It Begins with Once Upon A Time I woke up to machines beeping and a distinctive smell. Yes, it seems I was in hospital.

I glanced around to see the faces of my family, I smiled slowly. A doctor walked in and smiled too. "Well, you're awake! Not too long and you can go home!" The aroma of my home is the one thing I have been longing. And to see my grandchildren giggling and enjoying each others company reminded me back to the time when I was their age. It was back in the late 1930s, at a small town in coastal North Carolina. Then was when the life of a seventeen year old girl began to change. As she sits by herself in her room, she could hear her parents arguing for hours. So she sneaked out of the house through her bedrooms window. She started to wander around and did not actually know where she was heading. Till she saw a lake and a boy sitting on the bench reading out loud an E.E. Cummings poetry. She could not help but to go nearer to the boy as she was amazed with the poetry reading. The boy startled as he saw her and asked who she was. Summer she said and smiled as the boy somehow made her felt at ease suddenly. This was probably because she feels she is no longer alone. Therefore, here is where the story life of Seth and Summer began. Seth Cohen was his name. He had just moved into town with his mother. They have a very depressing life and to make this worse, his mother was an alcoholic. Being the only child in the family, he was responsible for his sick mother. Her boyfriend had just left her and ever since then she had depended upon him for emotional support. His father had abandoned them even before he was born and so Seths mother had been raising him herself. Seth felt bad for his mother and that is why he felt it is his duty to take care of his mother especially since now he is a grown up. Everyday since the first day they met, Seth and Summer will meet up by the lake and catch up on each others daily life. They would support and help each other as much as possible. They became very fond of each other and knew everything about one another. And just after a few weeks they have known each other,

these two became a couple and were inseparable. No doubt they are in a relationship but they will argue almost every single time they met. This must be due to their differences in their backgrounds and characteristics. Although this may seem like an issue, they have one thing they agree on, which was they were madly in love with each other. However, the real issue standing in their way was Summers parents would never approve of them being together because from where he comes from. Therefore they decided to keep the relationship a secret. On a one sunny day, Summer fifteen minutes has gone by as she awaits for her love to meet her b the lake. Patience is not one of her characteristic therefore she could not wait any longer so she hurried to the constructing building where Seth worked at but he was not there. A friend of Seth then told her he was probably home. Rushing to his house, Summer heard someone yelling before she could knock on the door. That someone happened to be his mother throwing things and crying out loud. Worried that Summer was at the time, she quickly went in the house. It seems like Seths mother was drunk again. By the second Summer walked in, Seths mother saw Summer. Mrs. Cohen showed tantrum and without further ado, Seth took Summer to his truck. He did not want to speak to her during their ride to Summers house. But after a short while they have reached the house. he explained why his mother behaved the way she did, The doctor had just told Seth and his mother that his mother is sick and she might have only a few months to live. Shocked as she heard the news, without any hesitation she offered to help get him some money to help his mother but as expected, Seth declined, not wanting to be a person who asks for help, but to handle things on his own. And then they began to argue and argued more, but it was no surprise that Summers mother was watching them through the windows. After Seth and Summer had made up, Seth jumped in his truck and left. Summer went straight into her house through the front door. Just when she entered, her mother was already waiting for her in the living room. Where have you been? her mother asked. Summer looked away, avoiding to meet her mothers eyes

as she answered I was just with some friends. In just a flick, Summers mother stood up and said to Summer furiously that she had saw her with Seth and hoped to never see it again. Summer burst out into tears and in response told her mother that she will still see him if she wants to, even if it means she will be kicked out of the house thinking back to when her parents always argue with one another. Without any further discussion, Summers mother grabbed Summers hand and locked her in the attic, where Summer could not sneak out through the windows. On the following day, Seth went to Summers house. He threw pebbles at Summers room window just like always trying to get Summers attention. However, unfortunately for him today, it was Summers mother that came out of the house. Mrs. Roberts told Seth, that because of him Summer has become more messed up and that if he truly loves her, he would leave her alone. From then onwards, Seth stopped going to the lake or anywhere else but to work. Although Seth is still very much in love with Summer but since that time Summers mother gave him that warning, he thought maybe it is best for both of them to not see each other anymore. Until one day, Summer stopped by the constructing building he was working on and asked him why he has not come to see her, she also told him she missed him and would do anything to be with him, but Seth remembering what Summers mother had told him and believing it is for the best, declined Summers love. Since then, Seth and Summers relationship was officially over. A month later, Seths mother died. She died in her sleep. However, she left Seth a letter which said how proud she is of him and that she loves him dearly. This made Seth wanting to join the army in World War II as he felt there is nothing left for him in North Carolina. On the day Seth was about to leave for World War II, Summer thought it was time for her to pay Seth a friendly visit, besides she was already around the neighbourhood. However, Seth was not at his work place. His friends told her he had quit and has joined the army, in fact he is leaving today and is probably at the train station already. This had Summer ran to the train station, which was two blocks away, but was too late. Few minutes later, she saw Seth sitting by the window in the train and as she screamed his name out loud, Seth somehow looked

