Our Love Long Lasting Ribbon - Part 1 - The Connection

The story behind this incredibly strong and powerful ribbon began when a set of two eyes laid on each other for the very first time. Two kids at the age of fourteen felt at that moment what most would never feel in a lifetime. A surge of electricity ran through their bodies as they remained with their eyes locked on one another. She knew right there and then she had found her life partner. He knew right there and then that she was the love of his life. The certainty of each other’s love was immediately imbedded into their hearts. The formation of Our Love Long Lasting Ribbon had been born on that day.

The meeting of the eyes lasted merely only for a few seconds but to them it seemed like a lifetime. For Iliana, it was the most wonderful feeling she had ever felt. For Jesus, it was the most beautiful site his eyes ever laid on. They did not speak a word while passing each other by that day. However, their eyes spoke out with a thousand words.

It was near the end of summer vacation  and the school year was about to begin for both. They had not met prior to the life altering moment of which had just occurred. Both left with a feeling of confusion and excitement as they went under this emotional sensation. Iliana knew she just had to find out more about this mystery boy. The dark haired boy that came across her sight with light brown eyes just mesmerized her. He has a smile that would just make her want to melt and eyes that she could stare into all day and night. As the day went on she began to inquire with some of her friends about this boy. No one knew of this person and could not help her in any way. Iliana had no luck in being able to track him down by any means. Her friends even began to wonder if this boy of hers even existed. Meanwhile, Jesus could not take her beautiful sight of porcelain skin, deep brown eyes and silky light hair out of his mind. Even though it was a brief encounter it had seemed as if he had seen her a thousand times. He had never encountered such beauty, nor has he ever felt this way in his life. She was the most beautiful girl in the world and he wanted to see her again. The only problem was that he did not know who she was. 

The next day came and he went back to the exact location of where his life was touched when they both laid eyes on each other. Hoping to see her again he walked around the vicinity for hours just to have no luck. He kept his encounter with the most beautiful girl his eyes ever laid on to himself and searched for her for days to come. A week goes by and his biggest fear was that he had lost her forever. One day while in school Iliana catches a quick glimpse of a passerby in the distance that just so happen to catch her eye. It was the dark haired boy and she became very excited to see him once again. Now that she has him in her site she was not going to have him disappear once again without knowing his name. She began her way towards him while at school just in between classes. She hurried and quickly asks him for his name. Jesus he said with a big smile that just lit up her day. She replied with her name immediately. Hi I’m Iliana. The class bell rang and they both parted ways towards their classes for that period before another word can be said. Both were very happy in knowing each other’s name and that was only the beginning. The road ahead of their lives would have many memories of both good and bad, ups and downs. 

That evening he could not sleep as he tossed and turned with her in his mind. He had immediately fallen for a girl named Iliana and he knew that she felt the same. Even though he was extremely shy when it came to girls he knew that he could feel different around her due to the connection he felt. As the days went on Iliana continued to try to get to know him by sparking friendly conversation. He could barely say a word as his heart raced one hundred miles per hour every time she would come near. Not that he feared her in any way. It was the excitement and joy of having the one that you feel connected with being so close. It was a sense of electricity that would be generated and run through his body every time she neared him. He was not certain on how to handle these emotions. At times he would purposely avoid her path to not have her see him in that way.  Iliana continued to want to find out more and get to know this boy better. The one that made her feel happy with his presence. She would feel the sense of tingles in her stomach every time he neared her. Even though it was not out in the open it was clear to both that they were meant to be together. It was a sense of completion for the soul as each had found its mate. How can this be happening to a pair of fourteen year old kids? Why was it meant for them to cross paths now? Another day would pass and the feeling would only grow stronger as the energy of love was forming within each other’s hearts.  

