I Wish... (Inspired From A True Story)

The Proposal - Part 2

Back in Time....

My phone kept ringing for long, before I woke up and noticed 7 missed calls. "Ohmi! What's wrong with him now?" I blabbered while in sleep and disconnected his call mistakenly, instead of picking up. I got up and dialed his number.

The phone didn't even ring for once completely and he picked up.

"Hello Highway!" He thought it was a joke to called me by my dad's profession. My dad leads the Highway Road Development Department so yes; he was in Highway department so I was Mr. Highway apparently.

"Yes Mr. Ohm Pawat, My Flying Superstar! Where are you flying to now?"

After he had completed his training for becoming a commercial pilot, he joined Singapore Airlines. He loved his profession. Since childhood, Ohmi was an all-rounder. He could become a doctor, scientist or even a dancer. But he wanted to fly. I want to fly high and never stop is what he used to tell me always. I was happy for him. Although I did not like the fact that since he started flying, he was always away from all of us, but I was still happy that he was doing what he wanted to.

"And may I ask you why do you disturb me every time you fly to a new location? I never get a chance to go out of Thailand, and look at you, always roaming around here and there. I wish I had a job like yours. My job always requires me to sit in a cubicle and work on that same boring computer. Do you know how much dark circles I have got? We software engineers hardly get to sleep. And now you are not letting me sleep peacefully..."

"Hey Chaplin... Shut up!" He interrupted. "I called to talk about something important and you started your blabber again" He hardly watched any movies, but we had seen a Charlie Chaplin's Modern Times together at my home once, and since then he named me Chaplin because he finds me similar, I don't know how though.

"What is so important at 2 am Romeo?" Ohm was a flirt, a complete cowboy kind of person at times and at times a hopeless romantic. Though he was too professional when in his uniform, but otherwise I used to call him Romeo.

He paused for a while and then took a deep breath.

"Ohmi? I can't hear..."

"I love you!" He said. I paused for a while. Then I thought he must be in a good mood today.

"I love you too! Now tell me what is it?"

"Chaplin... You are not getting it. I love you! Not as a friend. But as a man who has been in love with this one guy in his entire life. I have been waiting for this moment since our childhood Nanon. I have always loved you."

"Ohmi I..."

"Wait... Let me finish. I have loved you since you started fighting with me for toys when we were four. Ok I mean when I was four and you were three but that doesn't matter. Oh God! Am I finally saying this to you...! I was waiting to pay back all my loans and to be free enough to think about getting settled... with you. And now when I think of getting settled, I smile Nanon, I smile thinking about you and me. OMG! Hell yes, I am asking you. Nanon, will you be my boyfriend?"

I was in shock for a moment. Could he be saying this to me really or am I still sleeping? It was a just month back when he told me about his new girlfriend in California. What about the ones before that? He is a bisexual and have been casually dating many girls and boys. I am a bi too, but I never was in a relationship before. Not even went on a date. But he... He was hardly ever single, like single-single.

"Nanon? You heard what I said right?"

"Ohmi..." I couldn't stop myself from asking, "What about your fifty-four girlfriends/boyfriends before?"

"What?"

"Did you just confess to me?" He did not respond. I started feeling a bit confused but at the same time irritated. I took a deep breath to calm myself before getting back to the call. "What's wrong with you? I love you too. But we are friends Ohmi. Best friends. I see a partner in you but not a life partner. We are so different in terms of nature, perceptions, likes/dislikes, future dreams, and what not. How can we both be together? Also, I know you say this to all the people you meet."

"Do you really think so?" he asked annoyed. Then said after a brief pause, "I was never serious about anybody except for you and you should have known that. And I tried to not love you after you told me about the kind of person you wanted to be with. I realized I am nowhere near to it. So, I started dating. But I was not serious when I dated all those people. I was always trying to run away from the feelings I had for you. But then I could not. I had already started changing. I started trying to become your One Man. And the changes came naturally, Non. I never had to put in efforts." He exhaled loudly to cool down. "Listen, give a chance to this once and you will realize that you too feel the same for me."

"I... I don't know what to say."

We both went silent for 30 seconds and then he said,

"I opened my heart to you today. Even if you don't love me, you are still my best friend. At least you could have given me some sort of response. I thought you knew me more than anybody else... Mom, dad or even Jom..."

He went silent again for a long this time. And then he said, "Talk to you later.", and disconnected.