From Beginning Till Now

Sometimes, the simplest words can mean so much more...

“This is so boring!”

A 6 year old girl mused out loud as she walked aimlessly in her grandma's garden. Every year, she and her mother will visit her grandma's house, which is located far away from her residence. But every time the little girl came here, she would feel very bored for she had no friends to play with.

‘Huh, what's that noise?’ She looked towards the garden next door. The noise came again; the sound of laughing. Slowly, the little girl peeped from behind a tree.

“Ha! Ha! Eric, your face is smudgy! You look so funny!” another little girl was laughing at a boy next to her.

The boy pouted, annoyed. “So are you, Pinky. You look far worse.”

“Oh, my mom is calling! I've got to go home now, bye-bye!” the girl, Pinky, exclaimed merrily running off, ignoring the boy's scorn.

‘Crazy girl. Huh, who's that?’Eric turned to look at a girl peeping from behind a tree.
The girl froze.

Eric approached her. “What are you doing here?”

“Oh, err... nothing. It's just... grandma's house is... er... I'm sort of lonely... and...” she stuttered.

“Hey, don't be so nervous. Here, have an ice-cream. It's my birthday today,” Eric shoved the bewildered girl the ice-cream he was holding. She blinked in surprise.

“Don't worry, I haven't eaten it yet. Its vanilla flavor you see and I don't like vanilla ice-cream.” The boy snorted, making a face.

“Oh, thank you! I love vanilla ice-cream. Probably because my name is Vanilla as well!” she beamed happily.

Eric blushed.

“Vanilla! Vanilla, where are you?”

“Oh, that's my mom. Bye, I've got to go now!” Vanilla ran a few steps then paused. “Ah, what's your name?”

Eric blinked, “It's Eric.”

“Happy Birthday, Eric!” Vanilla exclaimed before running off again. Eric watched as she disappeared.

Since that particular day, Vanilla always looked forward to go to her grandma's house. Every year, on the same day...

“Happy birthday, Eric! Happy 10th birthday!”

Eric took the present Vanilla was holding out to him and opened it. “Ah, a mechanical pencil. Thanks Vanilla. Here, have an ice-cream.”

Vanilla took the vanilla ice-cream, beaming. As they ate, Vanilla turned to look at him and realized he was eating the same flavor. “Eh, Eric?”

“Huh, what?”

“I thought you said you dislike vanilla flavor,” she asked frowning.

Eric shifted nervously. “Oh... er... I changed my mind. It's not that bad.” He replied, looking away, trying to surpass the blush that was creeping onto his cheeks.

“Ah, my mom's calling! Gotta go now. Bye, Eric!” she ran off.

“Bye, Vanilla.” Eric smiled, watching her go. She suddenly stopped and turned around.

“Eric...”

“Huh?!”

She smiled sweetly. “Happy birthday!”

He smiled back at her.

‘Thank you, Vanilla. Thank you very much!’


6 years later...

“WHAT?!” Vanilla cried in disbelief. “Mom! What do you mean we can't go to grandma's house today?! We always go today. Every year!”

“I'm sorry, Vanilla. I've got extra work to do today. We'll go tomorrow, okay?”

Vanilla went into her room and collapsed onto the bed, sighing sadly.

‘Eric.’


At Eric’s house...

“Eric, it's 11 p.m. already. You should go inside now. You need to get up early tomorrow to catch the flight.”

“Just a few more minutes, dad.” Eric answered quietly.

Eric’s father sighed. “Alright then. But I'm telling you, she's not gonna come.”

Eric blushed in the dark and didn't respond back.

‘She has to come, she must come! Vanilla, where are you?’


2:00 in the morning...

“Eric?” his father asked. “Are you still outside?” He saw his son fast asleep on the balcony chair. He sighed in sympathy.

‘Ah, young love. I can't help feeling sorry for him.’

Eric shifted in his sleep.

“Vanilla...” he mumbled.


At the airport, the next day...

A group of students were laughing and chatting merrily. They were going to a boarding school and were really excited.

“I can't wait to go there!” Taylor cried enthusiastically.

“It is said that the school is really big,” William stated.

“And is really beautiful!!!” Jeremy exclaimed with shining eyes.

“What do you meant by that? The school or the girls, huh?” William asked.

“The girls of course!” Jeremy replied unabashed.

“You're such a flirt! Get a grip, man. We all know Eric is gonna be their first target,” William snorted.

“Yeah, he's the 'hottest' guy, or so the girls always say, right Eric? Eric?” Taylor asked and the others looked at him. Eric was silent, and was looking outside the window, though seeing nothing in particular. His mind was somewhere else.

“You think he misses his mama already?” Jeremy asked.

