I Tried to Write a Story Entitled "Flaw"

Flaw

Business trips. I hate them. Probably because I haven't gone to anywhere worth going yet. If the company needs to send an employee somewhere local and in the middle of nowhere, expect it that I'll get the memo.

I might have pissed off unknowingly my boss. I mean, it's not really my problem that I was born this perfectly beautiful, right? I have an ordinary face but it's too perfectly ordinary that it turns to be beautiful. It was like all the common people tried to use my face as a mold but failed.  I'm not going to be humble by saying I am not stupid either. I am smart and I am gorgeous. 

My only mistake might have been that I was born in a poor family, but that's not entirely my mistake either. I really am pretty much faultless. Pretty-much but not entirely. As I said, I was poor and still am, as a lowly employee with very thin paycheck. Another fault in me is pretty more blatant. I have this gashing scar on my pretty face from my left ear to the middle of my forehead. I can't remember how I got it, it's just there. I cover it with my fringes but I don't particularly hate it. Actually, I'd feel that it won't be me if my scar goes.

Yeah, you might compare me with Harry Potter, a brunette lad with scar on the forehead. But I beg you not to. First, he's a mediocre brat but as for me, I'm a beautiful genius. Second, he stinks in gold and I don't, and I don't stink in any way. And lastly, his scar is small and lightning shaped -- maybe Voldemort is a closet artist, but I just have this simple long scar and it's a lot more dashing than his. 

So here I am, staring at my gorgeous reflection on the crappy window of this crappy bus, trying to get back to the modern civilization from the wilderness of some unknown rural jungle I've been sent to by my hideous boss. And I'm still a few hours away from the comfort of my heated bath.

The shaky bus had some stop over and other passengers alighted and never came back, good for them. But unfortunately, some more passengers entered the bus. And so, I have a new seatmate. 

The first thing I noticed is that he's quite beautiful too, but not as much as I am. I think he's got a foreigner's blood in him since he has a lighter hair and sharper facial features. He's probably taller than me too, and broader. He wears a pinstriped suit and smart glasses. Overall, he's someone you'll look twice when you encounter him in a street. But me, I wont, for I am not a common creature like you.

The bus started on its way back to the civilized society, inching its way back to the technological era and marvels of the digital world. And I went back to admiring my beautiful self. But I think, this time I am not alone. 

His stare at the back of my head is quite intense. After a few minutes, I have half-a-mind to tell him that it's fine to stare, but just on my reflections. But then I thought that I should be good and share my beautiful God-given-gift-to-mankind face. So I turned my head and smiled at him.

He smiled at me , which was quite dazzling but I have seen better - mine, and  asked "Luke, is that you?"

I looked quite puzzled. "Do I know you?" I asked. His smile decreased a couple of notch.

"It's me, Sean. Don't you remember me?" he said grabbing both my shoulders. I tried to get away but his grip tightened. I looked at his eyes and saw something in there aside from disappointment. Was it.. hurt? 

"Sean? I don't remember. But I don't have the best memory either." I told him. That's when he released my shoulders and  bowed his head. All his smile, gone.

"I know that it's been years but I thought at least you would remember. At the very least, you would remember after all those.... those things that happened." he said with a shaky voice.

"What happened? I'm so sorry I really don't remember. I don't remember much. Are you sure you really know me?", I asked him trying to apologize. A truly beautiful person knows how to apologize, I know.

"How could I forget you. You changed, I noticed, but I can't be mistaken. You have become more beautiful but you are still the Luke that I know from my past." he said trying to convince me. I saw the truth in his eyes.

"If what you say is the truth, then how many years since we last saw each other?" I asked him.

"Wasn't it nine and a half years since I asked you... I asked you to come and... and meet me. I was waiting for you. That night, I can't forget that night. I never will for the rest of my life." he told me like begging.

I lifted my fringes and showed him my scar. "Nine and a half year is exactly just how much I remember. The doctor told me I have close to zero chance of recovering those memories of my past life. I tried because I feel that I just can't let go of it, like something important was trying to crawl its way back to the surface. But I can't. They said, I had a traffic accident. They said I was rushing to somewhere when the cab I was riding was hit by a van. I can't remember. They said I was in the hospital for four months. I can't remember. I just woke up in my house with my family, at least they told me it's my house and they're my family. Yeah, I think they're good enough to be my family." I explained to him, while looking out of the window of the bus. Houses and some building were rushing past my view. I turned back to look at him.

His eyes were so big with mouth hanging open a bit. He was quite fun to look at. I chuckled a bit. "Look at you. It's in the past. It was done. I can't go back to change that. You said you asked me to meet you? You were waiting for me?" I asked him.

"Yeah I was. I was. I didn't know. I thought... I really thought... You had an accident.... I didn't know..." he mumbled incoherently.

"Maybe I was rushing to meet you that night I had an accident." I looked at him. "Yeah, definitely I was coming to see you."

"Yeah, you were." he's very close to tears now. "I was waiting for you at the airport. I know you were coming. You were running late. I tried to call you. You weren't answering. I thought you hated me. I thought you changed your mind. I thought you purposely left me alone. I'm sorry." tears are flowing from his eyes now. "I knew you wouldn't. I knew you would never leave me alone. Luke, I'm really sorry for doubting you." he said. He pulled me close to him and hugged me. He smells nice.

"Yeah, I'm sorry too, Sean. I'm sorry that I wasn't able to reach you that night. I'm sorry I can't remember." I whispered near his ear.

I pulled myself from him and smiled my beautiful smile. "It might have been destiny that got us together again. Maybe we can still meet? Catch up with what we missed?" I suggested.

He showed me his right hand and his ring. "I am married now. I do want to be with you, I really do, but I can't leave my wife. We missed our chance. We did." he said forlornly.

"Oh." I was a bit surprised. "I see. But maybe we can still hang out some time?" 

"You know my feelings for you never change. I would give everything I have just to turn back to that night. I can't." he said sadly. I can really see the pain in his face now. The chaos happening in his head. Weighing each options.

"As friends?" I asked hopefully.

He finally smiled, a bit sadly. "Okay. Let's meet some time." he finally agreed. 

We exchange contact numbers. He told me more about himself in the present. He also told me more about us in the past. He was very patient with me.

And then, it was his time to get off the bus. He promised that he would contact me soon. I smiled at him as he went off back to his present world.

I went back at looking out in the bus window, watching the world out there. Sean is a nice name. And then my phone vibrated. There was someone calling. Did Sean call me already? I answered the call on the third ring without looking at the caller's name.

It was a female's voice. "James! You said you're going to contact me?" she sounds a bit disappointed.

Who was this again? James... Ahh.. yeah, I remember that name... James, the architect. "I'm still on my business trip..." I really can't remember this bitch's name. I looked at my phone's screen. Rica. Rica... I still can't remember this bitch's face. Maybe next time I get another contact, I should take a photo. But I really do hate taking photos of ugly people. The limited memory of my phone should be reserved to my beautiful self.

I ended the call after a few minutes. It was my time to get off the bus. I was back to the modern era, it seems. Good bye, PreCambrian Era. Hello, heated bathrooms. 

I was inside the cab on my way to my house when my phone vibrated once more. Was it Rica again? Should I block her number now? Yeah, I will... I'm getting tired of her. I answered the call.

"Karl! You said you're going to send money home! Just when are you planning to do that?" the female voice said.

"Ohh... hello, mother." 

Fin.

Yeah, sabaw, I know. The flow... the dialogue...the grammar... the punctuation... I'll edit it when I get the time. But for now.. whew~ I finally got it off my system.. Pfft. senseless story is senseless. 

For some reason, I remember this gif I saw.