So this is school.
The Stairway to Seven
by Francisco Salazar
The summer of 2003 was one of the most horrible and unforgettable experiences in my life. I had just come out of a five-month relationship which during that time was very much like getting married. Jenalyn and I were in a whirlwind romance. It seemed as if nothing in the entire universe could shake us from our state of love nirvana. Then, the day came that changed my life forever. I had just come home from a usual Monday soccer practice and was walking up the steps to my front door when I saw her waiting outside it. I was very much pleased and happy that she had come to surprise me on the day of our fifth monthsary (monthly anniversary) since I had planned to surprise her as well. Because I was in such a high, I didn’t even bother noticing the somber look on her face or the black Mercedes-Benz parked right beside the curbside. Instinctively, I ran up to her and gave her my usual tight hug and soft kiss. We were exchanging pleasantries when out of nowhere and in the coldest voice I have ever heard, she told me that she had found a much more handsome, rich and mature man. At first, my mind wasn’t registering a word she said but after a few seconds or maybe even hours after, I felt the words stab me right through the heart. It felt like I was having an asthma attack which was odd because I am a professional soccer player and had never experienced having an asthma attack my whole life. I couldn’t breathe and my legs felt as if they were made of jelly and were slowly giving way. Next thing I knew, I was being fanned and revived by a hunk of a man, who was that man whom my ex was talking about and who presumably came from the black Mercedes-Benz and it hit me like a rock, I had lost everything. I, Juanito Larry Machingco, thirty-three years of age, had my heart broken for the very first time; thus, making me write this essay to show the readers the seven right steps to follow so anyone could deal with breaking up after a long relationship.
After the big break up, my heart was left in pieces, hardly able to go through the day because of believing that no one else would ever love me. I was hardly seen outside the house because of locking myself in the room with nothing else but buffalo wings, tissues and of course, the most awesome band to have ever lived, the Spice Girls, to console my soul. This is the stage after breaking up wherein the weak falter and break down, the tears flow endlessly and the thought of suicide rears its ugly head, leaving the person’s emotional tank empty and ready for recovery. I, of course, was strong during this stage, without even shedding one droplet of tear or having anything close to a suicidal thought. To those who visited me during this time, I really just had something in my eye and those cuts on my wrists came from tripping in my steps. This is how the first stage, weeping and moping, should go about. It may not be the nicest stage, but it definitely is necessary.
The following days after the first stage are the start of phase two, the drinking part. Here, the main goal is to consume as much alcohol as possible no matter what consequences. I was usually seen in the hippest clubs like Pegasus. Of course, the main reason for going there was their simply mouth-watering sisig! Not only was I seen in those places but also this is the first time I started getting close once again with my old friends, bringing back the days of vomiting in my sleep as well. One may call me a fair-weather friend but really, I didn’t spend much time with them during the days when Jenalyn was still my girlfriend. I’m sure they would have understood. This is the stage after breaking up wherein one would think alcohol was the only thing that would console them; thus, large alcohol in-take is nothing out of the ordinary.
The past stage was more of a preparatory stage than anything for this next step, drunk calling the ex because of excessive in-take of alcohol. In this step, everything spontaneous on the border of scary should be done. I really don’t get why many people look at this stage as if there is no use for it. Is having a friendly chat, as friends, with the ex wrong? Well, yes, begging her to take me back on my knees was a little awkward as well as actually stalking her outside her window or even threatening her with suicide might have done nothing besides that, I see it more as coming to terms with each other. What many may consider this step as downright stupid, I call it essential in the healing process.
This next step, for me, is optional but nevertheless, a step. This is the time wherein one must experience regret. After all the drunk-calls and sleepless nights, regret may come into the picture for some but when asked, I would prefer to be optimistic and leave no room for regret because I believe that regret equals to a persons downfall. In this stage, they might go back to drinking after pouring out an excess of tears which would leave emotions running even lower.
After much persuasion from friends as well as having one or two drinks, this next stage comes to light as if suddenly a flame in me was lit. Although I had not been able to practice my dating game for such a long time, that night, I was a monster. I remember I nearly hooked up with this sweet thing during one of our usual disco outings. I just got into the dance floor ready to show off my new moves, when I noticed her staring at me which led me to wink back in my most seductive manner. Obviously after that, I had to do something about it so I made my way towards her. Good thing I was in my hottest and sharpest outfit: button- down long sleeves and the forever hypnotizing flared pants. Being as smooth as I usually am, I went right beside her and whispered softly in her ear, “Congratulations, you have just won a dance with me.” First thing I noticed was that she gave off a shiver and was a little reluctant as I grabbed her hand and led her out to the disco floor but I’m sure she was just shy. Also, I told her reassuringly that she did not need to worry about it getting cold and to stop shivering because it was about to get very hot in here, very hot. I owned the dance floor with just half of my signature moves; the running man topping it off. Then, she started getting feisty, trying to get away from my grasp, to my liking. I told her that she was the type of girl I liked, soft on the outside, fierce and wild on the inside. Maybe some girls just can’t handle my wild side because she just started going psycho on me. She slapped me and ran off saying I was some kind of weirdo-rapist but I wouldn’t let that bring me down so I ended up dancing the night away. Besides, she wasn’t all that and a bag of chips. I don’t know why I even noticed her. I wonder if she’ll ever call me though. With all of that, I stand by the fact that trying to get back into the game is an essential step towards one’s recovery.
