Cellphone

My cellphone's beeping sound woke me up one night. Used to receiving important messages only, I grabbed my cellphone and sleepily pressed the keys and read the message.

"Hi there! Care 2 b my txtmate?"

Not knowing who the sender was, I deleted the message right away and placed the phone on my bedside table. I tried to go back to sleep. I had just closed my eyes when I heard the message tone again.

"Hi there, again! Care 2 b my txtmate?" again, the message said.

"Who the hell could this be asking for a textmate at the wee hours of the night?" I asked myself.

Again, I deleted the message without bothering to reply.

I was never a 'textmaniac' - someone who enjoys texting anyone and everyone even in the wee hours of the night, not to mention during the day. My parents who were always abroad, forced me to own a cellphone. They told me that having one was more convenient - they could monitor me even if they're miles away.

I wanted to turn the cellphone off. However, since my mother was fond of calling me at night just to check if I am safe at home, I decided not to.

Just as I was about to close my eyes and return to my dreamless sleep, the phone beeped again. It was from the same number! Such determination!

"Ply reply 2 dis msg & b an angel & save me frm dis abyss of emptiness!"

I never knew why but the message struck me. I got up and pressed the keys. I realized I was replying to the message.

"Im not an angel, n if u want som1 2 save u, Im not superman. Im just a simple person whom u woke up in d mid of d nite! Nway, do I know u?" I typed.

Seconds later came the reply.

"Nope. U don't know dis lonely soul. Nor does he know u. But I want 2 b ur frnd. I'm Michael Cervantes. U?"

"Just call me Julius. How did u get my no.?" I sent back.

"Hi Julius, nice 2 meet u. Just shuffled the last two digits of mine" he replied.

That was the first and maybe the last time I met someone over the cellphone.

We exchanged messages and learned so much about each other that night. We only said goodbye when my alarm clock rang at 5 a.m.! I had to prepare for work!

And that was also how it all started. There wouldn’t be a day without a loving and thoughtful message from him. It was only then I learned to appreciate text messages and become eager and excited everytime my phone beeped, hoping it would be him.

I never knew why, but his response would send shivers down my spine.

"Value d people hu hav touched ur life bcoz ull never know just wen will dey walk out of ur lyf & nvr come back again."

I couldn't understand what I felt at that moment, but I was sure of one thing. I could not go a day without a single word from him. Even though we haven’t met personally, I became used to having him in my life. In fact by then, he already occupies a large space in my life.

I texted him back. "Dont come close if ull jst pass by; don't touch me if ull jst let me cry; dont luv me if ull jst leave me and won't stay..."

I didn't know why I sent him that message, but somehow I felt every word came from my heart. In the short span of time that we exchanged messages with each other, I knew I have reserved a place for him in my heart.

I called him once. The voice on the other end was like an angel's. It was soft, kind and full of love. Yet, there was something in it I couldn't define. We only talked for a few minutes. Before he hung up, he told me not to call again. According to him, it would be better if we would just text each other.

But his voice kept ringing not only in my head, but in my heart. I longed to hear it once more. I tried to call him again but he did not answer the phone. He just kept on sending messages and quotations, which I copied in a little notebook. Am I a hopeless romantic? I don't know. All I could say was all the messages he sent me were wonderful. They came from his heart and cut through my heart.

"Though we r miles apart, u r always in my heart. I close my eyes & der u r. Even if I'll nvr c u, I'll always b arnd 2 care 4 u, far longer den 4ever..."

He sent me this message to me on one December night. By that time, we had been exchanging messages for more than a month. God knew how happy I was. He was right. Although we had not seen each other, what we felt was enough to make us both realize what was keeping us together.

I sent him another message, "Loving u secretly is a hard thing 4 me 2 do, hoping, wondering that u will feel d same way 2, but I can't read ur mind to know if u luv me 2. But whatever it is, I'll still be loving u."

"How I wish I cud really tell u how much u mean 2 me, but Im afraid 2 love, scared 2 get hurt. I hope dat u will wait 4 me & pray dat u will not get tired of loving me. =)" was his reply.

And I replied again. "The reason y I met u is bcoz of destiny but if destiny will suggest dat I'll live w/o u, den, I'll not follow my destiny but my free will."

Whenever I asked him when we can meet personally, he will always reply, "Soon... soon, love... soon."

Not seeing each other did not lessen our love even by a bit. What I felt for him grew deeper and stronger each day. And I was sure he felt the same way too. Love messages continued to flow through our lines between our hearts, which made us think that we would see each other, face to face, heart to heart someday.

Just a few days before Christmas, he stopped sending me messages. At first I just thought he had ran out of credit on his prepaid card.

However, there was something that kept bothering me. I couldn't understand what was it, but it made me felt nervous. I tried to call him but he wouldn't answer. Nevertheless, I continued sending him messages.

One night, just three days before christmas day, I suddenly heard my phone's message tone again. At last! It was from him!

"Often in tym, we say gudbye 2 d 1 we luv w/o wanting 2. Though dat doesn't mean dat we stopped loving dem or we stopped 2 care. Sometyms, Goodbye is a painful way 2 say I Love You."

I was dumfounded. I didn't know what to think of it. What did he mean? I texted him back searching for answers. However, I found nothing. I called him but he would not answer as usual.

