Harry and Maria's Story - Internet Love Stories

Mars & Deborah 3:
As Deborah went to the departure hall to fly out of Adelaide I knew that the next few months were going to drag on slowly and that I would miss her like crazy. I just didnt want her to go but that was the reality of the situation. When she got back...
>> Continued

She's From: The Philippines
He's From: Scotland

So far, our story is very much unfinished just like the rest of our site.

Maria and I have still have a lot to share together....a lifetime in which to find each other. I guess our story started in the summer of 1998 where while she was at work and I was at home we used to take a special time out to be together and listen and talk together...

Harry and Maria at the waterfall outside "Villa Escudero" in Laguna, Philippines

Both of us were very busy at work and finding times that we could both be together, with the time difference and all, at the same time was very difficult...

I never even guessed that in my wildest dreams that Maria and I would ever meet and become so passionately in love with each other and affianced....I suppose I used to think that Scots' were not allowed to meet exotic creatures from the other side of the world such as Maria and for a long time I tried to deny any sort of feelings that i had for her...you know the sort of thing....although I knew I was totally attracted to her right from the first day, I would try and keep my distance because I never thought there was a possibility that we could ever meet and be together.....

its like as if I was looking at everything I ever wanted, everything I had dreamed about or hoped to aspire towards...and then realising that it was simply a dream after all....as if it was too good to be true...too perfect...

I was scared that i would get too involved and then only watch in horror as it is taken from me....I didn't want to live with a broken heart.. of course...inside I was screaming out to be with Lady Lance although she never knew that. I eventually had to come to terms with my feelings...put them into perspective and realise what was happening to me....falling in love with a girl on the internet...that was the reality of it...and that was the hardest thing to come to terms with....hard until I realised that this was my life I was leading and regardless of whatever anyone else was thinking about me and my obsession with Maria....I knew how I felt inside and I wasn't going to deny that....I had to tell Maria how I felt...I needed to tell her that I loved her and I wanted to be with her...and once I voiced the words out loud and told her...it seemed like the most natural thing in the world...it doesn't matter....it simply doesn't matter....if I had met Maria in the local supermarket...or in a bar...or introduced through friends...I would still feel the same way....only now do I realise that its others that have a problem with the way that Maria and i met....in fact if I am truthful....I am proud of the way we met....I know Maria is the one girl that i want to be with....and I would never have met her any other way...

I guess for some people deciding to be with someone that is from so far away in another continent...another culture...is just so easy....I never set out to meet someone this way and I was so very surprised at the intensity and depth of my feelings for this woman and I wanted to do everything right....we both tried to be sensible in our approach towards this but the underlying fact remained....if we were to be together one of us was going to have to give up their life to be with the other...give up their job...their friends and more importantly...their family and loved ones...and this was possibly the hardest thing that any of us will have to do in our lives...to risk the love of family and friends and to actually go through with this and try to make them realise that what we were doing was for the best and was never a reflection on anything except our love for each other....

The only sensible and workable solution was for Maria to join me in Scotland and i felt dreadfully sad for her...to leave the Philippines and move to Scotland seemed like giving up paradise to live in such a cold wet place such as this....and then for me to try and comfort her in her grief as she becomes more and more homesick seemed to me like a task i could not set myself because i simply didn't want Maria to go through such an experience...to cause her such pain would be like hurting myself.... and after a lot of thought i told her that i would have no reservations about moving to Manila to be with her instead.....but that would have been unworkable.....i guess i just didn't want to cause her any more pain than i already have....for the time being we would be much better here...in Scotland..

I loved being in the Philippines with the beautiful weather...the palm trees and scenic countryside....the mountains and the never ending blue skies....Scotland is not like this at all.......sure its very scenic with its mountains and miles of deserted sandy beaches...and on a sunny day...its the most amazing place in the world....but sunny days are so few and far between....how will a girl get used to such a place when she is a child of the sun...?

