[ The Need ]

THE NEED TO BE THERE

        It was always there. That need to be there for someone. 
And you can tell that feeling just by looking at the looks on their faces 
when they look at someone...

        And there are so many ways to overcome that. 
But not ALL of the ways are effective. 

        There is ONE though, that always gets through...
A way that needs courage, responsibility and lots of love.

        To make it more simple and fun, I'll tell you a story.
-don't worry, it's a short one-

"I can't help it Eddie. She's too precious to me. I can't let people get too close to her or even be on their own without me. It sucks, you know, being assumed by others about how 'too protective' I am around her. It's like I'm the bad guy. Urggghhhh...", he complained.

"Harry, you have to know... that unless you tell her you love her, she won't ever take your flirting to the next level. You know she's a great girl. I wish I could date her...," Eddie told him, which was not helping at all.

"EDDIE !!!," Harry tried to punch him.

"Ahh missed me !!! Come on, now's you're chance. She's all alone. GO!!!," Eddie pushed his best friend a bit, trying to encourage him.

        Harry was on the verge of throwing himself from a cliff straight down into the sea... because he didn't know what to say. But he tried his best...

"Um, hey... Zoe... how are you? Have you had lunch?,"

"Yeah, I guess... So... are you here to tell me your feelings?," she teased.

"Ouch..! Um, I was thinking about that. But to make it more simple, how bout I offer you something else?," he asked, excited.

"Sure... I'm sure I'm up for it," she answered casually.

"I'm inviting you to dinner with my family... If it's okay with you...,"

".....Yeah, okay.... you mean with your mum and dad, siblings..?,"

"Why? should I not...? um, or..," he struggled.

"Okay!!!," she flashed her 100watt smile.


                                         @@@@@@@@

"Dude, you're girlfriend totally won mum's heart!!! Oh man, you aced it!," Harry's little brother, Austin said.

"She's not...!!! I tried to tell her but I was scared..," he confessed to Austin.

"Why? I doubt she's the bratty, spoilt or impolite girl. And i think she likes you. She keeps glancing at you form time to time. Can't you tell?,"

"Well, she always teases me bout confessing to her. And no I couldn't tell, I was too nervous. You think I should say something?," he asked.

"Totally!!! I'd totally love it if she's my sister-in-law!!!," Austin's little remark there made Harry blush.

                                        @@@@@@@@

        After practising in front of the mirror thousands of time, Harry tried,

"Um, hey Zoe... about that 'telling my feelings'... would you care to hear it now...?," 

"Oh, sure. And by the way, thanks for the dinner. Loved your family," she said.

        Instead of confessing to her, Harry smiled and said,

"You know, Austin said you were great! You even won my dad -who's actually a hothead- but now you tamed him. He even asked me about you last night on the phone...," 

"What are you getting me into here, Harry Knight?," Zoe teased him again with that flashy smile of hers.

"I'm just trying to win you here. And! I'm trying to work a date for an official meeting with your parents. How does that sound for 'telling you my feelings'?," he countered.

        Zoe was speechless. It showed on her face, obviously. But Harry was determined. If he couldn't win her, he'll try her parents instead. To his surprise, Zoe smiled and said,

"I'll do a rain check... And, oh! You're in luck, this weekend is just nice. Be there at 6pm and impress everyone. Including me. Ooops, ESPECIALLY me," Zoe said, giving him a slightly challenging look in her eyes.

                                          @@@@@@@@

"You're a real charmer, aren't you? I didn't expect you to know how to cook Italian..! Ahh.. just look at him, Zoe! What a perfect choice~," said Mr.Luke.

"Dad, he's not my...," but he was already heading to the dining table. Harry just put on his smudge look like he won a lottery and she said,

"..um, yeah. Congratulations! You..won my dad. Smooth guy, aren't ya?," she circled him, giving him quiet a look.

"Ever heard of 'if you want it put a ring on it'? Well yeah, I was hoping for a ring, but Italian would do..," she smiled.

"I came prepared. And that's just what I was about to do," he said.

                                         @@@@@@@@

        He walked to Mr.Luke's side, took 3 deep breaths and tried, but before he could say anything, Mr.Luke cut him first. He said,

"My boy, it's really obvious what you're trying to do here. You're asking for my daughter's hand, aren't ya?," 

        Harry was stunned but he kept his posture and calmly answered,

"Yes, yes sir. I came here with that exact motive," 

"There aren't many lads who'd do things like this any more. And I truly salute you for putting up that courage. But I need to ask you one thing,
'what is your idea of making up for your mistake?'... well, if you ever do it sometime later to Zoe," Mr.Luke said.

        Harry couldn't think of anything but that single time when he was making it up to his sister. So he answered just that,

"I guess I'd bring her some of her favourite food..apologize and maybe sit out on the roof looking at the sky.. tucked in a comfortable blanket with her,"

       Mr.Luke looked at him and smiled. He patted Harry's shoulder and said,

"Well you have an exquisite soft side for girls! You hear that, Zoe? A night out on the roof. Just like we did last night...,"

       Zoe? Where...? Harry thought to himself when a figure came out of the shadows and looked at him. Like, REALLY looked at him. She said,

"So what's next romeo?," 

        Harry went down on his knees, got out Zoe's favourite, a carton of HL chocolate milk which on top of it was stringed to a ring... with Mr.Luke beside him, he said,

"Um.. hey, Zoe.. will you.. sit out on the roof with me.. I mean like, forever?
If you count that as a confession and a proposal...," 

"Yeah, yeah... it counts...daddy...?," she looked at her dad.

"You don't expect me to say no, are you? Yes, of course!!!," he beamed.

       Without noticing it, a tear escaped Zoe's eyes and Harry's hand got out a tissue for her quickly. He was clearly shocked but he said, ever so softly...,

"Hey, hey... what's the matter? Um.. maybe you'd like a better proposal? You know, in the middle of a crowd.. or something..?,"

"No, no.. I just want that chocolate milk. You jerk. I waited a whole year for you to say it but I knew you were too scared and crap...," she wiped her tears and drank the milk Harry gave him earlier.


                                         @@@@@@@@

       They sat there, on the roof, tucked in a warm blanket together... and in each hand was a carton of HL's choc milk.

"I thought you said you were gonna do this if I sulked or if you did a mistake?," she asked, looking up at him from under his chin.

"Hey, then you won't ever get all of this... because I'm so perfect I never do mistakes. And it never hurts to treat my little wifey more than usual, right?," he whispered, kissing Zoe's forehead as she, hugged him closer.

       The moon smiled down on them, wishing them all the bless in the world.

                                         @@ THE END @@

And that, folks, was a TRUE story, of a very distant relative of mine...

It could happen to anyone. This marriage thing. 
And it doesn't have to be hurtful on the way there.
Because you don't have to date them first...
...or go through a breakup...
...or go through a stage where you need to find someone new... 

That's what Islam is trying to teach you.

You don't have to hurt yourself. 
Just get on with it... this marriage thing.
You even get extra points from Allah for this.

Life's not THAT long, you know.
You'll never know when death comes for you.

okay???

As long as you hold on to that love, carry that responsibility and keep that courage in mind.

Like I said, it could happen to anyone.



Written by me,
       ~A~


P/s : if you're a non-muslim, reading this, interested... and you don't 
         understand... Don't be shy to ask.