At the end, I finally said it out... to YOU...

“I had practiced saying it a hundred times, but when the moment came, I just couldn’t open my mouth!” For some inexplicable reason, I was tongue-tied. I looked longingly at her as I saw her walking away into the shopping centre. I had been admiring her for months now but had never worked up the courage to approach and talk to her. I had stood before the mirror the night before and rehearsed saying, “Hi, I am Harry,” at least a hundred times. I was just too shy. I had waited for Adia for an hour, because I knew that she would be there at about that time for her piano lessons. I had goofed again – that was at least ten times. Forlornly, I walked to the bus stop and took the bus home.
On the way, I thought again of my plight. I knew that I was not bad looking and that she was not the unfriendly sort who would snub my offer of friendship. The years in secondary school I seldom talked and conversed with girls had made me absolutely tongue-tied before girls. It is just that I was very shy when it came to talking with these beautiful creatures. At first, I did not care, as I had not met any girl I cared to make friends with. But then I saw Adia. I just had to meet her. I had to work my courage up. But how?
Not knowing what to do, I called Edward. He was the man I knew who had absolutely no difficulty with women. In fact he was a ladies’ man. He could approach any women and talk to her and they all responded to him. I told him my problem and asked for advice. He told me to leave it to him. He would befriend her and then introduce her to me. I was not at all happy, since I knew his reputation. But did I have a choice? I told him as much as I could about her and gave him a graphic description. Edward told me to meet him at the shopping centre the following Saturday afternoon. He promised to disappear as soon I appeared at the scene. I thought that was a good idea. I was sure I could handle the situation after an introduction.
At the appointed hour that Saturday, I took a vantage point and waited at the shopping centre. I could see Edward. As I watched I saw Adia approach. As usual she walked briskly and walked towards Edward. My heart beat fast. I waited with expectation. Edward looked at her and was just about to walk toward her when I saw her stop. She started to look around as though searching for someone. Finally she met my eyes. She came toward me walking briskly. I looked for a place to run to and hoped that perhaps the earth might open and swollen me up. It didn’t.
Then she walked up to me and said, “Hi, I’m Adia.” I swallowed and put out my hand, “I’m Harry,” I said. “I know,” she replied. I looked at her as she smiled. “Surprised?” she asked. I nodded. “I know you have been following me for months, obviously you want to meet me, but are shy.” Then she laughed and I found myself laughing with her. Then Edward came over and I introduced them. Being a gentleman, he mumbled about having something on and disappeared.I invited Adia to the café across the road and she agreed. We walked across the road and went into the café.

All's fair in love and war.

It had been many years since I had last seen her face. Emily had been my first and only love. We were childhood sweethearts. We studied in the same secondary school and same neighbourhood. I walked to the café around the corner. I was sure she would be there. That was where I used to see her almost everyday. I remembered how I had lost her to William.
William was the neighbourhood macho man. All of us boys hated him while all the girls worshipped him. There were two things about him that appealed to him. One was his muscles with white skin and other was his never-ending supply of money. Though he could have had any girl he wanted, he had an eye for Emily. I think he hate me because Emily would not even look at him.
One day I was with Emily in the park when two thugs confronted us. They grabbed hold of Emily and demanded my money. I was not much good in a fight so I took the safe way out: I took out my wallet and gave it to them. They laughed as they took it. Then suddenly, I heard a voice behind me: William. He leapt at the thugs and I could see him punching them left and right. One thug ran after his friend. With a sarcastic grin, William handed my wallet to me. I thanked him and turned to Emily. She just stood there and glared at me. Suddenly she shouted, “You coward.”
I shuddered at her words. She had not realized that one reason I did not fight was that I was afraid that she might get hurt. I stood still and looked at her. Then William went forward, took her by the arm and led her away. I stood there for a while and then walked away in a daze. I never recovered from that I read advertisement that asked for volunteered teach in a remote village in Nepal. I volunteered and within a month left the country. While I was away, I did not write to anyone, not even to my family.
I stood outside the café and looked in. No Emily. I turned to go and someone laid an arm on mine. I turned and found myself looking into Emily’s eyes. I recovered quickly and smiled. She looked thinner now and older but she had the same softness in her eyes. “It was a put on,” she said. I looked at her quizzically. “William was no hero. He had arranged for the thugs to put on a drama to get to me. I discovered that only after you left. One of the thugs called and told me everything. It seems that William had promise to pay and then had refused to. He had dared them to tell me; being sure that I would not believe them. But I did.”
I sighed and looked at her. “I am sorry. Will you ever forgive me?” she said softly and bowed her head. I lifted her head up by her chin and looked into her eyes. “I have never loved anyone but you,” I whispered. She fell into my arms and I hugged her for a long time while the crowd in the café clapped. Then I pushed her away gently and asked, “Whatever happened to William?”
“Who cares?” she said and fell into my arms again.