Then one night, while I was staring out of my window and looking at the night sky, not as what everyone may say, my next-door neighbor, Amanda’s room on the top right of her house, nor was I staring at her while she did her routine yoga meditation in her underwear (Victoria Secret Summer Attire 2003). Anyway, going back to the topic, I was looking out of my window when something very beautiful landed on my windowsill, a golden ladybug. Then, out of nowhere, it started talking to me! She said her name was Maricar and that she was sent by my fairy-guardian. She taught me that the only way to achieve happiness would be to patch things up with my ex. This is the step after breaking up that would be the turning point towards happiness, getting the insight.
Totally believing in Maricar as if it was the word from God, I dropped everything I was doing, in other words, nothing, and rode my bicycle towards her house. When I got there, I realized that I didn’t bring anything as a peace offering. Good thing I saw an orchid right outside her house! After I picked up the orchid, I rand the doorbell and waited. Jenalyn answering the door right away caught me off-guard. I didn’t even plan what to say! I knew it was all in my heart though. After telling her all I wanted to say as well as her realizing that the orchid I gave was actually hers, we became friends. This is the key ingredient towards getting over a break-up, making friends with the ex.
I realize that the turning point of my life was when I made friends wither so I believe I am forever grateful to that little golden ladybug for helping me out. Never having felt more free and happy before that encounter, I can say that everyone has to go through these seven steps to get over a break-up effectively. One must mope, get drunk, drunk-call, regret getting drunk, go back into the dating game, getting insights, and making friends with the ex to get over a break-up. When I look back at that part of my life now, I realize how foolish I was to ever go out with Jenalyn. I mean, it’s not all about having the perfect smile, the perfect laugh or the perfect touch nor is it about being able to make me laugh or knowing all my secrets. Wait a minute, isn’t it?
by Francisco Salazar
The summer of 2003 was one of the most horrible and unforgettable experiences in my life. I had just come out of a five-month relationship which during that time was very much like getting married. Jenalyn and I were in a whirlwind romance. It seemed as if nothing in the entire universe could shake us from our state of love nirvana. Then, the day came that changed my life forever. I had just come home from a usual Monday soccer practice and was walking up the steps to my front door when I saw her waiting outside it. I was very much pleased and happy that she had come to surprise me on the day of our fifth monthsary (monthly anniversary) since I had planned to surprise her as well. Because I was in such a high, I didn’t even bother noticing the somber look on her face or the black Mercedes-Benz parked right beside the curbside. Instinctively, I ran up to her and gave her my usual tight hug and soft kiss. We were exchanging pleasantries when out of nowhere and in the coldest voice I have ever heard, she told me that she had found a much more handsome, rich and mature man. At first, my mind wasn’t registering a word she said but after a few seconds or maybe even hours after, I felt the words stab me right through the heart. It felt like I was having an asthma attack which was odd because I am a professional soccer player and had never experienced having an asthma attack my whole life. I couldn’t breathe and my legs felt as if they were made of jelly and were slowly giving way. Next thing I knew, I was being fanned and revived by a hunk of a man, who was that man whom my ex was talking about and who presumably came from the black Mercedes-Benz and it hit me like a rock, I had lost everything. I, Juanito Larry Machingco, thirty-three years of age, had my heart broken for the very first time; thus, making me write this essay to show the readers the seven right steps to follow so anyone could deal with breaking up after a long relationship.
After the big break up, my heart was left in pieces, hardly able to go through the day because of believing that no one else would ever love me. I was hardly seen outside the house because of locking myself in the room with nothing else but buffalo wings, tissues and of course, the most awesome band to have ever lived, the Spice Girls, to console my soul. This is the stage after breaking up wherein the weak falter and break down, the tears flow endlessly and the thought of suicide rears its ugly head, leaving the person’s emotional tank empty and ready for recovery. I, of course, was strong during this stage, without even shedding one droplet of tear or having anything close to a suicidal thought. To those who visited me during this time, I really just had something in my eye and those cuts on my wrists came from tripping in my steps. This is how the first stage, weeping and moping, should go about. It may not be the nicest stage, but it definitely is necessary.
