LOVERS IN EVERY LIFETIME (By Jaime Licauco Philippine Daily Inquirer)

I RECENTLY RECEIVED A long awaited e-mail from a woman living in a province south of Manila, who sent me a text message last July about an extraordinary relationship she had with a married man. Unknown to them at the time, they both learned of a past life connection they had in their childhood dreams.

“It is only now I can tell you my story,” she said, “because I was so broken-hearted then and felt so hurt I couldn’t write. Now, I feel better. If you publish my story, she wrote, just call me Kate.”

“I met a man I never thought would change my heart, my life, yes, even my soul!” Kate began. “We met during the most unexpected and wrong moment of time. We were both married. But we fell in love with each other so easily.”

“Though total strangers, we at once felt comfortable with each other, as though we’ve known each other for a long time. Our relationship grew into something we never imagined would reach the highest height so fast.”

“Because I love my husband, I never knew that I could love another man far greater than I’ve ever loved before. We thought we were the only people in the world who were so much in love with each other. We’ve been like that for four unforgettable months.”

“We talked a lot—about anything and everything on earth. One time, he mentioned that he had a dream during his elementary days that he couldn’t forget. I listened to him attentively. In his dream, he was a Spanish soldier of high rank. He had a girlfriend. They were talking in a big, old-style house near a big open window. The scene was like the old Spanish times. From the window he could see the views of the sea with mangrove on the seashore. He told his girlfriend he was going to war. Then he left to go to war and died.”

“Before he lost his breath, he was able to call one of his soldiers and gave him something he couldn’t remember. He told that soldier to give that thing to his girlfriend. That was the only thing he remembered.

“I was so stunned about his dream because I had the same dream during my high school days. In my dream, I was in a big house near a big window overlooking the sea with mangroves on the shore. I was dressed in a long Spanish gown holding a classic fan.”

“I had a boyfriend who was a soldier, not an ordinary soldier, but some kind of a leader or officer. We were talking near the window. He said he was going to war.”

“In the next scene, I was standing near the window crying so hard, because I learned that my boyfriend had died in the war. I woke up crying because the dream was so vivid and real! I never told anyone about the dream and had forgotten it until this man told me about his strange unforgettable dream. Was this just a coincidence?”

“Another thing: One time I went to an expert tarot card reader. She knew everything about me without telling her anything. She told me all the plans this man was thinking of and that he would find ways for us to be together and a lot more. Then she told me we’ve been lovers before and we would always be lovers each lifetime, because we were soulmates. I couldn’t believe that! Anyway, I don’t want to rely on tarot card reading. Maybe it is just coincidence.”

“However, the other thing we used to talk about were gems, jewelry and medallions. I told him I had a necklace with a pendant like a medallion which my grandmother gave me because I was her favorite grandchild. It was just an ordinary necklace with a Spanish designed pendant. But when my grandma passed away, it served as my most treasured inheritance. When I told him this, he was surprised because he also had a medallion his grandmother gave him because he was her favorite grandson.”

“He then remembered his conversation with his Muslim friend who happened to own a medallion and who married a woman who also had a medallion. His Muslim friend remarked that both their partners in life own the same thing they had. The Muslim and his wife have it, my lover has it, but his wife doesn’t have it, and I have it. Is this another coincidence?”

“Then, all of a sudden, we parted ways because of the fact that we were both married and had our own families. It was he who broke off with me. He told me to wait for him in our next life, that he would surely find me, just wait. I told him he was crazy! I felt like I wanted to die. So, the tarot reader was wrong. All the plans of being together were gone. Yes, it was wrong. Maybe he just didn’t want to ruin my life, so I forced myself to understand. But it was really hard for both of us to accept that we couldn’t be together in this lifetime.”

“We both tried to move on with our separate lives. But after a month, I dreamed that he sent me a text, telling me if he could drop by my office. When I woke up, I told myself, it was just a product of my imagination. But after four days, I did receive a text from him asking me precisely the same thing in my dream. I replied, yes: We saw each other again.”