read it. it's a sad and heartwarming story. :]It's a cold February night. People are
bustling through the streets, either
pulling up their coat collars or
wrapping scarves around their necks,
trying to stay warm.
It's so cold today.I'm standing at my
window, looking at the people moving
like little dots. Standing in a heated
room, I'm beginning to pity those
people. Why don't they go home? Do
they plan on wandering until morning?
"Almost time to go home! My boyfriend
must be going crazy." One of the
nurses breathe a sign of
relief. "Still needs to work overtime
on Valentine's Day. It's so unfair!"
"You are fortunate." Another nurse
says. "Some people don't have anyone
waiting for them."
"You mean Dr. Shu?"
Like Sherlock Holmes, my ears perk up
when I hear my name.
"Do you remember how she lost control
on this day last year?"
"Of course I do." A nurse
shudders. "I've never seen Dr. Shu
like that. Crying and yelling, like
she was crazy."
They are talking about how I was last
year. They are correct. I was out of
control, like they said.
"You can't blame Dr. Shu. If my
boyfriend died in front of my eyes, I
would probably go crazy as well."
"Keep it down. She hasn't left work
yet. She might hear you."
The two nurses are too late. I heard
the entire conversation through the
canvas wall.
"Dr. Shu, what are you doing standing
here?"
Just as I was deciding whether or not
to reveal myself, another nurse
exposed me. I awkwardly step out. The
2 nurses who discussed me start to
blush. Their faces became redder than
the bow on Valentine's Day chocolates.
"I'm waiting to go home." I pretend
that I didn't hear anything.
"Dr. Shu, you must have gotten too
involved in your work. It's already
past time to go home. See you
tomorrow. Happy Valentine's Day!" She
waves goodbye.
"Happy Valentine's Day." I wave back
and watch the 2 nurses hurry away.
That's fine. I was ready to go home
anyway. Even though no lover is waiting
for me, at least there's a lazy cat
waiting for me to feed.
After I come home, the first thing I
do is feed the cat. I forgot when I
first had the cat. Probably since last
year's Valentine's Day. At that time,
I was like an abandoned cat, with eyes
filled with despair. Cats don't cry, I
do. That's the only difference.
"Better drink all the milk or I'll
skin you." I threatened the cat. Her
name is Christine, my least favorite
English name. I don't know why I named
the cat Christine. Christine meowed
once to let me know she heard me, but
her eyes are complaining about my
severity. Her eyes remind me of
someone I used to know, standing in
front of me with eyes of rebellions.
An year ago today, I had lunch with my
boyfriend and took the opportunity to
complain to him.
"Today is Valentine's Day. Why didn't
you give me any flowers?"
He raised his eyebrow. "Why should I
give you flowers? You are not my
anyone."
"Then... you should at least give me a
card!" I pouted my lips, hurt by his
tone.
"I know, I know. After lunch, I'll
send you an e-card."
E-card. That sounds so impersonal, but
that's the way he is. "You have to e-
mail it to me. I'll be waiting." I
excitedly smiled and planned to sneak
home after lunch to check e-mail. Even
though he wouldn't use any romantic
words, I still looked forward to the
card.
"I can't stand you women. Why do you
make such a big deal out of
Valentine's Day??" He grumbled while
eating his food. His comment induced
me to fight with him again.
"You are not romantic at all!! Don't
you watch any Japanese drama?"
"Japanese drama? I only watch
Discovery Channel."
"Your life is so boring." I made a
face at him. "One recent drama was
really good. You should have watched
it."
"What's that drama called?" He didn't
believe in the love portrayed in TV
and movies. He always thought they
were lies.
"It's called 'Story of A Century'." I
gladly answered.
"What kind of trashy plot did it have?"
"What do you mean trash?? Show some
respect!" I was so angry. "That drama
was very touching, and the theme song
was beautiful as well. It's
called 'Only Love', performed by Nana
Mouskouri." I wonder if he knew who
Nana was.
