Ben

Can it be that one may love the same person until he dies? I don't know, but somehow, I'd like to think it is possible.

I met Ben when I was seventeen, and he was nineteen. I was a freshman student while he was a junior. We were schoolmates and dorm mates.

The first time I saw him I already admired his style – the way he walked, the way he carried his clothes, his being neat. He is the typical handsome boy-next-door type, as they say. It wasn't love at first, though. I found him snobbish; maybe because he doesn't know me yet at that time. I learned that he is meticulous in choosing a friend. And I thought, well, I'm not interested in him. If he smiles at me, then fine. If he doesn't, I don't care. So, I dismissed him out of my mind and went on with my own business – myself.

After a month, I chanced upon Tony, a dorm mate, talking with Ben. Tony introduced me to him. And guess what? He wasn't a snob! We exchanged pleasantries. He even told me that he learned it was my birthday a Saturday ago, which I confirmed. And to prove that he wasn't a snob, we went to our respective classes together and he even paid for my fare. So, that's a snob? I don't think so. Suddenly, my bad impression of him was gone. Just like that. Pfft!

I considered that meeting as one of the boy-meets-girl types. I proceeded with my usual thing. It didn't enter my mind that it will be followed by a much longer conversation. But, it was. As I was going back to the dormitory, I saw him coming out. He asked me to join him for dinner, but I politely denied his invitation because I had just finished mine. So, he opted to talk with me instead while he waited for his roommate Andro to have dinner with him. I was surprised that he invited me for dinner and that he stayed on to have a chat with me. It further surprised me when he cut me from talking and said, "You know, Heide, I like you because you are not pretentious." So much for compliments, huh? Believe me, I didn't know what to say. I was so dumbfounded I only smiled. Wait. I think I said, "Really?" But, I considered that night as just one of those nights I had with my friends. I presumed that he needed someone to talk to that starry night.

But, guess again. It was a hot, sunny noon. I was awakened by a knock in my room. It was Amy, my wingmate. She told me someone called my name through the Intercom. So, I rushed outside still in my walking shorts. You're right. It was Ben, sitting at the newspaper table. The moment I peeped through the corridor he readily asked me for lunch. Very, very much surprised, I said yes. That was the first time I had lunch with him. And, it was followed by a dinner, and breakfast, and more lunch, dinner, and breakfast until it became our daily routine which both of us didn't realize (I think).

So, when everybody in our dormitory noticed our closeness, they sort of made a love angle on it and teased us. My wingmates were curious about how we became close. They were telling me that I made it. I didn't know at first what they mean by that. But, an old resident and batch mate of Ben told me that he is the type of a guy who doesn't spend much time in the receiving area. There were few times he would stay, but very seldom. They noticed that with me, Ben is having more time downstairs. I told them that it was because I would oblige him to watch TV programs once in a while, and, sometimes, we would just stay and talk.

The truth is, I never thought he would like talking to me, much less smile at me. I thought of him and our first meeting as one of the ordinary things. But, the fact that we have become closer and more comfortable with each other made me think there's something more to it. It led us to the so-called 'friendship.' (Or, that's what I thought it is). And, who would ever think that we'd become friends? Not our dorm mates, for sure.