MY LONGEST LOVE STORY EVER.

girl, did it ever occur to you that maybe you're not with anyone cause no one deserves you yet? you are an amazing, gorgeous, funny, SMART woman, and you should be with someone who deserves you. who deserves every inch. (well, we cant help those moments when we give em every inch just cuz we're horny!) but you know what im talkin about right. thats what she said. -Gia

 

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People have told me... time and time again... that you can NEVER find love at the club. (And yes, I can still hear Nick's loving but firm reproach ringing in my ears...)

Let me tell you all now that that. is. bullsh*t.

Seriously.

And whoever tells you (though well-meaning as they may be) that the aforementioned "theory" were actually true... then...

Perhaps they've just been going to the wrong clubs.

Like me.

 

I think I seriously just went to the wrong clubs.

 

But we’ll get to that in a bit.

Now I was supposed to write about why I believe you CAN find love at a club because obviously (at least, I hope I've made it pretty obvious), that I am in love. And yes... that I found love.

At a club. (Ok ok, it wasn’t really a club more like bar-turned-club but same diff, right?)

And all of the world's cliches about love coming when you're not looking for it or finding it serendipitously when you least expect it and everything that ever held that same premise...

Holds true.

 

Fo’ sho’. (Can I get an Amen from my lady friends who found their loves whilst dancing like a happy little love bunny whilst holding a redbull and vodka up in their hand?)

 

I guess it really is just one of those things we all have trouble accepting because... well... we're human.

And we get lonely.

The same way I did. The same way I made every guy who gave me a morsel of affection "the one". The same way I went home alone every night because I knew that I was selling myself short and I couldn't bear to have any evidence of that reminder waking up beside me... and I'd have to talk to it and make it coffee and have that awkward instance of having to kiss or wave this shortcoming of a reality up out my door while my daughter sat on and watched.

Gross.

(I know Mr. Toledo is going to read this but I have to explain where and at exactly which point I was in my life to further strengthen my love-finding-at-the-club testament.)

So...

After four months, an X no. of "he-just-wasn't-it" and "oh-god-he-has-a-girlfriend" misses than hits, and a sickly, burned out, slowly chubbifying little body... I finally decided that before my 26th birthday, I would rid myself of the notion that singlehood was a disease... and that "quality" should really be more important than "celerity".

 

But then again, maybe… in the beginning, at least, I was just sour-graping after seeing my beloved ex enduring with the same girl who he got with and flaunted just two weeks after our break-up (and no, I am not ashamed to self-deprecate since I now find this almost tragically funny and yes, yes, you all told me so and that’s what I get yadayadayada but he and I are the coolest ex-couple baby parents ever so I’m not complaining...)

 

And besides…

I found love 3 days before my birthday…

 

And it was like one of those real love type loves, ya know? *blush*

Only... I didn't know it then. (I actually dated another guy on my actual birthday who was bad for me from the start but the messiah complex in me thought I could “save” him…)

 

What was that saying…???

 

“While waiting for the right one, have fun with the wrong ones?”

 

Yeah.

 

So when I finally found him… I was too drunk to notice. And for the first time... I was too drunk to care. Because you don't look for love on a Tuesday (as I had this twisted belief for being single and desperate for so long that love could only be found on either a Monday, Friday, or a Saturday). At a club… … … and because apparently (from what my lovely sister Mika reminded me of the day after)... all I cared about that night (after downing some 4 vodka-7s and 4 vodka-bulls and a blowjob… *licks lips*) was throwing ridiculous 90s music requests at this poor, hapless, unassuming DJ and harassing him while he played then later, taking his lovely fedora (which I personally didn't even really like) and wanting to keep it for myself.

God I think he and I must've gotten into a 30-minute debate as to why I should get to keep his hat. And I got him to get my number, too.

 

Yes.

 

I got HIM to get MY number.

*smacks forehead*

But then again... I didn't care. I didn't care that I didn't get his hat. And I didn't care that my sister kept apologizing for my behavior.

I was drunk. And I always forget things when I'm drunk.

 

But he was polite. I remember that much. And he let me down gently and politely declined my drunken aggression which I yielded on his fedora.

 

I DON’T EVEN LIKE HATS. Sheesh.

 

 

***God I can already feel this is going to be a long story, hahahahaha!!!

 

But I wanna gush. Shit. I waited this long. Ranted this much.

 

I deserve to gush.

 

Any. How.

 

So you see… it really was one of those random things that you look back on and go, “Oh man, I should’ve paid more attention then I might’ve been smoother whilst being in the presence of ‘the One’” or look back and think how something so trivial and forgetful pave the way to something so much more than you could ever hope for.

 

*cue background music for sudden epiphany*

 

That sounded so lame.

 

And I just made all of that sound really grandiose and over-romantic.

 

Well… it is. Now. In retrospect.

 

There really wasn’t anything eye-opening about it. It was almost like I’d become too jaded to believe that Love comes in a shiny box and when you open it, a blinding ray of sunlight and rainbows come flying out.

 

We just happened.

 

Like…

 

He texted me the next day. We texted. Really random things. But mostly a lot of 90s jams he and I should listen to whilst nursing a hangover. Saadiq, D’angelo, SWV even.

 

*cue Anything by SWV feat. Wu Tang Clan* (I firmly believe this was the song that made him fall in love with me but we won’t get into that.)

 

And that was it.

