Couldn't Let Go

I met John* and May* in college and I’ve always thought they were perfect for each other. So, naturally, I felt genuinely sad when they broke up.

What I didn’t know was that they got back together after college. If I’d known, I would’ve understood May for having John back. I knew just how much she cared about him. All through college she never loved anyone. But I would have had doubts about John. I wasn’t so sure whether he really liked May or she was just a.. convenience (?). I was sure John was perfectly aware of how much he meant to May and I had reasons to believe that he took advantage of that knowledge.

For a couple of years they dated but didn’t have any formal commitment. John didn’t formalize anything and I suspect that May didn’t want to risk losing John again so she put up with it. But sometimes, a person gets tired of waiting. She found someone else to care about, though not as much as she cared for John, and got married. A few days before the wedding, John was asking May to meet with him. May never did find out what John wanted because she didn’t agree to meet with him. We learned afterwards that John, himself, got married after a few months.

A few years after getting married, John started sending May text messages. Though May was too polite not to reply, she was very careful not to encourage John to continue texting. Eventually, as if he sensed his text messages weren’t welcome, John stopped.

Ten years passed, May was so surprised to receive a call from John. She was genuinely glad and told him so. However, she never showed any eagerness to exchange text messages with him regularly. She was relieved to realize that it was just a one-time call, probably out of whim.

But after a month, John called her again and asked to meet. May couldn’t find any reason to say no so she said yes. They had a really nice time and parted just like the old friends that they were. Then one night when she least expected it, May received a text message from John telling her how much he regretted not having married her when he had a chance and that he wanted so much to have May back though he knew it wouldn’t happen.

Though happy with her life, May couldn’t help asking why is it that the thing or the person that you have wanted for the longest time would come back when everything about you was perfectly in order. Is it what they call the irony of life?

At least John knew where he stood and May appreciated him for that..

*not real name