“I have this condition like short term memory loss. I can’t remember things when I don’t picture them.” That’s what J.P told me when I first met him. I met him in college and we were on the same course but we were not classmates. Every time we went home together, he was one who took a picture of me and the two of us were always together so that he would always remember me and not forget me. He hasn’t said his condition yet. Over time we have formed many memories but he does not remember them. So I’m here to remind him.
* * *
I saw J. P in a mall as he walked. He is alone and he holds a camera like a DSLR camera. There was an event at the mall and it was like there was a concert. The sound of the guitar can be heard. I immediately looked at him. I walked towards his whereabouts while taking pictures.
“Hey! J. P!” He stopped taking pictures for a moment and turned to me.
“Sorry do we know each other?” J. P asked.
“Of course you don’t remember me but I will show you a picture.”
I showed him on my phone the picture of the two of us together.
“Yes, it looks like we will meet before.” J.P said.
“How are you?” I asked. “I work like it’s just extra here at the event.” said J. P
“That’s good, ah maybe you want to take me there.” I said.
“If only.” J. P said.
After the event at the mall he invited me to eat at a restaurant. In college he always treated me and to this day still treats me. There are a lot of people here inside the restaurant. Others are like a family eating at a table and they look happy. Until a man approached J. P as if he were the Padre de Familia and told J. P that they might be able to take pictures with his camera. They took a picture by J. P and the whole family thanked him. He went back to the table where I was.
“By the way… What is your name?” J. P asked.
“Katherine.” I said.
“Ah ok Katherine I’m sorry because I have a condition, it’s not amnesia but it’s a short term memory loss as if I can’t remember everything that happened but when I take a picture and look at it I can only see it to make me believe that it happened.” J. P said.
J. P told me this in college but he still said it now. Such a condition is difficult because you can’t remember what happened and you still need a picture to believe that it happened.
“You told me that before I knew you J. P for who you are and what you are. Will I come to you if I don’t know you?” I said.
“Besides, I believed you, especially when you showed me a picture. Can I look at the picture again?” J. P said.
I opened my phone and looked for the picture. When I saw that I gave him my phone. He was still thin in college but now I can clearly see that he is gaining weight.
“I don’t think so.” said J. P.
“Ha?” I said surprisingly.
“Just kidding ha ha ha I’m still thin there.”
After we ate we went out of the restaurant and took a walk on the sea side. We talked a lot about each other’s experiences. We took various rides. We ate ice cream and he bought me a teddy bear. I never thought we would meet here and all this would happen. All I know is that I don’t go to work because it’s weekends so I come here. As we walked we saw a chair. There is no one who sits. So we went there and sat down. He took a picture of me in my seat.
“I know after this you won’t remember me again because you can’t make new memories.” I said.
“No, after that, I will still remember you especially when I have a new picture of you.” J. P said.
“What if I don’t have a picture? Even in college let’s say we’re in a time without a smartphone, DSLR camera or the old cameras, can you remember me?” I asked.
“Maybe I met you in the time when there were smartphones and cameras. So for me, there are pictures to keep the memories.” J.P said.
* * *
When I looked at the pictures here on Facebook I saw this page it looks like J. P’s page. The name of the page is Jeff Photography. I opened the page and its pictures. There are a lot of pictures, the ones I saw were almost the pictures that happened at the event at a mall. Until I saw the picture of me in a chair sitting alone.
Copyright ©️ 2025 Mark Tacastacas, All Rights Reserved.
Translation Copyright ©️ 2025 Mark Tacastacas
Mark Tacastacas 
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