Swing Under The Tree

“How are you?” As always she replied with me a beautiful smile, she never changes even after a year she’s always had that beautiful smile that I always love to see.

“H-Happy Friendversary” I softly said before hiding my face in shame, Again she never replied in words she just silently giving me that beautiful smile of hers, I paused for a moment and was in thought, I just realize how lucky I am to have a friend like her, Even though she is deaf she has a big heart that capable of hearing my dramas all day, But I am not lucky for her being her friend, She’s always had that beautiful smile unlike me I always made mistake and I even attempted to leave her.

“A-are you not angry?” She shook her head as if saying she’s saying I am not angry, I understand you.

I sadly Smile while looking at the sky…hoping and praying

I still remember that day when we first met, It happened 2 years ago, You are just sitting peacefully in a swing wearing a white dress while reading a book.

“Excuse me, Miss?” When I approached you for a reason, I clearly remember giving me a blank face as an answer as if expected that I am not talking to you but you are wrong.

That Fateful Day…

“Miss?” I poked you on the shoulder asking for your attention and I clearly remember giving me a funny shocked face, blinking your eyes many times and pointed yourself. As if you are not believing that I am talking to you. I just shyly smiled and nodded.

That day I should have realized…

“Ah…If you don’t mind I just want to ask direction” I bit my lips in shame when I noticed you have a hearing aid

Meeting you is not by an accident…

 “Are you?” I pointed your ear and give you a sign asking if you can’t hear ‘What a dumb question! Selena!’ I almost slap my face but you give me your beautiful smile, that’s the most beautiful smile I’ve ever seen letting me paused for a moment and makes me feel like comforting in a hug with a person I lost for a long time.

“I am sorry…I just want to ask direction?” You smile and nodded again, you are also giving me that Wow faced shocked by my sign language skill, but you immediately Make a sad face that makes my heart broke for a second, Panicking that maybe I did something wrong, rushing my fingers to form a sign language asking what might be the reason, you stop me by holding my hand shaking your head as if telling me to stop because you will never understand what I am saying.

Understanding you are not a coincidence….

“So how can I communicate with you?” Taking a deep breath releasing a depressing disappointment, you hold my hand again and letting me touch your face, I was shocked for the action that I pulled out my hand from you, but you just smile and pointed my heart, I was confused on what you may saying but looking to your eyes is like an understanding a thousand words from you.

Is they what they call destiny?

“I was destined to meet you,” I said and released a deep sigh “But you are not destined to stay at my side” I smile like how you smile but this smile resembles the pain, regrets, and longing for you.

“YAH! IT’S BEEN TWO YEARS!” I shout at the top of my lungs hoping you can hear me, hoping that you will come back, hoping you will remember, hoping you will hug and will say that I am still your friend, “YOU CAN HEAR ME NOW! PLEASE ANSWER!” I know you are angry…but please…please don’t leave me…

“I AM SORRY! FOR LEAVING AT THAT TIME!” I can’t contain any longer this pain, bursting into crying, shouting sorry repeatedly even though I’ll lose my voice I can’t lose a friend, I can’t lose you…

“Anyway…I am Selena, How about you?” You just give me your beautiful smile but I never hear your name, instead, I give you a name “Girly”

“Yosh! From now on you are girly” That same day…you became my friend, and then as time goes by you became My friend that I’ll never let go, My first girl best friend, my sister not by blood but by hear, my most important friend.

But one day I never expected it to happen, I found your real name.

“I want to play with you again” I just give up from shouting and just silently cry and sit on the swing we always hang out, This Old swing that was tied strongly under the tree where we met.

“Mom? Who is she?” I hand over the picture my mom ask me to put it on the altar, funny it was really like you, that girl looks like you, could it be your mother? Right! I never meet your mom… but why on the altar?

That’s what I thought that day…but I was wrong…

“SELENA! There you are again!” I silently wipe my tears but I couldn’t hide my sobbing to my mom who was just arrived to fetch me.

It’s over now…Girly… I need to go, I need to come back to the city… but if I come back again will I see you in this swing under the tree again?

Please…

While I was looking at the swing my mom just hugs me all of a sudden, “Selena, My child” She tightened her hug and felt her silently crying to my back.

“Please let your Grandma go… “

While I was looking at the swing my mom just hugs me all of a sudden, “Selena, My child” She tightened her hug and felt her silently crying to my back.

“Please let your Grandma go… “

Your real name was Milagros Bautista, the sister of my grandmother who died due to illness 62 years ago, and the girly I met in the swing two years ago…

“Mom” I hug her back and burst into crying, “I can’t just let her go…I love her so much…She was my only friend and I leave her because I was afraid of her”

“She is in peace now, She’s happy that she met you, she’s happy that she knows she will always love because we remember her”

“But mom…She will never forgive me”

“Aunt Milagros loves you, so she will always forgive”

“Mom? Can I bid my last goodbye?” My mom just nodded and wiped her tears after letting me go to her hug. She immediately wipes my tears and kisses my forehead.

“As long as we love, we will always remember” She pointed my heart and smile, the smile that was like girly.

I immediately run towards the swing and stare at the sky…

“I will always pray for you…” I said and after we left…I asked my mom how did she know about grandma she just smile and said…

“I know…I also meet her 17 years ago just like you…”