ROSES

Sophie's face faded into the gray winter light of the sitting room. She dozed in the armchair that Joe had bought for her on their fortieth anniversary. The room was warm and quiet. Outside it was snowing lightly. At a quarter past one the mailman turned the corner onto Allen Street. He was behind on his route, not because of the snow, but because it was Valentine's Day and there was more mail than usual. He passed Sophie's house without looking up. Twenty minutes later he climbed back into his truck and drove off. Sophie stirred when she heard the mail truck pull away, then took off her glasses and wipe her mouth and eyes with the handkerchief she always carried in her sleeve. She pushed herself up using the arm of the chair for support, straightened slowly and smoothed the lap of her dark green housedress. Her slippers made a soft, shuffling sound on the bare floor as she walked to the kitchen. She stopped at the sink to wah the two dishes she had left on the counter after lunch. Then she filled a plastic cup halfway with water and took her pills. It was one forty-five. There was a rocker in the sitting room by the front window. Sophie eased herself into it. In a half-hour the children would be passing by on their way home from school. Sophie waited, rocking and watching the snow. The boys came first, as always, runnng and calling out things Sophie could not hear. Today they were making snowball as they went, throwing them at one another. One snowball missed and smackd hard into Sophie's window. She jerked backward, and the rocker slipped off the edge of her oval rag rug. The girl dilly-dallied after the boys, in twos and threes, cupping their mittened hands over their mouths and giggling. Sophie wonder if they were telling each other about the valentines they had received at school. One pretty girl with long brown hair stopped and pointed to her face behind the drapes, suddenly self-consious. When she looked out again, the boys and girls were gone. It was cold by the window, but she stayed there watching the snow conver the children's footprints A florist's truck turned onto Allen Street. Sophie followed it with her eyes. It was moving slowly. Twice it stopped and started again. Then the driver pulled up in front of Mrs. Mason's house next door and parked.Who would be sending Mrs. Mason flowers? Sophie wondered. Her daughter in Wisconsin? Or her brother? No, her brother was very ill. It was probably her daughter. How nice of her. Flowers made Sophie think of Joe and, for a moment, she let the aching memory fill her. Tomorrow was the fifteenth. Eight months since his death. The flower mans was knocking at Mrs. Mason's front door. He carried a long white and green box and a clipboard. No one seemed to be answering. Of course! It was Friday - Mrs. Mason quilted at the church on Friday afternoons. the delivery man looked around, then started toward Sophie's house. Sophie shoved herself out of the rocker and stood close to the drapes. The man knocked. Her hands trembled as she straightened her hair. She reached her front hall on the third knock. "Yes?" she said, peering around a slightly opened door. "Good afternoon, ma'am," the man said loudly. "Would you take a delivery for your neighbor?" "Yes," Sophie answered, pulling the door wide open. "Where would you like me to put them?" the man asked politely as he strode in. "In the kitchen, please. On the table." The man looked big to Sophie. She could hardly see his face between his green cap and full beard. Sophie was glad he left quickly, and she locked the door after him.

The box was as long as the kitchen table. Sophie drew near to it and bent over to read the lettering: "NATALIE'S Flowers for Every Occasion." The rich smell of roses engulfed her. She closed her eyes and took slower breaths, imagining yellow roses. Joe had always chosen yellow. "To my sunshine," he would say, presenting the extravagant bouquet. He would laugh delightedly, kiss her on the forehead, then take her hands in his and sing to her "You Are My Sunshine." It's was five o'clock when Mrs. Mason knocked at Sophie's front door. Sophie was still at the kitchen table. The flower box was now open though, and she held the roses on her lap, swaying slightly and stroking the delicate yellow petals. Mrs. Mason knocked again, but Sophie did not hear her, and after several minutes the neighbour left. Sophie rose a little while later, laying the flowers on the kitchen table. Her cheeks were flushed. She dragged a stepstool across the kitchen floor and lifted a white porcelain vase from the top corner cabinet. Using a drinking glass, she filled the vase with water, then tenderly arranged the roses and greens, and carried them into the sitting room. She was smiling as she reached the middle of the room. She turned slightly and began to dip and twirl in small slow circles. She stepped lightly, gracefully, around the sitting room, into the kitchen, down the hall, back again. She danced till her knees grew weak, and then she dropped into the armchair and slept. At a quarter past six, Sophie awoke with a start. Someone was knocking on the back door this time. It was Mrs. Mason. "Hello, Sophie," Mrs. Mason said. "How are you? I knocked at five and was a little worried when you didn't come. Were you napping?" She chattered as she wiped her snowy boots on the welcome mat and stepped inside. "I just hate snow, don't you? The radio says we might have six inches by midnight, but you can never trust them, you know. Do you remember last winter when they predicted four inches, and we hand twenty-one? Twenty-one! And they said we'd have a mild winter this year. Ha! I don't think it's been over zero in weeks. Do you know my oil bill was $263 last month? For my little house!" Sophie was only half-listening. She had remembered the roses suddenly and was turning hot with shame. The empty flower box was behind her on the kitchen table. What would she say to Mrs. Mason? "I don't know how much longer I can keep paying the bills. If only Alfred, God bless him, had been as careful with money as your Joseph. Joseph! Oh, good heavens! I almost forgot about the roses." Sophie's cheeks burned. She began to stammer an apology, stepping aside to reveal the empty box. "Oh, good," Mrs. Mason interrupted. "You put the roses in water. Then you saw the card. I hope it didn't startle your to see Joseph's handwriting. Joseph had asked me to bring you the roses the first year, so I could explain for him. He didn't want to alarm you. His 'Rose Trust,' I think he called it. He arranged it with the florist last Apirl. Such a good man, your Joseph..." But Sophie had stopped listening. Her heart was pounding as she picked up the small white envelope she had missed earlier. It had been lying beside the flower box all this time. With trembling hands, she removed the card. "To my sunshine," it said. "I love you with all my heart. Try to be happy when you think of me. Love, Joe."