"Nana, I know her. A Greek singer with
really expensive albums."
"Her voice is worth it." Even though I
secretly agreed with him, I couldn't
bring myself to admit it.
"Whatever." He glanced at his
watch. "I'll give you 5 minutes to
tell me the plot. After that, I'm
leaving."
I tried hard to explain 6 hours worth
of story in just 5 minutes. The drama
portrayed the love stories of 3
generations of women spanning 100
years, from 1901 to 2000. Each
generation was portrayed by the same
actress. The story was tear-jerking.
"What's so touching about it?" He
asked, after listening to the story.
"Don't you think each generation's
story is wonderful? If I have such
great screen writing ability, I
wouldn't be a doctor anymore. I would
become a screenwriter."
"If you become a screenwriter, I bet
no one would watch the show. The TV
station can go out of business." He
quickly interjected.
"I'm going back to work. Hurry and
send me the card!" I was so mad that I
went home immediately, not even
finishing my coffee.
As soon as I walked in my door, I
turned on my computer and go online.
Staring at the empty in-box, I began
to reminisce about how we met. Maybe
no one will believe me, but my
boyfriend and I were actually
neighbors. Our homes were only 1 wall
away. Ever since we were kids, we
liked to fight with each other all day
long. I still remember when I moved to
the country that year. Used to the
city life, I couldn't get used to the
simple life in the country. After
school, I would just go home and do
nothing. Whenever that happened, he
would always come over to tease me.
"Why are you staring off into space??"
He loved to pull on my hair. "You're
so ugly when you're doing nothing. But
you're also not pretty when you
smile." In other words, I'm really
ugly.
"You're the one who's ugly!" I pull
back my hair. "If you think I'm so
ugly, why do you visit me??"
"Can't help it. My home is right next
to your home." He argued.
"Then I'll move!" The next day, I drew
a line in the ground using some white
chalk. A line that I forbid him to
cross.
That year, we were both in the 5th
grade. We couldn't stand each other
and hoped the other would move away.
But 5 years passed, and neither of us
moved. Not only that, we got into the
same high school and into the same
class.
"You're that infamous couple." All the
students and teachers in the school
would say whenever they saw us.
"We're not!" I always tried to
explain. "We're only neighbors." At
that time, I hated my parents for
making us live next to him.
"My standard is not that low." He
would say. "Who wants her to be a
girlfriend?? It's not like I don't
have eyes."
"Yes, I know your eyes are on top of
your head." I really disliked
him. "Better than having eyes on the
bottom of my head like you." He
implied that I couldn't judge guys. At
that time, I had a crush on a senior.
I didn't think that his sarcasm had a
hidden meaning. After a while, I found
out that the senior student had lots
of girlfriends. When I cried about it,
he silently passed me a handkerchief
and awkwardly held me in his arms.
"I told you he wasn't any good." He
roughly comforted me. I cried in his
arms the whole night, and began to see
him in a different way. Things began
to change between us. We still fought
all the time, but he started to look
at me differently. And I blushed and
my heart beat faster when he was near.
We both knew: we fell in love with
each other.
Even with this knowledge, neither of
us said anything. Even though we would
not be able to resist and kissed each
other constantly. Even though we cared
about each other's every moves. Both
of us refused to admit our love.
Time flew by quickly, and it was time
to face separation. I chose to study
medicine, and he chose physics. Yet we
still couldn't separate from each
other. Our parents worried that we
didn't know anyone in Taipei, so they
forced us to live in the same
apartment building. Once again, we
became neighbors. We still fought, but
sometimes we fought into the bedroom.
Alright, we became lovers, but we
still wouldn't say we loved each
other. We didn't even spend
Valentine's Day together until he saw
me share dinner with a man one
Valentine's Day. That night, he waited
for me in front of my door and said
that he would take me out to dinner on
Valentine's Day from then on. I have
to say that he was very arrogant. But
I nodded and accepted his request.
