Sad Relationship

A Story by Faolchu

She had a boyfriend, she grew up with him. To her, he was the only one for her, the most important and precious. But to him, she was just another girl.

Girl: Hey, want to go to a movie?

Boy: I can’t.

Girl: Why, do you need to study or something?

Boy: Errr… no.

Girl: Then what are you doing?

Boy: I’m meeting up with a… friend.

It was always like that with him, he met girls in front of her, like it was nothing. To him, she was just another one of his girlfriends. The word ‘Love’ never came out of his mouth, only hers. Ever since she’s known him she has never heard the words ‘I love you’ from him before.

There weren’t any anniversaries at all. He didn’t say anything from the first day, and it continued ‘til 100 days… 200 days… Every day before they said goodbye, he would just hand her a teddy bear, every day, without fail. She didn’t know why…

Then one day…

Girl: Erm… Jake?

Jake: What… don’t drag, just say it.

Girl: I love you!

Jake: Erm, you… what…? Just take this bear… and go home.

That was how he ignored her ‘three words’ and handed her the bear. Then he disappeared, as if he was running away. The bears she received from him every day, filled her room, one by one. There were numerous.

Then one day on her fifteenth birthday, she got up and pictured a party with him. She trapped herself in her room, waiting for his call. But lunch passed, dinner passed… and soon it was dark outside, and he still hadn’t called. It was tiring to look at the phone anymore.

Then around two a.m. the next morning, he suddenly called her and woke her up. He told her to go outside. She went; she was so excited <3.

Girl: Jake?

Jake: Here take this.

And again he handed her a bear…

Girl: What’s this?

Jake: I didn’t give it to you yesterday, so I’m giving it to you now. I’m going home, bye.

Girl: Jake, wait! Do you know what yesterday was?

Jake: Yesterday? What about it?

Her heart sank; she thought he would remember her birthday. He turned around and walked away like nothing had happened. Before he could get away, she yelled ‘Wait!’

Jake: You have something to say?

Girl: Tell me… tell me that you love me…

Jake: What did you say?

Girl: Tell me… please. It’s just three words.

Jake: I don’t want to say… that i love someone so easily, if you are desperate to hear it, then find someone else.

That was what he said. Then he ran off. Her legs felt numb… and she collapsed to the ground. He didn’t want to say it so easily… How could he…? She felt that… maybe he is not the right guy for her…

After that day, she stranded herself at home; crying, just… crying. He didn’t call her, although she was waiting. He just continued handing her bears every morning outside her home. That’s how those bears piled up in her room…

After a month, she got herself together and went to school. But what made the pain resurface was that… she saw him on a street…With another girl… He had a smile on his face, one that he never showed her… as he touched the bear…

She ran straight back home and looked at the bears in her room as tears fell… Why did he give these to her? Those bears are probably picked out by some other girl… In a fit of anger, she threw the bears around. Then the phone rang, it was him. He told her to meet him at the bus stop outside her house. She tried to calm herself down and walked to the bus stop. She kept reminding herself that she was going to forget him, that… it’s going to end. Then he came into her sight. He was holding a big bear…

Jake: You came, I thought you were upset.

She couldn’t help hating him, acting like nothing had happened and joking around. Soon, he held out the bear as usual…

Girl: I don’t need it!!!

Jake: What… why…?

She took the bear from his hand and threw it in the road.

Girl: I don’t need this bear! I don’t need it anymore!!! I don’t want to see another person like you ever again!!!!

She spat the words out. But unlike any other day, his eyes were shaking…

Jake: I’m sorry…

He apologized in a tiny; shaking voice. He then walked in the road to pick the bear up.

Girl: You stupid!!! Just leave the doll, throw it away!!!!!!

But he ignored her, then *honk* *honk*… with the loud honks the big truck was heading toward him.

Girl: JAKE!!! MOVE! Get out of the way!

She shouted that as loud as she could. He stood up and looked at her with sad eyes.

Then BOOM!!!! The sound was terrifying. She screamed and cried, but nothing could bring him back... No matter how much she wished that she could take back the words that she had said to him… she couldn’t… And that was how he went away from her… After that day, she had to go through every day with guiltiness and the sadness of losing him…

And after spending two months like a crazy person… she finally took out the bears. Those were the only gifts he left her since they started going out. She remembered the days she spent with him. And she started counting the days they were in love… ‘One, two, three…’ that was how… she started counting the bears… ‘Four hundred and eighty four, four hundred and eighty five…’ It all ended with 485 bears.

She started to cry again, with a bear in her arms. She hugged it tightly, then suddenly… ‘I love you, I love you.’ She dropped the bears, shocked… ‘I…. lo..ve… you??’ She picked up the bears and pressed its stomach.

‘I love you, I love you’ It can’t be! She pressed all the bears’ stomachs as they piled on their side. ‘I love you, I love you, I love you.’ Those words came out non-stop. I… love… you… Why didn’t she realize that….. That his heart was always by her side, protecting her. Why didn’t she realize that he loved her this much… she took out the bear under the bed and pressed its stomach. That was the last bear, the one that fell in the road. It had his blood stain on it. The voice came out, the one she was missing so much…

Jakes’ voice: Hun… do you know what today is? We’ve been loving each other for 486 days. Do you know what 486 is? I couldn’t say I love you every day… till I die… Jo… I love you…

The tears came flowing out of her. Why? Why? She asked God, why does she only know about all this now? He can’t be by her side. But he loved her until his last minute… For that… and for that reason only… to her… it became courage… To live a beautiful life….. <3

---Anthony Q. Armstrong