Upon arrival at base camp, they had to board a speedboat taking them up the river before they could hike to the camp site. Unlike travelling on the bus, everyone enjoyed the bumpy cruise along the emerald river. Shaded by the lofty canopy of the rainforest, they mesmerised at the sights of siamangs (black furred gibbon) peeping from behind gargantuan tree trunks, the symphonic hums of the jungle insects and even saw a kingfisher, diving into the river before soaring majestically back up with a tiny fish clasped tightly in its razor beak. ‘It really is a whole other world here huh,’ Wei Yee said in wonder. Anna nodded in agreement, taking in every bit of sight and sound presented by the thousand year old Malayan jungle.
Twenty five minutes later, the boat docked beside a brittle looking wooden jetty and everyone carefully got off. ‘You need any help with your stuff?’ Gabriel offered to Anna. ‘Nope. I can manage a knapsack,’ she said. ‘I’m surprised your Maya isn’t here,’ Anna couldn’t help but to add. ‘Errr, firstly, she isn’t MY Maya. She did sign up to come along but I guess after last night’s drinking binge, she should still be having a heated argument with her toilet bowl as we speak,’ he said with a chuckle. ‘Besides, she’s not really an outdoor adventure kinda person,’ he said. ‘Well, it seems you know her incredibly well. I guessed as much that when I saw you, she was the other one who didn’t show up this morning’ Anna sounded with a hint of jealousy. Just then, Steve and Wei Yee caught up with them and Gabriel dropped what he wanted to say.
The camp site is actually a very generous open area surrounded by a myriad of age old kapok trees. They stockpiled their belongings at a corner and had lunch. Famished, everyone hoovered in the pre-packed combo of curry chicken, stir fried cabbage, steamed rice and washed it all down with servings of diluted rose flavoured cordial. With their bellies filled, everyone felt a surge in vigour and started setting up tents. Since the girls know as much about tent setting as they would how to build a space shuttle, Steve ended up helping Wei Yee leaving Gabriel with Anna. Gabriel it seems is an expert and only needed Anna to pass him the material. They only exchanged words when necessary. When the tent was up, Gabriel sauntered over to help Steve who seems to be having trouble untying the aluminium rods for the tent’s support structure. Wei Yee was looking on, unimpressed.
At 4:00 p.m., they prepared themselves for their jungle trekking expedition. After a quick briefing by the local guide, Pak Awan (loosely translated : Uncle Cloud) they started moving out. Walking in a single line, they treaded on a path led by Pak Awan who will stop every now and then to explain the characteristics of certain flora and fauna. They learned how to spot wild tapioca leaves and that it can be eaten fresh from the ground. They identified herb roots that supposedly contain a range of medicinal benefits. They overturned moss covered rocks to expose a community of angry fire ants beneath it. They were taught to distinguish the piercing callings of the monyet balanda (proboscis monkey). The outing was thoroughly pleasurable and educational.
Gabriel and Steve were bringing up the back of the group followed by the girls and the rest of the entourage in front. There were instances where Gabriel’s sweaty arms would brush Anna’s and she tried her best to think nothing of it although each accidental caress would send a jolt up her body.
Without warning, it started to pour heavily. The echoes erupted as huge water droplets pounded the jungle surroundings was deafening. Anna could hear Pak Awan shouting up front but couldn’t make up his words exactly. Finally, the message reached her. They have to hurry up and cross the stream before it overflows. As if by magic, the dry dirt path morphed into a slippery mud slide. The more they rushed, the more they tripped and stumbled. Amidst all the chaos, Wei Yee suffered a deep gash at her left calf when she sliced it on a sharp protruding tree stem. The pain brought tears to her eyes but she was relieved that the rain was able to mask this show of vulnerability. When they came upon the stream, the water level was already dangerously high. The once serene stream terrifyingly swelled into a raging river right before their eyes. To get cross, one would have to walk on a man made bridge constructed out of lime stones. Over the years, flowing waters have polished the surface of the bridge making it extremely slippery when wet. Pak Awan was the first to cross and even he lost his balance when a sudden gush of water took him by surprise. Fortunately, years of trekking experience and a solid physical core helped him to steady himself. Once safely on the other side, he threw a rope over to be tied to a tree trunk. Using the rope, one by one, the students inched their way across. As the fifth student reached the other side, the rushing waters was already above their ankle level. Panic began to register on the faces of those yet to be on the safer side of the stream. The rain showed no signs of yielding and the constant ear-splitting thunder only adds to the students’ rising tension. Some of the girls were screaming fearfully as the knee high water is forcefully trying to wash them down stream. Pak Awan and Bruce were trying their best to motivate the group by screaming words of encouragement. People from both sides of the stream were shivering uncontrollably in the relentless rain.
When it came to Wei Yee’s turn, the water had already risen above her hip level. Pak Awan was afraid that she might not be strong enough to sustain the might of the water. So he said that they have to risk two people crossing the river together. The added muscle from the guys should provide them a better chance. With only the four of them remaining, Steve took the nylon cord Pak Awan had flung over and double knotted Wei Yee’s waist securely to his. Wei Yee was scared stiff she wasn’t able to take the first step. With tears streaming, all the possible ghastly scenarios flashed before her eyes. The she heard Steve’s voice, very steadily saying ‘It’s now or never Wei Yee. Don’t worry, I’ve got your back ok’. Grabbing the rope for dear life, she plunged one leg into the murky water and immediately lost her footing due to the strong currents. She heard Anna scream but Steve was already clenching her shoulders firmly. ‘Don’t worry, take your time,’ he reassured her. Though still enveloped with a sense of terror, she nodded. One step at a time, they inched forward. The water being surprisingly warm helped calm a bit of their nerves. Nevertheless, Wei Yee could feel the sting as the roughness of the rope bit painfully into her delicate palms. The wound from her ankle was throbbing so bad it made her dizzy. The only consolation was knowing that Steve was there for her. Every now and then, he would offer words of support. It was his way to let her know he’s right behind her in every step. It felt like an eternity before they both reached the other side. By the time Bruce helped pulled them out, the water level was hanging above Steve’s shoulder, leaving Anna and Gabriel trapped on the other side. With no other options, Pak Awan shouted for them to seek cover at least until the rain dies down and wait for the stream to shallow itself. Right now, any attempts to navigate their way across would be suicidal. As Gabriel pulled her back towards the direction they previously came from, Anna could see a sobbing Wei Yee begging Pak Awan to save her best friend.
Thursday, August 5, 2010
A Fairytail : Chapter 5
The first college semester is zipping by rapidly. The students were fervently going through the days without a minute to spare. In between the lectures, tutorials, assignments and exams, some were naively falling in love while others committing themselves to temporary best-friend-forever bonds. More often than not, neither will last through the end of the year. Sex and booze are all the rage and made more so by the fact that both are so easily attainable in today’s ungoverned society. To be involved is to fit in and hardly anyone dares to defy the status quo. The more daring ones were busy getting intoxicated by experimenting on substances readily made available by Josh. Frequently lounging in the alley beside the 7-Eleven store, the pusher is at all times secreting beneath his trademark crimson Timberland cap. The bright colour acts as an easy beacon for his customers to home in to. The unnatural ‘high’ guaranteed, coupled with the excitement from breaking the law infused an irresistible addiction in his regulars. Their insatiable hunger for more makes business very good for Josh indeed.
On the whole, the college community is exploring the limitless avenues granted by their new found freedom. Once a preferred avenue is found, they will tend to push the boundaries. For most, the phrase, curiosity kills the cat fails to come into play.
