WAS IT REALLY JUST A DREAM?

The hand of the clock on the wall were moving so fast. i hadn't noticed that time was flying by until i heard news, gossip actually, that the one i love will be saying goodbye to us very soon. at that very moment i didn't know what to do: was i going to tell him the truth that i love him? would i try to talk to him out of leaving? or would i just let it go and pretend that i didn't care about what was happening? the school bell already rang and my friends were calling out to me to leave but i couldn't get up, as if my feet were glued to the floor. i didn't know what to do, my feet felt like they had minds on their own. i tell myself to stand but my feet were not obeying. suddenly, i heard a girl's voice. she was calling out his name. i turned around and i saw his ex-girlfriend. she ran up and asked if he was really leaving, but he just smiled. it's like a smile you see when you're covering up something grave. it almost felt like he was wearing a mask to cover his feelings. he left without a word.

it rained that afternoon, and my heart was beating fast. was it fear? or maybe nervousness? i finally got my stubborn feet to stand, and my friends were waiting for me outside. we strolled out and someone in the staircase caught my eye. it was him again, he was looking at me. a look that looked as if there was something extremely important he needed to tell me, but i ignored him and looked away, and continued walking down the staircase. i felt a jolt of guilt through my gut, but i tried my best to hide it by simply laughing at the corny joke my friend cracked.

later that afternoon, i went home. i didn't eat supper that night because i was not feeling well. naturally, my mom knew something was wrong, but i kept all the pain inside. i just want to get some sleep to put an end to this horrible day! i closed my eyes, but nothing happened. i couldn't sleep at all. in frustration, i looked at the clock whose hands were moving extremely fast. i stared at it for a few seconds and lunged closer to examine it. it just got faster and faster. this wasn't normal. i grabbed it from the wall and took off its battery, but it was still moving. there is something wrong. then there was a strange sound coming from the balcony. i called out for my mom, but there was no answer. a breeze swept through the room, opening all the windows. i examined the balcony, but i tripped because of a fallen chair i didn't notice. everything went blurry, then black. i lost my consciousness.

i finally woke up, but i wasn't in my bedroom anymore. it wasn't a place i've been to before, that's for sure. i looked around for anyone to help me but i found nothing. i walked around, seemingly searching for a way out, but i couldn't find anything. i gave up all thoughts of hope, but out of the blue, i saw a glint of light. i looked closer and what i saw was a paradise in my eyes. i ran there, and immediately i realized what this place was. it was a place from my dreams, where i was with him, sitting under the shade of a big tree, holding hands and talking about our future. was this dream coming into reality? i walked up to the shady tree. i noticed that someone was behind it. i came closer, and i was surprised to see him there. he had a blank look on his face, as if he was in deep thought...waiting for someone perhaps? i asked him who he was waiting for.

after lots of silence, he finally said: "you're the one i'm waiting for". blood rushed up to my face, and i was totally shocked as questions flooded my head. i was speechless. he finally stood up and took my hand saying: "come here and sit beside me. i want to use this time given to me by God to talk to you, clear things up, but most of all, i wanna use this time to tell you something i should've told you a long time ago." silence, yet again. he began to speak again. "this is a dream, but i tell you deep from my heart that what i tell you is real". i took some time to digest the words he was saying. "what are you talking about?" i asked him, gulping as i said that. "i really, really love you, and from the very start i knew you were someone special for me". i stared at him. "i'm dead now, but i wanted to tell you how much i love you. i didn't say it before because i knew you didn't share the same feelings with me." i was shocked. it wasn't because i was talking to a dead guy, it was because it turns out that the guy i've always wanted to be with actually feels the same way about me.

i then quickly remembered how i ignored him yesterday, how i walked away when he wanted to tell me something. a tear rolled down my cheek. and another. i was crying, partly out of guilt, but mostly because the only guy i ever loved is gone. he noticed and wiped away my tears. "please don't cry, i don't want to see your beautiful face filled with tears" i laughed at what he said and tried to be as happy as possible. he opened his mouth again and said "i want to spend this time with you, and i want this moment to be filled with happy memories." flowers sprouted from the ground, and petals were flying with the cool breeze. we walked together through the flowers. we started picking the flowers for each other. we chased around for a bit, and finally fell on the ground, cushioned by the soft flowers. as he tried to catch his breath, he started talking, saying things no one else would say. it was perfect. i was at the perfect place at the perfect time with the perfect boyfriend. could it be anymore perfect?

we finally returned to the big, shady tree. he asked, "wanna carve on it?" i agreed, and we gave the tree a name. it was called "the tree of eternal love". it may sound corny, but that's what felt like the best thing to describe our love with. we carved our names on the tree, and left it like that. this is everything i've ever wanted in life and i wished it would go on forever, but he's dead. upon realizing that, a tear rolled down my cheek. he noticed this, and he wiped my tears with a handkerchief. as soon as i touched it, he suddenly disappeared. i searched, frantically, calling out his name, but there was no answer. he was gone. even more tears formed in my eyes. i opened the handkerchief he gave me, and the words "i'll love you forever" were embroidered on it. i collapsed, with an overwhelming feeling of loss over me. my surroundings starting to fade away.

i woke up to find myself no longer in happy slumber land, but in my bedroom. the clock seemed to be going at it's normal pace, and all the windows were closed again. i guess it was really just a dream. when i went down, mom told me about an invitation given to me yesterday night. it was from Jhille, my best friend. i opened it to see that it was for a funeral for him. so he really was dead. i ran up my bedroom and tossed the invitation. how could this be happening?! this isn't fair.

today was Saturday, and i wanted to go out. brushing away all thoughts of what happened, i tool a cold shower and dressed up in whatever clothes i could find. oddly though, i felt something in my pocket (i never leave anything in my pocket). i reached out to find a handkerchief. oh my gosh! i opened it to find the same inscription as the one from my dream has. i shook my head in disbelief, and i looked at it again. it was the same.

i went to school and realized how much time i've wasted.oddly though, i saw an area of the school which i haven't seen yet. i walked through it, only to find the same white flowers from my dream. i took time to breathe in the fresh scent of the flowers. and finally, i walked up to the big tree in front of me, and i saw the carvings we made together. it was still called "the tree of eternal love", and our names were still there. i felt overjoyed and confused at the same time, but now i know that the one i love loves me back. was it really just a dream?