the non-romantic but sweet J

It has been established between J and I that he is not particularly romantic, neither is he skilled at surprises. Ever since I got that straight, I have let go of expectations of being swept off my feet with candlelit dinners and serenades. There have been a few attempts but it ends up either found out or in amused laughter from the object of the surprise (me!).

Attempt 1:
We got together 2005 before Valentine's Day. I have stopped being a firm believer in the day ever since I began studying in an all girl's school. Even when I was in a relationship, V-day celebrations are no biggie to me, but of course efforts from my partner's part are always highly appreciated. Anyway, since J and I were bound to celebrate February 14 apart, he gave me a three-week advanced gift -- a plastic long-stemmed rose from Designer Blooms. I was really surprised and touched by the gesture. But I had to smile to myself upon receiving it. It was only when we were really quite comfortable to each other that I got back at him with that gesture.

"J, the gesture is very sweet and all... but don't give me plastic flowers anymore. Make them real next time." All this being said both serious and jesting. Of course, he had all these corny spiel that he intentionally gave plastic so it will bloom until Valentine's Day and forever afterwards. And I go, "yeah, right!" The conversation interjected by silly laughter and quick hugs. It was no issue really, but that's when you get when you are someone's first official girlfriend when they're 29 years old. LOL.

To this day, the plastic rose is still in my room eternally abloom (rhyming!), with dew drops still as wet (and dry) as the first day I got it. Except it's a little bit dusty and I think an itty bitty spider lives somewhere in the inner petals.

Attempt 2:
2006 was his first long stay in Davao. He was going to stay from late July until November, which meant that we would get to spend my birthday together. I'm not really a fan of celebrating my birthday, but I was hoping against hope that he would surprise me with something. But like I said, it has been established that he is not romantic and while I hoped hard, I believe I wasn't going to get any.

Come my birthday, I receive a phone call from one of my dear friends. The conversation went something like this:
Friend: Blah-blah-blah! So how was J's surprise?
Me: Surprise? J doesn't do surprises. He doesn't know how to. No surprise dear.
Friend: But he was... no, no, he has a surprise.
Me: Nge. I don't think so. Di nga siya marunong.
Friend: Ah... I was just assuming.
Me: Nah

Then I received another phone call the next day from my dear friend, Fr. M.
Fr. M: Kamusta surprise ni J?
Me: Nge, noh. Di kaya marunong mag-surprise yun.
Fr. M: Ay, baka mali lang ako.
Me: Malamang. Asa pa ako.

Talk about faith in my boy, huh? LOL. The funnier thing about it was, I really didn't take any of it seriously. I didn't suspect that there was really a surprise at all. It ended up that he had to fess up to the surprise. LOL.

We were at Netopia in SM and he was checking his email. He was actually asking me to read one of his messages. When he went to the inbox, there was a subject title "a surprise for angie's birthday." And I laughed. "May sorpresa ka pala talaga?"

So he had to come clean. He did have a surprise but it just wasn't ready yet. He was still making it and I will be receiving it the next day. I was just laughing and laughing. I had to tell him that the effort for the surprise was enough to make me happy because I really wasn't expecting anything of the sort from him.

It helped the non-romantic J was established before hand because efforts like that become extra special. Tee-hee!

What was the surprise? It was a specially designed birthday card with my greetings from my friends in Manila. Most of the messages were lauding J for being sweet.

I just had to agree. Hehe!