GAME LOVE
Message: Peter and Tina are sitting in the park doing nothing, but just gazing into the sky, while all their friends are having fun with their beloved half. Tina: I'm so bored. Just wish I have a boyfriend now to spend time with. Peter: I guess we're the only leftovers. We're the only person who isn't with a date now. (both sigh n silence for a while) Tina: I think I have a good idea. Lets play a game Peter: Eh? What game? Tina: Eem..It's quite simple. You be my boyfriend for 100 days and I'll be your girlfriend for 100 days. what do you think? Peter: Oookay..Anyway I don't have any plan for the next few months. Tina: You sound like you aren't looking forward to it at all. Cheer up. Today will be our first day and our first date. Where should we go? Peter: What about a movie? I heard that there is a really great movie in theater now. Tina: Seems like I don't have any better idea than this. Lets move. (went to watch their movies and sent each other home) Day 2: Peter and Tina went to a concert together, and Peter bought Tina a keychain with a star. Day 3: They went shopping together for a friend's birthday present. Share an ice-cream together and hugged each other for the first time. Day 7: Peter drove Tina up onto a mountain and they watch the sunset together. When the night came and the moon glowed, they said sat on the grass gazing at the stars together. A meteor passed by. Tina mumbled something. Day 25: Spend time at a themepark and got onto rollercoasters, and ate hotdogs and cotton candy. Peter and Tina got in the haunted house and Tina grabbed someone's hand instead of Peter's hand by accident. They laughed together for a while. Day 67: They drove pass a circus and decided to get in to watch the show. The midget asked Tina to play a part as his assistant in the magic show. Went around to see other entertainments around after the show. Came to a fortune teller and she just said "Treasure every moment from now on" and a tear rolled down the fortune teller's cheek. Day 84: Tina suggested that they go to the beach. The beach wasn't so crowded that day. They have their first kiss with each other just as the sun is setting. Day 99: They decided to have a simple day and is deciding to have a walk around the city. They sits down onto a bench. 1:23 pm Tina: I'm thirsty. Lets rest for a while first. Peter: Wait here while I go buy some drinks. What would you like? Tina: Eem...Apple juice will be just fine.

1:43 pm Tina waiting for about 20 minutes and Peter havent return. Then someone walked up to her.

Stranger: Is your name Tina? Tina: Yes, and may I help you? Stranger: Just now down there on the street a drunk driver has crashed into a guy. I think its your friend. Tina ran over to the spot with the stranger and sees Peter lying on the floor with blood over his face and her apple juice still in his hands. The ambulance came and she went to the hospital with Peter. Tina sat outside the emergency room for five and a half hours. The doctor came out, and he sigh. 11:51 pm Doctor: I'm sorry, but we did the best we could. He is still breathing now but God would take him away from us very soon. We found this letter inside his pocket. The doctor hands over the letter to Tina and she goes into the room to see Peter. He look weak but peaceful. Tina read the letter and then she burst into tears. Here is what the letter said. Tina, Our 100 days is almost over. I had fun with you during all these days. Although you may be greedy sometimes and less thoughtful, but these all brought happiness into my life. I have realize that you are a really cute girl and blamed myself for never taken the time to knowing that. I have nothing much to ask for, but I just wish that we can extend the day. I want to be your boyfriend forever and wish that you can be beside me all the time. Tina, I love you. 11:58 Tina: (sobbing) Peter. Did you know what was the wish I made on the night there was a meteor. I asked God to let us last forever. We were suppose to last 100 days so Peter! You can't leave me! I LOVE YOU, but can you come back to me now? I love you Peter. I LOVE YOU. As the clock struck twelve, Peter's heart stopped beating. It was 100 days. NOTE* Tell the guy or girl that you love them before its too late. You never know whats going to happen tomorrow. You never know who will be leaving you and never return

TEXT MESSAGE
My cellphone's beeping sound woke me up one night. Used to receiving important messages only, I grabbed my cell and sleepily pushed the keys and read the message. "Hi there! Care 2 b my txtmate?" Not knowing who the sender was, I deleted the message right away and placed the phone on my bedside table, I tried to go back to sleep. I had just closed my eyes when I heard the message tone again. "Hi there, again! Care 2 b my txtmate?" again, the message said. "Who the hell could this be asking for txtmate at the wee hours of the night?" I asked myself. Again, without bothering to reply I deleted the message. I was never a 'textmaniac' - someone who enjoys texting anyone and everyone even at the wee hours of night, not to mention during the day. My parents, who were always out of the country forced me to own a cellphone. They told me that having one was more convenient - they could monitor me even if they're miles away. I wanted to turn the unit off, but since my mother was fond of calling me at night, just to check if I was safe at home, I decided not to.

Just as I was to close my eyes and return to my dreamless sleep, the phone beeped again. Same number...Such determination! "Ply reply 2 dis msg & b an angel & save me frm dis abyss of emptiness!!!" I never knew why, but the message struck me. I got up and pushed the keys... I just realized I was replying to the message. "Im not an angel, n f u want som1 2 save u, m not superman... I'm just a simple prson who u wake up at dis r of my nyt!!! Nway, do I know u?" I typed. Seconds later came the reply. "Nope. U don't know dis lonely soul. Nor does she know u. But I want 2 b ur frnd. I'm Mikaella Cervantes. U?" "Just call me Julius. How'd u get my no.?" I sent back. "Hi Julius, nice 2 meet u. Just shuffled the last two digits of mine," she replied. That was the first and maybe the last time I met someone over the cellphone. We exchanged messages and learned so much about each other that night. We only said goodbye when my alarm clock rang at 5:00 AM! I had to prepare for school! And that was also how it all started. A day would not pass without a loving and thoughtful messages from her. It was only then I had learned to appreciate text messages and become eager and excited everytime my phone beeped, hoping it would be her. I never knew why, but her response sent shivers to my spine, " Value d people hu hav touched ur life bcoz u will never know just wen dey will walk out of ur lyf & nvr come back again." I couldn't understand what I felt that moment, but one thing I was sure though... I could not go on a day without a single word from her. I'd become used to having her, eventhough we had not met personally. But truly, she already occupied a space, a large one, in fact in my life. I texted her back. "Dont come close f l8r ull jst pass by; don't touch me f l8r ull jst let me cry; dont luv me f l8r ull jst leave me and won't stay..." I didn't know why I sent her that message, but somehow I felt, every word came from my heart. In the short span of time we were sending messages to each other, I knew, I was starting to keep her in my heart. I called her once. The voice on the other end was like an angel's. Soft, kind, full of love. Yet, there was something in it I couldn't define. We only talked for a few minutes. Before she hung up, she told me not to call again. According to her, it would be better if we would just text each other. But the voice kept ringing, not only in my head, but in my heart, I'd long to hear it once more. I tried to call her again, but she never answered the phone. She just kept on sending messages and quotations, which I copied in a little notebook. Hopeless romantic? I didn't know. All I could say was that all the messages she sent me were wonderful, they came from the heart and cut through the heart. "Though we r miles apart, u r always n my heart. I close my eyes & der u r. Even f I'll see u never, I'll always b hir 2 care 4 u, far longer dan 4ever..."

