I was all nerves in the Petronas Dewan Philharmonik hall. I anxiously checked my breast pocket every 4 or 5 minutes. The “package” was inconspicously and safely tucked in the breast pocket of my newly tailored coat.
The baroque music was skillfully rendered by the critically acclaimed English Concert orchestra but Handel’s timeless classic was the furthest away from my mind at that point in time. My brain then was already processing at its full capacity as I played the scenario over and over again in my head.
Suddenly, the Handel piece that was drifting in and out of my head absent-mindedly came to an end. To polite but virgourous applause, the ensemble bowed and left the stage. It was the intermission. My heart started to pound loudly as the applause died and the lights came up. I asked Cheryl to see if she wanted to go out to stretch out her legs.
The moment was near and I desperately held on to my nerves. I walked her to the toilet and saw her enter. My heart was rattling in my chest furiously now. I heard the rushing of blood in my temples as they gushed from my heart to my head, pulsating, marking down the seconds before Cheryl reappeared again.
I told her that I wanted to go back into the hall to wait seeing that the foyer now was full of people. She agreed and we walked back to the entrance of the concert hall, hand-in-hand. Along the way, I have to consciously ensure that she did not lean too close to me to feel the concealed “package” that I was carrying.
When we got back to our seats, sweat was beginning to form on my forehead. Ignoring my anxieties, I recounted to her how long we had been with each other. I told her that she was the best thing that had ever happened in my life. I recalled for her the fun-filled times that we had spent going for holidays, waste hours talking about everything and nothing, selflessly sharing our lives while enjoying each other’s diverse hobbies. I shared with her about how my life had become more meaningful because of her and how she had made me see what true love really meant.
And as I said this, I knelt down along the aisle of the seat, quickly reached into my pocket and slowly pulled out a box that contained a diamond ring.
I asked her in a soft voice if she wanted to share the rest of her life with me.
….and she said “yes”.
And as the warm happy tears of joy rolled down our cheeks, I gently slipped the ring into the fourth finger of her left hand.
It was the happiest day of my life.