Dear, Alice
Hey, Alice, how have you been these days? I’m doing very well this month. It’s been 10 years since you left, not even a second I forget about you. Did you remember that this is our 42nd wedding anniversary? It’s lonely to celebrate the anniversary without you here with me, but its okay, I still got Kelvin. For today, let me be a bit selfish to rewind the time back when you’re still here.
We were fifteen years old when we met, and at that time, it was the time when I rebel against anything that displeased me. I was such a jerk at those times, but I’m glad I sat next to you. I used to call you Mrs. Ugly Betty 2, since y’know, you got braces, you braid your hair, and you wore nerdy glasses. I thought, life is teasing me when you sat next to me. You didn’t lend me your homework or test paper for me to cheat on, you rarely talk to me, and sometimes ignore me.
Do you remember when you were bullied by me? I asked my friend to hide your bus card, so you can’t go home. I thought that you will cry and beg for mercy to me; maybe if you did that we won’t be together. You searched for your bus card until late night, and walked home yourself even though your house is an hour from home. But when I offered you transportation, you reject me nicely, even though you knew it was me who hid your bus card. That day, I swear I couldn’t sleep at all, thinking why did someone like you exist? I never met someone like you.
The next two weeks, our class holds a party, remember? You were asked to be the leader so that we can just have fun and let you do all the work. Well, it’s actually my idea to get you annoyed, and once again, you did the unexpected things. You didn’t complain a single word when you did all the work. And when the party comes, you’re having a high fever so you couldn’t come. At the party, maybe nobody notices that you weren’t there, but I did.
Alice, do you remember when I suddenly asked you out? I do. I can never forget about it, ever. I thought you will accept my confession, like all other girls, and then I’ll treat you like nothing but garbage. Again, Alice, you really did surprise me. You reject me softly and bow down to apologize, even though you knew I’m just messing around. I acted like I really loved you that time; you still did respect my confession. Who does that? I’m despicable, yes? I kissed you when you rejected me. I forcefully kissed you, your first kiss. Why didn’t you hit me? Why didn’t you slap me? Why didn’t you yelled at me, instead of shedding a tear and ran away?
When the night comes, I couldn’t sleep at all, thinking you’re crying the whole night because of me, stole your precious first kiss. I’m such a jerk. I couldn’t stop asking myself, why did I kiss you? I have stolen so many first kisses from many girls, but you’re the first one who cried. You’re the first one who rejected me. Why it must be you, Alice?
A week before the prom night, I’m supposed to go with Liana, however, I didn’t. I asked you in her place. I don’t know for how many times, I have been rejected by you, but I still have nothing to lose. On the day of prom night, I went to your house, remember? But when I was there, your mother said that you went off somewhere. That time, I thought, I will just give up on you, and continue my life like usual. I went straight back to the prom, and dance with Liana, like I was supposed to do.
That’s when you showed up, like Cinderella. Nobody recognize it was you, I too, but my mind speaks that it was you. No braids, no braces, no glasses, you’ve been hiding your beautiful face from what you wore. Do you remember as well, when you came to the red carpet, all the boys are asking you to dance? You rejected them. I wanted to ask for a dance to you, but I’m scared that you will reject me. Well, if I didn’t ask you to dance, we won’t be together. Despite, I had hid your bus card, left you with bunch of works, kissed you forcefully, and all those bad things, you accepted me.
When I ask you to dance, I haven’t fallen for you, but when we danced, I think that’s the point when I fell for you. Not because of your beauty, well, that too, but the most important is because you found me. You found my lost self that I’ve been seeking all along. And I will always remember that we danced, you said to me,
“Expect the Unexpected.” I realized your words right away, the sentence is meant for you and me. With you, I went through the unexpected things, and the unexpected things, were you. But the prom is the last night when I saw you. The next day when I went to your house, your parents inform me that you went to Switzerland to study abroad. I didn’t even have my chance to say goodbye.
For five whole years, I couldn’t stop thinking about you. I’m waiting for you here, in London. I tried to search for you for several times in Switzerland, but you weren’t there to be found. It was stupid of me to search for you in the middle of the crowds. So, all I can do is wait. But waiting is not enough; I changed myself from being a jerk. I stopped dating girls, and I started to study seriously. Nobody believed me, Danielle Louise, stop being a jerk, not even my friends and family. I was marked as a rebellious child, but when you were gone, I was thinking why did you reject me? And I found the answer. I always get what I wanted, and I want you to be mine. I don’t want any more rejections from you. Because of that, I change myself. Whenever I started to give up, I always remember your words.
Expect the unexpected. I’ll show the world even Danille Louise can change himself to be a better person.
My hardwork didn’t come as easy as I thought, I faced so many rejections at first, but in the end, and I manage to succeed. It took me 8 whole years to be someone that can be proud of, it took me 8 whole years to wait; it took me 8 whole years to be ready to face you. You didn’t come to find me, so I search for you in Switzerland, and the result is still the same. I would’ve given up, if I didn’t have faith in you. I believe that someday we can meet again.
2 years later, I still didn’t find you, that time, I really lost myself, but then you found me. You take my hand and hug me tightly. I couldn’t help myself to cry on our arms, what I’ve been wishing these past 10 years came true. Fairy Tale doesn’t go very smoothly. You still reject my confession, but I still keep moving on.
I spent one whole week to decorate a garden for you and said, “If you and me together, this garden will be more beautiful.” I never thought you will accept my confession right at that time. Those moments can be said as the best day of my life. And the next two months, I asked you to marry me, surprisingly, you accept me. I thought it will take another 3 years for you to accept my proposal, but no.
The next year, you blessed me with one boy. The family is one thing that I treasure the most. People in the past used to think of me as a jerk, but now, it’s different, it’s because you’re there. You were so patient and wake me from my nightmare. It’s worth waiting for you.
Our fairy tale doesn’t last forever. At the age of 59, you died because of an illness. Those are the year when I couldn’t do anything but blaming myself for not saving you, but you somehow, again manage to find me and make me realize that even though you were gone, but your love still remains with me forever.
In the end of the letter, I wanted to say to you that I love you my dear, Alice, and thank you, my love.
After the old Danielle wrote the letter to his wife in heaven, he folds the letter and let it sleep with him, forever.
What remains in us will still remains with us, like love of us. ~Danielle