One December night, she sent me this message. By that time we had been exchanging messages for more than a month. God knew how happy I was. She was right. Although we had not seen each other, what we felt was enough to make us both realize what was keeping us together. I sent her another message, "Loving u secretly is a hard thing 4 me 2 do,hoping, wondring that u will feel d same way 2, but I can't read r mind f u luv me 2. But whatever it is, I'll still be loving u." "How I wish I cud really tell u how much u mean 2 me, but m afraid 2 love, scared 2 get hurt... I hope dat u will wait 4 me & pray dat u will not get tired of loving me...=)" was her reply. And then I replied again. " The reason y I met u is bcoz of destiny but f destiny will suggest dat I'll live w/o u, den, I'll lie not by destiny but of free will." Whenever I asked her when we would meet personally, she always answered, "Soon...soon, love...soon." Not seeing each other did not lessen, even a bit, what I felt for her...rather, it even grew deeper and stronger each day. And I was sure, she felt the same way, too. Love messages continued to flow through our lines, between our hearts, which made us go on each day with the thought that sooner, we would see each other, face to face, heart to heart. Just a few days before Christmas. She stopped sending messages. At first I just though she had ran out of prepaid.

http://www.romancequote.com/SadLoveStoriesII.htm
But there was something that kept bothering me... I couldn't understand what was it, but it made me fell nervous. I tried to call her but she wouldn't answer. Nevertheless, I continued sending messages. Suddenly one night, just three days before our Lord's birthday. I heard my phone's message tone again... at last!It was from her! "Oftentyms we say gudbye 2 d 1 we luv w/o wanting 2. Though dat doesn't mean dat we stopped loving dem or we stopped 2 care. Sometyms, GOODBYE is a painful way 2 say I LOVE YOU." I was dumfounded. I didn't know what to think of. What did she mean? I texted her back, searching for answers, but found nothing. I called her but she would not answer. For the first time in my life, I felt so miserable...desperate... empty. I didn't know what to do. I didn't want to lose her. I had learned to love her. And I wanted to be with her forever. The following days I felt nothing but emptiness. It seemed that Mikaella took the life out of me. I missed her so much...her messages...The tones that would tell me she'd sent another loving message. Nothing around me could feel the emptiness I felt. Tut...tut...tut...tut...tut...just a day before Christmas, my cell beeped again. It was her! "Meet me at d caf, 10 AM 2day," I read aloud, making sure the message was true, then I jumped with joy upon hearing from her again. Hurriedly, I got myself ready and I went to the mall. I knew it was still early, but I wanted to be there before she arrived. I arrived at the meeting place ten minutes earlier. I was surprised to see her already there, smiling at me. She was very beautiful, Black, deep-set eyes that spoke a thousand words; small, kissable lips; a nose perfectly chiseled and long black hair - everything in her was beautiful. And yes, her eyes radiated kindness and love...but there was a flicker of something in them...sadness?

"Hi, Julius," said the angelic voice I had been dreaming of each night. The voice that I had waited to hear for so long. "Please sit down." "I am very pleased to meet you, Mikaella," I said, as I took my seat and gave the roses I brought for her. "Thanks, Julius," she smiled, obviously pleased with the roses. I knew she loved pink roses. "You are always welcome, Love" "Julius, I can't stay," she said, sadness in her voice, or was it tears? "I really must go." "But we just met, Mikaella. Can't we talk a little longer?" I asked, pleadingly. "I can't really. I just came here to see you and thank you for the time you shared with me. Thank you for everything, Julius. I will never forget you...you will always be here in my heart." She was looking at me straight into the eyes, and I could really feel the sadness in her voice and I swear, there was something in her voice and I swear, there was something in those lovely yet lonely eyes... She got up and smiled at me, lovingly. "Tomorrow morning, please come and visit me," she said and gave me a piece of white linen paper. I read what was written and when I looked up, she was gone. The following day, Christmas, I woke up early and excitedly readied myself,thinking of her. I hurriedly went to flower shop and bought a dozen pink roses - for Mikaella. They lived in an exclusive subdivision. Upon reaching their house, I told the guard who I was and that I was looking for Mikaella. The guard stared at me, sadness and amazement in his eyes and told me to wait as he called the owner of the house. As I looked at him while he was going inside the house, only then I noticed that the house was brightly lit. A woman went out and walked towards me, smiling sadly. "Hi, I'm Maria, Mikaella's mother. Please come inside, Julius." While we were walking towards the mansion, she explained to me why she knew me very well - Mikaella had always been talking about her friend, Julius. I hardly understood what she was saying. I was busy thinking why Mikaella's mother was crying while talking to me. As we came near the great hall of the house, it dawned on me that there was a wake inside, Maybe, a relative passed away, I thought. But deep in my heart, I was trembling and afraid. As we entered the hall where so many people were silently mourning while others were praying, shaking, I asked her mother. "Where is Mikaella?" She held my hand and silently, led me to the coffin which was surrounded by flowers - pink roses, nothing but pinkroses. No words could explain how I felt when I gazed at the coffin and saw who was lying there. The same beautiful girl I met... A man came beside me, I knew he was Mika's father. "We are so glad you came, Julius. Mika talked of you all the time. She even asked that her phone be buried with her. She said that in that way, you could still send her messages and you would always be with her."

