The water is deep blue, the breeze is lovely, and the rock formations are breathtaking—so dramatic, as if the sea is spilling over the rocks. It's a magical attraction.
I'm lying on the shore, enjoying the view of Dwejra Bay in the country of Malta.
"Finally, I made it to Malta."
Yes, going to Malta had always been a dream of mine. It was one of the countries I truly wanted to visit—and even live in.
And now here I am, living here with my beloved husband, Matthew Castro.
Matthew works as a General Manager for a company in Malta. As for me, I'm a housewife. I gave up my scholarship and my studies to become a doctor in the Philippines so I could support my husband.
Yes, I got married young. I was only 22 and in my 5th year of Veterinary Medicine when I got married.
Too early, right?
At first, everything was fine. But things changed when Matthew got transferred to another district branch. I had to choose—either continue my studies and live apart from him, or go with him and sacrifice my education.
Even though it hurt, I chose the second option.
I had always dreamed of coming to Malta after finishing my studies—before I even met Matthew. But fate brought me here earlier than planned.
Matthew and I met in school. He was a senior in Business Administration, and I was a junior in Veterinary Medicine. We were in different fields, but we connected on so many things. That's what drew me to him as a friend.
You might be wondering why I said "friend" and not "love"?
Here's why.
I wasn't ready for a relationship. I wanted my first boyfriend to be the man I'd marry. And at that time, he wasn't even courting me yet—so how could I say yes to someone who hadn't even asked?
I didn't want to assume anything and risk being avoided.
But one day, he confessed his feelings and said he wanted to court me.
Of course, I didn't say yes right away. But because of his effort and patience, I eventually said yes.
A few years later, he proposed—and I felt like I was on cloud nine.
My answer?
"Yes. I will marry you!!"
And so, we got married…
°°°
One day, while I was cleaning the house, my phone suddenly rang.
Unknown
"Unknown? Who could this be?"
Even though I was hesitant to answer—thinking it might be a scam—I picked it up just in case it was an emergency or something had happened to my husband.
"Hello, nista' naf min qed jitkellem jekk jogħġbok?" in Maltese
"Hello, may I know who is speaking, please?" in English
The caller replied:
"Hello, Penny, is this you?"
I was surprised—how did she know it was me?
"It's me. Althea."
Althea! My best friend. I hadn't spoken to or seen her in 5 years. The last time we communicated, I was still in the Philippines.
Suddenly, tears fell from my eyes.
"Althea!!! I missed you so much, and I'm sorry I wasn't able to talk to you before I left."
phone
"Hey, stop crying, you're going to make me cry too."
"So, are you really in Malta now?"
I was shocked.
"How did you know?"
phone
"Don't ask. Just meet me. I have something to give you. I'll send the address."
call ends
Then my phone buzzed again.
message
"Let's meet at Azure Window Restaurant."
"12 p.m."
"Don't be late."
I couldn't help but laugh at that last message. She still remembered my habit of always being late to meet-ups.
°°°
To Be Continued