Part I
It wasn’t a special day to begin with. I’m now on my first year in college. I can’t believe it, COLLEGE!!! I’m having mixed feelings about this; excited, nervous, happy, alone. But all in all, I feel relieved because it’s a new environment, new people, new life. I can forget about my past and start anew. But then, I met this boy, he’s in my class. He’s good-looking, smart, over-confident to the point of being pompous. I like him. Though I know he doesn’t and will never like me back. He’s… out of my league. I don’t know anything about love or being in a relationship with someone so I know this will just end up like the rest of the boys I liked. I stalked him, talked to him because we’re classmates and then he found someone he loves and that’s it… I accept things easily.
Then it happened… One night, it was raining heavily and I decided to walk from school to the bus stop. What am I thinking at that moment to walk under the heavy pouring of rain, I don’t know. I don’t remember. I was walking alone, it was dark, one of my my umbrella’s stretcher is broken and I didn’t bring my glasses so with that I’m nearly blind. He was walking behind me and then I slowed down. Next thing I know we were almost walking side by side. He spoke, saying something like, “You’re sleeve and your pants are getting wet.” I looked at him, I didn’t really focus on his face for the reason that I’m very shy and nervous with strangers. I smiled a bit and said that my umbrella is broken. He asked why I’m walking alone at this kind of weather, I shrugged. He asked again if I go to that school and I answered yes.
“First year?”
“Yes.”
“Oh, I see.”
“And you, do you go to that school?”
“I used to.”
I raised my brow for clarifications.
“I just graduated from that school.”
“Oh… I see.”
“You should join the Math Club.”
“Why? What made you think I’d be interested in joining that kind of club?”
“You look smart and I believe you are smart. You’re just shy.”
I looked at him from head to toe. And back again to his eyes.
“Are you a member of that club?”
He just smiled at me. He has kind and beautiful eyes.
And silence filled the atmosphere around us. We just walked then I noticed that my right sleeve and my pants are not getting wet anymore. I looked up and saw that a portion of his umbrella is upon me.
When we were getting near to the bus stop, I looked at him and he smiled at me. Then he said,
“You take my umbrella and I’ll take yours.”
“Why would you do that?”
“Because mine is better than yours.”
Before I can protest he snatched my umbrella from me and offered his. I took it.
Before I turn away, I said
“I’ll think about it.”
And walked away as fast as I could.
I haven’t seen him since then.
I went to the Math Club the next day and asked about him but they don’t have any clue and I am lacking information. In the end, I joined the club. And I began to change, I became braver and more confident. I took every opportunity that came in my way.
I can’t recall what he looks like. All I can remember is his white shirt, his beautiful eyes, his deep voice and his smiles. From that day on, I started walking from school to the bus stop hoping that he’ll be there. And wherever I am, his umbrella is with me.
Before I graduated, I took one last walk again and waited at the end but he was… gone.
It was the one thing I couldn’t accept. That he was gone, just like that. I didn’t even get his name. Or anything, a clue, whatever that may lead to him.
I moved on. I stopped waiting except I didn’t walk from that path ever again.
Part II
To be continued…
The Antidote 