I couldn't believe everything... My mind was in limbo. "But how can this be? We just saw each other yesterday." "That can't possibly be. She passed away three days ago. She had been suffering from a heart disease since she was a child," said her father. "But..." I couldn't find the words to say. "She told us not to bother reaching you, "her mother said, still in tears," she said you will come, and here you are. Pain and bitterness overwhelmed me. I cried silently beside her, staring at her lovely face, memorizing every line of my friend's face, a face I knew I would never forget while I was still alive. After the internment that afternoon, I went to the chapel she had told me she went everyday. Sitting there praying and crying to God, I held my phone and typed: "U taught me how 2 care; u taught me how 2 b kind; u shwd me how 2 lyk som; u shwd me how 2 luv; but ders 1 thing didnt teach me & it hurts mor - u didnt teach me how 2 let go. I LOVE YOU" I sent the message, and though I knew she wouldn't be able to hold her CP again, I knew in my heart she would get my message. I never expected a reply, yet as my phone beeped again,felt a shiver down my spine. The sender's number did not appear on the screen, and tears rolled down my cheeks as I read the message. "Let go of d hand of d person u love, but dont let go of God's hand. 4 if u hold 2 his hand. He may b holding d person u love n d ader hand 2 let u hold each other again." "I will never forget you, Mikaella and will never let go..." I vowed to her and to myself as I left the church. Mikaella brought out something about me that I never knew I had; I realized I could also be a romantic person... even if it's just through text messaging. "Keep me as a frnd & I will keep u in my heart. Lock it up & throw away d key so dat no1 can evr tke u away from me..." One day, she sent this message to me. I replied: 'In life, we seldom find a true prson & f u evr find 1, hold on & nvr let go... value dat prson coz it's lyf's gift worth keeping & holdin on..."

THE BREAKUP LETTER

Boy: Baby, we need to talk. Girl: Ricardo, what do u mean? Boy: Something has come up... Girl: What? What's wrong? Is it bad? Boy: I don't want to hurt you, baby. Girl: *Thinks* Oh my God, I hope he doesnt break up with me... I love him so much. Boy: Baby, are you there?? Girl: Yeah, I'm here. What is so important?? Boy: I'm not sure if I should say it.. Girl: Well, you already brought it up, so please just tell me. Boy: I'm leaving... Girl: Baby, what are u talking about?? I don't want you to leave me, I love you. Boy: Not like that, I mean I'm moving far away. Girl: Why? All of your famliy lives over here.

Boy: Well, my father is sending me away to a boarding school far away. Girl: I can't believe this. [FATHER: (Picks up the other phone, interrupts & yells furiously ERICA!, what did I tell you about talking to boys?!!!... Get off the damn phone!! (And hangs up).] Boy: Wow, your father sounds really mad. Girl: You know how he gets, but anyways, I dont want you to go. Boy: Would you run away with me? Girl: Baby, you know I would, I would do anything for you, but I can't... You don't know what would happen if I did. My dad would kill me! Boy: *Sad* It's okay.. I understand, I guess.. Girl: *Thinking*I can't believe what's going on. Boy: I need to give you something tonite, because I am leaving on flight 1-80 in the morning, so I need to see you now. Girl: Okay, I will sneak out & meet you at the park. Boy: Okay, I'll meet you there in 20 minutes. [They meet at a nearby park, they both hug eachother. And he gives her a note.] Boy: Here you go, this is for you. I gotta go. Girl: *Tear* (Begins to cry.) Boy: Baby, dont cry, you know I love you... But I have to go. Girl: Okay (Begins to walk away.) [They both go back home. And Erica begins to read the letter he gave her] It says... "Erica, You probably already know that I'm leaving, I knew this would be better if I wrote a letter explaining the truth about how much I care about you. The truth is, is that I never loved you, I hated you so much, you are my bitch and dont you ever forget that. I never cared about you, and never wanted to talk to you, and be around you. You really have no clue how much I hate you. Now that I'm leaving I thought you should know that I hate you, bitch. You never did the right thing, and you were never there. I didnt think I could hate someone as much as I hate you. And I never want to see you, for the rest of my life, I will never miss kissing you like before, I never want to cuddle up, how we used to. I will not miss you and that's a promise. You never had my love, and I want you to remember that. Bitch, you keep this letter because this may be the last thing you have from me. Fuck, I hate you so much. I will not talk to you soon bitch... Goodbye. - Ricardo" [ Erica begins to cry, she throws the paper in tha garbage & crys for hours ] ... A day passes, she is sad, depressed and she feels so lonely... Then she gets a phone call.... Friend: How are you feeling? Girl: I just cant believe this happened.. I thought he loved me. Friend: Oh, about that. Ricardo left me a message. A few days ago. He told me to tell you to look in your jacket pocket or something... Girl: Umm.. okay. [She finds a piece of paper in the jacket, It says: "Baby I hope you find this before you read my letter. I knew your dad might read it, so I switched a few words... Hate = Love Never = Always Bitch = Baby Will not= will .... I hope you didn't take that seriously because I love you with all my heart, and it was so hard to let you go thats why I wanted you to run away with me... -Ricardo"] Girl: Oh my God! It's a letter.. Ricardo does love me!!, he must of slipped it into my pocket when he hugged me. I can't believe how stupid I am!! Friend: lol Okay but I g2g... Call me later. Girl: *happy*okay, bye, I'll be at home waiting for my baby to call me! ... Erica turns the T.V. on......

[Breaking news] "An airplane has crashed. Over 47 young boys died, we are still searching for survivors... This is a tragedy we will never forget, this plane was flight 1-80... it was on its way to an all boys boarding school..." the Reporter says. [ She turns off the t.v. ... 3 days later, she kills herself, because of the fact that Ricardo was dead & she had nothing to live for... ] ... A day after that the phone rings. Nobody answers. It was Ricardo, he called to leave a message. "Its Ricardo, I guess you're not home so, I called to let you know that I'm alive, I missed my flight because I had to see you one last time. So, I hope your not worried. I am staying for good.

KINDNESS PAYS
One day, a poor boy who was selling goods from door to door to pay his way through school, found he had only one thin dime left, and he was hungry. He decided he would ask for a meal at the next house. However, he lost his nerve when a lovely young woman opened the door. Instead of a meal he asked for a drink of water. She thought he looked hungry so brought him a large glass of milk. He drank it slowly, and then asked, "How much do I owe you?" "You don't owe me anything," she replied. "Mother has taught us never to accept payment for a kindness." He said, "Then I thank you from my heart." As Howard Kelly left that house, he not only felt stronger physically, but his faith in God and man was strong also. He had been ready to give up and quit. Years later that young woman became critically ill. The local doctors were baffled. They finally sent her to the big city, where they called in specialists to study her rare disease. Dr. Howard Kelly was called in for the consultation. When he heard the name of the town she came from, a strange light filled his eyes. Immediately he rose and went down the hall of the hospital to her room. Dressed in his doctor's gown he went in to see her. He recognized her at once. He went back to the consultation room determined to do his best to save her life. From that day he gave special attention to the case. After a long struggle, the battle was won. Dr. Kelly requested the business office to pass the final bill to him for approval. He looked at it, and then wrote something on the edge and the bill was sent to her room. She feared to open it, for she was sure it would take the rest of her life to pay for it all. Finally, she looked, and something caught her attention on the side as she read these words... "Paid in full with one glass of milk. (Signed) Dr. Howard Kelly." Tears of joy flooded her eyes as her happy heart prayed: "Thank You, GOD, that your love has spread abroad through human hearts and hands."

