“My First Date Experience”

July 11, 2021

Sunday

It’s Sunday! And today I didn’t have many special things done. But as I want to be productive, I looked for some inspirations online, some random questions to get some ideas for today’s article. And luckily for almost a day of looking, I saw this, “Your First Date”.

I smiled as I suddenly remember my very first date with my boyfriend who’s my husband today. So as I gained some inspiration, let me share with you the first date that we had.

I never have a boyfriend until I'm nineteen years old, until I gave my sweetest “yes” on February 27, 2015, to this guy whom I met at my workplace. He was our trainee, and I am a pro-B at that time. At first, our co-workers only tease us with one another, since I am single and considered as NBSB or No Boyfriend Since Birth, they're always teasing me to someone single too.

It was a long story so, fast forward, he confessed his feelings towards me and he courted me for almost two months and actually, there were two of them who asked for my hand but I chose this guy because he for me was too honest and sweet.

I am kinda choosy when it comes to choosing whom to be with especially with guys. As I shared here that I once had a heart of stone, I am bitter and I have never been into relationships. But luckily, I met the guy who taught me how to love and feel to be loved.

At first, it was awkward since I don’t have any experience of having a “real” boyfriend. And every time we're together feels like it's always the first time. We always talk; share our stories from our childhood until recent happenings in our lives. And I love how straightforward he is. He never hesitates to tell me everything about him and his family, and that’s why I liked him.

My boyfriend is not rich, and I'm not into material things I'm not expecting anything too, but he’s a romantic kind of guy in his “own” way. He’s my first boyfriend and I have no idea what’s a perfect date is.

A date on a fine dining restaurant, with flowers, and a candlelight table, with musicians playing orchestras or love songs on the background...

That's what I always saw in movies, that was a perfect date for me. But mine was so different, we never had that kind of date but still, ours was incomparable.

I’m living a few rides from him and he will message me to go to their place so we could talk for the rest afternoon since he can’t go to the boarding house I’m living at.

And I remember my first step in his place, making it the first date we had as an official “in a relationship”.

It was a hot afternoon at that time, he was off duty and so am I. He texted me to meet him at their place, so I could meet his childhood friends whom he considered as his real brothers. Since we're both free, I accepted his invitation. I was riding in a jeepney and my heart was beating too fast, it was my first time going to an unfamiliar place, and knowing it was the place of my boyfriend makes me tremble.

As I reached the destination, I saw him from afar waiting for me on a waiting shed with a guy who seems so close to him. He was smiling as he saw me stepped down the jeepney.

He introduced the guy who’s with him and it was his friend. His friend was friendly and befriended me too. I was so nervous but after I got there the awkward feeling vanished.

As we walked through the street, I saw people looking towards us, some are teasing him.

“That’s new again!”

“Wow, Idol!”

Do you know that? Those are common phrases or teases I heard from my classmates too whenever they saw their friend with a new girl.

He laughed at them and told me not to mind them.

As we reached a basketball court, one girl in her teenage came near to us.

“Who’s that? She looks so famous!”

I was blushing that time and I almost scratched my head. I am not pretty but their reactions made me blush. :D

By the way, famous was the on-trend millennial term at that time. I don’t know what it means, I only read about it on Facebook before.

As we enter a small hallway, I heard a strange but familiar sound, and as we entered a gate made of bamboo fence, I now saw where the sound came from. It’s from a tattoo machine. I saw a guy doing some tattoo on another guy. He stops and smiled at us.

“So, she is (states my name), welcome to our house, a mini tattoo shop at day.” He smiled.

“He’s my best friend.” My boyfriend told me.

His best friend is a tattoo artist and my boyfriend also got a tattoo on his left chest and at the back. And all was done by his best friend.

I am not against people with tattoos, and I find them cool. And honestly, it was my first being with tattooed men.

All of his friends got their bodies inked. I don't know but I am very comfortable with them. They're all natural and you can see how genuine their friendship is.

And after that, a lady arrived at the place; it was his best friend’s girlfriend. We had small talks and get to know each other.

It was almost 6 pm and he offered me to have dinner.

“Let's have a date but I can offer you a very simple dinner for now.” he jokingly said.

We looked for some barbeque stalls so we could buy our viand at that time, but there were none. The market is only a few steps away from them so we headed there.

Then we saw an old woman selling some cooked adobong pusit (squid adobo) and rice.

Perfect timing, we were both hungry so we ordered a meal for two and he asked me if should we take out the meal.

I said we can have it there if the old lady gives her approval.

“I don’t have any tables here, or chairs, was that okay for you two?” The old lady asked.

“Yes, it’s fine ‘nay, we’ll just stand then, I am currently hungry”. I smiled.

“You’re so lucky to get a girl like her; she’s not “maarte”. The old woman giggled.

We had some small conversation with the old woman while we’re taking our dinner. It was full of laughter as the old woman shared her old tales with us too.

It was my first time, to eat in that manner, I had been to cafeterias, or carenderias but it was my first time eating while standing in the heart of the market and it was fun and so memorable for me.

Though the place was not perfect for a date, still, my heart was filled with love and happiness at that moment.

We went back to their street and we took a rest on a vacant cemented portion near the road. We sat close to one another and he's holding my hands. We were like thay the whole time. We were busy talking, about life, about our past experiences, about anything while busy staring at different cars and people that passed by.

We didn’t notice the time, as the night goes deeper, the stars above us scattered and shining. We talked about the stars, and I was amazed to know that we have a lot of similarities. He loves to gaze with the stars too, and at that moment a falling star showed.

We both made a wish, and until now, I don't know what was his wish at that time. I never dared to ask him too, maybe it's better to keep it as a secret.

We were like crazy couples that night seating beside the road in the middle of the night and kept pointing to the stars and looked for constellations, and wait for another shooting star to show.

As the night became darker and darker, he just won’t let me go. He lay down on my legs and we gazed to the shining stars above. It was indeed a lovely sight to look at.

“If only we could spend more time together. Let’s just wait here ‘till morning comes.” He jokingly suggested.

I felt butterflies in my stomach that night, it was my first time doing those things and I’m not used to hearing such words from a guy.

“We can’t, you have to rest and me too. It’s now late I need to go before our boarding house’s curfew.”

I honestly, want to stay and spend more time with him at that moment, I want to listen more to his voice, his stories, and share mine too. But we just can’t so I asked permission to go home.

He accompanied me to the waiting shed where he met me this afternoon until I took a jeepney on my way back to the boarding house.

As I took a seat, I opened my phone and saw a message from him. He is very caring and thoughtful as always.

It was a long day, and to be honest I can’t sleep well that night. I recognized it was our first date being a couple. It was not perfect, it was so different from the other dates other couples had. But overall, I was so pleased that day, it was not about the luxury for me, it was about the moment.

For me, we just had an intimate hour of our lives that night. I knew him even more and made me loved him until today.

The shooting stars that night made it so special or maybe it was so special because it was my first time too, but then it was an extraordinary part of our love journey that I'll forever cherish. By God's Grace, we’re blessed to be together for six years now. We’re happily married and have our two lovely boys.

Even years had passed, it’s always good to look back especially on those moments of our “first”. And I now agree that the “first” ones will be always memorable.

Or maybe it wasn't the moment, but the person who was with me at that time who made it even more special and wonderful.

Dear readers and friends: I'll be pleased if you'll share your first date stories too. ☺️

Written by: @eommaZel ✍🏻🥀