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This moment was the culmination of my long held desire. We had developed a connection that was unique and special through our online chats with him. He was funny, smart, kind and handsome. He gave me happiness, understanding and tenderness. We harmonized in every aspect from our hobbies to our dreams. We bared to each other our secrets, our fears, our hopes. We supported each other through challenges and cheered for each other’s achievements. Friendship was not enough to describe our relationship, we were soulmates. But there was one challenge we resided on different hemispheres of the world. He resided in the southern hemisphere and I resided in the northern one. We had never met face to face. Only through video calls and photos. We had never hugged, kissed or held hands. We had never sensed each other’s warmth, inhaled each other’s aroma or felt each other’s heartbeat. We had never experienced the physical intimacy that we both craved.
We talked about meeting someday, but it always seemed like a distant dream. We both had busy lives, jobs, families and responsibilities. We couldn't afford to travel across the globe for a chance at love. We couldn't risk losing everything for something that might not work out. We couldn't be sure that our online chemistry would translate into real life. But we couldn’t abandon each other either. We cherished each other too much to release. We wished to be together more than anything else in the world. We decided to save up money and plan a trip to meet halfway. We chose Hawaii as our destination, Tropical paradise where we could escape from reality and enjoy each other's company. We booked our flights, our hotel and our activities. The days until we left were numbered.
And then it happened. The day we had looked forward to for ages finally came. I stuffed my bags, verified my passport and got on the plane. I felt a blend of thrill and anxiety as I soared over the ocean. I wondered how he would materialize in person. how he would speak, how he would squeeze me. I wondered if he would adore me as much as he did online, if he would deem me attractive, if he would share my feelings. I landed in Honolulu and took a taxi to the hotel. My room was the next destination after checking in. I texted him that I was on the spot and inquired about his location. He messaged me he was coming and that he couldn’t wait to meet me. I smiled and felt my heart race. I tidied up and slipped into a dress that I wished he would notice. I pick my phone and went to the lobby.
I waited for him by the entrance, scanning the crowd for his face. I spotted people with diverse shapes, sizes and colors. But he had vanished without a trace. I checked the time and saw that he was late. I felt a jolt of concern and doubted if something had occurred. I wrote to him again and checked if he was okay. He didn't reply. I waited some more growing more anxious by the minute. I made an effort to call him. But his phone was not on. I felt a rush of terror and wondered if he had backed out... Maybe he had met someone else on his way here. Maybe he had understood that this was a poor choice. Maybe he never loved me after all. I felt tears burn my eyes and a knot form in my throat. I felt like a dummy for believing him for flying. All this way for nothing. For craving something that was not true. I walked back to my room in despair and anguish unable to cope with the pain.
The bed was occupied by him as I opened the door.
He lifted his eyes to me with a grin and said: “We did it. We met.”