Pieces of the Puzzle

The same international school. Second grade. A week before Valentine’s Day, we were instructed to make cardboard mail boxes and leave it in the back of the classroom. During the week, everyone prepared Valentine cards and posted them to people we loved in our class. We were to open the boxes only on Feb 14th.

I drew four little hearts on the corners and one big heart on the center. Then I wrote a little poem inside.

There is no age-limit for Poetic license. I wrote the very same poetry in every card altering the location and color of the hearts. Then I posted them in a few girl’s mail boxes. I was still shy about the boys. I hadn’t thought about marrying anyone yet. Somehow Valentine’s day and the word ‘love’ seemed to have more significance in my mind than it actually was.

I was paying attention to my box, as to who lingers around…just like I do to my comment boxes. I noticed Peter pushing a card into the slot of a box named ‘Alpha’s Mail’. I was quite flustered. He loves me! What do I do?

I thought about the consequences and made up my mind. I made a card for him. This was more special. It had better looking hearts, around twenty, colored to perfection and the poem was copied from a book my dad owned. It didn’t mater if I had no clue what those words meant. I had to make my impression.

Valentines day. We opened our cards. My heart did a somersault when I read Peter’s. I am withholding the content due to privacy concerns. Truth being told, its been a while and I forgot what was in it. But I do remember feeling all mushy.

When we were allowed to take all the cards home, I wasn’t sure how my parents would react to Peter being their son-in-law. Maybe I was sure how they'd react. I held Peter’s card in my hand, looking at it longingly till I reached home. I opened and closed it a million times till I had memorized every little crayon stroke. Just before I rang the door bell, I trashed it in a dust-bin outside my house along with my heart.

I don’t know if Peter had a crush on me or if he intended to marry me. I didn’t hang around to find out. I had to change schools soon. But going by the class photo, he sure was one hottie.

If anyone comes across a white hunk named Peter, please do ask him if he still has my red Valentine card.