the birth of The Schmucks
Saturday, July 17, 2004
i will attempt to tell you our love story...how The Schmucks came to be on June 7, 1998. if schmuck weren't too lazy to post something, i would've made this something like a he said, she said thing, given the inconsistencies between his story and mine. but then again, we don't always get what we want out of life. =) as i write our story, this is from my point of view. how i VERY CLEARLY remember things to have happened six years past.how we met, 1992
schmuck and i met through a mutual friend, Ngets. Ngets is my boy bestfriend and was my classmate in highschool in San Ago. he was schmuck's barkada in college in DLSU. when schmuck and i were introduced, no sparks flew, no lightning bolt crashed, no sudden ray of light shone on us, no booming voice from the heavens saying "he's the one." but we got along very well because we both had a dysfunctional sense of humor. we'd banter, we'd insult, we'd laugh. he called me a schmuck. i called him a schmuck. at this point, the word still bore its dictionary meaning (see blogsite description).
first friendly date, 1998
we remained good friends all throughout college. when we graduated and started working, we didn't get to keep in touch as often. then on christmas 1997, schmuck called me on my cellphone (i forget how he got my number). we exchanged pleasantries, and he invited me out for dinner just to catch up on things. at this time, i still had a boyfriend, but things weren't going so well. in fact, i was already planning on breaking up with him. so i declined schmuck's request and told him to reschedule cause i had something important that i had to do. that something important was breaking up with my then boyfriend. so on the day after we broke up, January 9, 1998, i had my first "friendly date" with schmuck. i say it's a friendly date, meaning no strings attached, because he's supposed to tell me all about this nympho that he's dating, and i was supposed to tell him the breakup story. obviously, no romance involved there!
just friends, jan to may 1998
that first friendly date brought on several more friendly dates. at this point, we also became a menage a trois, because our friend Greg became part of our plans. the three of us became good friends. we'd have dinner, we'd go drinking, we'd watch movies, we'd travel from alabang to tagaytay just to get a slurpee then head back, we'd play billiards and bowling in tagaytay royale, etc.
when things changed
from jan till may, this is also when things started to change. despite our being a menage a trois, schmuck and i would sometimes go out, just the two of us. and we would be sweet to each other. we'd sometimes hold hands, or schmuck would have his arm around me. little things really, but i sensed the change. neither of us acknowledged this change, but we just let it happen. of course, it confused the hell out of me. did he like me? or was he just naturally sweet? the complication here is that Greg liked me and wanted to court me. he even told schmuck about it. and you know what schmuck said? "go ahead!" the pimp! and to add complication to that complication, it turns out that schmuck really liked me too and that he was just as confused as i was. now i found out about that interesting tidbit from his girl bestfriend Tin C. =)
when things DRASTICALLY changed
the week before June 7, 1998, schmuck was assigned to this training in makati (his work is otherwise based in Cavite). that time, my office was still in makati, so we both decided that during that week, he'd pick me up in the morning and bring me to work, then we'd come home together as well. you wouldn't believe how excited i was that week! i'd wake up extra early, put on a bit of makeup, and i'd wear my pretty dresses. once at work, i couldn't wait till he picked me up. after work, we'd sometimes have dinner out or have coffee somewhere. i was in heaven! we were also becoming VERY sweet to each other. in a resto, we'd always be sitting very close to each other. we'd always hold hands. at any point in time that we're together, we'd be touching each other. now don't let your imagination go running wild! i mean, we'd hold hands, or i'd have my hand on his arm, or he'd have his hand on my back, or he'd have his arm around me, or i'd have my head on his shoulder. but still, no one was talking. it was torture! you may be asking what happened to Greg. oh, he's still there. he'd join us sometimes for dinner or coffee. but he was oblivious to what was going on between me and schmuck.
the controversial half kiss
i remember one day when he brought me to work during that eventful one week of training. usually, before getting out of the car, we'd kiss each other on the cheek. nothing wrong with that, right? friends do that. but on that particular day, as i leaned forward, HE moved his head and we ended up having a half kiss. literally, the right half of my lips touched the right half of his lips. i was surprised, but managed to keep my cool. i pretended that nothing happened and got out of the car as though everything was normal. but of course, i was so kilig! babaw no? =) i say this is controversial because schmuck insists that i moved MY head. hellooo?! i don't think so.
june 6, 1998
it was the day before Greg's graduation, and we were having pre-celebration drinks at Cable Car, Alabang. i'm not sure what it was about that night, but i already had an inkling that "something" was going to happen. i wasn't sure what exactly, but my gut instincts were telling me something. at this point, i knew i had feelings for schmuck but i didn't really realize how strong they were. so anyway, the three of us were seated in a round table and i already noticed that schmuck would always be looking at me. he just kept giving me these looks! of course, i was so kilig and i gave him those looks back! i just KNEW something was going to happen that night! where's Greg in all this? well...he was right there with us. i guess he noticed the looks going back and forth right in front of his eyes, because when schmuck got up to go to the restroom, Greg asked me if i had feelings for schmuck. and i said..."no, i don't, of course not!" (was that mean? ok, then crucify me!) =) hell, i didn't know what to say, and i didn't really know what was going on between me and schmuck anyway. so the safest option was denial.
the controversial footsie
again, this is something that schmuck and i are at odds with. but because we are getting married soon, i have decided to write the truth about the footsie. so we were in cable car, right? seated at this round table, right? with Greg in the very same table, right? well, while these looks were being exchanged, i very casually extended my right foot just a little bit...a little bit more...until i found schmuck's foot...and i played footsie.
yes, i admit it! i was the one who played footsie with schmuck. me! the shame of it all! i am a disgrace to womankind! but as far as i'm concerned, i got what i "worked" for. and i happen to think he makes the shame worth every bit! =)
june 7, 1998...2am-ish
schmuck was bringing me home, and we were quiet in the car. again, i still felt that something was about to happen. those looks weren't nothing. and remember the footsie! so when we got to the front of my house, i couldn't look at him. i remember i was scrambling for my bag, while i was mumbling something about being home and all that. and then schmuck, very quietly, just asked, "Tin?"
i looked at him. he was looking at me. and then we both leaned forward for our very first real kiss.
when the kiss ended, schmuck looked at me and said "I love you." I guess he saw surprise in my face, when he asked "Why? Don't you love me?"
And my heart answered.
I said "I do."
tin ni roLand | 11:31 PM | |
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