PARANG KELAN LNG…
(INTRO)
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Until you set an experience down on paper,
Until you ponder the perfect words to describe it,
You can’t fully appreciate, understand, or explain it.
They say that young love is only puppy love. But then again, first love never dies…
I remember it like it just happened recently. Whenever I look back at my first romance, I can’t help but let out a smile on my face. It is the kind of smile that immediately after becomes a wide grin; the one that can’t be wiped off your face, and just keeps on coming. It is there on your face, as if on display, waiting for the entire world to see. Then as you remember all off the details, that unexplainable and uncontrollable smile then fades away and turns into a smirk. Held within that smirk is a secret that is just simmering below the surface. A secret of a tale, but just won’t be let out…
It was way back in grade 6, during the school year 2003-2004. We were both young. I was only 12 years old, while he was turning 13. We lived in a community named Parkdale, PK for short. PK has a population that is mostly composed of Asians – Filipinos in particular. We went to the same school, Holy Family Catholic School, ever since I can remember. We were both in the same homeroom with the “seemingly strict and scary at first but nice once you get to know her” teacher whose name was Mrs. Legacy. In the beginning, I just looked at him as I would with any other regular guy classmate – only he was the guy whom I hardly knew anything about not talked to, at all. Even so, with all of that in mind, he stood out from the rest in a peculiar but non-negative way. Maybe it was because he was one of the few students who weren’t Asian. But then again, maybe not…
I was always that girl who is friendly and kind with everyone. Most teachers always told me that I was a sweet, loving child. With that said, I wasn’t the particular type of person to run with “the crowd”. Although all of my best friends and closest friends were within those who were considered popular, I was different. I was the shy and quiet type. I much preferred to observe my surroundings. Although our batch was heavily influenced by sports and were all “athletic types”, I would rather pick up a good book. I didn’t hate the sports, as a matter of fact some even became my favorites; including volleyball, hockey, skating, skiing, softball, sailing, swimming, tennis, soccer, and even football. It’s just that I wasn’t physically compatible with sports. I only played these sports for the fun of it, and I wasn’t spectacularly talented for the sports that they engaged in. they played to compete and see who’s best, I didn’t. I guess some would say that I was different, maybe even odd. But little did I know, it would be my “being different from the rest” that would make all the difference…
He was always just “that guy”, for me. I never really knew much about him. There were times where I hardly noticed him. It was my shyness that drove me away from those whom I wasn’t close friends with – including him. He wasn’t a jerk, like the rest. Maybe that’s why he stood out. And that was all I knew at the time. He wasn’t a hunk either, but he had looks. He had a great personality that went well with his manner of speaking and thoughts. We had many shared interests, which made us get along together. He also had a great sense of humor. He knew just how to make me laugh. I guess we were alike in so many ways, but different simultaneously. He was pure Polish. I was one half Filipino, one quarter Scottish, and one quarter Canadian. Of course, we were both Canadian citizens. He had blondish-brown hair. I was a brunette. I didn’t really observe if there was a height difference, but if there was I think he was taller. He wore glasses, I didn’t. Now the thing is that with his glasses on, he looked a lot like Harry Potter. That’s where he got the nickname “Harry”. This was all what THEY saw. They never noticed his eyes. But I was a keen observer. I noticed. And those glasses could not fool me. He had the most dazzling, the most, stunning, the most gorgeous, and the most beautiful pair of eyes that I’ve ever laid my eyes on. His eyes were the nicest shade of blue. And without knowing the reason why, his eyes – I would now say – captivated me. His name is Kamil Solowiej…