Random Words

The End of the Bucket List

It's been three months since I first and last saw him. Jake is – was, a different guy, one I never knew existed. Unique would be an understatement to describe him at this point.

It first started at the bus. I'm not one to talk to my seatmate, but that day, that particular Valentine's day, he took the initiative to talk to a random stranger which was me, and was also by the way the fourth to the last item on his bucket list.

He was charming, good looking and very clever with his words, he asked me a few questions as we head our way to the mall, anything random, just yes or no questions. For every yes, I would touch his dimple, and for every no, I would tap his phone. Then the game began.

I was alone, he was alone, we were both going to the mall on Valentine's day with no dates. He asked if we could eat, I was hesitant at first but I really wanted to go with him for some reason. Maybe I liked his Armani scent, maybe I liked his manly quiff, maybe it's his voice, maybe I just really like his cool-ness, or maybe I just really like him. Like, like him-like him.

We ate, asked questions, some were personal like what's his major or does he have siblings, some were random like would I eat the world's hottest pepper for ten bucks or something like that. We took pictures, some were awful, some were... cute. He paid for our meal, which I extremely disagreed to. I wanted to pay at least half but he didn't let me. This was third to the last in his bucket list – get a meal with the random stranger.

During our meal – which was also as close as a date that I'll ever get – we agreed to watch a movie of his choice and of course he will pay for, which I didn't pay attention to. I was too preoccupied staring at Jake the entire movie, and the fact that he had his arm around my shoulder the whole time didn't helped at all. I was nervous, I was anxious, I don't know if he's giving me signs, I don't know if he's just being friendly.

After the movie, we went out to the park near the mall, just a normal walk in the park at night. The kind that couples do, but we aren't a couple, I mean, how could we? We just met.

We stopped somewhere in the park, I remember a fountain, the dim lights from the street lamps, and a worn out faded green bench, together with the stars in the sky as witnesses, he did the unexpected.

It wasn't a quick peck, nor was it a French kiss either. It was just a gentle bittersweet lip tingling knees weakening breath taking kiss, like the ones you read in romance novels. I'm at the part where the sparks would fly, or there was chemistry between the two people, or it felt like fireworks when they kissed.

After which, we went on our separate ways.

Of all the information we exchanged, his address and our cell numbers weren't in the list. I forgot as to how and why.

So here I am now, sitting on my bed, alone in my room as I go through the package, an envelope and the note that came just now.

Bernard, by the time you read this I'm probably gone from this world. I never told you this because I never wanted to hurt you back then, I mean, I just met you after all. So if you don't know yet, I have leukemia, or rather, had leukemia.

I'm sorry if things ended the way it did between us, I'm also sorry if I ever hurt you in any way. I hope you can forget this part of my life and just try to remember the happy times that we've made. In those short hours that we spent together, you made me experience how to love and kiss a person, even from someone as unexpected as you, who's also a guy like me. So, that's a check for the last two items in my bucket list – love and kiss someone I like.

In this box lies four items, a picture frame to put your favorite picture of us when we ate together, my perfume because you told me you loved how I smell and also because no one would use it now, the movie tickets that I told you I threw away, when in fact I just hid it in my pocket the entire time and a small envelope. Open that with caution.

Take care always,

Jake

I opened the envelope carefully as Jake instructed while tears escaped my eyes, and to my surprise it was a picture, of Jake and I kissing at the park. I cannot fathom as to how he got a picture of this, but I soon dismissed the thought and just held the piece of photograph near my heart as I cried my eyes out.

Author's Note: If you're a Filipino or can understand Tagalog and would like to read a longer version of this story, just look for it in my works titled "My Valentine Guy" Thank you!