Happy Valentine's Day

It happened many many Valentine's day ago when I was 18, and feeling lonesome on Valentine's Day. Having broken up with my bf of 2 years, I had no one to spend the day with, so I took a solitary walk at East Coast, bringing my sketchbook with me, thinking I could do some sketching to take my mind off my broken heart.


When I got there, the sky was already dark with the sun sending out the last few weak strokes of daylight across the horizon. There isn't much to see. I sat down and stared for several long minutes out at the vast open sea, my thoughts jumbled and confused.


A sudden idea came to me and I opened up my sketchbook. Drawing a deep breath, I began composing a letter to myself.


Dear P.L (my initials),There is no use pondering on what had gone wrong. Perhaps the two of you were never meant to be. Put your sweet memories down in this paper and keep them where it is, and let the waves wash away the bad ones.. I went on to write down all the good times we had with each other, and wrote down all the bad memories I had of him on a separate paper. Tearing off my sheet with all the sweet memories, I began to look around for a bottle.


Locating an empty coke glass bottle (those that are hard to find these days), I rolled up my letter of sweet memories and push it into the bottle. It took me ages to find a cork on the beach to seal it with. Next I took a stroll on the beach to find a good hiding place for my memories, and finally choose to bury my bottle under a rock, which some smart guy had manage to carve his love for another girl on. 


Remy Loves Gina

it says and he enclosed it with a heart.


'Very well, Remy and Gina, you shall both be the keeper of my secrets'


I muttered as I dug a hole 3 feet deep to place my bottle in. To complete my ritual of letting go, I tore off my letter of bad memories and walked towards the sea. I watched the piece of paper drifted away on the tide, further and further, until it can no longer be seen. I left feeling very much better.


I totally forgot about my bottle of memories until about 3 years later when I went to east coast again, which happens to be on Valentines Day. I was dating someone casually then, and as I was walking by certain spot with him, a sense of déjà vu hit me and I stood there wondering why until I spotted the token of love carved onto the rock. Immediately I started digging away until I reached my bottle. It was dirty but still relatively dry inside. When I shook out my letter to show my then date, I was astounded to see a few pieces of paper fell out together with my letter.


There was first a serviette (MacDonalds) and rather yellow, as my letter was. Taking it up, I read the words off the crumpled serviette:

Dear P.L,What a wonderful idea! I don't have any sweet memories to put down, but I sure hope you felt better after sending away your bad memories. One day you will love again, and make some lucky guy very happy.Cheers T.S14/02/1998


I was stupefied. Someone saw me bury my memories that night! Picking up the other 2 pieces of paper, I went on to read them.


Dear P.L,I have fallen out of love. She left me for someone else, but I don't blame her. I will always...


I continue to read the memories of this stranger. They were very poignant, and even though he left no instructions for anyone not to read, I felt I was intruding on his privacy. The ink smudged a fair bit, which made it hard for me to read..


it is raining now (which explains the smudges), and I shall now sent away my bad memories of you and me to the sea, to be forgotten and drownedShattered T.S14/02/2000


That was one year ago. Too surprised to do anything, I stuffed the letters back in the bottle and reburied it. I refused to tell my date anything, and he shrugged it off like nothing happened.


Later that day, I secretly went down to the beach again and wrote a letter to T.S.


Dear T.S,

My, was I surprised to see your letters. Did you saw me that night so many years ago? Anyway I hope you are fine now and living happily. Love will find you someday, or maybe it already did.

Best Wishes, P.L14/02/2001


I contemplated signing off as Perina Lee for a moment and leaving my contact, but changed my mind as I kind of like the mystery. I buried the bottle hurriedly and contemplated waiting to see if T.S will show up with a letter this time. In the end I had to leave to meet my date for our romantic dinner, and again, I forgot all about this matter till the Valentine of 2002, about the same time I started seeing a guy call Trevor.


On the morning of Valentines day that year, I made my way to the beach early in the morning to the now familiar spot and started digging. This time I was surprised to find not only my bottle there, but another 2 other bottles, one Heineken and the other Tiger beer with letters stuffed in them as well. But first I retrieved my own bottle of memories, and honestly I'm not sure what I expected to find. A reply from the mysterious T.S perhaps? The bottle was quite full this time round, and it soon became clear why. I had 2 additional letters from the owners of the respective bottles who thanked me for my idea, and hope they don;t mind if I share my spot with them. Did T.S tell them about this place? Or did someone spot me again? I didn't know. I didn't really mind that fact that my letter might have been read a few times by total strangers this time. I looked at the other 2 bottles, and decided to respectfully leave them alone. Then I remembered T.S and look through the letters for his reply.He didn't disappoint me.


