This is the work of our good friend Gerry Sansolis. A must read. Surely, it will warm your heart. hehehe... BRIDGE OF SUNLIGHT By: Gerald Sansolis John and Carlo spent their youth together in London before John moved away with his parents to The States. Its been long since theyve last seen each other, so a reunion was planned. John had an unexpected meeting scheduled last minute by his company which required his expertise. Unfortunately, the meeting was a few hundred miles away, and it was scheduled during the duration of Carlos visit. When Carlo arrived in The States, it was agreed that Vanessas sole duty was to show him around. She was involuntarily delegated by her cousin, John, to do so. Vanessa was fit for this task because she was a newly college graduate without a job, and had a lot of free time on her hands. She was reluctant at the idea of baby sitting somebody she didnt even know. Regardless, Vanessa waited for Carlo in Johns high rise condo unit as John went over the rules with her while he packed for his business trip. In a rushed tone with no breaths taken in between sentences, John instructed, You can use my condo until I come back. No parties. Theres food in the fridge. You can use my car. Make sure to always put gas in my tank. My car is a classic, so try not to crash it. John pulls a wad of cash from his pocket along with a set of keys, hands them over, and continues giving instructions, Heres some money. Show Carlo a good time. Just dont get him arrested and dont get him killed. Vanessa facetiously asks, Anything else, dad? John replies with a question, Did I mention no parties? The doorbell rings and John opens the door with anticipation. Hes glad to see that its Carlo, and welcomes him inside. In an apologetic voice John explains, Hey Carlo! Sorry, I have to get going or else Ill miss my flight. My cousin, Vanessa, will take care of you. Shes got a lot of friends. Shes super outgoing. And she knows her way around the city. With that being said, John frantically grabs his luggage and hastily exits his condo. Bye! For the next few days, Vanessa took Carlo to all the mainstream tourist attractions and the best eateries around. They spent most of their time sightseeing and taking a bunch of pictures. Because Vanessa was addicted to chocolate, she brought Carlo to a dessert place where they specialized in her favorite treats. The candy shop was overwhelmingly filled with all kinds of chocolate goodies, from chocolate covered gummy bears to even chocolate covered bacon. The one thing that caught Carlos attention was the fondue, so he had the waitress bring one over to their quaint little table. The fondue was flowing with warm, creamy milk chocolate. At the base of the fondue was a delicious variety of fresh strawberries, crispy pretzels, and fluffy marshmallows. Carlo picked one of the strawberries with his fingers, covered it with the melting chocolate dispersed by the fondue machine, and leaned over to feed it to Vanessa. His actions caught her off guard, so she was a little hesitant to take a bite from his hand. He nudged the chocolate covered strawberry closer to her mouth. It was an unexpected gesture yet it was delightfully endearing, so she finally accepted and took a bite. As he fed her, a little chocolate drizzled from her lip down her chin. Carlo was quick to react and grabbed a napkin to wipe her chin clean. Filled with childlike giddiness, Vanessa giggled which triggered Carlo to smile. Although the chocolate was full of sugar, it was Carlo’s sweetness that Vanessa indulged in. For the next few hours, an exchange of laughter took place as they both got to know each other better by sharing their personal stories over a sugar rush. That same night Carlo, Vanessa, and Vanessas friends met up for a bonfire on the beach. The sand was cool and soft to the touch. The night sky was pierced by illuminating stars. The fire burning in the concrete pit provided warmth. The melodic sounds of waves crashing on the beach added to the relaxing ambiance. They all gathered around the bonfire pit and started passing out bottles of beer. One of Vanessas friends brought his guitar and started playing Im Yours by Jason Mraz. Everyone joined in singing along at the same time. Once they were finished with that song, one of them asked Carlo if he knew how to play and handed him the guitar. Carlo said modestly that he would play a song for them and do his best to not sing too awfully. He looked down at the guitar, and started playing and singing You Give me Something by James Morrison. Everybody sat quietly and sipped their beers as Carlo did his best to impersonate James Morrisons raw, raspy vocals. They all listened intently and were easily impressed. As Carlo sang the lyrics, Now Ive gotten in too deep. For every piece of me that wants you, another piece backs away, because you give me