With small but quick steps, she quietly went around the corner of a secluded park. The big pine tree helped to blocked her from the public view. With one last glance, to ensure that no one was looking, she pulled her pink hoodie over her head, and finally lied down on the pale, dry grass.

Placing her hands on top of her stomach, she heaved a huge sigh as she looked up at the empty skies.

There were no sounds, only the sound of her continuous heartbeat can be heard.

She closed her eyes to absorb the quietness around her.

Her body relaxed, and her mind filled with serenity.

"Finally." She thought to herself. "This was something that I wanted to do in a long time. To lie back down on the grass and look up at the sky, and to be at internal bliss."

"So, any questions?" the interviewer asked finally, after a 10 minute interview with us.

Both me and another candidate shook our heads lightly. "Nope," I said.

Actually I do. A lot actually, I thought to myself. There were a lot of uncertainties in my mind, but I thought it would be inappropriate to ask so many questions in just one interview.

"Great! If no, then I would like to dismissed the interview," the interviewer said as he stood up from his seat. "But before that, I would like to have a few moments with Susan for awhile. Just for 5 seconds. So Fariq, thanks for coming for the interview, we would contact you when you're shortlisted for the job."

Wait. What? Did he say he wants to speak privately with me?! I thought. He isn't going to offer me the job right away, right? Isn't it too soon?

The interviewer shook Fariq hands, said his thanks, and walked out the door. The door closed lightly behind him.

"Susan, I just want to have a bit of your time. Just 5 seconds," he said as he sat back down in his seat.

"Yeah, sure," I said.

"I noticed something about your behaviour, and I find it.... well.... a bit too much," he said, smiling. Clearly, his face looked a little bit displeased. "So I thought that this advice that I'm gonna give you might help you in your future."

I sat quietly in my seat, feeling afraid that he's going to say something which I wasn't sure of.

Oh noooo..... What did I do wrong this time? I thought to myself, feeling slightly embarrassed.

"I noticed that your tongue is moving around too much, and your body as well. I think it's a bit too much. So I just wanna know....."

Before he could finish his sentences, I immediately sat back and laughed, politely.

原来是这样！(So it was about this!) I thought to myself.

"Oh no, sir! I think it's because of my braces," I said, delightfully, but yet feeling bashful at the same time. "I just got it done this year January!"

"Ahh... I see. No wonder. I understand now!" he said, smiling.

"I was trying to get water to drink because I was thirsty, that's why I was moving around so much!" I said, as I cover my mouth with the tip of my fingers. "I'm soooo sorry! I know that it's annoying! But I'm trying to get used to it, especially when it comes to speaking!"

“Ah. It’s fine. I just wanted to know, and at least I understand now,” he said.

“So that’s all you wanted to say to me? About my braces?”

“That’s all of it,” he said as he got up from his seat to open the door for me.

“I see. I thought you were going to talk to me something else other than that!” I said as I got up from my seat at the same time. “But thanks, thanks for letting me know. I appreciate feedback like this. I like feedbacks like this, no matter if it’s negative, because it helps me learn and grow.”



“I know,” he smiled. “Because you look like that kind of person that does.”

* * *

* * *

“Don’t know. Maybe?” said Pei Wen. “Anyway, it’s just a dream. It’s not real…”

‘Although I want it to be’, said inside her heart.

“And who’s that guy?” Chuen asked. “Is it one of our friend? A superstar?!”

“Nope, but I think you saw him before. He’s someone you know.”

“Walao! Give some hint lerh!” he begged. “Is it Chim Ming? Hong Jun? Yin Wen? En Rong?”

Pei Wen laughed. “Whatever answer you're gonna give me, I won’t give you a direct answer.”

Chuen threw her a face, and continued guessing.

* * *

Oh, you dummy! That guy was actually you all along. ♥

I saw her lying on the inclined bed, and smiled slyly at her.

"On Chinese New Year, people visit relatives and friends house, but you? You visit hospital. Walao eh, seriously?" I said sarcastically.

She laughed, but not so much as she struggled to breath through her oxygen mask.

"But why? Why didn't you tell me that you're in the hospital?" I asked disappointedly. "Am I no longer in your heart anymore?"

She looked down in guilt, avoiding my eye contact, and said, nothing.



* * *


But somewhere deep inside, I cried a little.
I cried when I found out that pneumonia is dangerous, and you might die from it.
I cried because I'm afraid, that I won't be able to see you again.

3 years ago on Valentine's Day, I was working as a part-time waitress in a high class restaurant, serving almost 600++ customers, couples, and families between the month of January and February.