 

He never even asked me out on a date.

 

Though I never paid that any real mind. I just figured he wasn’t that into me to bother.

*shrugs*

 

I dismissed the thought of even attempting to flirt with him or throw game or anything else I would normally do when I liked a guy. Though… I’m not even sure I actually liked him at all. He wasn’t my type. (Sorry babe… you weren’t.) He just had a wicked ass playlist loaded with 90s goodness.

 

And that was it.

 

That was really it.

 

A couple of weeks passed. I still went out. Did my “dating” thing.

 

Then… a good friend passed away. And there was this guy…

 

*dandandaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaan!*

 

I guess misery really does love company. And I needed the attention. And maybe I was just sick of waiting… and I was afraid if I didn’t take a chance, it would never come again.

 

So this guy… who showered me with attention and affection and spoiled me and told me I was beautiful and catered to my every whim… when he wasn’t out breaking his curfew, that is (as he was 7 years my junior)… I opened myself up to him and became his girlfriend.

 

It seemed like a good idea at the time.

 

And looking back…

 

It kinda sorta was…

 

Because this gave me a justifiable, reasonable, un-slutty reason to email my newfound text buddy/semi-friend… this elusive, unassuming DJ who I only met twice (the second time, I was just as drunk and he was with a girl). I asked him, without formality or modesty… to make me a CD of my favorite 90s jams so I can educate my young-un boyfriend.

 

And the letter went something like this:

 

From: michelle kay callanta <michelle_kay_callanta@yahoo.com.ph>
To: switchtrik@yahoo.com
Sent: Wednesday, September 23, 2009 5:37:46 PM
Subject: MICHELLE'S 90S PLAYLIST

These were just some of my favorites but let me know if I forgot any pivotal 90s jams. =)


Groove Theory - Tell Me
Mary J. and Method Man - All I need
SWV and Wu Tang - Anything
Lucy Pearl - Dance Tonight
Musiq Soulchild - Love
Brownstone - Cant tell you why
Changing Faces - Stroke you up
TLC - Something you wanna know
D'angelo - You're my Lady
En Vogue - Givin' him something he can feel
Shai - Baby I'm Yours
Maxwell - This Woman's Work
Tribe Called Quest - 1nce Again
New Edition - I'm Still In Love with You
Total - Kissing you oh honey remix
Something For the People - My Love is the Shhhh
Mya feat. Blackstreet - Take Me There
Aaliyah - Back and Forth
Mary J Blige - Sweet thing
Quincy Jones (feat. Babyface and Tamia) - Slow Jams
Monica - Why I love you so much
Brandy - I wanna be down
Jodeci - Freek n You
Busta Rhymes - Woo Hah (I got you all in check)
Fugees - Fu Gee La
Lost Boyz - Renee



Thanks,

Michelle N. Callanta
LIFESTYLE EDITOR

 

(Not even a hi or hello there, hahahaha!)

 

I thought it would make a great gift.

 

And he obliged.

 

And we began to email each other.

 

And the emails just got longer…

 

And longer…

 

And longer…

 

And more personal…

 

And more intimate…

 

Until each response became an integral part of our day. And he was so diligent in responding to my every thought as we religiously (and almost competitively), enclosed youtube videos of nothing but throwback 90s hip-hop and Rnb classics.

 

And so finally, when I was asked to stay in and guard the office along with our art director during Typhoon Pepeng (the one after Typhoon Ondoy), I decided to throw a little relief party. (Oh God I hope my boss doesn’t find out about this, hahahaha!)

 

The unlikeliest of suspects?

 

Our art director Chad, my bff and fellow love-finding-at-the-club patron Beverly, and… who’d have thought? Him. He who offered to bring me relief goods in the form of alcohol and pizza all the way from Makati. It was only then (out of my embarrassment), I decided to finally call this guy.

 

My text buddy who became my email buddy.

 

Just typing that weirded me out. Sheesh.

 

And when he came by… I LOOKED HELLUH WHACK. I met him in my jogging shorts, black wifebeater, and maroon University of the Philippines hoodie AND NO MAKE-UP. I was totally not expecting anything from this guy except a kick-ass friendship… and my 90s CD.

 

But then… I got drunk. --------------------->

 

And God, WE ALL KNOW WHAT HAPPENS WHEN I’M DRUNK. (Uhm, no I didn’t f*ck him right then and there.)

 

I became UN-FINESSEively flirty. (For want of a better term... and looking like that!!!)

 

My friends shook their heads in disapproval. I was being a jerk. I knew it. But a cute one, nonetheless. I guess… I wanted to have some fun. I guess… I wanted to prove that this unassuming, nonchalant, kind and generous stranger LIKED me.

 

Because it’s fun to know these things. And because ego-boosts and winning and being utterly desirable and irresistible is… fun. =)

 

So he and I decided to take the 3-minute walk to Mister Kabab (and if y’all know and like Mister Kabab, can I get an AMEN?!)… in the middle of a typhoon WHILST holding his hand.

 

…..

 

And when we reached the desolate, rain-soaked streets illuminated by a row of warm streetlamps… there, beside the gold-colored bars that decorated the sidewalk and underneath an umbrella… I asked if I could kiss him.

 

….

….

….

 

We’ve been inseparable ever since.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

***My boyfriend and I broke up a week after that. (Perhaps in the end, I needed someone who loved the 90s… not someone born in the 90s… *shrugs*)