It was a story from a girl who loves a man unconditionally. It started from a simple admiration and just begun to grow bigger and deeper.
This freshman looks naive; she wears no jewelries at all except a ponytail on her hair. She usually laid her long and curly hair down, a thin and a shy-type girl. She walks fast and bows her head down but she always wear a smile on her face. She always sits outside, in front of her classroom every “recess”(break-time). While eating her banana on stick, she looked up and saw a man going down the stairs from his classroom. She saw him wearing white cap on his head. She heard some about this guy. Her classmate had a crush on him. As she looked at him, she never finds him as good looking as they say but she heard this guy is good in math and done this and that. He was quiet and she never heard him says even a single word and he was a freshman too. Then she started to admire him and address this guy to an alias.
One day, she started to secretly observe the actions and behavior of her “crush”, as they called about the teenage admiration. While walking alone, she saw him walking towards her. She didn’t know what to do. She can hear her heartbeats, and almost swallow her tongue. She continued to walk and ask herself, “should I greet and smile at him?” Then she decided to smile and greet him but the guy turn his head to other direction. “Ouch! She was hurt, but who is she? Just one of the girls who adore someone that didn't even know she existed."
As the days had passed one year is over, it was second year in high school. She looked for him, she saw the guy outside his classroom standing nearby the terrace. Is she dreaming? Her crush gave her one of his genuine grins, her heart beats faster and faster and didn’t realize the feelings get stronger because of that just one glimpse from him. And he was still looking straight at her.. “Is this true? He is looking at me adjacently 50 meters away?”
One day, her male classmate who’s friend of his crush teased her. It seems too good to be true. One of the most popular boys in school has asked her out -- and she's never even dated before. He was smart and sort of good-looking, friendly and hard-working, shy and humble (as they say)-- everything she ever dreamed of. But is she ready for this? When her cheek cooled off, she slowly raised her head. She almost evaporate when she saw him staring at her with an innocent smile on his face. She didn’t know what to do so she just smiled back and pretend she didn’t hear anything and stood up and skipped out fast like a thunder.
After several days, she just secretly looking at him and never told everything about her feelings to anyone. She knows, too young for that and one more thing it’s embarrassing to let them know she had a special feeling to her friend’s crush. And she just wished that one day this man would come and ask her name…however.
Two years had come and go too fast . Her parents decided to transfer her to other school near the church because of some reasons. Every Wednesday she go to church for novena mass. She became a friend of parochial priest, FR. Jess. She shared so many things to that man she entrusted so many things. One day, the priest gave her one seed and told her to sow it near the church. She plant it and water it carefully with anticipation and lots of patience.
She take care of it seriously as she begins to dream and make some plans for future. As it begins to grow, she named the tree "tender", she nourished and nurtured it. After so many years, the tree grow roots vast, deep and strong...
One day her neighbor friend came to her house and gave a letter to her. Surprisingly when she opened the letter and found out it was from "him". It was really overwhelming when she received further letters from her inspiration..She responded to that letter and told him to wait and see him under the "tender tree" at the right time....The man promise to be there also when she is ready.
When she graduated in college and she thought she's ready for a commitment, she send a letter to him, believing he will read it. She waited for him to come, for so long she wait and got tired. But years had passed and still he didn't appear. When she turned her head back, she saw a man under a tall tree. He was looking and waiting for her. But its not the guy she wanted to see. She usually talk to him aside from Fr. Jess. That afternoon, she asks Fr. Jess for an advise. "Maybe it was kind of a lie from a man you never know but you trusted a lot..you have to open up yourself to anybody who is real and willing to be with you for the rest of his life.. Never be buried from a promise that made to be broken..." Fr. Jess told her to cut-down the tree. Suddenly, her eyes begin to water as if there is smoke around her. Her tears begun to fall on her face. Fr. Jess slowly took her hand and said, "If my Father yet didn't do a way for you and for that man, you can wait but it it's just a kind of fancy thing for him. Maybe he was too young and playful. I know, my father will not let him to hurt you..."
After that, she started to be-friend and begun to live her life again. New life, new experiences...and then, one special friend was welcomed to her life as partner. She started to dream again. God gave them kids to love and to cherish with. But then, there is still some pieces missing and she don't really know why.
For so many reasons she decided to take a vow with the man who really loves her unconditionally. She thought she had to because of their children. After the wedding, she visited Fr. Jess. He let her see one of the things she wanted to know...Fr. Jess guided her to the church' backyard. In her surprise, the tree was still there. She turned her head and looked up to the priest and asked, "I thought you already cut that tree down?"
He mysteriously said, " You are the only one who can do that, I can help you but you have to let him go...". And then she realized, she is the one who had to cut it down. While crying, she did her best to cut it down and when the stem touches the ground, although tired and her eyes swell, there was a smile on her face and she feels better..
"Sometimes we need to be reminded by the great things of the past so we could learn to appreciate the people who really love us...I know you have a garden in front of your house for your children and you planted so many trees for them...This seed is my gift, plant it for your husband anywhere outside your home. I know it will grow faster,deeper and taller than the tree you planted before. It would be better because you and your partner will take care of this together with your children...Yes, love is like a tree you just have to take care of it and let it grow.."
She smiled at him and said, " I will do my best to take care of it until my children grows old and my memory fades. I stay near to this "True Tree", I Promise...."