Anna and Wei Yee made a pact to keep each other grounded on the morals which they were brought up on. Each will police the other’s behaviour to make certain that neither one will be tainted by the sinful temptations offered beneath life’s mask of false veracity. Anna didn’t need reminders to recognize how difficult it was for her mother to slave through the job she so despised to afford Anna a comfortable education. Furthermore, Anna has been missing her mother lately. They hardly had the chance to see each other apart from dinner time. Locking herself up in her room on most evenings to complete her assignments, she would appear later in the night to find Claire already fast asleep, sometimes as early as 9:00 p.m. Times like these, she would be overwhelmed with guilt for not being able to help ease her mother’s fatigue.
Their little band of misfits consisting of Steve, a religious Trekkie and a devotee of all things science fiction, Katie, arguably the most intellectual human Anna and Wei Yee have ever met, Ivan, Katie’s acne prone twin brother cum die hard fan of Japanese music pop groups and finally, Jung Ho, an extremely bashful Korean exchange student who hardly speaks any English would spend their time in college hobbling between classes, the library and the cafeteria. On the rare occasions where weather permits, they would relax beneath a shady 65 year old Angsana tree towering high within the college compound, enjoying a silent game of people watching.
Three long days stand in between the girls and their first trip with the Outdoor Society. A two nights three days camping excursion at a forest reserve along the borders of Pahang (a state in Peninsular Malaysia) does sound awfully appealing since it gave them the opportunity to momentarily liberate themselves from the burden of lectures and assignments. Wei Yee had only ever camped once throughout her 18 years existence on God’s green earth and that was only in her school’s field. Anna is a self confessed camping virgin. So their rising enthusiasm as the day drew nearer was understandable.
On the night before the camping trip ...
‘You packed everything?’ enquired Claire. ‘For the hundredth time, YES Ma,’ Anna punctuated. ‘What about your insect repellent? The diarrhoea meds? You never know what they’ll feed you in the jungle,’ pestered her worried mother. ‘Oh and will you be having your period then? You need pads?’ continued Claire. Anna rolled her eyes and said ‘Yes Ma, insect repellent’s already in the bag. So are the meds. You packed them in yourself remember. Just so you know, we’ll be surviving mostly on canned beans, bread and instant packet curries and cup noodles, not leaves or any creepy crawlies. And no, I won’t be having my period seeing that I’ve just had it last week’. She gripped both her mother’s palms and soothed ‘It’s only for three days. I’ll be back before you know it’. ‘But it’s the jungle and a mother always worries. You’ll call me each night right?’ Claire replied. ‘Errr … I don’t think my mobile will have any signal in the middle of the jungle Ma,’ said Anna to her wide eyed mother.
At 5:30 a.m., the thirty seven eager beavers gathered at the designated assembly point, ready to board the bus that will ferry them to the camp site. Two members failed to show up and the annoyed group leader, Bruce was trying to get through their mobiles to no avail. Anna and Wei Yee were chatting animatedly as they chewed on lukewarm fishballs on a stick they had earlier bought from 7-Eleven. Steve was still deciding between a can of Milo or Nescafe. A gleaming Mercedes S Class screeched to a halt and everyone turned to stare. Gabriel climbed out from the back seat, flashed a grin to Bruce and ran over to him to apologize. At that instant, Wei Yee nudged Anna to close her opened mouth which revealed some rather disgusting mashed up fish paste. ‘What is he doing here?’ exclaimed Anna to her friend. ‘How should I know,’ answered Wei Yee before popping the last fishball into her jaws. Less than a minute later, Bruce announced ‘Ok listen up everyone. As I’ve explained earlier, we’re going by the buddy system here, meaning you pick a partner and you look out for each other. If your partner is M.I.A, you report to me. If your partner is ill, you report to me. If your partner goes berserk in the middle of the jungle … you report to me. Am I understood?’ Majority murmured ‘Yes’. Now if there’s anyone who doesn’t have a partner yet, raise your hand,’ Bruce instructed. Everyone looked around and two hands were up. One belonging to Steve and the other, Gabriel. ‘There you go fellas, a match made in heaven. Now let’s get a move on. In an orderly fashion, store your belongings into the bus’s storage compartment and then board up, one pair at a time. Nobody leaves the bus once their in. Janice here will be taking your attendance,’ Bruce said gesturing to the petite bespectacled gal standing beside him. Janice waved at the rest of them cartoonishly.
Anna and Wei Yee were amongst the first few on board and they chose to sit two rows from the front. When Steve came up, he said to Gabriel ‘Hey, these are my friends, Anna and Wei Yee. Girls, this is Gabriel’. ‘We’ve met,’ answered Wei Yee frostily. ‘Great. Lets sit here,’ Steve said to Gabriel as he settled into the seat behind the girls, obviously not detecting the coldness in Wei Yee’s words. ‘Only if that’s ok with you?’ asked Gabriel looking at Anna. ‘It’s a free country,’ Anna responded.
The journey took a strenuous six and a half hours. Throughout the ride, Steve was painstakingly trying to get the three of them to warm up to each other. At last, he gave up and slept instead. Anna could feel the back of her neck prickling, as if Gabriel was sending electric pulses through his gaze from behind.
On the whole, the college community is exploring the limitless avenues granted by their new found freedom. Once a preferred avenue is found, they will tend to push the boundaries. For most, the phrase, curiosity kills the cat fails to come into play.
Anna and Wei Yee made a pact to keep each other grounded on the morals which they were brought up on. Each will police the other’s behaviour to make certain that neither one will be tainted by the sinful temptations offered beneath life’s mask of false veracity. Anna didn’t need reminders to recognize how difficult it was for her mother to slave through the job she so despised to afford Anna a comfortable education. Furthermore, Anna has been missing her mother lately. They hardly had the chance to see each other apart from dinner time. Locking herself up in her room on most evenings to complete her assignments, she would appear later in the night to find Claire already fast asleep, sometimes as early as 9:00 p.m. Times like these, she would be overwhelmed with guilt for not being able to help ease her mother’s fatigue.
Their little band of misfits consisting of Steve, a religious Trekkie and a devotee of all things science fiction, Katie, arguably the most intellectual human Anna and Wei Yee have ever met, Ivan, Katie’s acne prone twin brother cum die hard fan of Japanese music pop groups and finally, Jung Ho, an extremely bashful Korean exchange student who hardly speaks any English would spend their time in college hobbling between classes, the library and the cafeteria. On the rare occasions where weather permits, they would relax beneath a shady 65 year old Angsana tree towering high within the college compound, enjoying a silent game of people watching.
Three long days stand in between the girls and their first trip with the Outdoor Society. A two nights three days camping excursion at a forest reserve along the borders of Pahang (a state in Peninsular Malaysia) does sound awfully appealing since it gave them the opportunity to momentarily liberate themselves from the burden of lectures and assignments. Wei Yee had only ever camped once throughout her 18 years existence on God’s green earth and that was only in her school’s field. Anna is a self confessed camping virgin. So their rising enthusiasm as the day drew nearer was understandable.
On the night before the camping trip ...
‘You packed everything?’ enquired Claire. ‘For the hundredth time, YES Ma,’ Anna punctuated. ‘What about your insect repellent? The diarrhoea meds? You never know what they’ll feed you in the jungle,’ pestered her worried mother. ‘Oh and will you be having your period then? You need pads?’ continued Claire. Anna rolled her eyes and said ‘Yes Ma, insect repellent’s already in the bag. So are the meds. You packed them in yourself remember. Just so you know, we’ll be surviving mostly on canned beans, bread and instant packet curries and cup noodles, not leaves or any creepy crawlies. And no, I won’t be having my period seeing that I’ve just had it last week’. She gripped both her mother’s palms and soothed ‘It’s only for three days. I’ll be back before you know it’. ‘But it’s the jungle and a mother always worries. You’ll call me each night right?’ Claire replied. ‘Errr … I don’t think my mobile will have any signal in the middle of the jungle Ma,’ said Anna to her wide eyed mother.
