What's in a Sandwich?

Noy and I had our first date at Wendy's in Robinson's Place Manila. We were young, idealistic college students who did not want to bother our parents with extra expenses, like a date.

Because it was a first date and I was happy just because we were finally going on a real date, it really didn't matter what he ordered given our small budget. Nevertheless, I teased him that we should share a sandwich because it's symbolic of our future together. I know it was crazily corny, but he did order just one sandwich, lots of fries and drinks. It was a shrimp sandwich, the one I, a seafood lover, had been yearning to have back then (not that I don't want one now) and one that he is allergic to (as he is to most other seafood).

We ate in silence - me picking on the shrimp patty, and Noy tearing off portions of the bread that lost a patty part. We kept the date short because it was finals week. Noy slept through the night without an itch or a flare.

I forgot about the whole thing and the fact that I never really wondered why Noy's annoyingly sensitive immune system didn't overreact that day. Until thirteen years later, when I saw this picture of a Wendy's Shrimp Sandwich on the walls of the very same Wendy's store where we had our first date.

There it was, the shrimp sandwich that showcased the beginning of my journey to married bliss. It taught me that in a relationship, one must stay true to the other. It does not always equate to exclusivity; it's also about revealing fears and worries and weaknesses to the other. Build the relationship upon this trust until you have something strong, tangible and long-lasting.

I don't have a perfect relationship with my husband, but we try to be perfect for each other everyday. He might have swallowed an anti-allergy pill right after our first date, or perhaps there really wasn't enough shrimp on the patty to trigger a reaction, I might never know. Whatever happened that day, I am grateful for the love that I found over a shrimp sandwich - soft on the outside, tender and crisp on the inside. It's perfect.