Day 2 - January 27, 2009

He called last night to say good night. His voice was firm, a bit cold. I said my goodnight too and while he was about to turn the phone off, I managed to shout ‘’wait’—loud enough for him to put his phone back in his ears.

Sweetly, I asked “Am I talking to Dave or am I talking to Marlon?”

“Marlon,” he said in a very nonchalant voice.

I let out a sigh. “Ok, just say hello to Dave for me and tell Dave I love him.” That was all I could say. Then I hung up.

Dave is my guy—the boy who fell in love with me back in the second grade, left Philippines when we were 11, planned on marrying me when we were 21, broke my heart at 23, found me again at 28 and now getting married to me at 30. When I told him all I want in life is to be happy, he took me to the happiest place on earth—Disneyworld. When asked about the purpose of the engagement ring, he said it’s not supposed to tie me down but a promise that he will be true to me. When asked what he would think we will be doing by the time we reach 60, he said with all conviction ‘Still playing videogames’.

Marlon is Dave--but in a military mode. Sometimes the jerk, often the insensitive one. Emotions are pushed back in order to focus. I rarely get to see him before, probably twice or thrice. At the beginning, the day would end up in argument because I did not understand it at first. I would feel rejected and hurt and ignored. Somehow, Dave comes to his senses and push Marlon back aside.

No split personality disorder here. Growing up from different countries changed the person that he was, including the career path that he chose. His friends call him Marlon. He was being Marlon. Everybody knew him as Marlon.

But we grew up with him being the Dave that he was. I call him by that name. Only me and his parents call him that. He signs everything as Marlon but his letters to me since the fifth grade until now, he signed it as Dave. I knew then that I was special.

And I knew that with him taking on this deployment, I’m gonna see a lot of Marlon now. I guess he has finally emerged from his ‘hibernation’ since last night.

If it takes that for him to be safe out there in the sand box, he can be Marlon till the next 400 days.