The following days after the first stage are the start of phase two, the drinking part. Here, the main goal is to consume as much alcohol as possible no matter what consequences. I was usually seen in the hippest clubs like Pegasus. Of course, the main reason for going there was their simply mouth-watering sisig! Not only was I seen in those places but also this is the first time I started getting close once again with my old friends, bringing back the days of vomiting in my sleep as well. One may call me a fair-weather friend but really, I didn’t spend much time with them during the days when Jenalyn was still my girlfriend. I’m sure they would have understood. This is the stage after breaking up wherein one would think alcohol was the only thing that would console them; thus, large alcohol in-take is nothing out of the ordinary.
The past stage was more of a preparatory stage than anything for this next step, drunk calling the ex because of excessive in-take of alcohol. In this step, everything spontaneous on the border of scary should be done. I really don’t get why many people look at this stage as if there is no use for it. Is having a friendly chat, as friends, with the ex wrong? Well, yes, begging her to take me back on my knees was a little awkward as well as actually stalking her outside her window or even threatening her with suicide might have done nothing besides that, I see it more as coming to terms with each other. What many may consider this step as downright stupid, I call it essential in the healing process.
This next step, for me, is optional but nevertheless, a step. This is the time wherein one must experience regret. After all the drunk-calls and sleepless nights, regret may come into the picture for some but when asked, I would prefer to be optimistic and leave no room for regret because I believe that regret equals to a persons downfall. In this stage, they might go back to drinking after pouring out an excess of tears which would leave emotions running even lower.
After much persuasion from friends as well as having one or two drinks, this next stage comes to light as if suddenly a flame in me was lit. Although I had not been able to practice my dating game for such a long time, that night, I was a monster. I remember I nearly hooked up with this sweet thing during one of our usual disco outings. I just got into the dance floor ready to show off my new moves, when I noticed her staring at me which led me to wink back in my most seductive manner. Obviously after that, I had to do something about it so I made my way towards her. Good thing I was in my hottest and sharpest outfit: button- down long sleeves and the forever hypnotizing flared pants. Being as smooth as I usually am, I went right beside her and whispered softly in her ear, “Congratulations, you have just won a dance with me.” First thing I noticed was that she gave off a shiver and was a little reluctant as I grabbed her hand and led her out to the disco floor but I’m sure she was just shy. Also, I told her reassuringly that she did not need to worry about it getting cold and to stop shivering because it was about to get very hot in here, very hot. I owned the dance floor with just half of my signature moves; the running man topping it off. Then, she started getting feisty, trying to get away from my grasp, to my liking. I told her that she was the type of girl I liked, soft on the outside, fierce and wild on the inside. Maybe some girls just can’t handle my wild side because she just started going psycho on me. She slapped me and ran off saying I was some kind of weirdo-rapist but I wouldn’t let that bring me down so I ended up dancing the night away. Besides, she wasn’t all that and a bag of chips. I don’t know why I even noticed her. I wonder if she’ll ever call me though. With all of that, I stand by the fact that trying to get back into the game is an essential step towards one’s recovery.
Then one night, while I was staring out of my window and looking at the night sky, not as what everyone may say, my next-door neighbor, Amanda’s room on the top right of her house, nor was I staring at her while she did her routine yoga meditation in her underwear (Victoria Secret Summer Attire 2003). Anyway, going back to the topic, I was looking out of my window when something very beautiful landed on my windowsill, a golden ladybug. Then, out of nowhere, it started talking to me! She said her name was Maricar and that she was sent by my fairy-guardian. She taught me that the only way to achieve happiness would be to patch things up with my ex. This is the step after breaking up that would be the turning point towards happiness, getting the insight.
Totally believing in Maricar as if it was the word from God, I dropped everything I was doing, in other words, nothing, and rode my bicycle towards her house. When I got there, I realized that I didn’t bring anything as a peace offering. Good thing I saw an orchid right outside her house! After I picked up the orchid, I rand the doorbell and waited. Jenalyn answering the door right away caught me off-guard. I didn’t even plan what to say! I knew it was all in my heart though. After telling her all I wanted to say as well as her realizing that the orchid I gave was actually hers, we became friends. This is the key ingredient towards getting over a break-up, making friends with the ex.
I realize that the turning point of my life was when I made friends wither so I believe I am forever grateful to that little golden ladybug for helping me out. Never having felt more free and happy before that encounter, I can say that everyone has to go through these seven steps to get over a break-up effectively. One must mope, get drunk, drunk-call, regret getting drunk, go back into the dating game, getting insights, and making friends with the ex to get over a break-up. When I look back at that part of my life now, I realize how foolish I was to ever go out with Jenalyn. I mean, it’s not all about having the perfect smile, the perfect laugh or the perfect touch nor is it about being able to make me laugh or knowing all my secrets. Wait a minute, isn’t it?