The last time I was in the Philippines was the turn of the year 2009. I left on the third of that year, this year.

If I count, I learn that I’ve been away for more than a hundred days. The pain of missing family and loved ones can become too much. Talking to my girlfriend through skype is great, but it becomes more and more apparent how limited skype is. Often, you just want to hold hands and keep quiet. Even more often, the neccessity for a hug is too great to ignore. I could name a good twenty quarrels we had that I knew would never had happen if only we were together.

Now, I’m not saying we’d be perfect if we were living in the same island. What I’m saying is we are handicapped, and that I miss her oh-so-much!!!

This prompted me to give her a surprise visit a couple weeks ago. Right when she least expected, I went home. I needed an excuse to see her in her office. So I pretended to be one of their clients. An unwanted client. Boy was she rude! I got myself a local sim card, something she wouldn’t expect me to do cuz I never did that before. I called her up in their office and pretended to be a church mate who was asking to have shirts made. She did not recognize my voice. She was trying to end the conversation when she paused. On my end of the line I couldn’t tell what was happenning. Was she cut off or was she analyzing? Nothing but silence. Then I heard a faint laugh that grew loud until it was deafening. Sweet melody!! Made butterflies fly in the unkempt garden of my heart. In between chuckles she managed to ask where I was.

My reply was ‘nearer than you think.’ Fifteen minutes later she was in my arms. I gave her her gift.