My Biggest Fear
A teacher gave a journal prompt to her seventh grade class asking what their biggest fear was. When the class was done writing she asked to hear a couple at loud. Most children said things like being abducted or dieing or bugs or stuff like that, but when she wanted to hear from some one new and asked the kid in the back of the class, that never speaks, to read what he wrote he said: "Sometimes when I lye in bed at night while my father is off fighting fires somewhere, I'm afraid that the floor above him will cave in and I'll never get to see my daddy again. I'm also afraid when my mom is off bartending late into the night that a man will asult her and she won't be the same mommy I once new. I'm also afraid that my baby sister will roll over while she's sleeping and suffacate herself. I lie in bed thinking about this stuff every night. That's why I don't get annoyed when my baby sister cries in the middle of the night, or when I see headlights in the drive way at twelve O'clock meaning my mom is home late, or when my dad calls at eleven because he forgot to say good night to me my mom and sister. A top of anything else that is my biggest fear." When he finished reading his journal he looked up to see all of his classmates with tears in their eyes he smiled and said "Well...what did you expect?

ONLY LOVE
It's a cold February night. People are bustling through the streets, either pulling up their coat collars or wrapping scarves around their necks, trying to stay warm. It's so cold today.I'm standing at my window, looking at the people moving like little dots. Standing in a heated room, I'm beginning to pity those people. Why don't they go home? Do they plan on wandering until morning? "Almost time to go home! My boyfriend must be going crazy." One of the nurses breathe a sign of relief. "Still needs to work overtime on Valentine's Day. It's so unfair!" "You are fortunate." Another nurse says. "Some people don't have anyone waiting for them." "You mean Dr. Shu?" Like Sherlock Holmes, my ears perk up when I hear my name. "Do you remember how she lost control on this day last year?" "Of course I do." A nurse shudders. "I've never seen Dr. Shu like that. Crying and yelling, like she was crazy." They are talking about how I was last year. They are correct. I was out of control, like they said. "You can't blame Dr. Shu. If my boyfriend died in front of my eyes, I would probably go crazy as well." "Keep it down. She hasn't left work yet. She might hear you." The two nurses are too late. I heard the entire conversation through the canvas wall. "Dr. Shu, what are you doing standing here?" Just as I was deciding whether or not to reveal myself, another nurse exposed me. I awkwardly step out. The 2 nurses who discussed me start to blush. Their faces became redder than the bow on Valentine's Day chocolates. "I'm waiting to go home." I pretend that I didn't hear anything. "Dr. Shu, you must have gotten too involved in your work. It's already past time to go home. See you tomorrow. Happy Valentine's Day!" She waves goodbye. "Happy Valentine's Day." I wave back and watch the 2 nurses hurry away. That's fine. I was ready to go home anyway. Even though no lover is waiting for me, at least there's a lazy cat waiting for me to feed. After I come home, the first thing I do is feed the cat. I forgot when I first had the cat. Probably since last year's Valentine's Day. At that time, I was like an abandoned cat, with eyes filled with despair. Cats don't cry, I do. That's the only difference. "Better drink all the milk or I'll skin you." I threatened the cat. Her name is Christine, my least favorite English name. I don't know why I named the cat Christine. Christine meowed once to let me know she heard me, but her eyes are complaining about my severity. Her eyes remind me of someone I used to know, standing in front of me with eyes of rebellions. An year ago today, I had lunch with my boyfriend and took the opportunity to complain to him. "Today is Valentine's Day. Why didn't you give me any flowers?" He raised his eyebrow. "Why should I give you flowers? You are not my anyone." "Then... you should at least give me a card!" I pouted my lips, hurt by his tone. "I know, I know. After lunch, I'll send you an e-card."

E-card. That sounds so impersonal, but that's the way he is. "You have to e-mail it to me. I'll be waiting." I excitedly smiled and planned to sneak home after lunch to check e-mail. Even though he wouldn't use any romantic words, I still looked forward to the card. "I can't stand you women. Why do you make such a big deal out of Valentine's Day??" He grumbled while eating his food. His comment induced me to fight with him again. "You are not romantic at all!! Don't you watch any Japanese drama?" "Japanese drama? I only watch Discovery Channel." "Your life is so boring." I made a face at him. "One recent drama was really good. You should have watched it." "What's that drama called?" He didn't believe in the love portrayed in TV and movies. He always thought they were lies. "It's called 'Story of A Century'." I gladly answered. "What kind of trashy plot did it have?" "What do you mean trash?? Show some respect!" I was so angry. "That drama was very touching, and the theme song was beautiful as well. It's called 'Only Love', performed by Nana Mouskouri." I wonder if he knew who Nana was. "Nana, I know her. A Greek singer with really expensive albums." "Her voice is worth it." Even though I secretly agreed with him, I couldn't bring myself to admit it. "Whatever." He glanced at his watch. "I'll give you 5 minutes to tell me the plot. After that, I'm leaving." I tried hard to explain 6 hours worth of story in just 5 minutes. The drama portrayed the love stories of 3 generations of women spanning 100 years, from 1901 to 2000. Each generation was portrayed by the same actress. The story was tear-jerking. "What's so touching about it?" He asked, after listening to the story. "Don't you think each generation's story is wonderful? If I have such great screen writing ability, I wouldn't be a doctor anymore. I would become a screenwriter." "If you become a screenwriter, I bet no one would watch the show. The TV station can go out of business." He quickly interjected. "I'm going back to work. Hurry and send me the card!" I was so mad that I went home immediately, not even finishing my coffee. As soon as I walked in my door, I turned on my computer and go online. Staring at the empty in-box, I began to reminisce about how we met. Maybe no one will believe me, but my boyfriend and I were actually neighbors. Our homes were only 1 wall away. Ever since we were kids, we liked to fight with each other all day long. I still remember when I moved to the country that year. Used to the city life, I couldn't get used to the simple life in the country. After school, I would just go home and do nothing. Whenever that happened, he would always come over to tease me. "Why are you staring off into space??" He loved to pull on my hair. "You're so ugly when you're doing nothing. But you're also not pretty when you smile." In other words, I'm really ugly.