At 5:30 a.m., the thirty seven eager beavers gathered at the designated assembly point, ready to board the bus that will ferry them to the camp site. Two members failed to show up and the annoyed group leader, Bruce was trying to get through their mobiles to no avail. Anna and Wei Yee were chatting animatedly as they chewed on lukewarm fishballs on a stick they had earlier bought from 7-Eleven. Steve was still deciding between a can of Milo or Nescafe. A gleaming Mercedes S Class screeched to a halt and everyone turned to stare. Gabriel climbed out from the back seat, flashed a grin to Bruce and ran over to him to apologize. At that instant, Wei Yee nudged Anna to close her opened mouth which revealed some rather disgusting mashed up fish paste. ‘What is he doing here?’ exclaimed Anna to her friend. ‘How should I know,’ answered Wei Yee before popping the last fishball into her jaws. Less than a minute later, Bruce announced ‘Ok listen up everyone. As I’ve explained earlier, we’re going by the buddy system here, meaning you pick a partner and you look out for each other. If your partner is M.I.A, you report to me. If your partner is ill, you report to me. If your partner goes berserk in the middle of the jungle … you report to me. Am I understood?’ Majority murmured ‘Yes’. Now if there’s anyone who doesn’t have a partner yet, raise your hand,’ Bruce instructed. Everyone looked around and two hands were up. One belonging to Steve and the other, Gabriel. ‘There you go fellas, a match made in heaven. Now let’s get a move on. In an orderly fashion, store your belongings into the bus’s storage compartment and then board up, one pair at a time. Nobody leaves the bus once their in. Janice here will be taking your attendance,’ Bruce said gesturing to the petite bespectacled gal standing beside him. Janice waved at the rest of them cartoonishly.
Anna and Wei Yee were amongst the first few on board and they chose to sit two rows from the front. When Steve came up, he said to Gabriel ‘Hey, these are my friends, Anna and Wei Yee. Girls, this is Gabriel’. ‘We’ve met,’ answered Wei Yee frostily. ‘Great. Lets sit here,’ Steve said to Gabriel as he settled into the seat behind the girls, obviously not detecting the coldness in Wei Yee’s words. ‘Only if that’s ok with you?’ asked Gabriel looking at Anna. ‘It’s a free country,’ Anna responded.
The journey took a strenuous six and a half hours. Throughout the ride, Steve was painstakingly trying to get the three of them to warm up to each other. At last, he gave up and slept instead. Anna could feel the back of her neck prickling, as if Gabriel was sending electric pulses through his gaze from behind.
A Fairytail : Chapter 4
Over the next few days, Anna avoided Gabriel the best she could. She would go into class at the very last minute and sit as far as possible away from him. When the lecture is done, she would be the first one out, not giving him the opportunity to approach her. Many a times, in the classes they shared, she could feel his gaze piercing into her very soul but she brushed off the feeling, persuading herself that it was no more than a figment of her silly imagination. Then there are moments she could have sworn she heard him calling her name but she crudely dismissed the thought before she has had the chance to confirm it. Anna was resolute to expunge him from her life and so far, it’s going according to plan. This pleased and saddened her at the same time.
The college organised a fair for its clubs and societies to recruit their respective members. Tents of all sizes and colours were pitched in the open assembly area. With the latest songs on the pop chart booming from the speakers, it looked more like a carnival. Existing club members were trying their best to entice newbies to sign up with them. Pens, key chains and candies were the common bribes used to lure in potential recruits and it’s no surprise how efficient these insignificant hand-outs get the job done.
After spending hours, literally rubbing shoulders with the rest of the college community and putting the fine art of verbal rejection to good use, Anna and Wei Yee finally put their name down for the college’s Outdoor Society. The panoramic photos of happy campers beneath a gushing waterfall and the view of the sunrise taken from the summit of Mount Kinabalu promised an abundance of adventure ahead. Besides, they got a water tumbler each which they both thought was rather neat.
Anna saw Gabriel hanging out with a couple of jocks at the Soccer Club’s booth. The guys were generally gorgeous looking and blessed with matching physique. They were talking and laughing without a care in the world, knowing full well the effect they were emanating to the rest of the envious people around them. The rays of the afternoon sun bouncing off this group of immaculately groomed individuals radiated an aura of absolute coolness. Anna couldn’t help being bedazzled and she hated herself for it.
As if tugged by unseen forces, Gabriel suddenly stopped chatting, turned and looked directly at Anna. Their gazes locked and he offered her his trademark smile. The butterflies in her stomach fluttered furiously. This overwhelming sensation panicked her and she hurried towards Wei Yee who was already on her way to get a vanilla milkshake from the cafeteria. Her hasty action caused Anna to miss the look of dejection that registered on Gabriel’s face when she ignored his genuine show of affection.
Queuing up at the drink counter, Anna pleaded ‘Wei Wei, you need to help me get a grip of myself. I saw him and all my defences just crumbled’. ‘Just be like me. I saw him too. So just ignore him la. What’s it gonna be ... strawberry or vanilla?’ countered Wei Yee. ‘Vanilla ... no, wait, strawberry,’ Anna replied sheepishly. ‘Two milkshakes please. One vanilla and one strawberry,’ Wei Yee told the grumpy looking Chinese lady behind the counter who in turn screeched to her teenage daughter cum helper standing no more than three feet away ‘Meelk sake! Vaaneela chee pueh! Stobelee chee pueh!’. She faced the girls and said ‘Lak kor (Six Ringgit)’.
They chose to sit at a quiet corner and the only audible sounds were emitted from their straws as they sipped on the blend of artificially flavoured fluids.
Out of no where, a figure towered over them and said in a shrilly voice to Anna ‘Hi, I’m sure you remember me. I’m Maya. For some reason, Gabe thinks that I’ve offended you the other day and insist that I apologize. So here I am ... apologizing for his sake’. Anna didn’t know how to respond. She only thing in her mind was that gazing up at Maya, she could observe her neatly trimmed nose hair very clearly. ‘Yeap, you were right. She looks like a bitch. She dresses like a bitch and now she acts like one too. No doubt, a bitch through and through,’ said Wei Yee out loud as she glanced up at Maya and shot her a very phony grin. ‘HA. HA. Jealousy breeds idiocy,’ snapped Maya as she strutted away. Anna reached across the table to grip her friend’s hand and said ‘Thank you’. ‘Believe me, it was my pleasure,’ replied Wei Yee warmly with a cheeky wink.
The college organised a fair for its clubs and societies to recruit their respective members. Tents of all sizes and colours were pitched in the open assembly area. With the latest songs on the pop chart booming from the speakers, it looked more like a carnival. Existing club members were trying their best to entice newbies to sign up with them. Pens, key chains and candies were the common bribes used to lure in potential recruits and it’s no surprise how efficient these insignificant hand-outs get the job done.
After spending hours, literally rubbing shoulders with the rest of the college community and putting the fine art of verbal rejection to good use, Anna and Wei Yee finally put their name down for the college’s Outdoor Society. The panoramic photos of happy campers beneath a gushing waterfall and the view of the sunrise taken from the summit of Mount Kinabalu promised an abundance of adventure ahead. Besides, they got a water tumbler each which they both thought was rather neat.
Anna saw Gabriel hanging out with a couple of jocks at the Soccer Club’s booth. The guys were generally gorgeous looking and blessed with matching physique. They were talking and laughing without a care in the world, knowing full well the effect they were emanating to the rest of the envious people around them. The rays of the afternoon sun bouncing off this group of immaculately groomed individuals radiated an aura of absolute coolness. Anna couldn’t help being bedazzled and she hated herself for it.