In preparation for Valentines Day, the tables in the grand dining hall were properly arranged and beautifully decorated with a lighted scented candle, a set of complete cutleries for two, and a paper menu set beside the candle. The curtain blinders were rolled up, revealing the buzzing people at the side of the streets. The lights were also dimmed, and soft music filled the room, hence, setting a cosy, warm, and romantic environment.

It was about 9pm, the crowd was much lesser since it was almost our closing time, hence, it was less busy for us. There were only 2 couples sitting inside the dining hall, chatting away while I was doing my round of collecting and putting away the dishes.

Suddenly, something caught my attention right at the corner of my eye.
As I turned to faced the table right in front of me, I noticed that the paper menu on the table was starting to burn!

For a moment, I stood there staring blankly at the burning menu, now in flames.
My mind was screaming at me to get water or scream for help, but my feet just stood rooted against the floor, not wanting me to move! On the other hand, my colleague, Dale, was behind the bar counter, unaware of the whole situation.

Should I get Dale to put out the fire?! Or should I just put out the fire myself?! I thought to myself.


Even at this situation, I could still hear Adele's chorus echoing at the back of my mind: "Set fireeeeeee... to the rain!" Except that there was no rain, it was practically just fire!

It was such an obvious, and stupid question that I'm asking myself.
Even so, I still stood there blankly watching the fire with a bit if amusement and in awe, the fire, now bigger, which is now burning through the table cloth, as if I've never seen a fire before. lol.

Out of a sudden, I came back to my senses when I saw a couple stood up in their seats. Their faces looked horrified as they noticed the current situation. I snapped back into reality, and immediately sprang into action. I turned around in circles, running frantically back and forth, and around the dining hall looking for a source of water. Dale was still busy cleaning up some dishes behind the bar counter. When I saw the leftover cup of water on top of the bar counter, I immediately took it and splashed it across the table.


The fire was immediately extinguished, and what was left was a soaked table, and huge burnt hole in the middle of the tablecloth. The table was stained black in the middle.

I continued to stood there, staring at the horrible messed for a few minutes, questioning myself on what had just happened.

"Do you smell something burning?" I heard Dale spoke up behind me.

I turned around to look at him, my face still as blank as ever.
I pointed towards the burnt table, and his facial expression suddenly dropped.
"WHAT HAPPENED?!" he asked frantically, his face filled with shock.

I looked at him, and shrugged.

* * *

So yeah, if you're still feeling sad because you're still single for Valentine's Day...

Don't be. lol

Because nothing can't be worst than almost (unintentionally) setting fire to a high class restaurant on Valentine's Day. So yeah, being single is not that bad. lol

But maybe that's why I'm still single ~(--..--)~

Happy Valentines Day & Gong Xi Fa Chai !!

"Sir, I may not be working here anymore," I said sadly, as I looked at him.

He turned to face me, but said nothing. He was a regular customer in his mid-50's, but I never got to know his name, even after working almost a year here.

I smiled widely at him, "I've just graduated."

He smiled back at me, and that was the moment that I knew that he was secretly happy for me, but yet a little sad that I was leaving.

"Yes, come in." A muffled voice came inside from the closed office door.

I barged into his office.

"Dr.Chengggg!!!!"

He sighed. "Yesssssss... ."

His toned was calm and cool, but slightly annoyed, as if he was expecting someone to clobber him with a club already. He looked at me, not feeling surprised that I was that person.

"I wanna chop you already!" I said hysterically while waving my result slip in front of him, smiling. "I almost lost my 2nd upper class because of youuuuu!!"

I just obtained my official semester result slip, guaranteeing me the 2nd upper class that I wanted, but I wasn't happy until I teased my subject lecturer. I wanted to teased him for my own satisfaction, like how he teased me with my final examination marks.

He sighed.

"Listen, listen. It's not my fault, I can explain," he said boringly. He sounded as if he had explained it for the 1010th times. "The marks wasn't supposed to be like that, but after going through some external markers, they lowered the marks, so it's not my fault. It is Lancaster requirement..... Yada.... yada.... yada...."

I sat comfortably at the chair in front of his table, refusing to listen to the usual "Lancaster requirement standards" talk. I've graduated, so I didn't really care. On the other hand, Mr.Gan, my research project supervisor, who was seated opposite of him, smiled at the conversation that we were having.

  

".... so that's why the marks is not to what you expected."

"You know Dr.Cheng," I said as I stood up to look at him. "Sometimes in life, there will always be that one person who you’ll remember for something. And so, I will remember you. I will remember you for the person who almost make me lose my 2nd upper class!” I teased him, evilly.

