Polly's Narrative Essay

A Rose on 14 th February

It was at the midnight, 1:30 am, on 15 th of February, the day after an important day for lovers; as well as three days before my best friend, Winnie, who was going to set off to New Zealand as an exchange student. While I was doing revision, my mobile phone rang.

“Polly… are you free now?” It was Winnie, speaking in a weak, weepy, or more authentically said, a helpless and sad voice as I reckoned. I immediately put my reading notes aside.

“What happened?” I asked out of my care for her.

“Have you read Derek’s web log entry of yesterday? I find something very suspicious… I can’t help thinking if he is lying to me again, or he’s just considering ending our relationship? Does it mean that I have to bring more sadness along to New Zealand in the coming six months? Should I be prepared for …” Sobbing in tears, she not be able to utter a word any more.

In fact, Winnie has been reading Derek’s web log secretly for nearly three months. He told nearly all his friend but Winnie the address of his website, until she found it coincidently in one of his friends’ web log three months ago.

“Winnie, I’m always here to support you. Don’t panic and try to calm down first. Let me read it now.” I opened the internet browser immediately. Here is what Derek wrote in 14 th February’s entry:

“It’s Valentine’s Day.

Flowers, Chocolates, Presents, with all sweet moments in Seattle”.

Since Winnie told me yesterday that Derek had made a long-distance call to her, saying that he had already prepared an expensive gift for her. But in order to avoid any delivery loss, he would rather give it to her in person when he is back to Hong Kong in July; hence, I wonder what seemed to be suspicious to her.

“Hang on…click on the ‘Comments’ link right below this entry…can you see a message which is left by ‘Little Vinci’? There is a link to this person’s web log as well.” She said.

I clicked on this girl’s online diary site. From her web log entry of the same day, she wrote:

“Oh are you crazy?! The rose is gorgeous! Thanks so much!” Out of curiosity, I scrolled down the “Comments” page of this entry. There left a message:

“Yes I’m crazy. It doesn’t matter to me as long as you’re happy - Dek”

At that moment, I had some ideas about what was going on, which made Winnie feel so frustrated and disenchanted again. I felt nothing but disappointed to Derek, who is Winnie’s boyfriend.

Winnie and Derek have been together for nearly five years, and I have known them for nearly eight years. In secondary school, both of them had been doing well in their studies. In the Certificate Examination, Winnie was the best student in the Business stream with 27 points and Derek the Science Stream with 30 points.

Having achieved brilliant results in the Certificate Examination, Derek had been interviewed by the University of Hong Kong and the Chinese University, which had tried to pre-admit Derek into their degree programmes. However, having already decided to further his studies overseas, he set off to Seattle after finishing the first year of matriculation. From that moment on, they have been trying harder, being more genuine and dedicated to this relationship than they usually did.

Without Derek by her side, yet with stamina and strong determination, Winnie got two Distinctions in the A-Level Examination, and was successfully admitted to a BBA programme in the Chinese University of Hong Kong – a programme of her first priority. For Derek, he is now doing a Science degree in the University of Washington.

Though they are in different universities, studying in different academic streams, they can still assist each other’s studies; with Winnie teaching Derek Accounting theories on his business elective courses whereas Derek teaching Winnie Statistics and Mathematics via phone calls and emails.

Last year, when Winnie informed Derek on phone that she had successfully been granted an offer in a student exchange programme to New Zealand, he immediately made her a promise.

“I will try my best to earn money by doing laboratory research and come to visit you in New Zealand during my semester break.”

Winnie was flattered to hear his promise; however, on the other hand, she told him for many times that it had better for him to save up the money for his own use rather than spending it on the air ticket, as it costs a lot to travel from the US to New Zealand. However, Derek insisted on keeping his promise and told Winnie not to worry about him. Being touched by his determination, Winnie accepted his promise, feeling hoped, like a school kid waiting for the spring.

However, in early February, which was two weeks before Wendy set off, Derek told Winnie on the phone that he would not be able to meet her in New Zealand because he did not have enough money. And yet, on the same day, he wrote on his web log entry that he was going to spend his semester break with his friend in Canada but not New Zealand; He just didn’t ever think that Winnie does visit his web log page regularly. Feeling heartbroken and distressed, she phoned me and could not help crying hopelessly, sobbing in sorrow tears. I have never seen Winnie being so disappointed, which is totally contradictory to her tough character towards her studies.

Until the mid-night of 15 th February, her sorrow doubled because of a rose. She has never received a flower from Derek, neither on her birthday nor on Valentine’s Day; not to mention a rose. It was not hard to imagine that heart-breaking it was to Winnie. Being Winnie’s friend, I could hardly find any reason for his giving a flower to a girl who is not his girlfriend on Valentine’s Day.

Since then, Winnie felt that it was time for her to do something. On 16 th February, when they chatted on the phone, she said:

“Let me tell you a story.”

“How would you comment on a boy who gave a rose to a girl who was not his girlfriend on Valentine’s Day, and yet he has never given a flower to his girlfriend who is in Hong Kong before? Can you tell me what the boy was thinking about at the moment when he bought the rose; and can you imagine how his girlfriend felt? ”

After a few minutes silence, Derek said:

“Winnie, I know what I am going to say now is meaningless; I know I am really wrong this time.” He acknowledged Winnie’s regular visit to his website.

“At that moment when I bought the flower, I just felt that the girl, Vinci, was very lonely without a boyfriend by her side. Yet, I must clarify that I am not having, and I will not have any romantic relationship with her, I can promise you. Winnie, please give me one more chance.”

“Do you remember what you promised me last time? Can you tell me how I can trust you once more? I really don’t want to bring the sadness along to New Zealand, as you know I am going to set off the day after tomorrow.”

A week after Winnie arrived in New Zealand, I received an email from her, telling me that she was happy with her new life, new friends and the new environment.

Being curious about what Derek posted on his web log since Winnie set off, I opened the internet browser and typed in the address. From there I just found a sentence:

“There are no posts on this web log. All entries have been deleted.”