Love, and Holiday.
I should have known better than to take my sister's advice.
Asides from the fact that she is my younger sister, she is also the sister who lives on impulse.
My sister, Jade, is what you'd call a wild fire.
She is quick to start, and quick to quench.
I am the opposite.
Slow to start, take a long time to burn, and quench out at my own pace.
So when she advised that I try a holiday romance, I was very opposed to it.
"Everyone needs to try it at least once in a lifetime, Jasmine." She said, "Look at me. My best romance came from my holiday at Mauritius."
Of course it would.
Jade hasn't been able to keep one relationship her entire life. All she has are those 'crash and burn' relationship, in my Mother's words.
Neeways, back to me.
I had succeeded in ignoring my sister all my life, but on the first day of my 27th birthday getaway, I laid my eyes on him and did the unthinkable.
I took my sister's advice and decided to try out holiday romance, and got entangled with him.
Him.
He whose name shall not be mentioned.
He who smelt like a mixture of vanilla and the most beautiful tree, yet smelled like the best of men.
He who was built like he dropped off the front of Vogue magazine, walked like the ground under him did not exist.
Not my spec, of course, because I have never gotten the obsession with tall men, but it is the holidays, and what better way to spend it but by doing all the things I wouldn't ideally do?
So,
I spent the remaining 9 days of my trip glued to him.
Basking in his masculinity, and clinging to his side like my life belonged to him.
I allowed myself be vulnerable; "love and be loved without thinking about what next", Jade said when I called her the second day.
At the end of my trip, he drove me to the airport, carried my luggage, then waited till I checked in.
I had reached out for a hug, but he took me up in his arms and kissed me like his life depended on it.
I knew, from the kiss, that that was the last time I would ever see him.
Tomorrow I turn 30.
Sitting on the Dolphin Island in Fiji brought back memories.
Three years later, I randomly think of him.
I think of his warm breath on the nape of my neck.
I think of the vibration of his throat on my skin as he speaks, and how his Adam's apple bobbed up and down as he speaks.
I think of his strong, tall, muscular body which wasn't my spec, initially, but made me feel the most beautiful emotions I have ever in my 30 years of existence.
I think of that as I took a long, deep breath.
Maybe I shouldn't have taken my sister's advice, but I am sure I'd have been more miserable if I never did.
Would I tell her? Never.
But it is one memory I want to carry with me forever.