“The person who almost make you lose your 2nd upper class, huh?” He repeated “That’s very interesting, huh?” He said sarcastically as he smiled.

* * *

He was my class lecturer for 3 subjects.
Product Development and Commercialization. International Marketing. Marketing Strategy.

But I will remember him, I will remember him as the lecturer who almost made me lose my 2nd Upper Class. Because that sounds more interesting than a normal subject lecturer. 

I skipped happily towards her, feeling excited to tell her something.

"Wanna see durians?" I asked my friend as I arrived on the stretching area from where she is standing, slightly panting.

"Where did you go, doofus?!" She raised her voice, feeling slightly annoyed and angry.

She always call people 'doofus' when she's angry or when she thinks the person is dumb or noob, although I don't know what that means.

"Wanna see durians?" I repeated the question, ignoring her, not letting her destroy my excitement.

"I've seen them before," she brushed me off.

"Since when?! Liar! No you didn't! Let me show you some durians!"

I held my right hand in front of her and open up my palms.
"Here! Mini durians!" I smiled gleefully at her.

15th January 2014, Thursday.

Location: McDonalds, Sri Petaling.

"Yerr... You larh! Actually I don't want to come one lorh." She grumbled.
"I only came to accompany you because Nui Nui couldn't make it."

I looked into my chocolate sundae ice-cream.

"Come on... It's only like, once in a lifetime. I don't always ask you out like this at this time also," I said.
"Plus, it's the biggest and most important period of my life lorh. It's like the determining factor whether you'll finally graduate. Don't you feel that way when you check your final examination results?"

"Well... yes I do, but not like this! I do it at home lorh."

"But to me, I want to remember that moment. If my results are good, I would wanna celebrate it with someone, if it's not good, at least I have someone there for me to cry on."

I sighed.

"Anyway, how's your first day at work?" I asked, deciding to change the topic.

I pressed the home button on my iPhone. The screen lighted up: 11.52pm.

"10 more minutes!!" I gasped, scooping a spoonful of ice-cream into my mouth.

She smiled at me.

"Are you sure you wanna listen to my story? You don't looked like you wanna listen."

"Don't worry, I'm listening. So, tell me."

* * *

10 minutes later...

12.02am

"OH. MY. GOD!! IT'S 12am!!" I shrieked. "I don't dare look at my results! Please look at it for me! HELP ME SEEEEEEE!!"

I forced my iPhone into her hands. So many things were running through my mind.

Will I get both subjects 60% and above? I think I'll get 60%+ for Marketing Strategy, but what about International Business?

I know I'm gonna pass, it's only 2 subjects! Who couldn't passed a theory exam with only 2 subjects?! But I wasn't worried about passing, I was worried about whether I'll be getting my 2nd upper class. The most important thing is that I have to get both subjects 60% and above!

"Where? How? I don't see anything!"

"You gotta click on the drop-down list and click on the latest semester!"

"Ohh... but I still don't see anything! I can't scroll to the right."

I snatched my phone away and unlocked the "portrait orientation" setting.

"Nah! Just scroll to the right and see. Please tell me it's all B!! For both subjects!! If it's bad, please don't tell me! If it's good......"

Suddenly, I saw a smile on her face, and she started laughing. I immediately went blank.
But her laugh faded.
"Eerhh... okay larh," she hesitated.


"How is it?! All B?!" I clasped my hands on the side of my face.


 "Quite close. 3 more marks only."


"WHAT?!"
I snatched my phone, and the first thing I saw on the screen, in a table form:
.... B
.... C

A 'C'?!

I zoomed out to look at the marks, side by side with the grades.

.... 68    B
.... 57    C


For a moment, I felt my heart sank. It sank so deep, that it could actually make friends with Titanic. I thought I would actually go berserk or start screaming and shouting in anger, or even start crying and tearing up, but nothing of those came to my mind. The thing is…..

I just. Went. Blank.

I stared at my results on my dimmed screen, and sighed. Suddenly, I felt reality started kicking me in the butt, and in the face. I closed my eyes and tilt my head back towards the ceiling, stretching my arms horizontally across the table. Life sucks.

I got up from my table, suddenly feeling the slight dizziness in my head. I felt so heavy, as if there was something weighing me down. I felt like there was a whole heaped of weight on me, dragging me as I walk, like I was dragging the table from where we ate. But I guess, disappointment was the one dragging onto me.

Without looking at her face, I muttered, “Let’s go home.”

This chapter is dedicated to the late Mr.Loong Ah Kew, who had recently passed away due to a brain tumour. He was a secondary school discipline teacher in Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Taman Desa, and he will be deeply missed by all of his students, teachers, friends, relatives, and also his family.