A salty coffee He met her at a party. She was so outstanding, many guys chasing after her, while he was so normal, nobody paid attention to him. At the end of the party, he invited her to have coffee with him, she was surprised but due to being polite, she promised. They sat in a nice coffee shop, he was too nervous to say anything, she felt uncomfortable, and she thought to herself, "Please, let me go home..." Suddenly he asked the waiter, "Would you please give me some salt? I'd like to put it in my coffee." Everybody stared at him, so strange! His face turned red but still, he put the salt in his coffee and drank it. She asked him curiously, "Why you have this hobby?" He replied, "When I was a little boy, I lived near the sea, I liked playing in the sea, I could feel the taste of the sea, just like the taste of the salty coffee. Now every time I have the salty coffee, I always think of my childhood, think of my hometown, I miss my hometown so much, I miss my parents who are still living there." While saying that tears filled his eyes. She was deeply touched. That's his true feeling, from the bottom of his heart. A man who can tell out his homesickness, he must be a man who loves home, cares about home, has responsibility of home... Then she also started to speak, spoke about her faraway hometown, her childhood, her family.

That was a really nice talk, also a beautiful beginning of their story. They continued to date. She found that actually he was a man who meets all her demands; he had tolerance, was kind hearted, warm, careful. He was such a good person but she almost missed him! Thanks to his salty coffee! Then the story was just like every beautiful love story, the princess married to the prince, and then they were living the happy life... And, every time she made coffee for him, she put some salt in the coffee, as she knew that's the way he liked it. After 40 years, he passed away, left her a letter which said, "My dearest, please forgive me, forgive my whole life's lie. This was the only lie I said to you---the salty coffee. Remember the first time we dated? I was so nervous at that time, actually I wanted some sugar, but I said salt. It was hard for me to change so I just went ahead. I never thought that could be the start of our communication! I tried to tell you the truth many times in my life, but I was too afraid to do that, as I have promised not to lie to you for anything... Now I'm dying, I afraid of nothing so I tell you the truth, I don't like the salty coffee, what a strange bad taste... But I have had the salty coffee for my whole life! Since I knew you, I never feel sorry for anything I do for you. Having you with me is my biggest happiness for my whole life. If I can live for the second time, still want to know you and have you for my whole life, even though I have to drink the salty coffee again." Her tears made the letter totally wet. Someday, someone asked her, "What's the taste of salty coffee?" She replied, "It's sweet." Pass this to everyone because love is not to forget but to forgive, not to see but understand, not to hear but to listen, not to let go but HOLD ON!!!!

WRONG EMAIL
An Illinois man who left the snow-filled streets of Chicago for a vacation in Florida. His wife was on a business trip and was planning to meet him there the next day. When he reached his hotel, he decided to send his wife a quick email. Unable to find the scrap of paper on which he had written her e-mail address, he did his best to type it in from memory. Unfortunately, he missed one letter and his note was directed instead to an elderly woman whose husband had passed away only the day before. When the grieving widow checked her e-mail, she took one look at the monitor, let out a piercing scream, and fell to the floor in a dead faint. At the sound, her family rushed into the room and saw this note on the screen: DEAREST WIFE: JUST GOT CHECKED IN. EVERYTHING PREPARED FOR YOUR ARRIVAL TOMORROW. YOUR LOVING HUSBAND P.S. SURE IS HOT DOWN HERE

A BOYS LOVE
A good reminder: "Take time to appreciate what you have now." --Dont miss reading this one On the last day before Christmas, I hurried to go to the supermarket to buy the remaining of the gift I didn't manage to buy earlier. When I saw all the people there, I started to complain to myself, "It is going to take forever here and I still have so many other places to go. Christmas really is getting more and more annoying every year. How I wish I could just lie down, go to sleep and only wake up after it..." Nonetheless, I made my way to the toy section, and there I started to curse the prices, wondering if after all kids really play with such expensive toys. While looking in the toy section, I noticed a small boy of about 5 years old, pressing a doll against his chest. He kept on touching the hair of the doll and looked so sad. I wondered who was this doll for. Then the little boy turned to the old woman next to him, "Granny, are you sure I don't have enough money?" The old lady replied, "You know that you don't have enough money to buy this doll, my dear." Then she asked him to stay here for 5 minutes while she went to look around. She left quickly. The little boy was still holding the doll in his hand. Finally, I started to walk toward him and I asked him who did he want to give this doll to. "It is the doll that my sister loved most and wanted so much for this Christmas. She was so sure that Santa Claus would bring it to her." I replied to him that may be Santa Claus will bring it to her, after all, and not to worry. But he replied to me sadly. "No, Santa Claus can not bring it to her where she is now. I have to give the doll to my mother so that she can give it to her when she goes there."

His eyes were so sad while saying this. "My sister has gone to be with God. Daddy says that Mummy will also go to see God very soon, so I thought that she could bring the doll with her to give it to my sister." My heart nearly stopped. The little boy looked up at me and said, "I told daddy to tell mummy not to go yet. I asked him to wait until I come back from the supermarket." Then he showed me a very nice photo of him where he was laughing. He then told me, "I also want mummy to take this photo with her so that she will not forget me." I love my mummy and I wish she doesn't have to leave me but daddy says that she has to go to be with my little sister." Then he looked again at the doll with sad eyes, very quietly.I quickly reached for my wallet and took a few notes and said to the boy, "What if we checked again, just in case if you have enough money?" "Ok," he said. "I hope that I have enough." I added some of my money to his without him seeing and we started to count it. There was enough for the doll, and even some spare money. The little boy said, "Thank you God for giving me enough money." Then he looked at me and added, "I asked yesterday before I slept for God to make sure I have enough money to buy this doll so that mummy can give it to my sister. He heard me." "I also wanted to have enough money to buy a white rose for my mummy, but I didn't dare to ask God too much. But He gave me enough to buy the doll and the white rose." "You know, my mummy loves white rose." A few minutes later, the old lady came again and I left with my trolley. I finished my shopping in a totally different state from when I started. I couldn't get the little boy out of my mind. Then I remembered a local newspaper article 2 days ago, which mentioned of a drunk man in a truck who hit a car where there was one young lady and a little girl. The little girl died right away, and the mother was left in a critical state. The family had to decide whether to pull the plug on the life-assisting machine, because the young lady would not be able to get out of the coma. Was this the family of the little boy? Two days after this encounter with the little boy, I read in the newspaper that the young lady had passed away.I couldn't stop myself and went to buy a bunch of white roses and I went to the mortuary where the body of the young woman was exposed for people to see and make last wish before burial. She was there, in her coffin, holding a beautiful white rosein her hand with the photo of the little boy and the doll placed over her chest. I left the place crying, feeling that my life had been changed forever. The love that this little boy had for his mother and his sister is still, to that day, hard to imagine. And in a fraction of a second, a drunk man had taken all this away from him.

