How do you know if it's love? How do you know if it’s the right person? How do you know if it isn’t? As Isabel was holding her warm cup of coffee in both hands and slowly blowing the warmth in an attempt of cooling it down. She thought of these questions while embracing the serene gushing sound and star-like glow from the surface of the river before her. It must be nice- she thought. It was one typical cold day early in the morning yet she was stopped by the cold breeze passing by her thin fabric cloth sending shivers down her spine.
“Brr- It must be the cold and gloomy weather making me think of such nonsense tch” She shook her head in disbelief and quickly diminished the thought of the abstract theme such as love and moved along her way to work.
She was a freelance writer for a food technology company that barely have employees aside from her five-member team. She hated her job but she was also passionate about writing.
The day ended with a flash, she sighed at the thought of going back home and finally hit her comfortable soft bed. It made her hurriedly arrange up her cluttered files at her desk but ended up spilling the half-empty coffee she bought earlier. “Aish, of all the days it has to be now, really world? Tsk” she cussed and ranted out of anger while cleaning up the whole mess with a tissue. Her office mates just stared at each other and then at her. “How about we chill down for a bit and eat at the newly opened chicken diner just around the corner, huh? Guys, are you in? Don’t worry it would be my treat” a young soft-spoken man suggested to clear the atmosphere. “Yes, sure count me in” in unison, the other workers agreed one after another but she wasn’t too happy about the suggestion and hurriedly told them “No, I’ll pass this time. You guys enjoy. Bye” she uttered without even looking and went on to take her things and walked away.
She again found herself in front of the river, although the night was young and the sun already had set. The river reflected the light of the full moon. It was utterly mesmerizing. Words aren’t enough to describe. The water glistened like stars in the sky. She can’t help but wonder why this breathtaking scene before her made her heart flutter erasing the fact that she had a not-so-great day before. She sat down on one of the wooden benches- her favorite spot and felt the cold evening air envelope her body. As she started looking beyond nothingness, a blurry memory popped into her head. It was daytime at the same spot where she usually sits, a faceless man and a woman so familiar she could not name her were laughing at a joke the man made. They look so happy and in love but then the scene shifted into a different one, the sky turned grey and gloomy and before her, a pitiful woman screamed in terror as the ground shook from the impact of the bomb. Flying debris, fire and smoke were everywhere. People were running, screaming, and crying to see their loved one’s lifeless bodies. Some were wounded and some were found dead. The smell of gunpowder lingered in the air. As the sound of bullets continued to echo, the woman that sat with the man before was just there. She stood frozen looking at the river before her, No- not the river but the man’s dead body slowly drifting in the flowing bloody water. He was shot directly at his chest where his heart was located just to protect the woman from the bullet and so he fell down the water. It all happened in a split second, the man she dearly loved died before her very eyes. She found herself no longer watching and became the woman herself. Just before his body completely drifted far away from her sight, she took a step and another until she felt herself run towards where he was. She swam to get to him and tenderly touched his now pale face, slapping it in an attempt to wake him up but failed. “P-please w-wake up. N-no, n-no t-this can’t be” She took his weight and tried to carry him offshore. Droplets of water fell down the sky one after another until it heavily rained blurring her vision. The sky roared and flashed deadly light. The river current now as well felt strong drowning her in the process. She lost her grip on his body. Just before her world blackened, she saw a pair of honey-brown eyes staring at her full of concern.
The moment she opened her eyes she was greeted with white ceilings and a faint smell of cleaning solution. She then concluded she was at the hospital. Confused she tried to get up but her head ached terribly. Hearing her grunt, a number of people went to her worriedly, they were her office mates. “How are you feeling?” one asked “What came into your head and drowned yourself in the river? Are you really okay?” another one hysterically questioned. “Guys relax, stop bombarding her with questions she just woke up,” the other one said. “What happened? Why am I here at the hospital?” she hoarsely asked the individuals in the room while soothing her head with her right hand. “You really can’t remember?” one responded in disbelief and then added “You were seen drowning at the river. Thankfully someone saw you and brought you here. The hospital contacted our team leader right after we were about to go home after eating at the diner. We were so worried, we rushed to get here.” “I’m sorry for worrying you guys. I couldn’t remember anything as for why I swam at the river in the first place. All I remember was sitting on the bench near it.” She pondered. “Who is the person who saved me?” she explained her situation and asked for the identity of the person who saved her. “We only know his name, Ben” her acquaintance replied.
