An Old Acquaintance
I went to the library over at Jurong to borrow some books. I realized that I had better polish up on my A Level knowledge else I may say something stupid like Isaac Newton was a famous pianist and Mozart was the one who build the Great Wall of China. Okay, maybe not to that extent but I figured out that I had to do some reading.
I found two books and borrowed them. After that, I went to the toilet and used the sink. I pressed on the tap expecting water to come out. However, what came out was a sudden gush of water! It splashed all over my shirt. Somehow the tap didn't understand that it was me and not my shirt that needed some water. So I went out of the toilet with a wet spot on my shirt. Imagine the stares I attracted. If they were stares because I am handsome, I don't mind. However, if the stares were a result of some wet spot on my shirt, then it's pretty embarrassing.
Anyway, I remembered that I had to buy a tin of Jacob's crackers. So I went to NTUC Fairprice and went to the cashier. It was then that I realized that it was the first Wednesday of the month! It was Bring Your Own Bag Day! I figured out that if you didn't bring any plastic bag, you had to actually PAY to get one. I did not bring any plastic bags with me and I didn't want to waste any money. So I told her that I don't need any and that I could carry the big tin of Jacob's crackers myself. She agreed. I saved a few cents. And so I walked out of the store with a big tin beside me. After I stepped out of the store, I realized that I looked funny. I looked like some old man who stashed away his retirement savings in a tin box. Okay, maybe I shouldn't have saved a few cents.
I walked crossed the road at the traffic lights and walked under the covered walkway. It was there and then that it happened...
I was walking with this big tin box of crackers beside me when I saw her in front. She saw me too. Did she smile at me? I don't know. I was just surprised to see her there. At that moment of time, I seemed to forget her name. Her face was familiar. It was one I seen before in NJC. Yet at that point of time I forgot her name. The story goes back a long way...
It was in NJC then. I saw her in the early months of my NJC years. I knew her name from a friend of mine. I was in the band then. I heard that she was in the band in secondary school. I asked my friend why didn't she join band in NJC. Her friend told me the reason (I won't say it here). It was a sad reason I thought. However, she joined the Chinese Orchestra (CO). It was weird in that she couldn't join the Symphonic Band but could join CO. Anyway, that was her choice.
A few weeks later, she (the one who joined CO) visited the band room frequently. I was at the percussion side practicing on my snare drum. Every visit would involve a smile and a few looks over at my side. It maybe the big gong behind me I thought. Not only that. As I walked from lecture to lecture, at times I bumped into her. She would give the same smile. Maybe it's some guy behind me I thought. This continued on. I thought she wanted to be my friend. Anyway, we remained as normal school mates with oh-you-are-in-the-same-school kind of relationship. After A Levels, I went to army and I don't know what she did.
The next time I saw her was on the bus when I worked in IMRE. She saw me and I saw her. It brought back memories of her smile and the big gong behind me (okay maybe the gong part is a joke). This time, she kept quiet. Maybe something happened? I don't know.
Flashback over. I walked towards her and she walked towards me. We brushed past each other. She saw me with my big tin of Jacob's and wet shirt. It was a bad way of making impressions. I thought she smiled. I don't know.
She's a nice lady. Friendly and all. Was she interested in me? Or was she interested in the gong behind me (okay, joke again). Maybe I was dumb and immature about this boy-girl relationship (BGR) stuff then when I was in NJC. Thinking back, it seems that she may be hinting of a friendship. Of course all these are just thoughts and conclusions that I have. They maybe wrong. For all you know, she was really interested in playing the gong.
Anyway, I took the bus home and went to do some A Level stuff. By then, my shirt had dried.
I found two books and borrowed them. After that, I went to the toilet and used the sink. I pressed on the tap expecting water to come out. However, what came out was a sudden gush of water! It splashed all over my shirt. Somehow the tap didn't understand that it was me and not my shirt that needed some water. So I went out of the toilet with a wet spot on my shirt. Imagine the stares I attracted. If they were stares because I am handsome, I don't mind. However, if the stares were a result of some wet spot on my shirt, then it's pretty embarrassing.