out the window, probably because he heard her, and so their eyes met. But even without words coming out from either ones mouth, they both know that their love for one another still exists. Months after Seth had left, Summer was still mourning over him. Despite this, her parents have been organizing a dinner for her to meet the boy they chose for her to marry. The boy was a family friends son. He was three years Summers senior. He was the heir to his familys legacy. He was every girls dream. He was charming, handsome and funny. His name was Alexander. A year has passed, Summer has fallen in love with Alexander, the man her parents had picked out for her. And on the day of Alexander and Summers first anniversary as a couple, Alexander proposed to Summer. Summer who believed she would never see Seth again accepted his marriage proposal. The wedding will be held in a couple months time as both sides of the families are very keen for them to be married. However a month later, after the engagement, Summer was in town trying out wedding dresses. As she walked by some shops, all of a sudden she bumped into the man she thought she would never see again, Seth Cohen. Seths voluntary work in the army was done. In fact he has been working in a small office in town. The two of them started to giggle as they were shocked to have bumped into each other until Seth saw the engagement ring on Summers finger. Summer realized he noticed the ring and told him about her being engaged now and will be married in a month time. Then she told Seth how he would like Alexander if they ever meet up one day. Seth just nodded with a smile and said he hopes to be seeing her around then walked away. After Seth has parted from Summer all he can think of was how devastated he was that Summer has moved on while he is still in love her. So without hesitation he went to her house that night and threw pebbles at her rooms window like old times. Summer, who was already asleep, woke up and sneaked out as she saw Seth outside. Seth told Summer about his feelings for her, and in response, Summer became furious and explained how it would not happen if he had never left and now it is too late. They argued, until finally Seth said he will never give up on her believing she still loves him and just as he says those things he

went in his truck, slammed the door and drove away. Summer began to cry and sneaked back in her room. Many days has passed, and it is already a day before the wedding. Summer was acting unusual. She was scared and sad. Alexander noticed, and told her, to do what she is supposed to do that will make her happy again and that he will respect whatever decision she makes then he kissed her forehead as he left for work. After some thoughts about what her fianc said, Summer drove herself to Seths old place, hoping he still lives there which turned out he still does. Summer then ran up to Seth and told him she would like to spend a night there and Seth just smiled. As the two reunited, they made love to one another. Summer then realized Seth was not just her first love but is her soul mate. She felt happier than she ever was when she is with him but she also had felt the most hurt when he left. This means he is the only one capable of her truly feel loved. Next morning, right after breakfast, Summer told Seth she will head back home to call off the wedding and pack her things so she could be with him. Seth in response said he will accompany her as he does not want to leave her sight anymore. On their way to Summers house, there was a huge truck driven more than the speed limit. And just then, the truck crashed into Summers car. And all the people involved in the accident, including Seth and Summer, were brought to the hospital. On their way to the hospital, Summer was half awake and Seth was in a better condition than she was. Seth held Summers hand and told her he would be seeing her soon and everything after that became a blur to Summer as she became unconscious. Now here is where I shall stop my story telling since my children just called for dinner. As my grandchildren went in, I walked to the lake in front of my house and sit on the bench where Seth and Summer first met. One thing I have been keeping to myself for so long is that I am Summer Roberts, I have changed it to Anna Cohen after the accident.

And another thing that I will never forget is Seth Cohen, the man that showed me love. And how he saved me by asking the doctor to exchange my heart with his as my heart was not functioning well which would mean I would not make it alive. I know this because the doctor had told me this once I woke up but I decided to keep this to myself as it was something sacred. Here I am now, an 81 year old woman married to a man named Alexander. He is a man that has been so patient with me from the very beginning and gave me more chances than I deserve to rekindle our relationship. As happy as I am being deeply in love with Alexander, and also blessed to have this beautiful family I do now. Not a day has pass by that a man I knew once upon a time, Seth Cohen, does not cross my mind. He is the man I have never stop loving. The man that has changed my life. The man who can see right through me unlike no other. The man who has saved me in any possible way a person can be saved. The man that has given me love that is as pure as the driven snow and has showed me how to love infinitely. Seth Cohen has and will always be my true love. By Shahirrah

Shaziman