180 Time's Magic

Splaassssh!!!

Still sobbing her heart out, she turned towards the direction of the sound. It was Koko!

"Anna... " His heart sanked as he saw her swelling eyes and heard her snifflings.

"Let's get out of here. It looks like we have a lot to talk about. " Koko asked.

"But they are all coming here to join us. " Jia argued.

"I see. So tell me everything right now." Koko said while he held on to the pool's safety rope.

"Anthon and I were high school friends.... " Jia began narrating her love journey with Anthon.

"Ko, I am very sure about marrying Jim. With those seven years we had been together and for the kind of man that he is, who would not be able to forget the past ? Who would not be able to learn to love him? "

"I just don't understand why I am still hurting especially when he is paired again with Giselle. "

Koko laughed. He may be a biological scientist and not a psychologist, but he thought he could still explain why Jia still felt that way.

"According to Elizabeth Kane, a professor in South University who teaches clinical psychology,

"moving beyond the pain of a failed relationship requires a shift of focus back on one's self and to their own unique ability to give and receive love."

" Kane also said that when we understand how we fall in love, we can connect to the difficulties in moving forward after our heart has been broken. We can then connect again to the beauty of the experience and an optimistic understanding that if it has happened to us once then it can happen again to us."

"As for my opinion, I can fully understand why you feel that way. It's not selfishness for wanting to have two men. How you had fallen in love with Anthon took you several years in molding and fantasizing him in your dreams. It had been uneasy for you to have him. You had been yearning, longing and dreaming for years.... but just as you got him in your hands, it easily slipped away because there was Giselle who became the hindrance. "

"Human as we are, we don't easily give up on things that we want. As for your case, he had never been yours no matter how much you wanted him. He remained as a subject which your subconscious mind yearned of."

"Now, Jim came along. All he did was filling you with his love and thoughtfulness. He gives you everything beyond what you can ask for, but NOT that yearning you have in that innermost part of your heart.

No matter how good he is, he can never be Anthon. And Giselle would always remind you subconsciously as the one who grabbed away the actualization of your dream. "

"Anna, the fact that you are not willing to tell Anthon of your true feelings is because you already want to let him go. Only that, you still find it difficult. "

"Time has its own way of changing things into better perspectives. Time has its own balm for healing and forgetting."

"A day will come that you would laugh about this, then. Anthon's decision may be about running away instead of facing the dilemma, but in a way, it could also help both of you. "

"Let's pray for this, Anna, no one else is much more able to change and heal our broken hearts except Him. "

Anna smiled as she heard his comforting words. Those were not words of condemnation but words of understanding.

"But I feel guilty because I am crying behind Jim's back. "

"The healthiest way to ventilate frustration and pain is to cry out loudly. Next is to punch, yell, hit something, smash a pillow, run, walk briskly or do any form of energy - releasing activities!"

Jia laughed. She recalled how she wailed, swam wildly and ran around.

"Others are relieved when they write or do a piece of art... "

Jia nodded. She knew all about it.

"So, I am not bad? "Jia asked tearfully.

"No, you are just in love. " Koko smiled as he patted her head.

"Anna, I envied Anthon. " Koko said smiling.

"Why? "

"Because you love him. How I wish we met again before our high school years. We would have been spared then from the pain. " Koko talked about Hailey.

Jia laughed. " We have different callings in life and our pains and frustrations make us grow and become better persons."

"Exactly! " Aijohn then stretched out his arm widely to enclose his bestfriend into a warm embrace.

"Anna, I did not came from Mantalongon.... but I came all the way from the city just to see you. "

Jia cried again.. She did not only have two men who loved her sincerely but a bestfriend as well.

"That's enough! Come on, let's go wild! Just like the old days. " Koko said excitedly as he brushed her tears away.

Just as they were climbing towards the diving board, Anthon came over with Jianna in his arms. Jim followed on with Jian on his shoulders, Kuya Nap holding Mr. Wayne and Casey who got busy with taking pictures along the way.

Jia took on the first exhibition with all the eyes of her family watching her. She was wearing a tight - hugging, black shortini enhancing her great shape and very fair complexion.

"Jian, watch mommy! " She yelled out to Jian who was bouncing in excitement as he watched her walking into the diving board.

The moment she reached the end of the board, she then left and rotated away from it with her head over her heels, no bend in the knees or hips, then landed into the water with her feet.

She then floated back gracefully by swimming with her front on the water while her arms were pushing forward and sweeping it back in a circular motion. Her legs, which were tucked towards her body, were kicked correspondingly and symmetrically.

Koko followed in a straight backward diving position and landed in the water in one sommersault.

The two reunited childhood bestfriends took turns in diving. By using different positions and diving types, they amazed Jia's family and other resort guests who gathered around to watch.

"Mommy, I wanna be like you. "Jian said as he ran towards her by the pool staircase.