As if tugged by unseen forces, Gabriel suddenly stopped chatting, turned and looked directly at Anna. Their gazes locked and he offered her his trademark smile. The butterflies in her stomach fluttered furiously. This overwhelming sensation panicked her and she hurried towards Wei Yee who was already on her way to get a vanilla milkshake from the cafeteria. Her hasty action caused Anna to miss the look of dejection that registered on Gabriel’s face when she ignored his genuine show of affection.
Queuing up at the drink counter, Anna pleaded ‘Wei Wei, you need to help me get a grip of myself. I saw him and all my defences just crumbled’. ‘Just be like me. I saw him too. So just ignore him la. What’s it gonna be ... strawberry or vanilla?’ countered Wei Yee. ‘Vanilla ... no, wait, strawberry,’ Anna replied sheepishly. ‘Two milkshakes please. One vanilla and one strawberry,’ Wei Yee told the grumpy looking Chinese lady behind the counter who in turn screeched to her teenage daughter cum helper standing no more than three feet away ‘Meelk sake! Vaaneela chee pueh! Stobelee chee pueh!’. She faced the girls and said ‘Lak kor (Six Ringgit)’.
They chose to sit at a quiet corner and the only audible sounds were emitted from their straws as they sipped on the blend of artificially flavoured fluids.
Out of no where, a figure towered over them and said in a shrilly voice to Anna ‘Hi, I’m sure you remember me. I’m Maya. For some reason, Gabe thinks that I’ve offended you the other day and insist that I apologize. So here I am ... apologizing for his sake’. Anna didn’t know how to respond. She only thing in her mind was that gazing up at Maya, she could observe her neatly trimmed nose hair very clearly. ‘Yeap, you were right. She looks like a bitch. She dresses like a bitch and now she acts like one too. No doubt, a bitch through and through,’ said Wei Yee out loud as she glanced up at Maya and shot her a very phony grin. ‘HA. HA. Jealousy breeds idiocy,’ snapped Maya as she strutted away. Anna reached across the table to grip her friend’s hand and said ‘Thank you’. ‘Believe me, it was my pleasure,’ replied Wei Yee warmly with a cheeky wink.
Wednesday, August 4, 2010
A Fairytail : Chapter 3
Afraid of being late for Mr. Ananda’s class, Anna broke into a sprint towards Lecture Hall 2. A text message from Wei Yee just came in, informing her that the burly lecturer was already arranging his slides on the projector and was about to begin. Pushing open the door as quietly as possible, she slithered into the hall and instantly spotted Wei Yee waving at her. Anna tip toed and settled herself into the seat her friend had earlier saved for her. ‘Phew,’ sighed Anna as she paused to breathe before taking out her notepad. ‘Living life on the edge huh,’ teased Wei Yee. ‘You know me,’ retorted Anna smartly.
As they were busy taking down notes, someone from behind tapped Anna’s shoulder. As she turned around, that stranger handed her a piece of folded paper and whispered ‘For you’. ‘Errr … thanks,’ replied Anna softly before turning around with the piece of paper in her hand. She unfolded the paper and read the scribbling
Hey, just wanted to apologize on behalf of Maya for what happened the other day. Would like to make it up to you. Coffee after class? My treat.
Gabe
Anna knew Wei Yee had read the note as well. She turned towards her friend and raised her eyebrows. Wei Yee responded by rolling her eyes and carried on jotting down notes on the molecular structure of methyl bromide.
He stood waiting for her at the entrance of the college. She halted her walking to savour the moment. He was almost picture perfect. The breeze was blowing gently lifting his hair up for a moment before dropping them lightly across the sides his face again. Gabriel reminded her of a leading male lead in one of those tragic Korean drama series. An upward curl escaped from her lips uncontrollably.
She tugged on his sleeve and trying to sound as casual as possible, said ‘Hiya.’ He turned around and at once, gave her a heart melting smile. ‘Don’t blush Anna, don’t you dare blush,’ the thought to herself. ‘So where’s this coffee place? Is it near enough for us to walk to?’ she asked. ‘Yea. It’s just two blocks away. It opened a couple of months back. Just wait a moment k. Maya should be here any minute,’ he said looking around obviously for Maya. Anna felt as if she had been stabbed in her gut. ‘Actually, I just remembered I’m meeting someone else. I really got to go,’ she stammered. Crossing the street hastily, Anna heard Gabriel shouting her name. She turned around to offer him a half hearted wave and saw Maya sashaying towards Gabriel from behind, directing a smile most sinister at Anna. A bus stopped in front of her, erasing her view of Gabriel. She got in without caring if it is the right bus taking her home. Staring out at the window through teary eyes, Anna was trying in vain to put back together pieces of her broken heart.
Later that night ...
‘Aiya, forget about him la. He’s hardly worth it. Guys with looks like his, they’ll be flirting with the next girl in a short skirt the moment you turn your back on them,’ comforted Wei Yee. ‘Besides, you two have hardly spoken ten sentences to each other right?’ she added. ‘Yea, you’re right. He’s not worth it,’ Anna answered, trying to convince herself of the fact. *Pause* ‘But you know, it just feels different whenever I see him. It’s like the insides of my stomach are doing cartwheels, my heart beats a little faster and everything around me suddenly appears more … colourful. I know it’s stupid of me to feel this way but it’s just the way it is,’ Anna explained over the cordless phone tugged between her cheeks and shoulder. ‘Okay, okay, so you’ve got a major crush on the guy. It’s not hard to see why but how sure are you this is going to lead anywhere? I just don’t want to see my best friend getting hurt. Then I’d be forced to kick his ass and I really prefer to keep a clean record in college,’ Wei Yee responded. Anna couldn’t suppress a smile when reminded how wonderful a friend Wei Yee is to her. ‘Alright, I’m going to forget ‘bout him,’ exclaimed Anna. ‘You do that,’ Wei Yee replied. ‘I will. And thanks for hearing me out. Don’t know what will I do without you babe,’ Anna said trying to sound adorable. ‘You can buy me lunch tomorrow and I need to go shave my legs now before the WWF declares it the next protected rainforest reserve. G’nite girl,’ uttered Wei Yee before clicking the phone off.
The last thought Anna had before drifting off to sleep was how ridiculous it was to allow herself to feel so deeply for someone she barely knew.
As they were busy taking down notes, someone from behind tapped Anna’s shoulder. As she turned around, that stranger handed her a piece of folded paper and whispered ‘For you’. ‘Errr … thanks,’ replied Anna softly before turning around with the piece of paper in her hand. She unfolded the paper and read the scribbling
Hey, just wanted to apologize on behalf of Maya for what happened the other day. Would like to make it up to you. Coffee after class? My treat.
Gabe
Anna knew Wei Yee had read the note as well. She turned towards her friend and raised her eyebrows. Wei Yee responded by rolling her eyes and carried on jotting down notes on the molecular structure of methyl bromide.
He stood waiting for her at the entrance of the college. She halted her walking to savour the moment. He was almost picture perfect. The breeze was blowing gently lifting his hair up for a moment before dropping them lightly across the sides his face again. Gabriel reminded her of a leading male lead in one of those tragic Korean drama series. An upward curl escaped from her lips uncontrollably.
