My Love Story to Tell

"The measure of love, is to love without measure" Who would have thought that clicking a program on the Internet could change my life forever. My story that I would like to share is about how I met and fell in love with my husband. I can still remember those days when I was afraid to used a computer. I'm overly nervous every time i see a computer because honestly, I don't know how to use them. Well, I had to learn how to used them or else my teacher in my minor class in computer will fail me. Can you believed that I learn how to used them when i was in my sophomore year in college. But I'm not actually ashamed about it. One afternoon, I went with my best friend Jhema to an Internet cafe. Wow, I was very amazed because a lot of students were there. They are concentrating on what they are doing in the computer that they don't even notice that i was there looking at them. My best friend ask me if i would like to used a computer, so i said I would love too but can you teach me how? She replied, of course! kaw pa kinakusgan nakong amigo (LOL)....Then eventually, she instruct me on what to do first. I need to register first to a site before i can have an email address. The terms are not new to me because we discuss this during our class in( BM 1 )that's what the name of the class before it was change to IM 1. Well, i have no problem about familiarizing all the things that can be seen on the keyboard because i was one of the best student in my Typing 1 and 2 class (ehemmm murag hinambog but true).Day by day,I always reserved an hour or two to our suki na Internet cafe (suki means a place were you usually go or buy something). Then one fine day, I decided to join a chat room in the Yahoo site. One of the room there is called "Romance" but I am not sure how i end up there.I was just clicking things and just curious on what to learn on every site that i visited with. The very first person who approach me on the chat room and send me a private message was Tony, the man whom I became my husband. At first, I was very excited and happy that somebody was chatting with me( ay ignoy pa lagi ta ani)ha ha. We talk about a lot of things , culture, family, school, love-life and almost every topic we could possibly think to be discuss during that time. He was the first person on my friends list and the person whom I always chat on the net every time I got online. He was the first to sent me a picture of him together with his Dad. At first, I say to myself on he's not that handsome as I thought he would be, but I now believed that "first impression won't last long". Likewise, it was my turn to send a picture to him. I had this picture of me with a friend and decided I'll better scanned this so I can sent it to him. By the way, Tony at that time was turning 19 and I was turning 18. He is a Mexican-American from El Paso, Texas USA. His parents are both Mexicans descendant who was born and raised in the US. Tony is the fourth generation who was was raised and born in the US.He can understand Spanish but cannot speak the Spanish language at all. He was the youngest child and he had four older sisters. Sometimes, we knew we are online on the net but we don't chat too much or just ignoring each other. One afternoon Tony told me about what happened on his "date".Well, i thought it only applies to us Filipinos the so called "gi-indian"ha ha.That's what happened to Tony's date. He was so upset and sad and depressed because he told me that he likes the girl very much. Well, let's say I was the friend he can lean on even just online. We chat and I told him it's not yet the end of your world. I was able to cheer him up. Then the next day, we chat again and I told him I got a dream about a boy and a girl who fell in-love online. I was telling him "oh i wish i was the girl", to my surprised he ask me "do you want me to be the boy on your dream"? It felt like I am about to passed out during that time, I was nervous, I don't know what to do, I can't even type the words, my hands are numb. Glad I was able to recover and say in a funny way "sure" why not. At first, I felt that we were only playing just to kill the time and just to have fun on the net. During that time web cams and voice chatting were not introduce yet. So we agreed to elevate our relationship from friends to boyfriend/girlfriend online. Wow, who would have thought it will work out. He didn't tell me that he got a crush on me not until we agreed to be official on. Everyday we chat online, we sent emails,and he was the first one to send me a snail mail letter (mailed letter ba) on December 2001. By that time, we make sure that we always exchange letters and sent pictures to each other through mailed letter.
Around February 2002, I gave him a surprised call that lasted for 2 hours.Wow, it was a long distance call from me. He was surprised to hear my voice and can't even say a word all he can say is that"he love me and he started to cry on the phone".He's actually a baby, such a baby, we are so silly that he asked me to sing a song for him. I was the one who said I have to go because I know it's very expensive to have a long distance call and I know he will be the one to pay for it. Guess what? He was grounded for a week because their phone bill went up high. He need to gave $350 to his Mom for the long distance bill that appeared on the telephone bill. We know each other so well that we already knew if one of us was not feeling well or not in the mood to be funny or not in the mood to be silly. He decided to come and visit on 2004. I actually can't believed that it will happened because he had been planning for almost two years to come and visit me in the Philippines. I wouldn't say we don't have arguments or misunderstanding, of course we have those so called "Lovers Quarrel".But it doesn't stop us to make our relationship blossoms everyday. Alas, the day came when he called me that he was in Manila International Airport.And he's expecting me to be in the airport to met him. But before that, the night before he will arrived in the Philippine, I can't really sleep at all. I was so nervous that I can't even try myself to be sleepy.My family knew that I was nervous and even teased me about me not sleeping the following day that I went to the table and eat together with them. Hmmmmm, I was having my class when the plane he was boarding arrived in Tagbilaran City Airport.The Philippines-Airline arrived at 4:00 in the afternoon. Guess what I'm wearing?wow, my school uniform.I was with my mother and my uncle. They are more anxious to see Tony than me. I was just afraid you know if we realized that we really don't love each other when we met in person. I was actually hiding behind those people who were also waiting for their love ones to come out from the airplane.We agreed the day before he had his trip to the Philippines that he will be wearing the shirt that I sent to him so It will be easy for me to recognized him.But it turns out that he was wearing the shirt during his trip but decided to change as soon as he arrived in Manila.It was very exciting,nervous moments of my life. At last, my mother saw him and gave him a wave and then he saw my mom and uncle too and he