DEAR DIARY
A FALSE DAWN
31st May 2002
I woke up with mixed feelings.On one hand,I felt elated that I was
going to meet the gal I was utterly smitted with again after over
three months. Yet this was tempered by the fact that she was
attached.Sigh.
On the way to meeting Ting at her place,I felt very edgy.Why this
was so,I had no idea.Perhaps I was too excited about the prospects
of seeing the smile that stole my heart some time ago.Perhaps there
was an internal conflict raging inside me-one part yearned to see
Ting,the other kept saying: "forget it,it's in vain." Throughout
the bus journey to Ting's place,I was full of question marks
pertaining to this dichotomy.
Ting will be a little late.I waited.The tension was unbelievable.I
could feel it permeating the void deck.To ease my tensions,I SMS-ed
Angie to while the time.Angie,as always,never failed to showcase
her repertoire of balmy words.Nice girl,Angie was,but I only wanted
Ting.
"Ting,I have got You written all over my Heart."
Ting came down."Wowww." Here standing in front of me was the girl
who had given me the sweetest dreams for the past months.Here was
someone who made me discern that,in Life,the line between sheer
happiness and despondency of the nth degree is gossamer thin.The
burden deep in my heart eased instantly upon seeing that megawatt
smile again.I was lost in her eyes yet again.When I heard her
mellifluous voice,I was almost gone...
I soon regained my senses,luckily.She wanted to do some window
shopping first.Every step I took with her was like in heaven.At
this accessories shop,the shopkeeper greeted us as if we were a
couple and I gave her the widest smile I ever had.Though I often
find shopping with girls boring in the past,this was not the case
with Ting this time.While she was looking at the products,I was
looking at her.Is she an Angel from Heaven?
She finished her shopping and we settled down at Foster's to rest
and have tea.We engaged in some small talk-about school,what we
have been doing and the like.Somehow we ended up talking about her
relationship.
She said she was single.
I did not catch it at first.Then I realised that she had actually
said it.My brain reprocessed her words again.Yes,she had declared
her status to you,pal.Finally it dawned on me that the window of
opportunity was finally opened again.The agony and heartbreak I
felt all over the past few months would finally be expiated.What a
denouement!
My happiness was transcendental.
Suddenly,everything looked so beautiful to me.Time passed so fast
when you are feeling good,soon it was time for us to part ways and
I walked her home all the while dropping hints that I wanted to woo
her and she played along with me.It was so funny!
I reached home on time to catch the opening game of the World Cup
finals.It was France versus Senegal.I rooted for Senegal.When the
Africans scored,I cheered.When the final whistle was blown,I
punched the air in delight.Victory for Senegal parallelled the joy
I felt that day.I felt that I represented Senegal.France
represented All the Unfavourable Circumstances That I Had
Faced.With grit and patience,I had triumphed handsomely against
what Life had thrown at me.
I flipped to page 76 of Different Seasons by Stephen King.There is
an interesting passage on it.I read it and I smiled to myself.It
goes:
His mood broke around the time of the 1967 World Series.That was
the dream year,the year the Red Sox won the pennant instead of
placing ninth,as the Las Vegas predicted.When it happened-when they
won the American League pennant-a kind of ebullience engulfed the
whole prison.There was a goofy sort of feeling that if the Dead Sox
could come to life,then maybe anybody could do it.
"Now there is something to look forward and plan ahead in the days
to come.",I told myself as I retired to bed.
