Joe D’ Mango’s LOVE NOTES
Dear Joe,
It has been years since I left for the United States, but the feeling I have for my high school sweetheart, Lena, remains strong. Friends have told me to move on. I did get involved with many girls, but to tell you honestly, I still see her face when I close my eyes at night and when I wake up in the morning.
I cannot complain about my life here in the US. Great job, nice car, brand-name clothes. I have been able to accomplish things that I would never have in the Philippines.
She was my first love; I was her first, too. She brought out the best in me. She was a sister, a classmate, a girlfriend, but most especially, she was my best friend. She knew me inside-out. She knew all my secrets. She was the one who pushed me to go to the US and now I’m reaping the benefits of it. I was emotionally weak back then, but she was the one who gave me strength. I told myself that I would marry her someday.
It was my fault that we broke up. During my first years in the US, I cheated on her, and she found that out through a friend. Months passed and there were no letters, no phone calls. But eventually we became friends again. We talked on the phone occasionally, but we avoided talking about what happened to our relationship. A very well-known international company employed her. She lived her dream and supported her family.
In 1999, I went back to the Philippines to attend my best friend’s wedding. A week before I arrived, she told me on the phone that she wouldn’t make it to the wedding for we would be tied up with work. I told her that we could just go out for dinner for old times’ sake and she agreed. The wedding day arrived and I had fun. I didn’t mind the headache caused by the jet lag because my high school classmates were all there so it was a big reunion for us. I was in the basement chatting with old pals when a friend told me that he was going to introduce me to someone upstairs. So I went up and to my big surprise, she was there standing in front of me. No words came out of my mouth except “hi.” I was shaking. It was the most nervous experience I ever had. We just shook hands, and then kissed her on the left cheek. All of our classmates and friends sang “Together Again.” We talked after the wedding and I asked for her forgiveness. I kissed the lips that I had wanted to kiss since leaving for the US.
I spent a month in the Philippines and it was the best time of my life. I was living a fairy tale. Before I got back to the US, we became engaged.
Unfortunately, our love grew cold. We couldn’t find time to talk because we were both busy working. We became strangers to each other. The engagement was called off. I was hurt but she was hurt more.
It has been two years and it still hurts. She made up her mind not to marry. She would stay single for the rest of her life. She avoids me, according to our friends, but they could still see that she still cares for me. When I spoke with her a week ago, she told me that the thought of us together still crosses her mind, but she ignores it.
I have lost her twice and I don’t want to lose her again. I am willing to give up everything I have to go back to the Philippines just to prove how much I love her. Is risking everything for the one you love worth it? Should I start anew?
TOMMY
It has been years since I left for the United States, but the feeling I have for my high school sweetheart, Lena, remains strong. Friends have told me to move on. I did get involved with many girls, but to tell you honestly, I still see her face when I close my eyes at night and when I wake up in the morning.
I cannot complain about my life here in the US. Great job, nice car, brand-name clothes. I have been able to accomplish things that I would never have in the Philippines.
She was my first love; I was her first, too. She brought out the best in me. She was a sister, a classmate, a girlfriend, but most especially, she was my best friend. She knew me inside-out. She knew all my secrets. She was the one who pushed me to go to the US and now I’m reaping the benefits of it. I was emotionally weak back then, but she was the one who gave me strength. I told myself that I would marry her someday.
It was my fault that we broke up. During my first years in the US, I cheated on her, and she found that out through a friend. Months passed and there were no letters, no phone calls. But eventually we became friends again. We talked on the phone occasionally, but we avoided talking about what happened to our relationship. A very well-known international company employed her. She lived her dream and supported her family.
In 1999, I went back to the Philippines to attend my best friend’s wedding. A week before I arrived, she told me on the phone that she wouldn’t make it to the wedding for we would be tied up with work. I told her that we could just go out for dinner for old times’ sake and she agreed. The wedding day arrived and I had fun. I didn’t mind the headache caused by the jet lag because my high school classmates were all there so it was a big reunion for us. I was in the basement chatting with old pals when a friend told me that he was going to introduce me to someone upstairs. So I went up and to my big surprise, she was there standing in front of me. No words came out of my mouth except “hi.” I was shaking. It was the most nervous experience I ever had. We just shook hands, and then kissed her on the left cheek. All of our classmates and friends sang “Together Again.” We talked after the wedding and I asked for her forgiveness. I kissed the lips that I had wanted to kiss since leaving for the US.
I spent a month in the Philippines and it was the best time of my life. I was living a fairy tale. Before I got back to the US, we became engaged.
Unfortunately, our love grew cold. We couldn’t find time to talk because we were both busy working. We became strangers to each other. The engagement was called off. I was hurt but she was hurt more.
It has been two years and it still hurts. She made up her mind not to marry. She would stay single for the rest of her life. She avoids me, according to our friends, but they could still see that she still cares for me. When I spoke with her a week ago, she told me that the thought of us together still crosses her mind, but she ignores it.
I have lost her twice and I don’t want to lose her again. I am willing to give up everything I have to go back to the Philippines just to prove how much I love her. Is risking everything for the one you love worth it? Should I start anew?
TOMMY
Dear Tommy,
It is true that time and distance can sometimes be love’s greatest enemy. You have proven that twice and you know how career and other priorities could sideswipe a relationship.
Loving someone would always entail decisions that may change lives forever. You have a clear picture of where your relationship is heading if you decide to stay in the US. If convincing her to join you there proves very difficult, then someone has to make a sacrifice. If you ask me if it’s worth risking everything for someone you truly love, my answer is yes.
The true test of one’s love is one’s willingness to deny oneself. Love is sometimes spelled sacrifice. It is what we give and not what we get from a relationship that makes it rewarding.
At this point, you know that there is only one way to prove your love for the girl you want to marry. Opportunities for a better life come often but love knocks only a few times. This may be your last call.
Joe
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