something that makes me scared alright. This could be nothing, but Im willing to give it a try, he looked up at Vanessa and held eye contact with her. He noticed that it wasnt just the bonfire flames reflected in her eyes, but there was also a relevant twinkle that was undeniably projected as she smiled with them. He broke eye contact and looked back down at the guitar while he played the rest of the song. There was no better way to end the day than with great company under the night sky. The following day, Vanessa decided to take Carlo to a very special place that her dad used to take her when she was a little girl. They jumped into Johns 65 red convertible Mustang, and headed toward the countryside. Cruising the open highway with the top down, the wind passing by, and the sun shining on their faces was a sense of freedom that Carlo never felt before. In the distance, he saw rolling hills covered in a magnificent yellow. As they drove closer, he realized that it was an endless field of bright sunflowers. Vanessa abruptly pulled the car off the highway and parked. She hopped out and frolicked into the sea of sunflowers which stood an average of 5ft tall. She invited Carlo, Come on. What are you waiting for? He couldnt refuse, so he hopped out of the car as well, ran after Vanessa, and playfully threatened, Im gonna get you! With a sense of urgency, Vanessa hurriedly navigated through the sunflowers while bursting out in laughter. Carlo was able to catch up, and they both stopped running to gather their breath. In a reminiscent tone, Vanessa began story telling, When I was a child, my father used to stop by these fields whenever we passed by. We always played a game of hide-and-seek. This one time, he couldnt find me, so I cried and kept yelling out to him. When he found me, he told me that he would always follow the sound of my voice if I ever needed him. At that moment, Carlo raised his hand that sort of resembled a fist but with his pinky finger sticking out. He asked to borrow Vanessas pinky. She followed his example and exposed her pinky finger in the air. He took the opportunity and grabbed her pinky with his own pinky. They were now one fifth closer to holding hands. Vanessa shot a smile at Carlo, and continued her story as their pinkies stayed interlocked. My father used to carry me on his shoulders, so I could get a better view of the sunflowers. He used to tell me that the Earth was once a cold, desolate, and lonely place. He said that the Sun felt sorry for the Earth and so the Sun would cry. The tears would eventually fall to Earth. And wherever the tears of the Sun landed, sunflowers would grow, filling the world with life and color. The time came when Carlo’s vacation expired. Before flying back to London, he shared a long, heartfelt goodbye with Vanessa. They promised each other to keep in touch, and that promise was fulfilled daily. For the next couple years, they called & skyped each other whenever they had the chance. Their Love for each other grew. Being apart was no longer an option. Vanessa took action on her decision to visit Carlo in London. She boarded a plane and took a taxi to his flat. When she arrived at his door, there was a note taped to it that read, “I need you. Follow the sound of my voice.” Although she was very anxious to see Carlo, she cautiously turned the knob and slowly opened the door. To her surprise, sunflowers filled the entire flat except for a narrow pathway. She covered her mouth with her hand trying to hold back her tears. In a cracking voice, she called out, “Carlo?” At that instant, the strumming of a guitar could be heard in the distance. It was Carlo and he started singing “Marry Me” by Train. Vanessa abided by the instructions on the note, and followed Carlo’s sincere singing. At a slow pace, she walked through the abundant setup of sunflowers. At the end of the pathway laid out for her was Carlo sitting on his bed, playing & singing the rest of the song. Once he finished, he put aside the guitar and got down on one knee. Vanessa couldn’t hold back the tears any longer and started to cry. Carlo said in an optimistic yet trembling voice, “Just like the tears of the Sun helped the Earth, your tears of joy help me grow in Love, filling my world with life and meaning.” Still on bended knee, Carlo pulls out an engagement ring from his pocket and holds it out to Vanessa. He requests, “I don’t want to borrow just your pinky finger. I want your hand in marriage. Will you marry me?” Vanessa responds with a resounding “Yes!” Here are the references to the songs: youtube/watch?v=EkHTsc9PU2A youtube/watch?v=Sx8DsRnXWaU youtube/watch?v=hWYrgCfmPes cdn.theatlantic/static/infocus/fest072911/f01_19801889.jpg Jason Mraz - Im Yours [Official Music Video] youtube
Posted on: Thu, 26 Jun 2014 02:51:34 +0000
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