who+am+i+chandni

I hadn’t seen him in two years, one month, and four days, (not like I was counting though) and there he was at my front door. My mind raced with flashbacks of our past together and all the memories we shared, good and bad. A marathon of questions ran through my head. Why is he here? How did he find my new place? Is this good or bad? How should I react? He looked me up and down and let out a chuckle, “You look beautiful, Chandni.” My chubby cheeks blushed; I was so embarrassed because I knew I looked a site. My long, black hair was up in a messy bun, and the fact that I had boy sweat pants and a beater on couldn’t have been a good impression after all this time. “Hey Gio, come in,” my normally loud and boisterous voice seemed to crack and trail off as Giovanni entered my third floor, Philadelphia, apartment. “Can I get you something to drink?” I didn’t even bother to listen to his response, I already knew what he wanted to drink, Orange Iced tea, it had always been that. I couldn’t help but wonder what my high school sweetheart was doing in my living room. If it weren’t for me going to college and him not wanting to go to college, we would probably still be together today, but we’re not. It’s been more than two years, what does he want now? Even with all these questions zip zapping through my mind, I couldn’t seem to get a single one out. I wanted to ask Giovannni, or Gio for short, why he came to my home and what he wanted, but instead “How have you been?” came out. “I’ve ok for the most part, I guess.” Gio let out a sigh. He told me about the classes he took at the local college in our home town so that he could eventually join me at Temple University. He also told me how he got his Barber license and his steady job at the best barber shop in our home town, and how he got a job offer from the barber shop up the block from my apartment. “I got my acceptance letter in the mail a few days ago, and I wanted you to open it for me, that way if I got in I could see your face, and if I didn’t, well, atleast you would know I tried.” I was proud, for the simple fact that he was trying. He knew that I felt we couldn’t keep a relationship while I was away for college and he wasn’t furthering himself to the best of his potential after high school. Also, he knew that I wouldn’t want a future with someone who hasn’t gone to college. I got the feeling he wanted to give “US” another try, but I was too shy to say anything about it. We opened his acceptance letter together, I jumped up and down screaming before I even told him he got in, but I guess he could tell. I told him we should go out to dinner to celebrate. He agreed. He told me he was staying at his dad’s house in the northern section of the city, and he would be back around my place at 7:30 to pick me up. I told him I preferred we just meet at the restaurant. We picked a little Italian spot near my place and I called in for reservations after he left. I knew the place was formal, so I don’t know why I agreed. I’d have to dress up and so would he and I worried that that would make things awkward, almost like a date, like old times. I put on a dark blue dress with a silver design, some silver heals to match, straightened out my hair and put on some mascara. We met up about 7:30 as planned right outside the spot, and somehow he had on a button up the same exact blue as my dress. It looked good on him though, and so did the black dress pants he had on. I looked at him a realized he was just as handsome as I remembered him from high school. Gorgeous smile, captivating eyes, and same athletic physique he kept without even trying. “Peaking in my bedroom window trying to match me I see,” Gio had always joked around like that when ever we matched unexpectedly. As we entered the restaurant Gio opened the door for me and I blushed. I felt like we were on a first date, and I could tell he did too the way he stuttered when he spoke to the waiter. After a few minutes we warmed back up to eachother. We laughed and reminisced all through dinner. I couldn’t remember the last time I had laughed like that. Actually I could, it was our End of Summer Barbeque; we had known we were going our separate ways, but still we carried on like tomorrow was going to be the same. I had forgotten all the questions racing through my mind. I was just too caught up in him, just like before. After dinner, we decided to go for a walk in the park next door. The fall sky was so clear that night. We continued to talk throughout our walk, but this conversation was a little more serious. He told me about how hard it was for him after we had split, how much he missed me and that he had worked so hard to get into Temple University with me. We both hadn’t been with anyone since the other; we had just focused on school and for him work, too. I honestly believe that we couldn’t be with anyone else, we had been so close, more than just boyfriend-girlfriend. We were eachother’s best friend, and the impact we had on eachother doesn’t happen with everyone. I glanced at my watch, and it was almost 11:00pm. I knew we were going to have to go to our own homes soon. “Do you want to go back to my place? And we can check out your schedule online see if we have anything in common.” I don’t know where that came from, but I didn’t want him to leave. He agreed and we took his car back to my apartment, since I lived so close to where we were going I walked. We checked his schedule and noticed we had some free time at the same time in the after noon, a Freestyle writing class together, and also Hindi language every other night. “GIO! What are you taking Hindi for? I’m Indian not you!” I teased him, even though I could already guess the answer. “Well, I thought it would be nice if next time I see your dad, I can talk to him in his own language. Impress him a little.” Gio went on to remind me how when we were younger he would always try to pick it up while hearing me speak with my family and Indian friends. It was definitely funny listening to him try, but it was sweet at the same time, because he knew how my parents were, they were very deeply rooted in our Indian culture, and in some aspects I was too. Around 12:30 we were still at my apartment we had started the movie PS: I Love You about an hour earlier. We had always planned on seeing it when it came out our junior year in high school, but we never did. His dad called and asked where he was, when he told him, his dad insisted on speaking to me. We hadn’t spoken since Gio and I split, he was such a nice and funny guy, just like his son. He insisted on me coming over sometime, I told him I definitely would sometime. I paused the movie, and told him we would finish it another time. He grabbed his jacket from the closet and put his shoes on. I walked him to the door. He told me he had a really fun time, and he really hopes that maybe in time we could build back up toe the relationship we once had. I had to admit to him I had been waiting all night for him to say something like that, and I felt the same way. We hugged and before letting go he said, “I love you, Chandni. I always have and always will, no other. That’s never going to change. I really missed you.” I could hear the sincerity in his voice. “I’ve really missed you a lot too, Gio.” I got all watery eyed, but still managed to get and I love you out. He kissed my forehead and let go. I smiled as he walked away and I could see him smiling too as he turned the corner to the elevator. That night had been an unexpected, dreams come true. I don’t know if I really believed before that night that I’d ever see him again. Either way, I was glad that I got the chance to. I’m still not sure how he found me again after so long, but I’m so happy that he did. Giovannin was back in my life and I couldn’t feel better.