Dear P. L,

Thanks for your response. I have gotten over her, and I'm seeing someone new. You helped me let go of her and give me a measure of courage to start loving again. I hope you find happiness for yourself too.

Cheers T.S14/02/2002


I smiled and took up my writing pad after I removed all the letters except the one with his and my memories from the bottle.


Dear T.S,

So glad to hear that I've help in some way to help you move on. I just started seeing someone new too and it looks promising. Take care.. and I would really love to hear from you in the future

Best Regards, P.L14/02/2002

I sealed the bottle again.Time flew as my relationship with Trevor grew and blossom over the years. We were very much in love. On the Valentine of 2005, I made my way to my spot again in the afternoon, with the intention of writing another letter to T.S to tell him I found the love of my life, my then fiance Trevor. In additional to the original bottles, I found another 3 more, though there were no more letters addressed to me. Except one from T.S, marked last year:


Dear P.L,

I found the love of my life. I'm sure of it this time. After 2 years together, there has never quite been another woman like her. She is the only one I can picture spending the rest of my life with. I'm planning to marry her. Although I have never met you, I just want you to know that I found your letter of bad memories on the beach the same day you wrote it. Since you had the letter of sweet memories buried somewhere, I felt curious enough to find it, and I took a shot at Remy and Gina's rock. Without your letter of bad memories, I would have never found your bottle.Thank You P.L for your letters, and I will remember you and your letters forever. May you find your love soon.

Best Regards, T.S14/02/2004


In which I replied, not without a hint of sadness, because it sounds like he will not be writing to me again:

Dear T.S,

I don't know if you will ever read this, but if you do, I want to let you know I'm sincerely happy for you. I too have found the love of my life and I have agreed to marry him. There is no one quite like him, and I am convinced that this is the man I want to spend the rest of my life loving. How I wish you would be able to attend our wedding. Looks like I have my ex boyfriend to thank for our friendship. No matter what, I wish you all the best in your future, with the one you love.

Best Wishes,

P.L14/02/2005


With that, I buried my final letter to T.S and left Remy & Gina to watch over our memories.I got married to Trevor on Valentine's Day the following year and, and even during my wedding, my bottle of memories was on the corner of my mind. I felt rather then wish that T.S was there too during my ceremony, soaking in my happiness with me, and with the woman he love.

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Mrs. See, how long more do you plan to sleep? Trevor woke me up with a smile. Happy Valentines Day, Darling I answered with him with a kiss as I stretched myself. We had both taken the day off to spend the day together, for it is not only Valentines Day for us, it is also our 1st wedding anniversary. We went for a relaxing stroll by the beach after lunch, but out of the blue Trevor got all mysterious and told me he is going to bring me to somewhere special.


Leading me by the hand he lead me down a path that was strangely familiar. It hit me seconds later he was bringing me straight to Remy & Gina's rock. My heart started pounding, and I thought, it couldn't be, it couldn't be. I corresponded with a girl a few years ago through an old coke bottle buried under this rock. He started saying.


I stared at him speechless. She gave me support when I was down, and vice versa. Kinda silly right, writing to a girl I have never met. By the way, you have the same initials as her. P.L? Yeah. I never know what it stands for anyway, and I never did tell her mine either, I just indicate my name as T.S, for Trevor See. The last time I came here was the morning of Valentines Day 2004, and I left her a letter to tell her I found the love of my life. Though I didnt intend to write anymore to her, I suddenly felt compelled to tell her that I'm happily married now. Hopefully she has found her happiness too 


She has. I replied shakily.Huh? How did you know? My husband stared at me stupefied.I bent down and started digging. My husband, looking extremely suspicious, starting digging as well till we both unearth our coke bottle.


With trembling hands he remove the contents of the bottle and sift through them till he came to my last letter to him.We stood there for a long time just hugging each other and marveled at the workings of fate.


In a fit of childish fun, my husband decided to leave our mark on the rock too, by carving our names together and enclosing it with a heart like Remy & Gina's.


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In the distance an elderly couple stood looking at the couple hugging in front of their rock, and smile contently to each other.


Told you that rock is magic, Gina

I know, Remy.



Happy Valentines Day, Darling.