I Will Never Forget England

I was listening to a song "Weekend In New England" by Barry Manilow. While listening, this story popped up in my head – When will our eyes meet; when can I touch you... and when will I hold you again.

Here's the story.

Two strangers met at an airport: Alden and Julie. Both heads down, busy with their phones, they bumped shoulder to shoulder against each other.

"Sorry! I wasn't looking," they both admitted.

In England, Julie saw Alden, seated sa banketa na parang binuhusan ng isang libong lungkot. Tulo na ang uhog sa kaiiyak na parang Hinulugang Taktak.

"Pinoy ka?" she asked. Though alam naman niya na Pinoy siya. Kaya lang, just to have something to start with.

"Ikaw? Pinoy?" Alden asked back as if hindi niya batid.

"Hindi. Pinay. :-)" Julie replied with a smile.

"Okay lang kahit hindi ka magsalita. Maiintindihan ko... Unless gusto mo akong umalis."

Alden replied with a silent answer.

Julie understood it; so she decided to give him a space.

While she was about to leave, Alden grabbed her hand. "Please stay."

The way Julie's irises moved, it meant that she was trying to understand what was going on.

The two just sat there together without conversation until...

"I'm heading to the airport." Alden stood up and walked away.

While walking pulling his luggage on one hand, and a gym bag on his shoulder, Alden recalled what really happened.

He wanted to surprise his fiancée. A few meters from her apartment, Alden saw her fiancée kissing and hugging a man. A kind of hug and kisses that you would understand that they had a romantic relationship. Instead of confronting, Alden turned backed and walked away devastated – really devastated. Kaya naman, ayun, balik Pinas si Alden on the same day he arrived in England.

At the Heathrow Airport, Alden saw Julie also boarding the plane.

Five empty seats in between, Alden was seated on the left window seat. Julie on the right. Alden glanced as Julie tried to wiped her limitless tears from her cheeks. Alden wondered why. Then Alden saw Julie pulled out from her finger her engagement ring and dropped it into the backseat's pocket before her.

While trying to control herself, Julie recalled what really happened.

She came to England to surprise her fiancé. She went straight to his apartment. When she heard her fiancé coming, she hid somewhere. When she was about to reveal herself, this was she saw. She saw her fiancé fully naked humping on top of a woman. Shocked! She didn't know what to do. Gulatin ba niya at mag-iskandalo; or just leave? In full silence, Julie opened the door and left the apartment.

At the Manila Airport, Julie was standing outside waiting for her sundo. Next to her was Alden. This is the third time that they had met.

"I will never forget England," Alden said in a soft voice. "I wish I could!" Julie replied. "Wounds don't heal fast," she continued.

Julie got on her car first. The window reflected her dispirited face, tears welled abundantly on her eyes.

Alden got next when his Grab car arrived. Fully disheartened, his tears began to roll again.

End of story.

Sequence. Title "Terminal"

With just a signature bag, Gabbi hurriedly left the Manila Airport. Alden cancelled their wedding and Gabby wanted to find out why. But Alden didn't want to be found. Instead, by nothing-happened-by-chance, she met Julie. Gabby didn't know who Julie was; but Julie knew who she was.

Just a few hours after, Rayver hailed a cab the moment he walked out of the airport. He had to see Julie and asked her in person why she backed out of their wedding. But Julie would not talk to him. She didn't even want to see his face.

Holding a bottle of beer, it still beat him why Julie canceled the engagement. Next to him happened to be Alden, also holding a bottle of beer. Alden recognized him. To start a conversation, Alden asked Rayver, "Why are you here?"

"It's so funny. I had two women whom I wanted to marry. One of them backed out; the other cancelled the wedding."

Rayver and Gabby ended up going back to England, both unmarried. While waiting for her queue, Rayver happened to be the one next in line. 

Let's recall what happened in England.

Alden witnessed her fiancée Gabbi having a lovey-dovey with her boyfriend. The two just came from his apartment's bed where they consummated their love affair not knowing that Julie was around behind the closet doors. When Gabbi learned that Alden cancelled their wedding, she broke up with her boyfriend Rayver.

Was it a happy ending? No it wasn't. In fact, Alden and Julie never saw again after the airport scene.