Zulu And Zullu Read Count : 186

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Sub Category : Miscellaneous
From the beginning of time when humans were first created, LOVE was already introduced. This is evident in the story of Adam and Eve. Though there are many theories and interpretations on the story of Adam and Eve (which I'm not going to dive into), it is sufficient to say that in some way, big or small, Love was in play.

As time goes by through centuries, decades and generations, the power of Love becomes more and more evident. This powerful force and energy can be felt so strongly that poets and writers over the decades were inspired to write about it, singers in various genres sing about it; all in hopes to capture the true essence of this crazy thing called LOVE.

Love; although it is a wonderful feeling which often leaves one giddy with joy, it doesn't always go very smoothly. For some strange reason, this beautiful thing is often accompanied by pain, heartbreak and sometimes even madness. Why; is the million dollar question. Frankly, I don't think anyone has truly figured it out yet.

Since Valentine's Day is just around the corner and the feeling of love is thick in the air, I'd like to take this opportunity to pay tribute to Love. I'd like to share some examples of love stories that have been written through time.

To kick things off, let's start with the most famous couple in history - Romeo and Juliet. It was believed that William Shakespeare wrote this enduring tragic love story between 1591 and 1595. It is a story about two young lovers who had fallen in love deeply with each other but weren't able to be together because their families had a longstanding beef with each other. The beef had nothing to do with the couple for they were not the ones who started the feud. But that small fact didn't matter to either family. As proof of loyalty, they were told to hate one another. Isn't that madness? How can one force his heart to hate when it loves? 

In this story, they were both torn in having to choose between love and loyalty to their family or love and loyalty to each other. To be put in such position is wrong and unfair in so many levels but that was the pain and heartbreak they had to deal with. The power of love in this story was clearly shown  when they both chose to die rather than be without the other. And the irony is, it was their deaths that ultimately united the feuding families. Too little, too late, don't you think?

The next couple's love story I want to share is about Laura and Tommy. Who are Laura and Tommy? They were two teenaged kids Ray Peterson sang about in his song, "Tell Laura I Love Her", in 1960. Tommy was so desperately in love with Laura and although they were only teenagers, he was ready to take the plunge to marry her. Being a teenager with insufficient fund, he knew he had to at least find some money to buy her a proper ring when he propose to her. So what did he do? He didn't rob a bank but kept it legit by entering a stock car race. He planned to use the $1000.00 prize money to buy Laura a wedding ring if he wins. In 1960, a thousand dollars is a lot of money so it was a big deal back then. Anyway, he tried to call Laura before the race but wasn't able to speak to her because she wasn't available. He did however, speak to Laura's mother and this was what he said to her mother. "Tell Laura I love her, tell Laura I need her. Tell Laura I may be late, I've something to do that cannot wait."

After the call, he drove his car to the racing ground. Turns out, he was the youngest driver there. The crowd roared as they started the race; around the track they drove at a deadly pace. Unfortunately, shit does happen. His car overturned and burst into flames. But as they pulled him from the twisted wreck, with his dying breath they heard him say, "Tell Laura I love her, tell Laura I need her. Tell Laura not to cry, my love for her will never die."

The power of love in their story is clearly shown through Tommy's deep love for Laura. He lived for Laura and he died for Laura. And even when he knew he was not going to make it, his last words were about her. His last message was for her. Can you imagine the devastation Laura must have felt when she sat in the chapel praying for her beloved Tommy?

Next on my list is the tragic story of Tony and Lola, whose love story was told by Barry Manilow in 1976 through his song, "Copacabana". Lola worked as a showgirl while Tony was a bartender in a nightclub called Copacabana, where the two met and fell in love. Everything was rosy and peachy for them until one fateful night when Rico; a rich, young, spoiled brat player came into the nightclub with his usual entourage in tow. As usual, Rico was out to have a good time spending his daddy's money and his goons were more than happy to enjoy the party. When showtime started and Lola was on stage doing her thing with the other showgirls, she caught Rico's attention. He was smitten by her grace and beauty. And being one who always gets what he wants, he was determined to have Lola.

After the first set was over, Lola and the girls mingled with the patrons of the nightclub and that was when Rico made his move. He called her over to his table and Lola obliged. Tony was tending the bar but as always, he kept a close eye on Lola. Rico got a little too friendly with Lola which obviously didn't sit well with Tony. So, like a smooth ninja, he sailed across the bar to Rico's table. Punches flew, chairs were smashed in two, and blood was everywhere too. In the midst of the chaos, a single gun shot was fired. But just who shot who?

Thirty years down the line, Lola returned to Copacabana which had turned into a disco. There was no more show but she still wore her old showgirl dress, complete with faded feathers in her hair. She sat at the bar looking so refined while she drank herself half blind. Tony lost his life that night to Rico, thirty years ago. Losing Tony devastated Lola and pushed her to the edge to the point where she turned to the bottle to numb her pain. She became an alcoholic and the effect of her traumatic loss and excessive boozing had made her lost her mind.