She tugged on his sleeve and trying to sound as casual as possible, said ‘Hiya.’ He turned around and at once, gave her a heart melting smile. ‘Don’t blush Anna, don’t you dare blush,’ the thought to herself. ‘So where’s this coffee place? Is it near enough for us to walk to?’ she asked. ‘Yea. It’s just two blocks away. It opened a couple of months back. Just wait a moment k. Maya should be here any minute,’ he said looking around obviously for Maya. Anna felt as if she had been stabbed in her gut. ‘Actually, I just remembered I’m meeting someone else. I really got to go,’ she stammered. Crossing the street hastily, Anna heard Gabriel shouting her name. She turned around to offer him a half hearted wave and saw Maya sashaying towards Gabriel from behind, directing a smile most sinister at Anna. A bus stopped in front of her, erasing her view of Gabriel. She got in without caring if it is the right bus taking her home. Staring out at the window through teary eyes, Anna was trying in vain to put back together pieces of her broken heart.
Later that night ...
‘Aiya, forget about him la. He’s hardly worth it. Guys with looks like his, they’ll be flirting with the next girl in a short skirt the moment you turn your back on them,’ comforted Wei Yee. ‘Besides, you two have hardly spoken ten sentences to each other right?’ she added. ‘Yea, you’re right. He’s not worth it,’ Anna answered, trying to convince herself of the fact. *Pause* ‘But you know, it just feels different whenever I see him. It’s like the insides of my stomach are doing cartwheels, my heart beats a little faster and everything around me suddenly appears more … colourful. I know it’s stupid of me to feel this way but it’s just the way it is,’ Anna explained over the cordless phone tugged between her cheeks and shoulder. ‘Okay, okay, so you’ve got a major crush on the guy. It’s not hard to see why but how sure are you this is going to lead anywhere? I just don’t want to see my best friend getting hurt. Then I’d be forced to kick his ass and I really prefer to keep a clean record in college,’ Wei Yee responded. Anna couldn’t suppress a smile when reminded how wonderful a friend Wei Yee is to her. ‘Alright, I’m going to forget ‘bout him,’ exclaimed Anna. ‘You do that,’ Wei Yee replied. ‘I will. And thanks for hearing me out. Don’t know what will I do without you babe,’ Anna said trying to sound adorable. ‘You can buy me lunch tomorrow and I need to go shave my legs now before the WWF declares it the next protected rainforest reserve. G’nite girl,’ uttered Wei Yee before clicking the phone off.
The last thought Anna had before drifting off to sleep was how ridiculous it was to allow herself to feel so deeply for someone she barely knew.
Tuesday, August 3, 2010
A Fairytail : Chapter 2
Their common classes were Chemistry, Physics and Modern Maths. Wei Yee stuck with Biology while Anna opted for Accounting. Anna’s better with numbers and besides, dissecting a live frog last year made her lose her appetite for the entire week. Nothing could persuade her to go through that gut wrenching experience ever again. Wei Yee on the other hand aspired to pursue medicine ever since she sat in her cousin’s fiancé’s flashy BMW. The way Dr. Eric discussed medical procedures over the phone with his colleague set an everlasting impression on the teenage Wei Yee then. Anna hasn’t set her target on her career choice, so she figured it would be best to select general subjects that will equip her with the broadest range of knowledge.
Since Accounting has less than fifty students all together, the lecture was conducted in a large classroom rather than a hall. Anna selected a seat three rows from the front and positioned her notepad and stationeries neatly on the table. The rest of the students were taking their places when someone occupied the seat next to her. She peeked and it was that guy. Her heart skipped a beat before he said ‘Just for the record, I was late for class because my car broke down. I had to wait for the tow truck to haul it to the workshop. So if you can, please convey my message to your friend, the wise one.’ She desperately wanted to say something but she was again spell bounded by his boyish grin. He swiped his hair, tucking it suavely behind his ear and stared at her.
Her mouth moved without words, like a fish out of water, gasping for air. Something clicked in her mind and she stuttered ‘Oh, I saw you. I mean I saw your car by the roadside when I was on the bus to college.’ Just then, the lecturer, Ms. Tan walked in and said ‘Alrightey class, page three on your textbooks please.’ ‘I’m Gabriel,’ he whispered. ‘Annabelle. Friends call me Anna,’ she replied as rushing blood reddened her cheeks.
The minutes ticked excruciatingly slow and by the time the 53 year old tutor ended her teaching, more than half the class were on their way to dreamland. People started making a bee line towards the exit of the class when a girl came and stood in front of Anna and Gabriel. ‘Hey Gabe,’ she said beaming her megawatt smile. ‘Hey there,’ replied Gabriel not matching her enthusiasm. Dressed to impress, the girl wore a short chequered skirt and a white shirt with four of her top buttons opened revealing the scarlet tube inside. Her attire magnified her physical attributes particularly zoning in on her legs that seems endless until it reaches her vivacious buttocks. She is what college society would generally term a hottie. ‘She your new plaything?’ asked the hottie obviously referring to Anna without looking. Anna who was attempting to ignore her while packing up her stuff couldn’t help but to glare at the girl, stunned at the disrespect directed towards her. ‘What? No!’ answered Gabriel at once. ‘This is Anna and she’s just a friend,’ he continued. ‘Whatever! The gang’s heading to Starbucks at the mall. Wanna come? We have loads to catch up on,’ she said suggestively. ‘Sure,’ Gabriel replied briskly. ‘Hey Anna, you wanna join us,’ he offered. Anna just shook her head, stood up and left abruptly. For some unexplainable reason, she felt upset by his statement ‘she’s just a friend’. Not far behind, Anna could hear the hottie laughing uproariously and on reflex, walked faster away.
‘So tell me all about your first day in college,’ enquired Claire as she made preparations for dinner. ‘It was nothing Ma. Just like high school except no uniforms and longer breaks. The hall was freezing though. Remind me to bring along my cardigan tomorrow ok,’ said Anna as she drank the milk straight from its carton box. Her tastebuds registered a vile sourness that naturally caused her face to contort. ‘The milk’s bad Ma,’ squeaked Anna as she rushed to the sink to gargle on tap water, ridding her tongue of the nauseating aftertaste. ‘I’m so sorry dear. I’ll get fresh ones tomorrow ok,’ said Claire as she quickly tossed the carton box with its expired liquid into the trash.
In the next three hours, Anna had made five agonizing visits to the bathroom. It’s evident that the milk is not going to go down quietly. In fact, her stomach was churning so badly that the doctor had to give her an injection in addition to the usual diarrhoea pills. Anna is terrified of syringes but comparing that to the piercing stirring in her belly, she gladly endured the former. Back home and resting on her bed, she texted Wei Yee ‘TERRIBLE STOMACH UPSET. NEED HUG :( WON’T BE GOING TO COLLEGE TOMORROW. SAVE ME YOUR NOTES’. Two minutes later, her mobile vibrated with a reply ‘REST WELL. DON’T WORRY ABOUT THE NOTES. WILL VISIT AFTER CLASSES. XOXO’. Anna switched off her night light praying that she won’t need to use the bathroom until morning.
Anna spent the morning slurping on tasteless noodle soup prepared by Claire before she headed out for work. For lunch, it was cream of mushroom from a can and some re-heated honey & oat bread. In between meals, she was channel surfing on the devil box and was pleased that she only needed to go to the bathroom once. The doorbell rang and she picked her weary self up to greet a smiling Wei Yee who had brought along a packet of tau foo fa (bean curd dessert) to share. They enjoyed the sweet pudding as Anna lazily browsed through the photocopied notes her friend had compiled according to subject. ‘Oh, dunno-what’s-his-name asked for you today,’ Wei Yee said out of the blue, her eyes still fixed on the TV. The image of Gabriel immediately floated into Anna’s mind and she casually replied, pretending not to care ‘Ummm, what did he say?’. ‘Nothing much. Just asked how come you weren’t in Accountancy today,’ Wei Yee said as she flipped to the Discovery channel. ‘I see, Errr ... was he with anyone then?’ Anna said while stirring her spoon in the empty dessert bowl. ‘Didn’t notice. Why do you care anyway?’ Wei Yee eyed Anna curiously. ‘OHH. You’ve got a thing for what’s-his-name!’ she gasped dropping the TV remote. ‘No la! And he’s got a name for crying out loud. It’s Gabriel,’ Anna replied a bit too loudly. ‘Yesterday, one of his girl friend referred to me as his new plaything. So I just wanted to know if that bimbo is still hanging around,’ Anna offered the explanation. As soon as she said it, even she herself couldn’t deny how lame the excuse sounded. ‘If you say so,’ replied Wei Yee with a naughty smirk.