Since then, we spent every Valentine's
Day together. After graduation, I
became an intern. He started a small
computer company with some friends and
became a programmer. We were busy with
our own lives and had no time for a
relationship. Three years later, I
became a doctor, and his business
began to boom. We separately moved to
bigger
apartments and stopped being
neighbors. On the surface, we left
each other. In reality, we were still
together. We spent every Valentine's
Day together but each year became more
dreary than the next because he never
told me he loved me even with all my
hints.
Facing the empty in-box, I suddenly
grew very angry. He wouldn't say it
and wouldn't send me a card. What did
he mean? Who did he think I was? I
called his cell phone.
"Hello." He picked up the phone.
"I didn't receive the card." I
immediately showed my displeasure.
"You didn't receive it?" He seemed
really busy. "But I sent it."
He was really busy but I didn't
care. "I didn't receive it. Send it
again."
"Okay, I'll send you 100 times. Is
that good enough??" He said with
impatience. His tone further
infuriated me. Is that how lovers
speak to each other?
"Don't bother sending it to me. And
you don't have to pick me up tonight.
I'll eat dinner by myself."
"Don't be childish, ok? I'm really
busy."
"I AM childish!" I hung up the phone
and tears rolled down my cheeks.
Childish?? Why didn't he consider the
situation? We've gone out for so many
years and spent countless Valentine's
Day together. I never received any
flowers nor cards from him. Now, I
just want a little e-card. Is that too
much to ask for??
I unplugged the phone from the wall
and turned off my cell phone. I didn't
want to hear his explanations. After I
returned to the hospital, I instructed
the receptionist not to forward me any
phone calls. I wanted to concentrate
on work.
Because there were so many emergencies
today, I was sweating 1 hour later and
forgot about our argument.
"Dr. Shu, please take a look at that
patient."
As I was collecting my equipment, the
shrill sound of an ambulance sounded
outside the ER. When I stepped out the
door, the emergency medics hurriedly
wheeled in a gurney.
"What happened to him?" I asked the
1st medic. Everyone else were trying
to help put the patient on the gurney.
He was covered with blood.
"Car accident." The medic
replied. "Very serious. He may die."
I nodded and ran to the operating room
with them. When I arrived, the nurses
told me that the man had already
stopped breathing and also his
heartbeat also stopped
"Prepare for shock." I calmly
instructed the nurses. Saving people
is our duty. We can't lose our calm.
But when I saw who laid on the
operating table, I lost my calm. That
person was my boyfriend.
"No..." I stood in shock. "NO!!!" I
grabbed the paddles and continuously
shocked his body. His body bounced up
and down from the shocks. The scared
nurses went to find another doctor, to
tell him that I was crazy.
I didn't know if I was crazy or not. I
just wanted to save my lover. Even
though we fought all the time. Even
though he never showed me his love. I
still wanted to save him. He still
owed me a card. He couldn't die! I
threw away the paddles and began to
press on his heart. I pressed with all
my strength, hoping it would revive
him, but he didn't wake up. He didn't
even say "It hurts". He just laid
there with his eyes closed, punishing
me with his silence.
Dr. Jian angrily pushed me away. By
that time, I couldn't see clearly
anymore. I cried. I wailed. I bowled
until no sounds could come out of my
mouth.
"It's too late, Dr. Shu. He's already
dead. I'm sorry." Dr. Jian patted me
on the shoulder. They knew each other
and ate together once. I introduced
them.
"He can't die." I shook my head. "He
can't die!!" I struggled to run to him.
"Dr. Shu, control yourself!" Dr. Jian
slapped me. "I understand what you're
going through, but you're a doctor."
Yes, I'm a doctor, but I'm also a
regular person. How can Dr. Jian
understand how I feel? I've loved him
for so many years that it's become a
habit. How can I just throw away a
habit? Besides, he still owed me a
card. "I want him to live! I want him
to live!" I ran to him again and tried
to knock the life back into his body.
"Take her away!" That day, I lost my
control and my professionalism.
