Photographs

Part 1: Photos are Memories After all

"I think I'll just have to watch the replay on the television. I've got this thing with Denise."

"Denise? You're still chasing her?"

I had been in love with Denise for four years. I didn't know exactly why I fell for her in the first place. There was just something about her, but then she had been playing with my feelings for her and unfortunately, I didn't see it back then.

"I think I still have a shot with her."

I could see the change of mood in Anna by the time I said that. She didn't respond to what I said. She just stared at her milkshake with a serious face.

By that time, we had stopped walking and just looked at the sunset view which was the main reason why people go to that boulevard. Well, I was actually the only one who was looking at the sunset. Anna was staring at the milkshake she held.

*Click!*

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"Do you know her?" Asked the woman who was still staring at my framed photograph on the wall at the exhibit.

"Yeah. She was... a good friend of mine."

"Was?"

I didn't actually know what to answer her. The serious staring-at-the-milkshake face of Anna in that picture contains a rich backstory that I only knew just recently.

"How about this picture? She looks very happy here."

The woman referred to another picture of Anna on the wall. The picture was entitled, "How do you know if you like someone?". She was laughing so hard with mouth wide open with an ice cream cone held in her hand.

That was the night that she was upset because of some problems with her job. I volunteered to come over to her place and when I arrived, I found her sitting on her doorstep, crying.

I did my best to console her during that time, but nothing seemed to work until an ice cream truck stopped by in front of us.

"Well, I can buy you an ice cream."

She smiled.

"Might as well go for stress eating."

She sighed then wiped away the tears on her eyes and stood up. I bought each of us an ice cream but when I tried to eat mine, the ice cream fell off the cone. She laughed so hard seeing the look on my face.

*Click!*

"Now you're happy!"

"Thanks, James. Now can we talk about something else?"

I was glad she asked that question. I had been thinking about Denise and my feelings for her and in those times, I wasn't sure anymore. I was confused. I was in love with Denise but I spent most of my time with Anna and strangely, I felt a lot happier every time I was with Anna than the time I spent with Denise.

"Hey, Anna. Can I ask you something?"

"Yeah sure."

"How do you know if you like someone?"

"Wow. I didn't expect that question."

I smiled at her. "Just answer it."

"Well, I think I like someone when I subconsciously laugh at his lame jokes."

I laughed when I heard her answer but somehow, I think she's right. Most of us, when we like someone, we laugh at their jokes no matter how lame they are.

When I got home that night, I couldn't stop thinking about Anna's answer to my question. How do you know if you like someone? If you laugh at their lame jokes. Then I recalled – for six years, Anna had been laughing at my lame jokes and I did the same to her lame jokes as well. Could it be? I was so in denial. Maybe it was just a platonic thing, I thought.