For the first time in my life, I felt so miserable, desperate and empty. I didn't know what to do. I didn't want to lose him. I had learned to love him and I wanted to be with him forever.

The following days, I felt nothing but emptiness. It seemed that Michael took the life out of me. I missed him so much. I missed his messages. I missed hearing my message tone that would indicate that he had sent another loving message. Nobody around me could feel the emptiness I felt.

Tut... Tut... Tut... Tut... Tut...

A day before Christmas, my cellphone beeped again. It was him!

“Meet me at MOA, Starbucks, 10 am 2day”

I read it aloud, making sure the message was true. I jumped with joy upon hearing from him again. I got myself ready in a hurry and went to the mall. I knew it was still early, but I wanted to be there before he arrived.

I arrived at the meeting place ten minutes earlier. I was surprised to see heim already there, smiling at me. He was very handsome. He had black, deep-set eyes that spoke a thousand words; small, kissable lips; a perfectly chiselled nose and black hair. Her eyes radiated kindness and love but there was a flicker of something in them. I thought I could detect a flicker of sadness.

“Hi, Julius,” said the angelic voice I had been dreaming of each night.

It was a voice that I had waited to hear for so long.

“Please sit down.”

“I am very pleased to meet you, Michael,” I said, as I took my seat and gave him the necklace I had bought for him.

“Thanks, Julius.” he smiled, obviously pleased with the necklace.

I knew he love ethnic necklaces.

“You are always welcome, Love.”

“Julius, I can’t stay,” he said, sadness in his voice.

“I really must go.”

“But we just met, Michael. Can’t we talk a little longer?” I asked, pleadingly.

“I really can’t. I just came here to see you and thank you for the time you have shared with me. Thank you for everything, Julius. I will never forget you. You will always be here in my heart.”

He was looking at me straight in the eyes and I could really feel the sadness in his voice. I swear there was something in his voice and those lovely yet lonely eyes. He got up and smiled at me lovingly.

“Please come and visit me tomorrow morning.” he said and gave me a piece of paper.

I read what was written on it and when I looked up, he was gone. The following day on Christmas, I woke up early and got ready in excitement as I thought of him. I went to a local convenience store to buy some presents for him.

They lived in an exclusive subdivision. Upon reaching their house, I told the guard who I was and that I was looking for Michael. The guard stared at me with sadness and amazement in his eyes. He told me to wait as he called the owner of the house. As I saw him going inside the house, I noticed that the house was brightly lit.

A woman came out of the house and walked towards me, smiling sadly.

“Hi, I’m Maria, Michael's mother. Please come inside, Julius.”

While we were walking towards the mansion, he explained to me why she knew me very well - Michael talks about me often. I hardly understood what she was saying as I was busy wondering why was she crying while talking to me.

As we approached the great hall of the house, it dawned on me that there was a wake inside. I thought maybe a relative had passed away. However, deep in my heart, I was trembling and afraid.

As we entered the hall, there were many people silently mourning while others were praying.

I asked his mother, “Where is Michael?”

He held my hand and silently led me to the coffin which was surrounded by flowers. The flowers were all pink roses. No words could explain how I felt when I gazed into the coffin and saw who was lying there. It was the same beautiful boy I met yesterday…

A man came beside me and I knew he was Michael’ father.

“We are so glad you came, Julius. Michael talked about you all the time. He even asked for his phone to be buried with him. He said that through this way, you could still send him messages and you would always be with him.”

I couldn’t believe everything… My mind was in limbo.

“But how can this be? We just saw each other yesterday.”

“That can’t possibly be. He passed away three days ago. He had been suffering from a heart disease since he was a child.” said his father.

“But…” I couldn’t find the words to say.

“He told us not to bother reaching you.” his mother said, still in tears.

“He said that you will come and here you are.”

Pain and bitterness overwhelmed me. I cried silently beside him as I stared at his lovely face. I tried to memorize every line of my friend’s face, a face I knew I would never forget while I was still alive.

After going to the wake that afternoon, I went to the chapel he told me he went everyday. I sat there praying and crying to God.

I held my phone and typed, “U taught me how 2 care; u taught me how 2 b kind; u shwd me how 2 lyk som1; u shwd me how 2 luv; but ders 1 thing u didnt teach me & it hurts - u didnt teach me how 2 let u go. I Love You.”

I sent the message and even though I knew he wouldn’t be able to hold his cellphone again, I knew in my heart he would get my message. I didn’t expect a reply but my phone beeped seconds later. I felt a shiver down my spine. The sender’s number did not appear on the screen but tears rolled down my cheeks as I read the message.

“Let go of d hand of d person u love, but dont let go of God’s hand. 4 if u hold 2 his hand. He may b holding d person u love in d other hand 2 let u hold each other again.”

“I will never forget you Michael. I will never let you go…” I vowed to him and to myself as I left the chapel.

"Keep me as a frnd & I will keep u in my heart. Lock it up & throw away d key so dat no1 can evr tke u away from me..."

One day, he sent this message to me.

I replied, 'In life, we seldom find a true prson & if u evr find 1, hold on & nvr let go... Value dat prson coz it's a gift worth keeping & holdin on..."