A love affair to remember

It wasn’t love at first sight. But I felt there was strong physical attraction that sealed the fate of what I now consider the greatest love of my life.

I met the man more than 21 months ago through a common friend. It was a brief, but eventful meeting that led to long hours of chatting on the phone and late-night rendezvous after work.

I had just broken up with someone living so far away, that during the chance meeting with this new man, I was ripe so-to-speak to meet somebody new who could take away the pain and agony of a broken heart.

Gradually, we fell for each other. It wasn’t a long courting period, but I knew I was taking another stab at a potentially disappointing relationship.

I admit I wasn’t in love with him when I agreed to enter into this relationship — something I found really interesting as we both come from different cultural backgrounds.

I knew it was a risk to do so, considering that we barely knew each other beyond what we told each other about ourselves.

It wasn’t hard for me to introduce him to my friends and co-workers as the new man in my life. Since my family is thousands miles away, there was no reason for me to hide this relationship.

It wasn’t the case for him. He’s from this island and words reach faster than the moment you utter a single letter to say something. We tried to keep the relationship away from the prying eyes of the public.

Up to this day, I don’t know if his family knows about our partnership and whether they are just trying to ignore the fact that we are always together.

Happy together

When I went home about four months into the relationship, I brought him with me. My family knew he was coming home with me — as a special friend from an island I consider my second home.

My friends back home knew that what we had was more than special friendship, so there was no attempt to hide the sweetness we had for each other, unlike when my family was around.

During the trip, we traveled to several places where we learned more about ourselves — about the fact that he hated to stroll long hours to shop or to stay in an area where he couldn’t smoke, his favorite habit but my worst nightmare.

He didn’t like the fact that I would nag him if he didn’t follow what I said. I was such a control freak, that it was only him who made me change even just a little to accommodate what he wanted.

Our first trip together was followed by several other travels to other islands in the region. As we went through them all, we had come to accept each other’s weaknesses and strengths.

I marvel at how going on a trip together can cement any relationship you have with your travel companion. I am soon embarking on another journey, but this time without him.

We made that choice together, but I don’t know how my two-week absence can alter the strong love we have nurtured for nearly two years. It will be my first time to be away from him for such a long period and God knows, how much I already miss him!

Absence makes your heart grow fonder, as they say, but I do take with a note of caution that saying as absence of a partner also means you are free to do what you wish.

Future plans

In the almost two years I have been with this man, we try to give way to what one plans to do in the future and consider them in this partnership. We both agree to move to bigger challenges — together.

Whatever that entails, I am optimistic we will overcome the struggles and obstacles that lie ahead. We have come this far and yes, our love for each other could be our sole saving grace in the end.

I can’t say that we’ve had it smoothly. There have been bumps along the way and yet we have always tried to highlight the joys we have shared so far.

Every month, we celebrate our anniversary to remind each other that we have reached this point and to rekindle the love that brought us together in the first place.

Our friends are amused at our relationship. We love to tease each other when they are around, but what they don’t know is that this is all for fun — terms of endearment that may seem brutal to those who know no better.

I have learned to love this man, and I just hope he has evolved because of this partnership. More than anything else, I just wish we could stay together forever, even though this sounds not unlikely at this stage when we plot the course of our lives together.

Others may have their own love stories to tell, but mine is certainly what I will cherish for the rest of my life. For me, love is such a universal experience that however it touches your life, you end up trapped by its intricacies and captivated by its wonders.