LOVE NOTE
One night a guy & a girl were driving home from the movies. The boy sensed there was something wrong because of the painful silence they shared between them that night. The girl then asked the boy to pull over because she wanted to talk. She told him that her feelings had changed & that it was time to move on. A silent tear slid down his cheek as he slowly reached into his pocket & passed her a folded note. At that moment, a drunk driver was speeding down that very same street. He swerved right into the drivers seat, killing the boy. Miraculously, the girl survived. Remembering the note, she pulled it out & read it. "Without your love, I would die.

A SILENT LOVE
From the very beginning, the girl's family objected strongly on her dating this guy. Saying that it has got to do with family background & that the girl will have to suffer for the rest of her life if she were to be with him. Due to family's pressure, the couple quarrel very often. Though the girl love the guy deeply, but she always ask him: "How deep is your love for me?" As the guy is not good with his words, this often causes the girl to be very upset. With that & the family's pressure, the girl often vents her anger on him. As for him, he only endures it in silence. After a couple of years, the guy finally graduated & decided to further his studies in overseas. Before leaving, he proposed to the girl: "I'm not very good with words. But all I know is that I love you. If you allow me, I will take care of you for the rest of my life. As for your family, I'll try my best to talk them round. Will you marry me?" The girl agreed, & with the guy's determination, the family finally gave in & agreed to let them get married. So before he leaves, they got engaged. The girl went out to the working society, whereas the guy was overseas, continuing his studies. They sent their love through emails & phone calls. Though it's hard, but both never thought of giving up. One day, while the girl was on her way to work, she was knocked down by a car that lost control. When she woke up, she saw her parents beside her bed. She realized that she was badly injured. Seeing her mum crying, she wanted to comfort her. But she realized that all that could come out of her mouth was just a sigh. She has lost her voice...... The doctor says that the impact on her brain has caused her to lose her voice. Listening to her parents' comfort, but with nothing coming out from her, she broke down. During the stay in hospital, besides silence cry,.....it's still just silence cry that companied her. Upon reaching home, everything seems to be the same. Except for the ringing tone of the phone. Which pierced into her heart every time it rang. She does not wish to let the guy know. & not wanting to be a burden to him, she wrote a letter to him saying that she does not wish to wait any longer. With that, she sent the ring back to him. In return, the guy sent millions & millions of reply, and countless of phone calls,.. all the girl could do, besides crying, is still crying....

The parents decided to move away, hoping that she could eventually forget everything & be happy. With a new environment, the girl learnt sign language & started a new life. Telling herself everyday that she must forget the guy. One day, her friend came & told her that he's back. She asked her friend not to let him know what happened to her. Since then, there wasn't anymore news of him. A year has passed & her friend came with an envelope, containing an invitation card for the guy's wedding. The girl was shattered. When she opened the letter, she saw her name in it instead. When she was about to ask her friend what's going on, she saw the guy standing in front of her. He used sign language telling her "I've spent a year's time to learn sign language. Just to let you know that I've not forgotten our promise. Let me have the chance to be your voice. I Love You. With that, he slipped the ring back into her finger. The girl finally smiled.

I LOVE YOU
Brittney loved basketball Friends and parties too And when it came to painting That's all she wanted to do She painted everything she saw Birds, flowers, the sky Some days she sat at her window And painted everything that passed her by But lately she'd been feeling woozy Her muscles ached a lot And her parents got kind of worried So they took her to the doc The doctor took a couple of tests To see if everything was okay Then the nurse came out with a look of sadness And this is what she had to say; "I'm sorry but you've got leukemia," "You've got about 3 months more." Then Brittney got up and ran out of the room And slammed the office door She ran down the street screaming And cried her eyes out dry And stayed up all night Wondering what it's like to die Her parents held her tightly And said, "We love you," "We'll make your last few months the greatest," "We'll do anything for you." So Brittney and her parents moved to Florida To live by the sea Because Brittney loved the ocean And when she dies, that's where she wanted to be She spent her days painting And horseback riding in by the bay But one day she met this guy And his name was Jay They collected seashells together And talked about all kinds of things And then one day while walking

He handed her a ring It said, "I love you," Which brought tears to Brittney's eyes And when he put it on her finger She began to cry "I've got leukemia, and about a month more." He said," No matter what, I love you," "And no matter what, you are the one I adore." So they spent everyday together And swam in the Atlantic all day But Brittney was getting weaker And it was hard for her stay awake So one day Brittney painted her picture And gave it to Jay She said, "I want you to remember me," "Even when I leave this place." But one day while they were walking And searching for seashells in the sand Brittney collapsed and started to lose her breath And said to Jay, "Please hold my hand." "I love you more then anyone," "You are my only true love," "But now my time is up," "And I'll watch over you from above," Then Brittney's body was lifeless As she lay in Jay's arms And he sat there all day And kept her safe from harm I hope this teaches you a lesson. To tell someone you love them whenever you can. Because maybe they'll be gone tomorrow. And you wont be there to hold their hand. Because love is everything to everybody. Without it, the world would be dead. So always tell someone you love them. A parent, a lover, a friend. Send this to everyone you know, it makes a big difference even though you don't think so... Everyone deserves an "I love you." Because there may be No one for that person to say it back to. ===> if ever you liked that someone, or even loved him or her, please have the courage to say it, for who knows if just that sentence would be too late.

