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There are times when life doesn't quite go as planned, and we often let our hearts drift back to beautiful memories of yesteryear.
"Missed Date" is one such memory – I'm not sure if I'd call it sad or happy.
Many years ago, when I was a law student, I was supposed to have a date with a girl at a park near my home. She was the neighborhood "beauty queen" – dimpled cheeks, gentle, pure, and innocent.
Normally, we'd meet up now and then, before her dad got home from work. She was smart, so her timing of our rendezvous was always spot-on!
That day, I waited and waited. Dusk was already drawing near, but I didn't see her at all. My heart filled with worry, wondering if the little neighborhood "beauty queen" had run into trouble, or if she was with someone else. Why didn't she come, like all our previous dates?
Back then, there were no cell phones, no text messages, no Facebook Messenger. It was only the next day at school that I found out her dad unexpectedly had come home early the previous afternoon. And so, she had to miss our date.
As for me, I was left with that memory. And during those lonely days without her, I'd remember that one afternoon when she couldn't show up. The very last time, it was I who missed our date, because I had to be gone for a very long time. It was wartime, and I never got to come back to her.
- Ly Binh Son, USA
YouTube link:
https://youtu.be/hGx0lBEV6Ys
English translation from Vietnamese lyrics Missed Date Music & lyrics by Ly Binh Son
Evening falls upon the stone bench Brushed by sunlight in the park's corner Silent footsteps wander past yearning for a glimpse of someone dear The promised hour has arrived yet no beloved silhouette is in sight So sulky feelings well up within me while sorrow deepens endlessly Longing for you to come to share in our joy You never came leaving me alone in anguish Leaves and petals drift and tumble down in this melancholy dusk Why didn't you come leaving me worried and heartbroken? Or have you forgotten our dream all too soon? The old bench now dampened by evening dew with only my shadow This evening on the stone bench I hear the wind weeping all around lulling my spirit to wander lost feeling my soul immersed in loneliness…