Since Accounting has less than fifty students all together, the lecture was conducted in a large classroom rather than a hall. Anna selected a seat three rows from the front and positioned her notepad and stationeries neatly on the table. The rest of the students were taking their places when someone occupied the seat next to her. She peeked and it was that guy. Her heart skipped a beat before he said ‘Just for the record, I was late for class because my car broke down. I had to wait for the tow truck to haul it to the workshop. So if you can, please convey my message to your friend, the wise one.’ She desperately wanted to say something but she was again spell bounded by his boyish grin. He swiped his hair, tucking it suavely behind his ear and stared at her.
Her mouth moved without words, like a fish out of water, gasping for air. Something clicked in her mind and she stuttered ‘Oh, I saw you. I mean I saw your car by the roadside when I was on the bus to college.’ Just then, the lecturer, Ms. Tan walked in and said ‘Alrightey class, page three on your textbooks please.’ ‘I’m Gabriel,’ he whispered. ‘Annabelle. Friends call me Anna,’ she replied as rushing blood reddened her cheeks.
The minutes ticked excruciatingly slow and by the time the 53 year old tutor ended her teaching, more than half the class were on their way to dreamland. People started making a bee line towards the exit of the class when a girl came and stood in front of Anna and Gabriel. ‘Hey Gabe,’ she said beaming her megawatt smile. ‘Hey there,’ replied Gabriel not matching her enthusiasm. Dressed to impress, the girl wore a short chequered skirt and a white shirt with four of her top buttons opened revealing the scarlet tube inside. Her attire magnified her physical attributes particularly zoning in on her legs that seems endless until it reaches her vivacious buttocks. She is what college society would generally term a hottie. ‘She your new plaything?’ asked the hottie obviously referring to Anna without looking. Anna who was attempting to ignore her while packing up her stuff couldn’t help but to glare at the girl, stunned at the disrespect directed towards her. ‘What? No!’ answered Gabriel at once. ‘This is Anna and she’s just a friend,’ he continued. ‘Whatever! The gang’s heading to Starbucks at the mall. Wanna come? We have loads to catch up on,’ she said suggestively. ‘Sure,’ Gabriel replied briskly. ‘Hey Anna, you wanna join us,’ he offered. Anna just shook her head, stood up and left abruptly. For some unexplainable reason, she felt upset by his statement ‘she’s just a friend’. Not far behind, Anna could hear the hottie laughing uproariously and on reflex, walked faster away.
‘So tell me all about your first day in college,’ enquired Claire as she made preparations for dinner. ‘It was nothing Ma. Just like high school except no uniforms and longer breaks. The hall was freezing though. Remind me to bring along my cardigan tomorrow ok,’ said Anna as she drank the milk straight from its carton box. Her tastebuds registered a vile sourness that naturally caused her face to contort. ‘The milk’s bad Ma,’ squeaked Anna as she rushed to the sink to gargle on tap water, ridding her tongue of the nauseating aftertaste. ‘I’m so sorry dear. I’ll get fresh ones tomorrow ok,’ said Claire as she quickly tossed the carton box with its expired liquid into the trash.
In the next three hours, Anna had made five agonizing visits to the bathroom. It’s evident that the milk is not going to go down quietly. In fact, her stomach was churning so badly that the doctor had to give her an injection in addition to the usual diarrhoea pills. Anna is terrified of syringes but comparing that to the piercing stirring in her belly, she gladly endured the former. Back home and resting on her bed, she texted Wei Yee ‘TERRIBLE STOMACH UPSET. NEED HUG :( WON’T BE GOING TO COLLEGE TOMORROW. SAVE ME YOUR NOTES’. Two minutes later, her mobile vibrated with a reply ‘REST WELL. DON’T WORRY ABOUT THE NOTES. WILL VISIT AFTER CLASSES. XOXO’. Anna switched off her night light praying that she won’t need to use the bathroom until morning.
Anna spent the morning slurping on tasteless noodle soup prepared by Claire before she headed out for work. For lunch, it was cream of mushroom from a can and some re-heated honey & oat bread. In between meals, she was channel surfing on the devil box and was pleased that she only needed to go to the bathroom once. The doorbell rang and she picked her weary self up to greet a smiling Wei Yee who had brought along a packet of tau foo fa (bean curd dessert) to share. They enjoyed the sweet pudding as Anna lazily browsed through the photocopied notes her friend had compiled according to subject. ‘Oh, dunno-what’s-his-name asked for you today,’ Wei Yee said out of the blue, her eyes still fixed on the TV. The image of Gabriel immediately floated into Anna’s mind and she casually replied, pretending not to care ‘Ummm, what did he say?’. ‘Nothing much. Just asked how come you weren’t in Accountancy today,’ Wei Yee said as she flipped to the Discovery channel. ‘I see, Errr ... was he with anyone then?’ Anna said while stirring her spoon in the empty dessert bowl. ‘Didn’t notice. Why do you care anyway?’ Wei Yee eyed Anna curiously. ‘OHH. You’ve got a thing for what’s-his-name!’ she gasped dropping the TV remote. ‘No la! And he’s got a name for crying out loud. It’s Gabriel,’ Anna replied a bit too loudly. ‘Yesterday, one of his girl friend referred to me as his new plaything. So I just wanted to know if that bimbo is still hanging around,’ Anna offered the explanation. As soon as she said it, even she herself couldn’t deny how lame the excuse sounded. ‘If you say so,’ replied Wei Yee with a naughty smirk.
A Fairytail : Chapter 1
‘ANNA!!! You’re gonna be late. Hurry up. Your toast is getting cold and I AM NOT going to make you another one,’ screamed Claire at her 17 year old daughter. ‘You will,’ whispered Anna as she curled and snuggled deeper into the comfort of her duvet. The same one she has been sleeping with for the past 13 years. Hand sewn by her Po Po and given as a gift on her 4th birthday, Anna practically couldn’t sleep without first whiffing on the familiarity of her own buried scent wafted from this ragged blanket.
14 minutes later ...
‘That’s it young lady! You’re going on your first day of college on an empty belly,’ hissed Claire as she forcefully open the curtain drapes, allowing the morning rays to explode in basking over every inch of Anna’s tiny room. ‘Okay, okayyy. I’m up,’ replied Anna groggily. Anna fisted her palm and rubbed first her left eye and then the right. A habit developed since young. She nonchalantly reached for her mobile tugged somewhere beneath her pillow and registered 6 smses and 2 missed calls. All from Wei Yee, Anna thought to herself and she was right. She could’ve guessed the contents of the messages and the calls and so didn’t bother reading them.
Her Sony digital clock reads 7:19 a.m. Cramped up next to her single bed is her double door-ed wardrobe filled up to the brim with clothing bought 3 weeks ago to those she has been wearing since she was 3 years old. Sentimental values were her excuse for not discarding them away. Propped on the other side of her bed is her study table. There isn’t an inch to spare on the pastel blue desk as it was piled with pirated music CDs, a box of Kleenex, a 2nd hand Acer laptop given by her Uncle Leon, notepads, stationeries, a half eaten packet of Cheezels and a photo frame of Wei Yee and her, taken two years ago during their class trip to the waterfall at Kota Tinggi. That leaves about a two feet walking space leading to the entrance. Yes, her room is painfully small but that’s all Claire, raising a child as a single mother could afford. David, Anna’s dad left the family eight months after she was born. It seems his leggy secretary was too hard to resist and they have not heard from him ever since. Not even through an occasional birthday or Christmas card. As far as mother and daughter are concerned, he never existed.