LOVE ENDS TOO SOON

I met Robert quite by accident, fate, or was guided by God since He knew we needed each other. Of all places to meet it was by internet. We started out just simply being penpals and enjoyed talking about our children and how they seem to go out of their way to shock us! We emailed each other at LEAST 5-10 times a day. We learned everything about each other and he knew I was going thru a lot of marital problems and was struggling to just keep mine and my two daughters heads above water. While Robert and I were penpals I got really attached to his three sons, he got really attached to my daughters. Robert had lost his wife and two of his children just four years before we started writing each other. I knew I had fallen for Robert after just a few months, even though we were seperated by so many miles it seemed as if he was with me. One day he wrote me to tell me that his middle son that was only 10 yrs old had been rushed to the hospital for heart failure, I was hysterical, Joe felt like my own child. Joe passed away that night. Robert was so grief stricken that no one could talk to him. I sent him an email with my phone number and he called me and we talked forever. He told me that there was no one else that could have been more understanding and that he knew I could comfort him. How was I to know that within a month my love would fight for his life. He had hid the fact that he was going into the hospital to have bypass surgery until just a few days before he was scheduled to have it done. I knew that I loved him so deeply, but hadn't had the nerve to tell him. Neither had he had the nerve to tell me. He had been planning though to tell me after he was out of the hospital and had even looked into moving to the states to live. Just a very few days before he was scheduled to go into the hospital for surgery he had a massive heart attack. He died just a couple of days later. His mom and best friend wanted me to write a eulogy to be read at his funeral and it was the most heart breaking thing I've ever had to do. I told him in it how much I loved him; "Sleep well dearest Robert, you are home dear heart. You are with Stephie and your children, be happy my dearest Robert. I will forever love you, please know that you'll forever be in my heart, my mind, and my love for you is eternal. "I'm still in contact with his family and his best friend and his wife. Robert's mom looks at me as the woman Robert wanted to spend his life with. After his death he had already made last letters for all of us and I finally found that if he had only had a chance that he had planned on telling me just how much he loved me and would do so forever

THE HARDEST THING

http://www.inspirationallane.com/SadLoveStoriesII.htm It all started when I was 6 years old. While I was playing outside on my farm in California, I met a boy. He was an average kind of boy who teased you and then you chased them and beat them up. After that first meeting in which I beat him up we kept on meeting and beating each other up at the fence. That only lasted for a little while though. We would meet at the fence all the time and we were always together. I would tell him all my secrets. He was very quiet he would just listen to what I had to say. I found him easy to talk to and I could talk to him about everything. In school we had separate friends but when we got home we would always talk about what happened in school. One day I said to him that a guy I liked hurt me and broke my heart. He just comforted me and said everything would be okay. He gave me words of encouragement and helped me get over him. I was happy and thought of him as a real friend. But I knew that there was something else about him that I liked. I thought of it that night and figured it was just a friend kinda thing that I was feeling. All through high school and even through graduation we're always together and of course I thought of it as being friends. But I knew deep inside that I really felt differently. On graduation night even though we had different dates to the prom I wanted to be with him. That night after everybody went home I went to his house and wanted to tell him that I wanted to see him. Well, that night was my big chance and all I did was just sit there with him watching the stars and talking about what I was going to do and what he was going to do. I looked into his eyes and listened to him talk about what his dream was. How he wanted to get married and settle down. He said how he wanted to be rich and successful. All I could do was to tell him my dream and cuddle next to him. I went home hurting because I didn't tell him how I was feeling. I wanted to tell him so bad that I loved him but I was too scared and frightened. I let my feelings go and told myself that someday I would tell him just how I felt. All through college I wanted to tell him but he always had someone with him. After graduation he got a job in New York, I was

happy for him but at the same time I was sad to see him go. I was sad also because I didn't tell him how I felt. But I couldn't let him know now that he was leaving for his big job. So I just kept it to myself and watched him go on the plane. I cried as I hugged him for what I felt was going to be the last time. I went home that night and cried my eyes out. I felt hurt that I didn't tell him what I had inside my heart. Well, I got a job as a secretary and then worked my way to a computer analyst. I was proud of what I had accomplished. One day I got a letter with an invitation to a marriage. It was from him, I was happy and sad at the same time. Now I know that I could never be with him and that we could only be friends. I went to the wedding the next month. It was a big occasion. The big church wedding and the reception at the hotel. I met the bride and of course him. I fell in love one more time. But I held back so it wouldn't spoil what should be the happiest day in his life. I tried to have fun that night but it was killing me inside watching him being so happy and me trying to be happy covering up my sadness tears inside of me.

CHAT ROOM DATING

Bunty and Bobby, two frequent users of a chat room, discovered that they had a lot in common. Eventually, they abandoned the chatroom for a more intimate correspondence. After months of virtual kinkyness, the two decided to meet each other face-to-face at a small cafe. Bunty arrived a little late. One customer, a short, frail man with an eye patch, sat at the back of the cafe."Are you Bobby?" asked Bunty."Yes I am," said Bobby. "Unbelievable!" Bunty exclaimed. "You told me that you were tall, dark and handsome." "How do you think I feel?" Bobby asked, his face turning red. "You told me that you were skinny, light-eyed, and... female!"

The lizard
This is a true story that happened in Japan. In order to renovate the house, someone in Japan tore open a wall. Japanese houses normally have a hollow space between the wooden walls. When tearing down the walls, he found that there was a lizard stucked there because a nail from outside hammered into one of its feet. He felf pity and curious at the same time, as when he checked the nail, it was nailed 10 years ago when the house was first built. What happened? The lizard has survived in such position for 10 years! In a dark wall partition for 10 years without moving, it is impossible and mind boggling. Then he wondered, how this lizard survived for 10 years without moving a single step - since its feet was nailed! So, he stopped his work and observed the lizard, what has it been doing and what has it been eating? Some time later, another lizard appeared from nowhere ,with food in its mouth... AHHH! He was stunned and touched deeply.The lizard that was stucked by nail survived all these years as another lizard has been feeding it for the past 10 years... Such a beautiful love!! Such love can happen even on this tiny creature. What can love do? It can do wonders!! Love can do miracles!! Imagine it has been doing it for a tiredsome 10 years, without giving up hope on its partner. This story goes on to tell us that in love, nothing is impossible for love conquors all.