The power of love here was shown clearly in the way Lola had stayed loyal to Tony and his memory even after he was long gone. She couldn't find it in her heart to find a replacement for Tony for to her, he is the love of her life and can never be replaced. Can you imagine what a lonely life she must have led after Tony's death with only booze for company?

In 1986, Bon Jovi came up with a song called "Livin' On A Prayer", which tells the story of a couple named Tommy and Gina. (Tommy seems to be the favourite player in love stories that had been written. Hmm....)
Anyway, Tommy used to work on the docks doing hard labour with not much pay. He stayed with it because even though the pay wasn't much, he and Gina needed the money to make ends meet. Gina, on the other hand, worked at a diner from morning till closing at night. It was also a tiring job with not much pay.

Then one day, shit hit the fan when the union went on strike and Tommy lost his job at the docks. Devastated, he came home to Gina with the bad news. With love and understanding, she said to him, "We've got to hold on to what we've got, cause it doesn't make a difference if we make it or not. We've got each other, and that's a lot. For love, we'll give it a shot." Her words obviously made him feel much better and his love and respect for her grew deeper.

Since Tommy lost his job, Gina became the sole breadwinner of the family. She gave it her all and asked for extra work in the diner to earn extra money. Life was tough for them and the hardship soon took a toll on Gina. She dreamt of running away with Tommy to a new place, away from the city to start a new life. In tears she voiced her thoughts to Tommy one night while they were in bed. Tommy's heart broke as he could see how her spirit had been shaken by the hardship they have had to go through. He pulled her body close to him and in his embrace, he whispered to her, "Baby, it's okay. We've got to hold on to what we've got, cause it doesn't make a difference if we make it or not. We've got each other, and that's a lot. For love, we'll give it a shot. We're halfway there, livin' on a prayer. Take my hand and we'll make it, I swear."

Unlike the previous couples' stories that I've shared, Tommy and Gina's story does not have a tragic ending. What they have is faith and hope. The power of love in their story is clearly shown in the way they held on to their love, not giving up on each other even when the odds are stacked against them.

I have shared with you the various ways LOVE had been written throughout the decades to show what a powerful force LOVE is. And as what I had stated earlier in this piece, Love; although it's a beautiful thing, the ride isn't always smooth. So for the present decade, I would like to share with you a story of a couple known as Zulu and Zullu; two individuals who are kept apart by life's obstacles and circumstances. Below is a letter written by Zulu to Zullu in 2016.

My Darling Zullu,
Fact.... I am not the first woman you have loved, and you are not the first man I have looked at and thought of being my forever. We have both known pain like the sharp edges of a knife so when it comes to this, it is natural for us to be extra cautious or even suspicious. But here's the thing.... our love came unannounced and out of the blue. When we had given up on asking Love to come, it blasted its way through our walls, screaming, "I'm here. Deal with it!"

The way I see it, there are two ways we can look at this 'invasion'....
1) as an unwelcome intrusion of space and privacy that we don't need, or....
2) as a welcomed miracle we have both dreamed and prayed for.

Know this though.... whichever way we choose to look at it, this Love is not going anywhere. It is here to stay; judging from the way it boldly blasted its way in.

So, we have no choice but to 'deal' with it because this Love has made it plain and clear that it refuse to be ignored. Proof? We have both tried to deny it in our own ways and yet, it still managed to find its way to creep back in. And each time it succeeds in doing so, I can hear it mocking us with, "In your face!" followed by a sinister laugh.

I don't know about you, but I'm up for the challenge. I think we both have what it takes to conquer this and show this Love thing that its dealing with no Average Joe, but with the Zulu and the Zullu. Don't mess!

I believe if we can pull this off, no matter how the sands of time roll and rage, we will live on the same page, of the same book. Let's just tend to each other's fire with strength and passion and not let one moment of doubt question where our loyalties lie. Granted, life can be demanding, but we can make it work. I know we can. I believe we can. It may seem like a tall order, but hey, I am Zulu and you are Zullu. We got this!

Forever yours,
Zulu

In this story, I will leave it to you to determine where the power of love is shown. Did the letter make a difference? Did Zulu managed to get through to Zullu?

In conclusion, Love is a two way street which requires equal work and effort on both sides. And even when both work on it equally, it still doesn't guarantee a smooth ride. The sidekicks; pain, heartbreak and madness, will always be around to go along with the ride. 

How powerful is the power of love between you and your partner? How strong is the energy of that love between you and your significant other? These are the questions I'm putting out to you, not because I'm being nosy, but more because I'd like you to look at your relationship with real eyes. Love can do crazy things to a person. If you feel your relationship is solid then just ignore the questions. If you think they are a bit shaky, it wouldn't hurt to take some time to take a closer look. That's all I'm saying.

Comments

  • 💜

    Feb 12, 2018

  • Such beautiful and heartfelt stories of Love. It does take a lot of commitment to something of worth.

    Mar 04, 2018

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