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Salome is  a young lady,  with harmony in her features, with a  sweet expression that animates her beautiful eyes and a small nose and diminutive mouth ;but hers is not a beauty which instantly arrests attention at sight. She is like one of those little flowers in the field without color or fragrance, on which we step unwittingly, and whose beauty manifests itself to us only when we examine them with care - unknown flowers, flowers of elusive perfume.

Before, she had a dream. She dreamt of Elias laying at the inner center of the dark, forbidden forest of “ Mabuhay”  , whom was catching his breathe and saying those sad words. Elias had a 2 gunshots fired direct from his heart .Blood gushed  from his body. And Salome seeing him in that state cried terribly at that dream. Terror filled over her body but Elias said to her , “ do not be afraid for I am always with you. always! you must not be able to see but youll always feel my presence. I love you Salome more than you’ll ever know” . After that last words, Salome awoke from the bed, shivering. It was a terrible, scary dream she had ever dreamed. She was scared that it might be true so at that time when it was late at night , she ran barefootedly at the forbidden forest, where Elias was seen laying at the ground like at her dream.  “ Where is he? Where is Elias? I need to find him!! before its too late!!” Salome said as she was very determined looking for him. As she traced the dark forest anxiously without any lamp- only by means of moonlight, she just tripped down to the ground realizing, “ this is the place where Elias last laid in my arms-in my dreams” she said.

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  Then she cried,  a tears made out of joy, knowing that dream was just only a dream .

Then, a lightning broke at the night sky followed by a thunder signaling a bad weather coming in. At that same time suddenly, someone grabbed her from behind and shutted her mouth. She struggled and tried to be released from that tight grip. But the man holding her is strong that she cant manage to free herself. She feared that the strange man was her fiancée,Leandro.  Then the strange man talked, “calm down, calm down salome! its me!! Elias!!” . When the strange man finally told that he was Elias. Salome felt relieved and formed tears from her eyes.  Elias released her from that tight grip asked her “ are you okay? why are you running this late at night?” . Salome wasn’t able to answer from that moment, she just screamed , “Elias!!!” as she embraces him. “ Hey, what’s the matter? Did you have a bad dream?” as Elias asked her. “where have you been all this time?!!” as Salome asked. Sorry is the only word Elias was able to reply. “ I have a bad dream of you , lately, im having this dream every night! but tonight its intense. I dreamt of losing you here- you were shot and lay helplessly on the ground, there were many blood shed from you. I thought that was true so I went to see it for myself” as Salome narrated.  “that’s a bad dream!” Elias agreed. Salome screamed with tears as she said, “ don’t disappear from me anymore, Elias!” .

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Elias nodded and wiped her teary eyes. Out of nowhere elias said,  “It seems theres an upcoming typhoon, we need to find a shelter” . Elias grabbed her soft and delicate hand and hold it as they try to find a shelter.

Luckily, they were able to find a shelter. It is a small  but picturesque concrete built along the shores of the lake on an elevation which spares it from the rise of the waters, among luxuriant bamboo groves, betelnut and coconut trees. But before they were able to find a shelter, they were wet by the rain.

Then, they knocked from the door waiting for someone to open the door and stay for that night only. But nobody answered, They looked from the clear big window near the door but was not able to see an image of a person. Elias turned the knob clockwise and found out it was open. He looked for a bit to look for the homeowner. “ anybody home?” they asked but when assured that nobodys home they stayed inside. “Youre shivering, stay near the fire chamber, ill look out for a warm towel” Elias said. Elias looked from cabinet- cabinet only to find a piece of towel. “ I have only a piece of towel” elias said as about to face her. When he faced her, a bit moment , he found her with no clothing that he hastily turned around. “i-im sorry!! I didn’t know that you were removing your top clothes” Elias said to her. Elias’s heart beat raced and banged heavily from his chest as he felt it. He really does not intend to sneak  to take a look of a young woman’s body.