William and Taylor both gave him a blow on the back of his head.

Jeremy clutched his throbbing head. “Oww! What was that for?”

“Idiot! We all know he's not that kind of guy. It has to be something else...” Taylor trailed.

“Ahah! It must be his girlfriend he's missing!” Jeremy exclaimed. Another blow was added by William.

“Don't be silly. He doesn’t have a girlfriend. We all know that! He never even looked at Melissa, the prettiest girl in the neighborhood!”

“And he rejected every girl who asked him out or asked him to be their boyfriend.” Taylor added promptly.

‘Vanilla, why didn't you come? I wanted to tell you something important.’
“Vanilla...” Eric whispered out of the blue, but his three friends heard him.

“Huh? You wanna eat vanilla ice-cream that badly, Eric? Sheesh, you don't have to look so gloomy just because you love vanilla ice-cream so much! We'll have some after we get there, okay?” Jeremy slung his arm around his stunned pal.

Eric composed himself hastily. “Err, yeah. Sure.”


At Vanilla's Grandma's house...
“Grandma, where's the boy next door? Where had he gone to? His house is empty!” Vanilla asked anxiously.

“Vanilla!” her mother cried in disbelief at her daughter’s rudeness.

Her grandma looked at her. “Oh, that nice boy. Yes, well, he's going to a boarding school today. He's at the airport I assumed.”

“Vanilla? Where are you going? Wait?!” her mother shouted, a little panic as Vanilla ran out.

“Just let her go, my dear.” Vanilla's grandma uttered quietly, smiling in amusement.

“Mother...”


Vanilla ran quickly towards the airport...
‘Eric, he's going away. I can never see him anymore. I'm sorry, I have to tell you, please wait, Eric!’


At the airport...
“Hey, another 15 more minutes before we depart! I can't wait!” Taylor said happily.

‘Vanilla...’Eric closed his eyes, feeling defeated. ‘Goodbye.’
“Hey, look there. Who's that cute damsel in distress?” Jeremy pointed to a girl panting and looking around frantically.

“Jeremy, for goodness sake! Will you stop being a flirt for a second?!” William said irritably.

“But she is cute.” Taylor muttered under his breath.

Eric opened his eyes and turned to look also. “Vanilla?!” he said, surprised. He ran towards her.

“Dude! Where do you think you're going?!” Jeremy shouted after him. The others just watched in perplexed silence.

“Vanilla, what are you doing here?” Eric asked the moment he stood in front of her. Vanilla was in the brink of tears. Slowly, she began to speak in sync with her beating heart.

‘I hope it's not too late...’”I- I'm sorry it's so late...”

‘I wanted to tell you so badly...’”I just wanted to tell you...”

‘For so long...’”Yesterday...”

‘That I love you!’
“Happy 16th birthday!”

Eric stared at her in silence, but a moment later, his feature softened and he smiled at her tenderly.

“I love you too.”

Vanilla gazed at him, her eyes wide in wonder, but then she smiled back happily.

‘He knew! He knew what I meant.’
“Eric! Hurry up! We're leaving!” Taylor shouted from afar.

Eric took a step towards her and gave a quick hug, whispering tenderly, “Wait for me. I'll find you.” With that, he turned away from her.

“Eric?!” Vanilla shouted as he was about to leave.

He turned around.

“Ha- Happy Birthday!” she muttered, blushing furiously. He smiled and waved goodbye.

Eric sighed in contentment as the plane soared into the sky.

‘Vanilla, please wait for me. I'll find you.’
“Erhem! Erhem!”

Eric turned abruptly to his side at the loud coughs, and almost jumped out of his seat in shock. Taylor, William and Jeremy were staring at him as if they wanna eat him whole.

“Eric...” they said slowly, “How could you NOT tell us you already had a girlfriend?!” they cried out angrily.

Almost immediately, the other passengers in the plane shushed them angrily, some even threw empty cans at them. They scampered into their seats hastily, rubbing their throbbing heads.

“Heh, heh.” Eric uttered nervously, gulping, as his friends continued their silent death glare from their seats.

‘This is gonna be a long flight.’he sighed mentally.


Three weeks later...
”So many homework! And it's the first week of school. Darn it,” Vanilla muttered to herself, as she walked home from school. She looked to her right and saw a boarding school.

“I wonder which boarding school Eric now attends, I didn't have the time to ask him at that time.” She sighed again and looked away. Then, she turned around a corner and stopped unexpectedly; her eyes widen.

In front of her stood a recognizable handsome boy, wearing a uniform bearing the school badge that stood proud beside them.

The boy smiled. “I told you I'll find you, Vanilla.”


THE END