Promises

What do promises mean to you? I wrote a short story on what promises means to me.

                “I promise that no matter where we are, what we will be, whatever we do, we will always remain the best of friends.” Sound familiar? I remember Claire saying it with her pinkie hooked entwined with mine. Promises. That’s what it is. The last day of elementary school, before summer break. In fall, we would be going to two different middle schools. She lived on the west side of town and I lived on the east side of town. As I flipped through the yearbook on my bed, I remember her words only vaguely. We were both now in high school. I have tried to reach her. Even in Facebook, I could not find her. Had she forgotten about me? What happened to her promise?

                Still sitting on my bed, I closed the yearbook and put it back onto my bookshelf. I leaned up against my bed frame with a pillow cushioning my back. I had a school assignment to hand in the next day. Mr Randy had given us a total of thirty one-word topics. He wrote the topics on small pieces of paper, folded them up and put them into the box. He went round the class and my classmates picked up the papers one by one. When it came to my turn, I just put my hand in and quickly drew a piece, hoping it would be a nice topic. With much anticipation, I slowly opened my paper as Mr Randy walked on. In his slanted writing was the word “PROMISES”. Instantly, I was reminded of Claire. Was it meant to be that way? Why would I suddenly think of her?

                Snapping back to the present, I started thinking, “Okay, maybe it’s not totally her fault that she broke her promise. I have not bothered to call her all these years either.” Many thoughts ran past me.  I remember the many times when I had turned her invitations down. That got me thinking. What are promises, really? Are they just words muttered out for fun? Maybe we were just too young then to think about what we were saying. Are they consoling words that parents tell their children? Or are they the great things told by advertisements which probably would not be fulfilled?

                I started to dig deeper. When my grandfather died while I was 3, my dad told me, “Everything is going to be fine. I promise.” When my dad came home the other day and told us that his boss had fired him, he said the same exact words. Well, things turned out to fine. So, you can say that they really were good promises. Parents always promise their children good stuff when they do well in something. Like the other time when I felt like not practicing my piano anymore, my mum told me that she would get me the second book of the series “The Chronicles of Narnia” if I passed with a merit. I had wanted that so much, that I made sure I passed with a distinction, just to be sure. In the end, I got a distinction and I got the book. On top of that, I got a dinner treat.

                I wrote all about parents promises on my paper. By now, I was sitting at my desk. I thought on to the pledge that we recited every morning during the school assembly. Could it be counted as a promise? Everyone says it. Everyone has to say it. It’s everyone’s pledge of allegiance and loyalty to the country. But will everyone fulfil it? In modern times like this, I do not think that people will actually stop and think about what those words really mean. After all, everyone just wants to think about chasing their dreams. Their endless dreams of this and that. To conclude on this matter, I wrote that the pledge said every morning was just a promise to some. Because I believe that promises are words that you really mean and are ready to keep it. But had I not broken mine already?

                I sighed heavily as my thoughts reverted back to Claire. It makes me annoyed when I do not keep my promises. It is as if I am like those people doing the advertising job for different companies of different product. Their sales speeches are always full of words but only a few put it into action. It is just like that time when my parents wanted to buy a new laptop for me. It was promised that I would be getting a glitch-free experience of amazing computer programs. But, hey, guess what? My computer got hanged a week later. So much for the glitch-free usage. The only time they ever keep to their promises is when it would cost them an arm and a leg to not keep it. And how often will that really happen? Even once in a blue moon would be too often. So, I cut that point out as I continued on with my ideas for my assignment.

                Then, I finally thought of promises which will forever be kept. God. I Love it. When God gives you a promise, He really keeps it. I like it when He promises us good stuff if we are faithful to Him. We just must make sure that we try our best not to hinder from the right path and we would have kept our part of the promise, ready for God to fulfil His part. Even if we do stray sometimes, God will be more than ready to forgive those who ask Him for forgiveness. Isn’t God awesome? He keeps His promises 100%! I went back and plopped down on my bed as I continued thinking over that wonderful thought. I was so happy that I had finished my assignment.

                As a conclusion on that matter, I wrote that promises are something which you tell someone you are going to do and really do it. Promises are meant to be kept and not be broken. All the broken promises should not even be called promises. They should just be called lies. At the thought of that, my thought went back to Claire again. I had broken my promise and I was a liar. Just then, my cell phone beeped. A voicemail message had just come in. I had been so indulged in my work until I did not even hear my cell phone ring earlier. I pressed the soft key with the “Open” option. A familiar voice said, “Hi, if this is Nita, please call me back with this number. Thanks.” It was the same voice I heard on the last day of elementary school. The very same, only more matured. I smiled to myself as my finger pushed the “Call Back” option button. She has kept her promise. With the call tone ringing, I thought to myself that it was time I kept mine as well.