When Scotland and the Philippines are compared...if you have been to the two countries then its hard to imagine two places so utterly different....9,000 miles apart....different cultures....different climates...different race, language, politics....you name it.....but I have never felt more of an affinity...more connected with anyone in my whole life than I do with Maria...such closeness, intimacy and tenderness...such a feeling of belonging and of understanding....surely it must be right that we be together...regardless of what people think of us...regardless of what misconceptions they draw from us being together....Maria is all I need to survive

I know my responsibilities towards her....not only as her husband but as her best friend...and I don't take this lightly....she knows that i will always be there for her when she needs me and that's why its so important that we get this right first time.... the British immigration authorities are testing us and i don't know why...i guess they must have their reasons but in the meantime its killing us both being apart like this when all we want to the chance to start our new life together...

After months of being together on the net...chatting day after day...Maria asked me if i wanted to visit her there in Manila and i jumped at the chance....it was all i had been thinking of since i first met her...I just wanted to be with her... I planned to visit her sometime in March 1999 but this seemed so far away and i just couldn't handle the wait so i saved some money and eventually made the trip in January...Maria was so pleased that i could make the trip earlier than planned...it was such a long way from Scotland to the Philippines but i simply could wait to have her in my arms...and i remember flying out of Glasgow on my way to meet someone I had never seen before except only in photographs....i did feel nervous a little but all i could think of was her....and now I was on this 20 hour flight trying to make the time pass as quickly as possible....it was the first time I had flown but it felt really good...
One of the hostess' gave me a fortune cookie...i took out the little fortune and it said "...a dream is about to come true"....it made me smile..

Eventually....as the plane drew nearer Manila I looked out the window...it was dark...in the early evening and I watched all the lights twinkling and I remember thinking.....one of those little glittering lights is my Maria's home...

I walked through the immigration section and out into the baggage area all the time looking round for the sight of Maria just in case she managed to get inside the area....i couldn't find her...i looked all around...the Aquino airport was just so busy...people rushing about and others clambering about me asking if i wanted taxi's, hotel rooms and all sorts of things.....all i wanted was to find Maria...i knew she was here somewhere...i could feel her...

Then suddenly...I saw her....through a glass window and just at that moment she noticed me also....she hurried up towards me and I got the strangest feeling....like I had met her before...as if we were old friends being reunited....I just had this overwhelming sensation of recognition and familiarity.....I think I hugged her...it was like a dream....I remember more of the sensations and emotions than I do of the actual events....I couldn't believe what I was witnessing...my mind seemed to be swimming...dreaming lucidly...trying hard to reason with myself....was I dreaming?....Maria was so stunningly attractive....so much more than her photos hinted at....I felt myself staring at her....I remember thinking....what have I done....as soon as I saw her....I knew she was too good for me...she was so....so perfect and I felt so humbled....I looked at her...trying to see into her eyes but without trying to unease her....I can't remember a single word I said to her....she grabbed me by the hand...and said...lets go home Harry......her voice was so soft with such a delicate accent that touched my heart as she spoke.....I wanted to say something but for once I was utterly speechless.

I felt like I had created something....somehow made this situation happen and now it was overwhelming me...I was trying hard to pull myself out of this....I was trying to shake off whatever feelings that were making my mind feel like it was going to explode.... I was simply stunned by my Lady Lance....she had done this to me. I began to feel nervous but strangely relaxed...I felt that day that surely miracles do happen....I knew this because she had made it happen....

As we walked out of the airport, the busy city and the heat of Manila hit me like a physical blow....she took me to her father whom she had brought with her and we drove to their house.....on the way I gazed at Maria....she was pointing out things and buildings out of the window as we sped past....I sat quietly in awe unable to take in exactly what was going on....I gazed at her in wonder.... Once we reached the house...I stepped out of the car and again the heat....everything was just like an overload...I thought I was prepared for all this....and as I met her family one by one outside the house I remember gazing also at them...then as we prepared to enter the house....Maria came close to me...looked into my face and kissed me....her lips lingered on mine and then I knew...this girl wasn't a dream....she is real....

The next two weeks were simply indescribable...I was with Maria!!!...it wasn't a fantasy....I was actually there...holding her in my arms....she was so totally unlike any other girl....but it was her that I was in love with...Maria...Lady Lance....and not the fantasy...not the Filipino...but the woman who stood before me now...smiling at me....melting my heart....pulling me deeper into her world....telling me she loved me....

"Harry"

>> Continued in Part Two.