Letters at Night of the Northern Lights

It was my 21st birthday on the 4^th of November, 2016 when my father took me from home to migrate in Norway. I remember it was just my top-list country to visit, but now I’m really living here! My Mom and my two younger stepsisters were left in the Philippines and lived together with Jack, my stepfather.

I wish to go to my favourite country because of my greatest dream to see the northern lights. Well Norway is one of the world’s top aurora destinations. Besides, the place is really beautiful. I fell in love with its beauty. The first time I stepped the land, an awesome experience already graved in my heart that I did not miss going back to Philippines. I want to see the aurora a thousand times before I die.

“Dear Emma,

I am so happy today. I really have a great feeling as I have seen my greatest dream coming true. Well you know what exactly is it! The night sky now is clear and starry. There are flashes that simultaneously light the sky. The bright dancing lights of the aurora really captured my heart. There is a lot to describe more than with this writing. It’s really magical! I wish you were here with me. I’m hoping you can come soon.”

It’s September 2019 and till now, I keep writing letters for my best friend, Emma. She is the only girl I even loved before without her knowledge. For many years, I kept the feeling all by myself. It was hard for me to tell it to her back then knowing that she cherished our friendship, and I was so afraid we would break apart suddenly.

Year 2011 while reading a science book at the school library,

“Hey! Harold! Look at this.”

“Oh! It’s the Aurora Borealis!”

“Have you seen this real?”

“No, never been. I guess it’s impossible.”

"If you can dream it, you can achieve it!”

A smile and eyes staring at each other just ended the conversation.

Since I left Philippines, I never stop communicating with Emma. Every night and day, I waited for her response. However, she stopped writing to me a couple of months later. I really have no idea why. I have no news of her, either any of her family. It saddened me so much.

Most of the times, the northern lights occur in the darkest time of the night at wintertime or autumn. And still, I’m here standing outside in the middle of the oval area looking beautifully at the northern lights. A dazzling display of lights in the sky remembered me of Emma again. She has always been my inspiration to see this enchanting moment of the night recalling back to my dream.

For this time around, I wrote a letter to myself. I grabbed my backpack and pulled out my flashlight as it was really the darkest hour of the night.

To myself named Harold,

For how long will you be happy seeing these lights? Are you not tired or bored seeing them all by yourself for so many years? You want to see it a hundred times, you said that before. Until you die? Seriously? But are you really happy inside? Was your heart really in content? Or were you hoping for someone to be by your side witnessing this moment? Will it be enough now to be genuinely happy with her? Can you say then that your heart is truly its happiest?

Writing this to myself, I did not control my tears to fall. I always ask myself without sure answers to find. Maybe that letter says it all. That I really was not happy with a dream I thought I would feel. With nobody, I realized that I feel empty inside. I have no one to talk to for every moment I see the aurora, all were just in my letters to Emma.

“Where in the world are you Emma? Why have you forsaken me? I miss you so dearly.” This passage is just what I uttered up in the sky during that night of the northern lights.

It was already morning when I realized that I have fallen asleep inside my van. I traveled back to Alta from Tromso to see my father before leaving to Finland. He has something to do with his work and so he asked me to look after the house again.

“I’ll be off for a week. I should be expecting you to be brave.” He, trying to make fun of me.

I used to be alone whenever my Dad needs to be out for their company’s project in Finland. I also had my online studies and part-time job that I have to spend time for without thinking much of loneliness. But thinking the times of the night, I still long for someone to be at the other side of my bed. I hope it is Emma.

On the next Saturday morning, Dad came back with a different expression visible in his face. As he turned his way aside, a very familiar woman was there behind.

“Emma?”

“Hi!”

Never had I expect for her to be in my presence for real. All I thought was her in my dreams forever. So dry for the day to look forward on being alone, someone I ever hope to come in my life is now in my arms hugging me tightly. And yeah! It really brightened up my day. The letters I wrote at the night of the aurora marked up in the sky that it also shined throughout our life. Destiny! She is really my destiny.

“I won’t be staying long, Harold. I need to go back to Finland after tomorrow.”

“I understand, but can you do me a favor?”

“About the Aurora Borealis? I have seen them too in Finland.”

“Can you give me just one time?”

We drove off to Tromso as it is the most famous place to see the northern lights in Norway. We just got the right timing and the beautiful capture of the aurora was witnessed right before our eyes. For the first time ever in our life, we’re looking at the view together. Emma took a picture on it and handed it over to me.

“This is for you. A sign of remembrance that we were together at this moment of the aurora night.”

Looking closely to her eyes, I said, “Emma, I am truly happy now. My heart finally found its true happiness. I never felt this before when I was all by myself seeing the northern lights. It’s really different now that I am with you. And I can say that I’m really, really happy. I can die even after tonight.”

She was trying to hit my arm just like our high school days as she replied, “Why do you wish to die when now I’m here? It’s just still my beginning, and now you want to end it?”

“What do you mean, Emma?”

“Do you still remember when I said, if you can dream it, you can achieve it? My dream back then was to be with you to see the northern lights someday. It was my long-term wish to be with you in your greatest dream, in your happiest moment. When I was in Finland seeing these northern lights at one night, I did not step back on my way to go home because I reminisce the last memory I had with you. I suddenly cried and someone offered his handkerchief to me. It was your Dad. He said he has a son very similar to me. He loves to see the northern lights so much. When he said his name was Harold, I did not hesitate to ask his company finding him. I told him I am his childhood best friend in Philippines.”

“I’m sorry to not be able to find you. I really have no idea that we are just in nearby country. I thought you were in Philippines. I never had any news you moved to Finland since you stopped replying to my letters.”

“I didn’t know you were still writing them to me. I didn’t receive any since you left. After finishing college, I proceeded to Finland as my Aunt helped me to pursue the master’s scholarship and eventually got a job opportunity.”

 “Well then, let’s exchange letters to each other now. I still have two pages remaining in my notebook. One for you, and one for me.”

“Harold, for everything that happened in my life, meeting you was the best part. Looking up in the northern lights, I swear that I will always be here for you until the very end of all northern lights in the world. For a thousand years, before I die.”

“Emma, you are the beginning of my dreams and I believe you will be the last of everything in my life as you ended all my loneliness. I want to spend the rest of my life with you until the end of time. My northern lights dream experience was even made completely "the happiest" because of you. Looking up in the sky, I swear that I will always love you more than a best friend, more than a woman to me. For a million years, till death do us part.”

Kneeling in front of her pulling out the ring box on my pocket, I uttered, “Emma, will you marry me?”