was walking/running to met them.He was busy asking them if where is Geraldine and then my mom point the direction where I was standing and I was holding my breath.My knees were shaking (ha ha)....My hearts beating fast, I can feel that i was blushing when he turns and run towards me.I felt that everything in our surrounding came to a halt,basta palamoot gyud. Oh to my surprised he hug and kiss me, well, you know what?i was shy to do that not because I don't love him but because I was afraid my mom will get mad at me if i do the same gesture. Likewise, the peoples attention was with us so that's the other thing that I was shy about.My uncle was looking for a taxi but he can't find one so we decided to ride a tricycle.Wow, while riding a tricycle, he was trying to break the silence by holding my hands and asking me to talk with him. I was really silent and I just gave him a smile, I can't talked I was tongue -tied.After we arrived in the hotel we decided to go to the restaurant of my Uncle and eat there.I introduce Tony to the employees there and decided to visit my Mom's office because they also knew that my boyfriend arrived. He stay in the Philippines for three weeks.And during those times we realized that we really love each other and he brought a ring to me.He proposed to me on the hotel and we are the only one who knew that we are engaged with each other. We were thinking that It was not the right time yet to tell my parents about the ring.We simply tell them that it was his gift for me.He also brought gifts for my family. I visited him everyday at the hotel and he went with me to my school and waited for me outside my class room. Most of my classmates knew him and even my teachers knew him. He was also able to attend when I defend my thesis.They were amazed with our love story.But the time is running out, and the days seems fast approaching for him to go back to Texas.Wow, the night before he go back to the states was so emotional, we were crying with each other, he doesn't want to leave me but he needs too or else he will be put to jail if he over stay. But he told me, you have the ring already and as long as you have that ring remember that I will be back to get you. He went back to the states and everything seems falling apart.I can't concentrate on my studies and part-time work.I was sad and I was missing his presence.But then we chat online again, exchanging emails everyday, talking on the phone almost everyday and assuring each other that we will always be faithful and promised to communicate more. He was planning to visit again by middle of 2005 but then his Mom passed away.He was depressed and very sad.I know he needs me to be there for him but I can't we are too far from each other. I don't have the capacity to go and visit him in the US. I am glad that even if we were just chatting and talking on the phone at least he was able to know that eventually he will be reunited with his Mom in the future. We then plan to process our papers. We start to fill up some forms for our K1 Visa papers.Wow, it was hard, we are just researching all the things that we do online because it's very expensive to hire an immigration lawyer.But we are glad that everything went well. During that time I was still studying and waiting for the papers to be approved. I graduate with my degree in Commerce major in Banking and Finance last March of this year. I received my appointment letter from the US Embassy in Manila around July. We were excited but we are also nervous on what is the outcome of the interview. I was schedule to have my medical examination last August 22, 2006 and my visa interview will be last August 29, 2006. I have to stay in Manila for a week but we stay there for 10 days. I need to have a chaperon with me so my Uncle Harold was there to help me. We both are not familiar with Manila.But thanks to a friend of my Uncle and my best friend who help us with our stay there. It was very hard you know, honestly I don't like big cities especially when I really don't know the place at all.But we have to deal with it,I need to be there. But we always chat with my boyfriend and talk on the phone and report my whereabouts while i stay in Manila. We arrived in Manila via Cebu Pacific last August 21, 2006 and ride a taxi to go to Kuya Mike's house. We stay there for awhile and I was able to met my best friend Jhema again since she also stay there in Manila. I stay at Jhema's house while my Uncle stay at his friend's house. August 22, was my big day for my medical examination.Wow,we have to wake up very early in the morning so we will be the first to be accommodated when we arrived in Saint Luke's Medical Clinic.My medical examination was hilarious but it's needed so no question on their policy.I am very happy that I don't have problem with my health and everything. My visa interview date arrives and we wake up very early again and I was the only one who can go inside the embassy minus my Uncle.A lot of people were there also, those people were also scheduled to be interview on that day. In my heart and in my mind I was praying all the time I was there.I had everything needed to me. I also needed to wear a formal attire and bring all the stuffs and the documents that prove that our relationship our genuine and not an arranged marriage or something. I had my appointment at 6:30 A.M. in the morning. My number was called and I have to go and met the consul.He was a white American guy around his 30's .He just ask me about 5 questions which I fluently answer it. He was very amazed with our love story too.He told me to wait again for my number to be called again.Then my number was called, I was very nervous because this will be the last window i need to go so I will know if I passed the visa interview or were denied.Guess what the lady say?Just pay this amount to Delbros Inc so your visa will be delivered.Wow!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!I was so happy, i was smiling while walking towards the window to were i pay for the delivery of my visa. I paid for the delivery and was excited to call Tony and informed him about the interview.I went outside and my Uncle was there making signals if I passed or was denied. I gave him an approved sign as he was very happy too. I decided to call Tony, he was very surprised because we didn't expect to get a visa and be approved. We were very happy and told me that he wanted to chat with me online. I go to Bohol and stay there for awhile and work too while waiting for the visa to be delivered. It was delivered last September 4, 2006. By that time, Tony was also preparing for his trip to the Philippines. He was scheduled to arrived in the Philippines last October 4, 2006.I was very excited to met him again and for sure this time we will have each other always. I was patiently waiting for him to arrived in the Tagbilaran City airport. My mother and my uncle was there again. We see each other and this time I was not shy to hug him back. He stay in Metro Center for 3 days and we leave Bohol by October 7, 2006.But we had our farewell party last October 6, 2006. We arrived in El Paso, Texas last October 8, 2006. "Ending of the first part of our " Love Story" More to come!!!!