One Saturday afternoon, at the coffee shop down her block. A week had passed since that incident and she was forbidden to go near the lake to avoid such an accident to ever happen again. The doctors said she might have something that triggered her to forget a part of her memories that day because that fateful day her memories were blurry but her heart ached the more she tries to think of it. Pushing the thought aside, she sat at a table near the door, enjoying her cup of cappuccino. She then noticed this man who sat across from her stealing glances at her from time to time. Annoyed, she stood up and sat at his table and asked. “Is something the matter mister? Why do you keep on looking at me?” The man just looked away out of embarrassment and uttered words that made her blush “You look beautiful today.” right before she can respond the man stood up and left but she stopped him midway. “W-wait, sir do we perhaps know each other?” She asked in confusion. She was staring at his back as he stopped at his steps and heard him say in a low hushed tone. “Tomorrow at 8 am. Meet me near the river at the usual spot and I’ll tell you.” “R-river?” she uttered under her breath as she tried to settle her unsteady heart beating abnormally.
After their encounter, she became restless and felt a sense of fear she couldn’t quite understand. It seems whatever that guy would tell her tomorrow would finally clear the confusion that’s been bothering her since that day at the river yet still, doubt crept into her heart, after all, she barely knew the man, not even his name. The day went by so fast that the sun greeted with its hues of yellows and oranges to start the day. Surprisingly she just found herself standing 5 feet away from the bench near the river. Her limbs froze when she saw a familiar figure on a man’s back-the stranger from the day before and hesitated to come to show herself out of anxiety and decided to turn her back not until he spoke. “You’re here” his deep baritone voice crisp on the cold morning air. She froze and turned to gaze his way and found out he was already staring at her. For a couple of minutes, they just stood there as their gazes locked on each other. A sense of familiarity overwhelmed her- for this is the first time she had seen his bare face. Two tantalizing honey-brown orbs, tanned skin, and a crooked smile. Her heart fluttered as if this scenario had happened once in her life but couldn’t remember when so she broke the ice and chose to speak. “If I may ask, D-do I know you, Sir? Why is that you look so familiar? Have we met somewhere?” he smiled and added “Can we sit down first while we talk?” taken back she agreed “y-yeah sure” while they sat, the river before them look the same with its astonishing scenery. You can hear the river's current flow constantly it gave them a sense of relief and peace. She did not wonder why her heart did not ache at the sight when she’s near the river like these past few days had been, yet the presence of this unknown man beside her made her slightly anxious with her looks. “So you asked me if I know you?” his hush tone seems like a whisper. “Yes,” she briefly replied without even looking in his direction. “Before that, I want to show you something” her curiosity burned up as she look at the item the man was holding, it was an old golden locket with engravings on it. He handed it to her and so she took it, it felt warm despite its metallic appearance. “Go on, open it” he encourage and so she did. She froze at the sight, a picture of a woman was inside the locket, wearing a century-old blue gown, a smile that went up to her eyes, and her hair was golden yellow that shined at the brightness of the sun. She looked familiar. She looked like her. Ba-dump Ba-dump Ba-dump her heart raise as she closed her eyes. The memory she had forgotten flashed into her mind making her drop the locket in shock.