And that day happened to be
Valentine's Day.
Afterwards, I asked his co-workers why
he left work early that day.
They told me that after I hung up the
phone, he tried to call me several
times but couldn't reach me. Worried,
he drove to the hospital to find me
and got hit by a large truck on the
way.
When I heard this, I froze. My tantrum
killed him. Just because of an
unmailed card, he died. After that, I
lost my privilege to be childish.
Like an abandoned cat, I couldn't even
cry anymore. After his death, I
couldn't cry anymore, regardless of
how touching the plot or how tear-
jerking the dialogue. They didn't
affect me anymore.
Now, I'm only left with a cat and a
seldomly used computer. Stepping over
the cat, I turned on the computer.
Even though I know no one will send me
a mail, I still hoped that someone
will remember me on this day.
Meow, meow. I looked at Christine to
see what's wrong. She finished her
milk. I went into the kitchen to get
her more milk then came back to look
at the computer screen.
I have.... 100 emails! Who would be
bored enough to send me 100 junk mail?
I was just about to delete them all
when I received another mail, and this
one said: "Because of system error, we
could not send these until today.
We apologize for the delay." The
sender was my ISP.
I looked at the 1st mail. It showed
the send date is last year's
Valentine's Day. My heart began to
beat fast. Could he have sent these?
With a trembling hand, I opened the
mail. The first thing that popped up
was a gorgeous red rose set against
green leaves. Then a beautiful melody
began to play.... "Only Love". I
couldn't believe it. The rose was so
beautiful and the music was so dreamy.
I almost thought I was in a fantasy.
Most touching of all were the words
underneath the rose, because the words
read like a beautiful poem.
"Hwei."
That's my name.
"Knowing you so many years, I've never
sent you any flowers. Today I send you
a rose."
I received it and it's so beautiful.
"You know we are always fighting. We
can never really open our hearts and
tell each other how we feel."
Yes, but it's all your fault for being
so distant.
"I know I always make you mad by the
things I say."
Good that you're admitting it.
"But today I want to say to you: I'm
sorry, and I love you."
I waited so many years for those words.
"And I want to tell you a good news. I
finally saved enough money."
You already have enough money. Why did
you need so much?
"So Hwei, let's get married!! I was
afraid to propose to you, because I
didn't trust in my ability to give you
the good life you deserve. But now
I've saved enough money so we don't
have to wait anymore."
Who wanted you to wait? I'm already
yours.
"Today, I use this card to propose to
you. Will you marry me, Hwei? Will
you?"
That's the content of the whole card.
Like a fool, I kept reading his words
and talking to him. It's like I can
hear his voice and see him again.
As if it's back to 1 year ago with us
constantly fighting.
The song played over and over.
Repeating Nana's heartbreaking voice.
Only love can make a memory. Only love
can make a moment last. You were there
and all the world was young and all
it's songs unsung. and I remember you
then when love was all, all you were
living for,
and how you gave that love to me...."
The lyrics of this song fits our love
so closely. When he was alive, my
world was so young. Every day, I could
find a something different to fight
with him about. But after he left, my
life is only left with memories and
coldness that will never go away.
"Will you marry me?"
When I read these words, my tears
unconsciously came, wetting the
keyboard.
Will I? If he's in front of me, I will
definitely kick him and call him a big
fool. If I wasn't willing, I wouldn't
have waited until today.
So I moved the cursor over the "Reply"
box, and typed the response that I've
already prepared for so many years -
"I will."
I will - be by his side for the rest
of my life. I will - fight with him
forever. That is how I answered him,
but the only response I got was the
repeating song "Only Love."
Nevertheless, I opened every single
letter, accepted every singled rose,
and typed the same response: "I will."
I replied 100 times, and "Only Love"
played 100 times. In this cold
Valentine's night, the line that's
been broken for 1 year finally got
reconnected.
I answered you. What about you?
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this is too sad. T_T
got it from friendster bulletin. ;P
what do you think of it?
