My Imaginary Boyfriend

My Imaginary Boyfriend *Nostalgia

 (Listen to the song attached to the story)

As I get clothes from my drawer, something in my peripheral catches my eye. It’s a black box. Opening it, I find a ring inside. It’s handmade, woven, and has an intricate design. Attached to the center of it is a star shaped crystal. I remember that before, I used to wear it on my ring finger but that’s not possible now because I grew up. I try it on my pinkie finger instead.

“Happy birthday to you! Happy birthday to you! Happy birthday happy birthday, happy birthday dear Alyson!”

Joy and love fills my heart as my friends greets me a happy birthday. My chocolate strawberry birthday cake has eight pink candles.

“Make a wish! Make a wish!” My friends say simultaneously, more excited than me. Truth is, they’re eager to eat the cake.

Closing my eyes, I wish with all my heart  -- the wish I make repeatedly in my birthdays, thinking that the more I wish for it, the more it will be true. When I blow the candles, my friends clap enthusiastically.

 

“Come on,” Alex says, grabbing my hand after the party.

“Where are we going?” I ask. I am so exhausted with today’s event; this is my best birthday yet.

He doesn’t answer my question, so I let him guide me to wherever we are going. We make our way towards our little garden, both of us not talking, contented with the silence. We sit on the bench beside a tree, near the pond.

“I have something for you,” he say.

“Really?” I ask. I don’t expect to have gifts for my birthday. The sisters gave me a teddy bear which I named Bunny. They laughed at his name because they assumed I would call him Teddy. Is it wrong to call a bear Bunny? Grown ups are so confusing.

Alex gets something from his pocket and then hands me a box with a flower wrapping in it.

“What is it?” I ask.

“Open it.".

I tear the wrap carefully. When I’m finished, I see a black box. Alex is looking at me hopefully. I guess he put a chocolate bar inside the box. Opening it, I see a ring. A star shaped crystal is attached to its center.

“I made it for you,” he says shyly.

“Thank you,” I say, feeling suddenly ashamed. I haven’t given him anything on his previous birthdays.

Getting the ring from the box, I put it on my ring finger in my right hand. It fits perfectly. In the past few days, Alex didn’t play with me. I thought he doesn’t want to be my friend anymore. I didn’t know he just wanted to give me a present for my birthday.

“Sister Madeleine helped me in making it,” he says, smiling.

“It’s the best gift that I ever received,” I say truthfully.

He smiles and gives my hand a squeeze.

A nudge on my feet brings me back to the present. Puppy wants my attention, perhaps he’s hungry. I get the ring out of my finger and put it back inside. When I left the orphanage, I had the sense to take the ring with me. Maybe a part of me didn’t want to forget him despite what he’d done. Even though I can remember some of the memories I had with Alex, I can’t still see his face. He’s just a blur.