As the months went by they had been no closer to each other than the first time she asked for his name. It is now October and a school dance was just around the corner. It would be the first dance of the school year. This day would mark the first day of true interaction for them both as it was the “Halloween” high school dance that evening. Iliana was excited to go to the dance as she knew he would be there. She had her costume on and started to walk her way with her girlfriends to the dance. He was already there dressed in black with his face covered by a mask. He had slightly turned his head towards the entry door at the precise moment of Iliana entering the dance hall. She was dressed in white from head to toe. The nurse outfit looked incredible on her. How perfect to have her dressed in white as pure as the white light and he was dressed in black from top to bottom as the dark as the evening night. Two colors of the opposite sides of the spectrum would make for a perfect match tonight. He was gathered with his friends and she remained on the bleachers with her friends. The moment of approach occurred when a slow song began to play. He gathered enough nerve to ask her for this dance. At that moment he reached out for her hand and she placed hers in his. The dance offers them the opportunity to be physically close to each other for the very first time. The dance also seemed to reinforce their feelings as they turned slowly around in a circle with the beat of their hearts and song. That evening happened to have a special event booth that you typically would not see in school dances. It was a marriage booth and for twenty five cents you could marry the love of your life. The rings would be included in the price of the marriage license. Two Pepsi cola can tabs would be the ring of choice. Just before the end of the dance Jesus and Iliana had decided to marry for fun. He pulled out twenty five cents to pay for a marriage license that would have each other’s name hand written on it. With that marriage license in hand they both proceeded to the altar where a tall preacher like dressed man waited with a bible in hand. 

Can this truly be happening? They both knew that they were engaging in a form of holy matrimony. Even though it was for fun it felt so real within their hearts. The preacher recited some words and gathered our names from the fake marriage license. We place the rings on each other’s finger and the preacher pronounced us husband and wife. The first kiss did not occur that evening even though he so desperately wanted to do so. He thought at that moment while starring into her eyes that she was not the type of girl that you would attempt to kiss on the first date. The kind of girl you don’t take advantage of in any situation. She in a sense was the kind of girl you would marry. 

The next day in class Jesus received an invitation for her birthday party. Iliana was turning fifteen and she was inviting all of her friends. It was going to be an incredible event he thought. It would give him another opportunity to hold her in his arms. Iliana brought her camera to school and captured a photograph of Jesus. It made him very happy to know she had his picture. She would tell her friends about the experience at the school dance and how much she had a crush on Jesus. She would not however tell them directly about her true feelings. She was in love and he was the only one for her. The birthday party was being held in a large hall with plenty of tables and catered food. Little did he know on how elaborate this party was going to be? Also, little did he know of Iliana’s ex-boyfriend existence? He played on the baseball team and had the physique of an athlete. Tall and fit with brown hair and brown eyes. He still had his eyes on Iliana even though she wanted nothing to do with him. 

That evening at the party Jesus and Iliana remained close as if they had been a couple for years. The ex was not at all pleased as you could see it in his eyes. Her parents had insisted that she take pictures with him for the album. Pictures with the ex were taken throughout the entire party. But it was Jesus who had her heart and her attention. The entire evening was not only of her birthday but an evening of being together with each other. It was apparent to Jesus that her parents would rather see them back together then to see her with him. Despite the incredible evening somehow the very next day was a bit different. Jesus realized that evening that he may not be good enough for her. She was perfect in every way and he had some flaws and thought to himself she would realize it and no longer feel the same about him. He was madly in love with her and her with him. However, he could not take the chance of losing her so he decided to avoid her at times. 

Months would go by and it seemed to have become a chasing game for Iliana. Jesus would avoid making contact and began to become very distant. Iliana wondered on how this could be as she was sure that he felt the same about her as she did him. Her friends would approach Jesus and always ask him the million dollar question. Do you like Iliana? It was the most painful feeling when he would not answer the question. It was so simple and the answer was always “Yes”! Yet, it remained within him for months to come. For Iliana the game of chasing the one that was meant to be with her was growing tiresome. His lack of showing emotion towards her grew as time went by but only on the surface. Inside it was true love and he so desperately wanted to tell her everything. He truly began to believe that he was not good enough for her. Avoiding her and having this wave of thoughts would turn out to be one of the biggest mistakes in his life.

TO BE CONTINUED...