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Salome giggled a bit and admitted , “ its okay- you too you have to remove your clothing or else your gonna be sick” . “ uhh.. here’s your towel” as Elias stuttered in his words as he handed to her while still turning around. “ okay- ill turn around too, you have to remove your top shirt too” Salome commanded him. After elias removed her top shirt, still looking away, He sitted near at the back of Salome. Salome laid her naked back at his naked back part. “ on this way, we would be able to share same body heat” she explained casually. Elias didn’t answered for he was shy at that moment. Along with that, he felt an awkwardness in the atmosphere as he thought a young lady and young man  alone together naked.   As elias felt the warmth of her, he tried to control her manly instincts.  

Then suddenly, a thunder roared at the night sky and a huge gush of wind banged the door open, then extinguishing the fire in the fire chamber. Afraid of the darkness inside, and of the swish of the wind and banging in and out of the door by the wind, Salome embraced Elias. They are now sitting right next to each other. Elias embraced her back, a gesture of protecting her. After the thunder silenced, with the only lightning present, Salome wrapped around him a part of the towel. Salome looked at Elias and Elias too as she feel her hand wrapping the towel around him. They had their eye to eye contact and it was immense. Elias couldn’t hold out that eye to eye contact that he lowers down his eyes.

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He felt shy for he was inexperienced. Then, he just heard salome spoke.

“ Remember the first time  we met?” Salome asked.

 Elias answered, “ yeah. I can clearly remember it from now”

“ I thought you already had forgotten me- because you left me without any explanations. I don’t even know if youll ever gonna come back or not. You didn’t have even any letter for me” Salome said to him.

“ you don’t know how long ive waited for your letters and longed for you” as salome thought this words into her mind only and look at elias calm face

“no-no! that’s not it!!” As elias was trying to convince her

Salome asked her again wanting to know his real reason, “ tell me , elias what is the reason?”

“i- I just” elias stuttered from his word and  before he can finish his sentence,

Salome voice out, “ because youre such a weakling!! I hate you!!”

“ im sorry” is the only word escaped from elias mouth.

“ so did you made lot of girlfriends at states?” salome inquired

Elias lowered down his voice, “ I didnt even have any intent to find one”

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“ how about you and your fiancee?” as elias throwed the same question to her

“ my fiancée? What are you talking about?! I am not gonna marry that Spanish milkfish. He’s just the only one insisiting to pursue our marriage.  The truth is, he’s not whom I wanna spend the rest of my life with”  as Salome stated her thought

Salome looked at him at his eyes deeply as if she was trying to say something but elias is so dumb that he wasn’t able to perceive it

“ elias… I was wondering , what do you think of me? Do you even see me as a girl?”

Elias giggled a bit, “ ofcourse were friends, youre my very best friend girl!”

“ I bet so! So you only see me as a best  friend after all?” Salome asked him, this time in serious face

Salome touched his hand and looked again at his eyes…

“How long are you gonna make me endure? “ salome with teary eyes.

“ the first time we met- is the first time you made my heart beat faster. Ever since high school, Ive waited for you to court me, Ive longed for you to touch my hand,  but you never did. Instead you stayed distant from me and left me with Leandro, your friend. You never understood how broke I am when you do not realize my feelings- but the moment you left me without any reason is the biggest heartbreak ive ever experienced ” as salome started confessing.

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Elias was surprised at what she said , he never thought that she hold such strong emotions to him. Elias thought that he had no chance to salome since she didn’t show any affections to him, only an act of kindness and gift of friendship. He was too blind to see her feelings toward him. All this years he thought that she have chosen Leandro over him that’s why he traveled miles away just to forget that feeling.

“I thought that…….-“ Elias sighed

“you didn’t know this too Salome , but  ive been enduring too! Im sorry….im so dumb!! “ as elias touched her face

“ Ive always wanted to be the one holding you and be at  your side- but because of all this insecurities. Ive wasted a lot of years that  we should have shared, im sorry” Elias said.

“ this time…ill promise , ill be manly and make my first move!” Elias continued in determined voice.

Elias a shy, uneasy  boy  when it comes to girl had pull out the courage to kiss her…finally!!

Elias was able to held the hand of the girl he always dreamed.

 

 

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THE END…

 



 

 By Shiela Marie Guiquing

 

 

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