You have touched the lives of many.

And one of them...

...is me.

* * *

Isn't it funny?

That you'll only start remembering the memories of a person only when he/she is gone?

I guess it happens a lot to many of us.

Because we'll only start remembering and appreciating them only after they're gone.

*RIIIIIIIIINNNNNGGGG!!*

"Did you hear? Mr.Loong is our class teacher!"

"You mean that half botak teacher in the school assembly just now? Sure anot?!"

"What?! Really?! Who told you?!?!"

A group of students who just entered the classroom started whispering and snickering.

I just so happen to eavesdrop while everyone was busy talking and choosing their 'strategic' class seats.

It was my first day of secondary school. My first time stepping into a totally new environment. 1M was the name of my class. The so called last class of the whole Form1, but I was more glad that I wasn't sentenced to "Peralihan", or the so called "Remove Class". The sound of those class names sounded more terrifying than 1M.

In short, I think 1M wasn't that bad.

1 MEGA-AWESOME CLASS mah! I told myself, trying to convince my heart that it was going to be okay.

"He very scary leh! I heard he canned students one wor," said a girl student.

"Ya lorh. He looks damn scary leh! More scarier than my mother!" said another student, seated beside the girl.

Suddenly, a man walked in to the room.

5 feet tall, slightly plumped and bald, and fair skin, his presence was enough to kill the noises of the classroom instantly. Alas, it was true, he was none other than Mr.Loong Ah Kew.

The whole classroom immediately stood up and greeted him.

"Se-la-mat Se-jah-te-ra Cik-gu."

Mr.Loong nodded in satisfaction.

"Okay. Sit down," he said.

Everyone settled down, but no one dare to make a move or a sound. Mr.Loong stood in front of the class. His eyes started scanning the whole classroom, as if he was a robot or something, but his smile instantly greeted us.


“My name is Mr.Loong, and I’ll be your class teacher from today onwards,” he said, “Since today is your first day of school, I won’t be giving any homework but I would like to get to know every one of you in this class. So, I would like all of us to introduce ourselves.”


The students started chattering softly, exchanging glances and small talks with one another.


“So let’s start from here,” he pointed.
The girl sitting at the utmost front row corner was caught by his surprised.
“Stand up, introduce yourself by saying your name, and what are your hobbies,” he said.


And one by one, every student stood up, and shared their names and hobbies to the class. Each time, giggles and laughers were exchanged as the amused Mr.Loong questioned and teased about the weird stories and hobbies that certain students had shared. And when it was finally my turn, I slowly stood up.

“My name is Siew Lin,” I said, softly. “And I like cooking.”

“Oh… So what do you usually cook?” Mr.Loong asked.

I paused for awhile. “Maggi mee?”

“Maggi mee?!” he repeated, cheekily smiling.
The class roared with laughter. The two guys who was seated in front of me kept laughing.
I stood there, feeling confused while staring at him.
Was it supposed to be funny? I asked myself.

“Well… erm… I can fried fish too,” I added on, thinking that it might help improve my previous answer. "And I can draw too!"

"Ya, teacher!" The guy in front of me said. "She can really draw!"
He lifted my plastic file up to show him the hand-drawn anime pictures pasted on my file cover.
"Damn geng you know she draw!" the guy next to him said.

Mr.Loong smiled. "Alright. Alright. Thank you Siew Lin, you may sit down."


And that was how I met Mr.Loong for the first time.



* * * * *

Mr.Loong wasn't just our class teacher, he was also our English teacher.

"Okay, class. I want you to construct a sentence using these 5 words written here," Mr.Loong said.

The words written on the blackboard:
Hostile.
Amuse.
Jovial.
Alluring.
Mischievous.

Hmm... This doesn't look tough. I know every word except the third one, I thought.



“Let me explain each word, so that you would know what each word means,” said Mr.Loong, “The first word, hostile, means being rude and aggressive to someone.”

Before I could hear him explained, I’ve had already started writing down the constructed sentences in my workbook.
“Sam’s parents didn’t like Ahmad because of his hostile attitude” I wrote.


“The next word, amused, means to be surprised at something that you least expect.”
“Alex was amused when he saw his friend showed him some magic tricks" I wrote.


The next word, jovial, the word that I didn't understand. I look up at Mr.Loong, waiting for him to explain.
"And jovial, means being happy. It describes a person who is happy-go-lucky and always in a good and happy mood," Mr.Loong said.

I look at him in amusement, something had already struck my head after he had finished describing. I look down at my workbook and immediately started scribbling:
"Mr.Loong looks very strict but he is actually a very jovial person."