Anyway, I remembered that I had to buy a tin of Jacob's crackers. So I went to NTUC Fairprice and went to the cashier. It was then that I realized that it was the first Wednesday of the month! It was Bring Your Own Bag Day! I figured out that if you didn't bring any plastic bag, you had to actually PAY to get one. I did not bring any plastic bags with me and I didn't want to waste any money. So I told her that I don't need any and that I could carry the big tin of Jacob's crackers myself. She agreed. I saved a few cents. And so I walked out of the store with a big tin beside me. After I stepped out of the store, I realized that I looked funny. I looked like some old man who stashed away his retirement savings in a tin box. Okay, maybe I shouldn't have saved a few cents.
I walked crossed the road at the traffic lights and walked under the covered walkway. It was there and then that it happened...
I was walking with this big tin box of crackers beside me when I saw her in front. She saw me too. Did she smile at me? I don't know. I was just surprised to see her there. At that moment of time, I seemed to forget her name. Her face was familiar. It was one I seen before in NJC. Yet at that point of time I forgot her name. The story goes back a long way...
It was in NJC then. I saw her in the early months of my NJC years. I knew her name from a friend of mine. I was in the band then. I heard that she was in the band in secondary school. I asked my friend why didn't she join band in NJC. Her friend told me the reason (I won't say it here). It was a sad reason I thought. However, she joined the Chinese Orchestra (CO). It was weird in that she couldn't join the Symphonic Band but could join CO. Anyway, that was her choice.
A few weeks later, she (the one who joined CO) visited the band room frequently. I was at the percussion side practicing on my snare drum. Every visit would involve a smile and a few looks over at my side. It maybe the big gong behind me I thought. Not only that. As I walked from lecture to lecture, at times I bumped into her. She would give the same smile. Maybe it's some guy behind me I thought. This continued on. I thought she wanted to be my friend. Anyway, we remained as normal school mates with oh-you-are-in-the-same-school kind of relationship. After A Levels, I went to army and I don't know what she did.
The next time I saw her was on the bus when I worked in IMRE. She saw me and I saw her. It brought back memories of her smile and the big gong behind me (okay maybe the gong part is a joke). This time, she kept quiet. Maybe something happened? I don't know.
Flashback over. I walked towards her and she walked towards me. We brushed past each other. She saw me with my big tin of Jacob's and wet shirt. It was a bad way of making impressions. I thought she smiled. I don't know.
She's a nice lady. Friendly and all. Was she interested in me? Or was she interested in the gong behind me (okay, joke again). Maybe I was dumb and immature about this boy-girl relationship (BGR) stuff then when I was in NJC. Thinking back, it seems that she may be hinting of a friendship. Of course all these are just thoughts and conclusions that I have. They maybe wrong. For all you know, she was really interested in playing the gong.
Anyway, I took the bus home and went to do some A Level stuff. By then, my shirt had dried.
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posted by Steph at 6:53 PM
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4 Comments:
you know im always faced with this to-smile-or-not-to-smile dilemma when I meet friends-of-friends whom I obviously recog...but then again who knows if they recog me haha...
chill. it's just a smile. no need to tink so much.
Hey Ee Min! How are you man? Hopefully things are going well for you.
Yes...yes...I understand what you mean. It's pretty hard. If you smile, and they don't recognize me, it will be kinda pai-seh. However, if you don't they may think that you are super dao.
Haha...I think so too :)
I think she liked you Steph! I finished Uni last June and I remember there was this girl I saw every 2-3 weeks, we never spoke, but often smiled at each other... There wasn't a shortage of people to smile at and since I've left I've managed to work out that perhaps there was something there.
I often look back and wonder, what if I said hi, and how things may have turned out. Still, you live and learn.
God bless! :)
Me.
Lol...you think so? I am not really sure myself...haha.
Same here. At times, I would think if I had done this or done that how would the events turn out later in the future. However, it's just a thought as what has happened has happened.
God Bless,
Stephen
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