How To Steal a Kiss and Have a Sleepless Night

I remember 44 years ago how I stole a kiss from my high school sweetheart and didn't sleep for the whole night.

It was in the month of February that this unforgettable experience happened. I was in my third year high school and I belong to a section 1, while my sweetheart belong to the last section for she was a transferee from St. Vincent High School, a Catholic private school in La Castellana, Negros Occidental.

Two-Teenage Lovers

That red day was February 28, the annual patron festival of Valladolid, Negros Occidental, just a 15-kilometer from our place, La Carlota City. Most of the students in our high school used to skip classes to attend fiesta. But I was not used to it. However, just after lunch, Rebecca, my sweetheart suggested to go to Valladolid for some of her classmates were already there. I wouldn't go instead for I wasn't used to skip classes. However, I didn't want to fail her, so I'd to allow her to go. But I thought she was alone. Besides her home was far, a 9-kilometer from the school. Therefore I decided to accompany her. We went together. We took a passenger jeep from the "paradahan" (terminal) near the market place.

Valladolid Map (PH)

We arrived at Valladolid town past one in the afternoon. We got off near the Catholic Church just across the public plaza where "peryahan" (the center for social and betting games, magic kiosks, and other amusements). By the way, I've been already in that town several times for it was the hometown of my sister-in-law, Manang Nanet, the wife of my elder brother Mekoy. I invited her to go to Manang Nanet's house. Then she went with me. Upon reaching the said place, nobody was at home. While we're waiting for somebody to come out from the house, we took a seat beneath the "bangkiling" tree. I picked some fruits and put them to her hand. She seemed to be adamant to receive.

A moment later we overheard a group of people coming from the road. They're talking about the regatta, a fluvial race along the seawall, which is a walking distance from Manang Nanet's house. We're interested to witness that kind of contest for it was the first time that we could witness it. I left the bunch of "bangkiling" fruits on top of the bamboo bench and bid her to go. She never complained. She stood up and followed me.

We reached the seawall. We saw a sea of people, curious to see the fluvial race of pumped boats. We've not seen the entire race for we just reached the conclusion of it. So we climbed the concrete seawall, took a stroll while viewing the calm sea of Valladolid. We kept on walking and I noticed that we've already taken a long walk. And we reached the Sunset Boulevard which is a perfect place to watch the beautiful sunset along the Guimaras Strait and it is a good venue to commune with nature as the water laps along the seawall. I observed that only two of us were around. The onlookers were already on their way home. I told her that we should better go back for it's getting late. The sun was about to set.

Rebecca walked past ahead of me. She didn't say any word. I was disturbed why she acted that way. "Hhhmm," I thought something funny, something to amuse her.  I shouted, "Look! There goes a speeding boat to your right!" Then she moved right away to her right. "Smack!" I kissed her on her left face. I thought she'd get angry with me for such a joke. Instead, several drops of tears trickled down her cheeks. I was afraid of her actuation. I told her, "Let's go home now." While we're heading back to the front of Catholic Church where people used to catch a vehicle. By and by a public utility jeep parked in front of us. We're lucky nobody was sitting in the front seat near the driver.

We reached La Carlota almost five in the afternoon. We dropped at the corner street near the high school to feign to somebody who happened to see us that we came from the school. Then we hurriedly headed to the paradan of La Granja. We're on time for the service jeep going to her place was about to go. She got in without saying a word. I didn't say anything too for I was nervous. It was the first time in my life that I kissed a girl in my tender age of 18.

It was a sleepless night for me for I've never been touched nor even been kissed a girl!