Staring at the river in peace, she heard his voice calling her name “Elizabeth” a gentle deep voice echoed into her ear “George!” she looked at the man full of affection and excitement as she went up to him with a tight embrace. The man was wearing his military uniform while she, her favorite royal blue dress. The river was their spot and today was the day he finally arrived. The endless war has been put to stop little did they know it was just the beginning. They sat at the bench to chat. “I missed you so much, every time I would wake up to wait for your letter. I long for you and I’d always hope for your safety each day. I pray for you to come back and now you’re here. You’re finally here” Elizabeth shared her sentiments to George who did listen. They’ve known each other since their teenage years and for four years they’ve been apart due to his job as a commander of the troupe but their love for one another never faded. He swore that he’ll marry her once the war has ended and so he knelt down on one knee and presented her with a box. With teary eyes, she took the box and opened it and found out that it was a golden locket. “Iza, I have loved you since the day we met, and now that I’m free from the grasp of my responsibilities to my country. I want to spend my life with you and you alone. I swear that no other woman can come between us and we will be happy like we always dreamed of. So I ask you this question, Iza, Will you mar-“George was stopped when a loud bang echoed from the town square. A bomb was planted sending debris as greyish smoke came out on the area. People are running and screaming in terror. Loud gunfights can be heard as bullets flew anywhere sending people to their graves. It was a terrorist attack- an ambush they did not know was possible. “George?! W-what’s happening?” she asked horrified by what was happening. George then grabbed her arms and gently held her face to make her look into his eyes. “Iza, I need you to run as fast as you can and never look back. Find a place to hide somewhere far from here. Do you understand?” he knew he have to do this. For her safety. “W-what- what about you?” confused she asked in hopelessness “I’ll find a way to get to you. I- I promise,” he said in determination not really sure if he could keep his promise “N-no, I can’t leave without you. Not again,” she said firmly because she knew the risk “Iza, it’s my duty to keep everyone safe. To keep you safe no matter what. Please.” he pleaded, as long as your safe- he thought “O-okay, promise me you’ll come back, okay?” she couldn’t do a thing, her tears run down her cheeks involuntary. Both of their hearts ached with the thought of losing each other again. He kissed her forehead as she closed her eyes embracing the feeling of his tender kiss and finally bid farewell. She ran and ran but felt something was missing- the locket. She couldn’t lose it so she ran back to the river to get it. The locket was there but someone was aiming a bullet right into her chest. George saw this and pushed Elizabeth down to the side as he pulled his own trigger back to the direction of the shooter but it was too late the bullet went through the gunner and the other right into George’s chest. He fell down uttering the last words he could muster “I-I love y-you” the ground shook for the second time from the bomb planted somewhere, his now lifeless body rolled down by the river. Elizabeth- in her weakened limbs stood up and stared at his corpse. Her eyes were blurry from the tears. The love of her life just died before her very eyes. “N-no, George. N-no”
“N-no George, come back please” just before Isabel tried to go to the river, the man stopped her. “Iza, it’s okay, I’m here. I’m here” reassured her she cried into his arms blaming herself for George’s death till she realized she was not the woman named Elizabeth. She abruptly pushed him away. “Y-you, w-what did you do to me? Who are those people? Who is Elizabeth?” she took steps farther away from him and hysterically asked for answers “Iza, listen to me” he calmly said “Stop calling me Iza, I’m not her!” pain was evident in the man’s eyes as she took her things and walk away but he was persistent “Isabel, I know this sounds crazy but Elizabeth and George were real. The year 1952, they died in this river. George was shot and Elizabeth drowned. The locket- the locket was his price possession, he swore that the time he went home he would marry Iza but the ambush happened. I do not know why I have George’s memories and I did not know that you had Iza’s as well.” After hearing his words she stopped in her steps bewildered by the fact that indeed she was seeing her past life’s memories and this man was George nevertheless the man continued “But what I know is that the moment I laid my eyes on you by the river that night, you were the one, Isabel” dumbfounded by how she was connected to this man “Y-you, you were the one who saved me that night?” she asked him staring directly into his eyes “Yes, I did.” He responded. “Then your name is..” “I’m Ben, Ben George.”
‘The day we met was not the first. We were lovers from the past yet met a tragic fate of death and as our paths meet again in the present eventually, we are bound to get there. So how did I know if it’s love? How did I know that he was the right person? The answer is, I didn’t because Ben and I- we just met and it just happened, again and again. If he is the one for you he will be.’
The End
A/N: I wrote this story in an attempt to emphasize on destined persons although their past lives did not have the ending they deserved it was as if a kind of love with the right people but in the wrong time and now in the present where they meet again they could finally have the ending they deserve. We all deserve a love wroth a lifetime.
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