Anna brushed her almost perfect set of pearly whites and doused warm water on her face. She doesn’t subscribe to using chemical enhanced facial cleansers and her porcelain smooth complexion agrees. She tied her shoulder length hair into a solitary pony tail and put on her plain circular white gold earrings, given by her mom when she scored straight As in her finals last year. She dressed herself in a navy blue hoodie, thought better of it and changed into a red one. Paired it with her regular jeans, she slung her bag across her shoulder and bounced to the kitchen downstairs.
‘I’m done Ma,’ chirped Anna, faking cheerfulness over excessively. ‘I just made you another toast but it’s going to be the last time you hear me,’ said Claire stifling a smile. It’s the same game they have been playing since Anna started schooling. ‘Butter’s in the fridge,’ her mother added.
The bus ride took no more than 20 minutes before Anna spotted Wei Yee looking anxiously at her watch in front of the college’s foyer. ‘Wei Wei,’ shouted Anna across the street. Wei Yee rolled her eyes upwards and pointed at her watch. Anna skipped across to the foyer, smiled and said ‘Ohayo Wei Wei-san.’ ‘Didn’t you get my missed calls and smses?’ questioned Wei Yee irritatingly. ‘Oh you called?’ pretended Anna dramatically. ‘It’s ok la. We’re just in time. See the timetable says Chemistry starts at 8:15 a.m. and it’s only 8:07 a.m. my dear. I took longer to get here, some car stalled and caused a li’ll traffic jam,’ said Anna. ‘I know ding dong but all the good seats will be taken by now,’ grumbled Wei Yee as she dragged Anna up the stairs to Lecture Hall 2.
Wei Yee and Anna are best friends since they were in Primary 2 and have been inseparable ever since. They first cross path at the school’s bookshop. Both had their eye on the electric pink Barbie Doll pencil case and there was only one left for sale. Both girls raced to save enough money to make the purchase of a lifetime but it was bought by another classmate of theirs, Ayu. The spoilt little 8 year old spent the next several days gloating over her new ‘jewel’ to anyone who would listen. An incensed Anna and an infuriated Wei Yee decided to gang up and ‘not friend’ Ayu from that very moment on. That was how their bond was formed and it has only grown stronger over the past nine years.
‘See. I told you. Now we’re right at the back and I could hardly see what’s written on the board,’ complained Wei Yee. ‘I think it’s time you need glasses la. I can see it crystal clearly wo,’ Anna said. ‘Didn’t expect there to be that many students this early though. All so kiasu, just like you,’ as she stuck out her tongue cheekily at Wei Yee. In response, Wei Yee drew a blue line across Anna’s right arm just as the lecturer demanded everyone’s attention to start of the class.
The lecturer, Mr. Ananda boomed over the microphone and gave his usual pep talk as he has done over the past eleven years to students attending their first Chemistry class in the college. Fresh meat he calls them and he enjoyed terrifying his wide eyed pupils with statistics of failure percentages. He believed the exaggerated numbers should at least keep them on their toes for the time being.
Wei Yee was absorbing every horrifying detail Mr. Ananda was dishing out while Anna doodled sleepily on her brand new notepad. She glanced around and soon noticed the different groups segregated across the hall. The front rows were typically occupied by the nerdy ones. The girls in short cropped hair along the fringes with double china doll pig tails on each side while the boys creamed their comb over till it’s shiny enough to reflect the beaming fluorescence from the ceiling. Almost all of them wore thick glasses. Anna smiled to herself as she observed this scenario of unchangeable status quo. Along the center aisles, the hip and happening people assembled. Girls in their miniscule hot pants and spaghetti tops browsed through the week’s tabloids, hungry for the latest celebrity gossips while the boys chatted noisily about last night’s Champion League match between Liverpool FC and Real Madrid. Two other blokes were focussing intently on their PSP games, oblivious to the on goings around them. On the back row, a heavily pierced guy was in deep slumber. His face plastered on the desk, drool dribbling from the corner of his mouth. ‘YUCKS,’ thought Anna.
The door suddenly burst open startling both girls. Standing there was a silhouette of a guy. He was about to take his first step into the hall before Mr. Ananda voiced out ‘Leave my hall immediately young man. I DO NOT tolerate late comers.’ ‘That goes for the rest of you,’ he continued as he perused his gaze across the audience. The man then resumed his lecture ignoring the silent interrupter. The silhouette turned around and shut the door behind him.
‘I like Mr. Ananda,’ Wei Yee told Anna without looking at her. Two hours later, the students made their way out of the hall in a steady file. A few from the front row swarmed the lecturer, bombarding him with pressing questions. Mr. Piercing was still fast asleep despite the heavy noises surrounding him.
Anna packed her pens and highlighters and dumped her notes into her bag. They got up and slotted into the queue heading out. ‘Which elements did he asked us to researched on again?’ questioned Wei Yee as she shuffled through her scribblings. ‘Never mind, I found it,’ she answered her own query. They were on their way to the library. Reference books were needed for their homework. More than a hundred students fighting over a handful of copies available. Anna sighed at the thought of that. ‘Arghhh. Haven’t we already gone through all these in high school? Why is he making us do everything all over,’ Anna groused. ‘He simply wanted to refresh our minds I’m sure and I want to make a good impression. Come on Anna, let’s hurry before all the books are gone,’ replied Wei Yee increasing her pace.
At the library’s information counter, scores of students were barraging the exhausted looking librarian with their demands. Before they could scrum in with the rest of the crowd, a guy stood in front of them and said ‘Hey, weren’t you two in the Chemistry lecture earlier? Mind if I borrowed your notes?’ ‘Yes, we were in that class and yes, we do mind you borrowing our notes. This should help remind you to not be late in the future,’ Wei Yee curtly replied. ‘Now excuse us,’ she added as she hastily manoeuvred both of them around the guy. Anna couldn’t hear a word Wei Yee said. She was transfixed by the way his hair fell stylishly across his face, revealing little of his peeping eyes and that mesmerizing grin in the end. It was a good thing Wei Yee dragged her away for she couldn’t remember the last time she ever blushed this way before.
14 minutes later ...
‘That’s it young lady! You’re going on your first day of college on an empty belly,’ hissed Claire as she forcefully open the curtain drapes, allowing the morning rays to explode in basking over every inch of Anna’s tiny room. ‘Okay, okayyy. I’m up,’ replied Anna groggily. Anna fisted her palm and rubbed first her left eye and then the right. A habit developed since young. She nonchalantly reached for her mobile tugged somewhere beneath her pillow and registered 6 smses and 2 missed calls. All from Wei Yee, Anna thought to herself and she was right. She could’ve guessed the contents of the messages and the calls and so didn’t bother reading them.
Her Sony digital clock reads 7:19 a.m. Cramped up next to her single bed is her double door-ed wardrobe filled up to the brim with clothing bought 3 weeks ago to those she has been wearing since she was 3 years old. Sentimental values were her excuse for not discarding them away. Propped on the other side of her bed is her study table. There isn’t an inch to spare on the pastel blue desk as it was piled with pirated music CDs, a box of Kleenex, a 2nd hand Acer laptop given by her Uncle Leon, notepads, stationeries, a half eaten packet of Cheezels and a photo frame of Wei Yee and her, taken two years ago during their class trip to the waterfall at Kota Tinggi. That leaves about a two feet walking space leading to the entrance. Yes, her room is painfully small but that’s all Claire, raising a child as a single mother could afford. David, Anna’s dad left the family eight months after she was born. It seems his leggy secretary was too hard to resist and they have not heard from him ever since. Not even through an occasional birthday or Christmas card. As far as mother and daughter are concerned, he never existed.
