Let's go back to the first time we met. It was the eye contact, although we quickly turned our heads away, that I remember. I still remember how you bashfully tried to
look at me when I didn't look at you. I didn't even get your name . We
always went to that coffee shop on the same day of the week, at the same
time, and we sat opposite each other. I guess we both enjoyed our
non-conversational meetings. I usually arrived first and would anxiously
wait for you. But one day when I was running late, I finally got your
name. The barista called your order while I was waiting in line. That
same day I finally had enough courage to go up to your table and ask you
for a date.
Our first date was bizarre and disastrous.
We missed our reservation at the restaurant, so we decided to eat at a
diner instead. How weird was it when the waitress accidentally knocked
over your drink and soaked your shirt? You went to the toilet but all
the hand dryers were broken. So you sat back down and continued eating
with your wet shirt. We cancelled going to the cinema because I didn't
want you to get sick. We couldn't find a taxi so we had to walk home.
None of that put us off. At least our later dates went well.
Our
first-month anniversary brought us a new tradition. You gave me a teddy
bear. Soon our history was filled with stuffed animals. A panda for
Valentine’s day. A reindeer for Christmas. A dog for our
one-year-anniversary. A giraffe for your birthday. A penguin when we
decided to move in together. A lion for my birthday. An orca whale for
your promotion at the office. And an elephant when I asked you to marry
me.
So now here, in front of God, people that we love
and love us, and all our stuffed animals, I promise to bring you joy, I
promise to be there for you to cuddle, I promise to lend you my shoulder
to cry on, just like our plushie. So, I, John take you, Paul as my
lawful husband, for better or worse, in sickness and health, till death
do us part.
-Mikael Setiawan-
221015
Cabe Garam
CS Bandung Writers' Club 4th Meeting
Voted as Favorite Story of The Night
No comments:
Post a Comment