"Red, be my Valentine. I write it myself," you said proudly while handling me a red heart-shaped craft paper with an unaligned letters saying, hAPi BAliNtAN, rED.

"Thanks. Leave it there," I simply replied to you, as I am busy playing with my Nintendo DS.  We were just grade one at that time.

My mom saw the card that you gave me inside my bag.  She told me to give you one also.  I didn't bother to do so.

Years after years, you were giving me a Valentine's card.  You're handwriting and spelling was getting better.  My mom bought a Valentine's card to be given to you when we are in grade four.  My big sister was the one who wrote the message.  It's not my thing, you know.  But I remembered how you looked so delighted when I handed it to you as your lips were as wide as the horizons above.

"Red, will you be my escort on Valentine's ball?" you asked me when we were in grade 7, as you handed me you're personally made card for me, with our picture inside upon opening in the middle, that heart-shaped folded card decorated with flowers and hearts.

As usual, I exchanged the card that my big sister prepared for you.

"Sorry, I'm not going to attend.  It's my cousin's birthday."  Truly that it's my cousin's birthday but she didn't have party at all.  I just didn't want to go and be teased with you by my sister.

I remembered how your smile vanished from your pinkish lips like a bubbles that popped up before my very eyes.

"Red, let me see the card that Keira gave to you," my big sister excitedly asked when I got home. 

"It's inside my bag," I told her.

She grabbed and examined it like a professional detective that she wanna be.

"Oh my! How sweet! She confessed her feelings!" she exclaimed full of excitement.

"Tss. It was just a simple greetings."  Below our picture was just your handwritten greetings, Happy Valentine's Red. Your friend, Keira. Nothing more.

Yes, we were classmate and became best of friends as we were always playing Zelda in Nintendo DS.

"You studied Morse code, didn't you? Look at this."  She pointed on the series of dots and dashes around the card.  You encoded, I really like you, Red.  No. I'm inlove with you already.

We were so young that time. How can you say that you love me already while my attention was caught only by the games our played?  I ignored that bluntly confession of yours as if I didn't know it all. We continued to be friends and exchanged Valentine's card. In your cards engraved your secret love for me cryptographed by binary, octal or hexadecimal. My sister decoded them as I have no interest with it.

Again, I pretended not to be awkward in your presence.  Anyway, you didn't dare to confess in person.

Little that you knew, that I was started to notice you.  From a chubby little girl who always wiped her runny nose by the back of her palm, as it get dried on your chubby reddish cheeks like a red delicious apples with scratches. You turned into beautiful young lady, as some boys befriended me to be closed to you. 

Heck, no way!  You were mine and mine alone. I was just waiting for the right time.

"Red, do you have any plan on Saturday?" you asked me. You seemed very anxious that time though you still managed to smile.

That Saturday was a Valentine's day.  I was planning of asking you out for a date, but then, you asked me first.

"I actually do." Your eyes suddenly clouded by darker aura as if the rain is coming anytime, as your smile became faint.

My heart sunken as its beats became erratic.  "I actually w-would like to watch a m-movie with y-you."  I cursed myself for stuttering and you gave me an unbelievably look.

We finally agreed to meet at the mall closer to your home where the movie houses are, at two in the afternoon.

My sister kept on teasing me as it took me quite longer in the bathroom styling my hair.  Then, I decided to leave it disheaved as I remembered, you told me, it fitted me more.

I drove to the nearest flower shop and picked a bouquet of pink roses, as it was your favourite flower.  The road was quite slippery as it snowed earlier but I managed to drive safely.

I arrived earlier to our meeting place.  I bought popcorn and drinks. I felt uptight when you didn't show up and the movie that we're supposedly watching just started.  I decided to call you.

My heart fleed from my chest like the last leaf of the tree branch on autumn, when your mom answered my call.  I rushed to the address she gave me.  I was just in time as the hospital attendant was putting that white sheet on your face.  Your parents were agonizing their heart out.  I couldn't moved my feet as if it was glued on the ground, just a couple of meters away from you.  Your mom noticed me and welcomed me with tightly hug.

"Red, they took my baby away," she managed to tell me in between sobs.

In a week, it's Valentine again. 

I will be spending my day in your eternal resting place talking to you.  It'd been two years since you've been hit by truck as it slipped in the icy road.  But here I am, still stuck in your memories, reading all the Valentine's card that you gave me, as my sister kept all of them in keepsake box and gave to me that night that you were taken away, leaving my heart to bleed in regrets.

5-6 Feb 2020

VALENTINE'S CARD
Eiramana325
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Credit to the owner of image used from Pinterest.

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