Anna brushed her almost perfect set of pearly whites and doused warm water on her face. She doesn’t subscribe to using chemical enhanced facial cleansers and her porcelain smooth complexion agrees. She tied her shoulder length hair into a solitary pony tail and put on her plain circular white gold earrings, given by her mom when she scored straight As in her finals last year. She dressed herself in a navy blue hoodie, thought better of it and changed into a red one. Paired it with her regular jeans, she slung her bag across her shoulder and bounced to the kitchen downstairs.
‘I’m done Ma,’ chirped Anna, faking cheerfulness over excessively. ‘I just made you another toast but it’s going to be the last time you hear me,’ said Claire stifling a smile. It’s the same game they have been playing since Anna started schooling. ‘Butter’s in the fridge,’ her mother added.
The bus ride took no more than 20 minutes before Anna spotted Wei Yee looking anxiously at her watch in front of the college’s foyer. ‘Wei Wei,’ shouted Anna across the street. Wei Yee rolled her eyes upwards and pointed at her watch. Anna skipped across to the foyer, smiled and said ‘Ohayo Wei Wei-san.’ ‘Didn’t you get my missed calls and smses?’ questioned Wei Yee irritatingly. ‘Oh you called?’ pretended Anna dramatically. ‘It’s ok la. We’re just in time. See the timetable says Chemistry starts at 8:15 a.m. and it’s only 8:07 a.m. my dear. I took longer to get here, some car stalled and caused a li’ll traffic jam,’ said Anna. ‘I know ding dong but all the good seats will be taken by now,’ grumbled Wei Yee as she dragged Anna up the stairs to Lecture Hall 2.
Wei Yee and Anna are best friends since they were in Primary 2 and have been inseparable ever since. They first cross path at the school’s bookshop. Both had their eye on the electric pink Barbie Doll pencil case and there was only one left for sale. Both girls raced to save enough money to make the purchase of a lifetime but it was bought by another classmate of theirs, Ayu. The spoilt little 8 year old spent the next several days gloating over her new ‘jewel’ to anyone who would listen. An incensed Anna and an infuriated Wei Yee decided to gang up and ‘not friend’ Ayu from that very moment on. That was how their bond was formed and it has only grown stronger over the past nine years.
‘See. I told you. Now we’re right at the back and I could hardly see what’s written on the board,’ complained Wei Yee. ‘I think it’s time you need glasses la. I can see it crystal clearly wo,’ Anna said. ‘Didn’t expect there to be that many students this early though. All so kiasu, just like you,’ as she stuck out her tongue cheekily at Wei Yee. In response, Wei Yee drew a blue line across Anna’s right arm just as the lecturer demanded everyone’s attention to start of the class.
The lecturer, Mr. Ananda boomed over the microphone and gave his usual pep talk as he has done over the past eleven years to students attending their first Chemistry class in the college. Fresh meat he calls them and he enjoyed terrifying his wide eyed pupils with statistics of failure percentages. He believed the exaggerated numbers should at least keep them on their toes for the time being.
Wei Yee was absorbing every horrifying detail Mr. Ananda was dishing out while Anna doodled sleepily on her brand new notepad. She glanced around and soon noticed the different groups segregated across the hall. The front rows were typically occupied by the nerdy ones. The girls in short cropped hair along the fringes with double china doll pig tails on each side while the boys creamed their comb over till it’s shiny enough to reflect the beaming fluorescence from the ceiling. Almost all of them wore thick glasses. Anna smiled to herself as she observed this scenario of unchangeable status quo. Along the center aisles, the hip and happening people assembled. Girls in their miniscule hot pants and spaghetti tops browsed through the week’s tabloids, hungry for the latest celebrity gossips while the boys chatted noisily about last night’s Champion League match between Liverpool FC and Real Madrid. Two other blokes were focussing intently on their PSP games, oblivious to the on goings around them. On the back row, a heavily pierced guy was in deep slumber. His face plastered on the desk, drool dribbling from the corner of his mouth. ‘YUCKS,’ thought Anna.
The door suddenly burst open startling both girls. Standing there was a silhouette of a guy. He was about to take his first step into the hall before Mr. Ananda voiced out ‘Leave my hall immediately young man. I DO NOT tolerate late comers.’ ‘That goes for the rest of you,’ he continued as he perused his gaze across the audience. The man then resumed his lecture ignoring the silent interrupter. The silhouette turned around and shut the door behind him.
‘I like Mr. Ananda,’ Wei Yee told Anna without looking at her. Two hours later, the students made their way out of the hall in a steady file. A few from the front row swarmed the lecturer, bombarding him with pressing questions. Mr. Piercing was still fast asleep despite the heavy noises surrounding him.
Anna packed her pens and highlighters and dumped her notes into her bag. They got up and slotted into the queue heading out. ‘Which elements did he asked us to researched on again?’ questioned Wei Yee as she shuffled through her scribblings. ‘Never mind, I found it,’ she answered her own query. They were on their way to the library. Reference books were needed for their homework. More than a hundred students fighting over a handful of copies available. Anna sighed at the thought of that. ‘Arghhh. Haven’t we already gone through all these in high school? Why is he making us do everything all over,’ Anna groused. ‘He simply wanted to refresh our minds I’m sure and I want to make a good impression. Come on Anna, let’s hurry before all the books are gone,’ replied Wei Yee increasing her pace.
At the library’s information counter, scores of students were barraging the exhausted looking librarian with their demands. Before they could scrum in with the rest of the crowd, a guy stood in front of them and said ‘Hey, weren’t you two in the Chemistry lecture earlier? Mind if I borrowed your notes?’ ‘Yes, we were in that class and yes, we do mind you borrowing our notes. This should help remind you to not be late in the future,’ Wei Yee curtly replied. ‘Now excuse us,’ she added as she hastily manoeuvred both of them around the guy. Anna couldn’t hear a word Wei Yee said. She was transfixed by the way his hair fell stylishly across his face, revealing little of his peeping eyes and that mesmerizing grin in the end. It was a good thing Wei Yee dragged her away for she couldn’t remember the last time she ever blushed this way before.
A Fairytail ...
Goaded by wifey, I've decided to write. Yes, as in pursuing my dream to publish a fictional novel. Don't laugh la. I know it sounds absurd but I've decided to give it a go anyway. At least when it's done, I can cross this one out of my to-do list. The past 3 nights, I've managed to 'finish' almost four chapters now and wifey had been most supportive though me think her opinions are biased. Nevertheless, she's the reason I'm putting virtual ink to paper and hence, I'm dedicating 'A Fairytail' to her. Yea, that's the title of my story.
As it's still a work in progress, I shall publish one chapter at a time on Adrian's Nook and your comments are most welcomed. It's ok to be brutally honest with your feedbacks ... I can take it ... I think :p
Anyway, for now ... putting it up on my blog is the closest I'll ever get to actually 'publishing' my work. I hope you peeps will enjoy it as much as I do, writing it.
Now let the journey of once upon a time begin ...
As it's still a work in progress, I shall publish one chapter at a time on Adrian's Nook and your comments are most welcomed. It's ok to be brutally honest with your feedbacks ... I can take it ... I think :p
Anyway, for now ... putting it up on my blog is the closest I'll ever get to actually 'publishing' my work. I hope you peeps will enjoy it as much as I do, writing it.
Now let the journey of once upon a time begin ...
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