool. I learned he had the same passion for swimming, Japanese Food, beach life, and spontaneity as I do. We agreed to swim a few more laps and we always met to talk a bit more at the end of each lap. I don't remember everything that we talked about but the moment had been perfect. The moon was full and there were billions of stars brightly shining above us. It was supposed to be a cold night in August, but I had undeniable warmth in my heart and a persistent desire to keep conversing with him. A few days later he described that night-“surreal”. He also said that “it had a dreamlike quality to it and that he can still vividly picture the pool in his mind, his wrinkled finger tips, and the glare as the pool lights reflected off my feet.”

After the event, we couldn't stop sending messages in our attempt to get to know each other. We agreed to go out and found out that we grew fonder of each other every time we did. There's never enough time when we're together. Next thing we knew, we were falling for each other. We planned to have our first kiss on the beach while the sun was setting and did it on the first week of October, 2006. If there is a better word than PERFECT then that's the best description of that moment on the beach. We also shared a comfortable and light-hearted laughter. We've planned another beach trip -in Boracay last week of October and it was even greater than the first one. Things just keep getting better and better. By this time, I have already become his “hunny” and he was my “sweetie”. Somewhere in the back of my head, I knew he must have been sent by the heavens especially for me.