Six years ago, I followed my heart. The events from that day seem from a distant planet.
Six years ago, I worked as an English teacher in a Korean Language school in the Philippines when I met my husband, Tommy. He looked so strange when I first saw him at the school’s lobby because of his weird eye glasses (white-framed plastic eye glasses where he claimed he got the style from a famous Korean actor, 배용준). I think his strangeness and good looks had led me ponder some thoughts that night before I slept. The next day, to my surprise, he became my student (I was really glad that he enrolled to my class). I found his English very poor and horrible. I remember an instance that he mentioned his forehead as his “ground” and when he said something like "he is at my beside" thing. I burst into laughter when he metioned those lines. But after a few months of studying, his English had really improved a lot.
Time passed and I found myself interested with him. I knew somehow that he secretly liked me but wasn’t certain about that. Day after day, whenever he asked me for a cup of coffee, I always had hoped that he would ask me out for a date... (hahaha) With my greatest effort, I had never showed off my feelings to him while in our class and I guess the teacher-student thing made it so difficult for both of us.
But then at last, the day I always wished for came-- right after our class he asked me out for a dinner. Feeling it was too early to say yes, I told him that I would see my schedule first before accepting his invitation (It was a custom to be humble on accepting invitations especially from men). And after three days, I accepted his invitation and we started dating.
Honestly, I liked him a lot (I mean until now I really do like him) as the days went on. I found out that we have a lot of similar qualities and interests. As I look back, I marvel at how the two of us enjoy the days of traveling, chatting and doing sweet nothings. But as his days ran short because of his student visa, he had to return to his country.
So as I accompanied him to the airport I cried a lot. Thinking it might be our last meeting or he might not return...So I just crossed my fingers and clung on to his words. Besides, his words are my only refuge. "If we are, then we will be."
He came back after a year and proposed for a marriage. I definitely answered yes. Following our hearts, we created a shock to both our family and friends. At first, criticizing but finally accepting. The odds were too strong but I was glad we made it.
I never want to end our story by saying the old and typical ending “…and they live happily ever after”. I think things wouldn’t be as easy as that. I just hope, I really, really hope that as the days go on, our relationship will get stronger and better… the way we followed our hearts.
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