The Suitor

124. Let's face it. Though I was already steadily dating you, other members of the opposite sex still attempted to cozy up to me in spite of my relationship with you that they were fully aware of. I wasn't very good at fending them of and letting them off easy. Much to your absolute dismay, you knew that it would be better for us to be together so you could watch out for me. It was impossible for us to be together all the time so there would be times wherein I would be frustrated with these boys who just didn't take no for an answer. By my second year, I had three stalkers. One on the phone. One who drove a tricycle who kept pestering our employees at the store. And one who I only found out about during my fourth year in college who kept watching me at our internet shop. My parents knew only of two of them. I would talk about that later on. Aside from those guys, I had two strange guys who had strange ways of attempting courtships. Though not necessarily troublesome, they could be annoying at times. Today, I've only chosen to talk about one of them. I met him when I was only in high school when I was visiting my brother's all boy's highschool for a school event.  He was one of my brother's friends and I thought he was nice enough though he was too tall and moved a bit awkwardly. I didn't think he'd become obsessed about me for a long time. He'd call up the house a lot. He'd write love letters. He joined the same Church choir I was in though he lived in another town. All under the guise of furthering our friendship. Sometimes he'd even walk me home. Walking with him was far better than walking home alone at night in our neighborhood so I'd be a fool to decline. You told me I should have refused because he could have done something to me because it was the strange ones I had to watch out for. But though I knew his intentions, I considered him a friend because he was such a good listener. He knew about you fully because I talked about you a lot, declaring my love to you and telling him no did not sway him to stay away. I invited him to my birthday and he actually came and avoided you completely. I invited him to my debut since I needed 18 guys to be 'roses' and he sulked the entire time as he watched us jealously, looking like a slob in his long-sleeved white shirt. We both saw it in the video and shared a joke about it. You told me that you pitied him and that he was just torturing himself by being around me. I guessed he was still hoping in one way or another he'd break us up. I left him alone. Eventually as the months passed he stopped completely. In my last conversation I encouraged him to make new friends, meet other girls and find a new hobby. He told me that he'll never find another girl like me. You will, I said, just wait and see. I guess he did. In my own way I empathized with him and his loneliness, but I knew he was too unhealthily attached to me. I had to let him go, thankfully. And he had to let me go too. Simply because I had already given my heart away to you. He's one suitor I was so happy to let go with my eyes wide open. Shoo.