wonderment

Today was just the weirdest sort of day.

I was supposed to meet 3 friends today. 2 of them I meet quite regularly, 1 was an old friend from my previous church.

Yet, by the end of today, I’ve met another 4 people I know.

The first was Cheryl whom I bumped into with her 2 friends while browsing through a shop. We stood there stunned, staring at each other. It’s been 5 years since I last saw her - when she was still in Sec 4. I wouldn’t forget her for the world - she was the frank, tomboyish, reckless one and she made us seniors feel very uncomfortable with her unconventional ways and deep, piercing eyes.

The Cheryl I met was no different from before, still a tomboy, still having those eyes that seemed to peel away the masks you wanted to wear to appear strong. I didn’t have time to pretend I didn’t see her and slink off so I thought I’d just say hello and get on out of there. We began talking about life and when she found out I was going to Melbourne, she started giving me advice ‘cos she just spent a year in UniMelb.

Perhaps 5 years ago, we were all very different people. Underneath her straight-talking exterior was a real character that many people couldn’t accept. Back then, I was the senior girl, the one who had to schmooze with the popular clique in her cohort so that I could hold my position with respect. That group didn’t like or tolerate her so neither could I.

How funny it is that now as I look back, the friends I admire the most aren’t the popular girls I tried to woo with my friendship so desperately but the girls who enjoyed themselves even if they weren’t included in the “in” group.

Years on, I don’t think she’s lost that fiesty character of hers, but definitely, her raw edges then have been smoothened and now she’s a fine young lady. We didn’t speak long but I still felt refreshed by her sincerity and maturity. In fact, as I looked into those eyes that made me feel really uncomfortable once upon a time, I saw a very good soul.

Moving on …

I was just finishing dinner with Joyce when I saw Ms Song and her sister Ruth Song.

When I was in Sec 1, (Ruth was then Sec 4) a group of us new GB recruits used to worship the ground our Sec 4 seniors walked on. I didn’t know Ruth personally so my “worship” didn’t extend to her, rather, I bragged to the others because yes, I share the same name with her, even right up to the Hanyu Pinyin of the first letter of our Chinese names.

But that was about it. She didn’t even know who I was. It was only during the Sec 4 farewell camp, while we were lining up at the same water cooler to refill our bottles, did another Sec 4 girl, Suwen (whom I absolutely adored) tease her and me about having the same name. In fact, I was more pleased that Suwen noticed me rather than Ruth actually knowing I was the other Ruth Song.

So it wasn’t unusual that just now while we were all standing together, we nodded at each other in acknowledgement and said nothing more.

On the other hand, her older sister (Ms Song) used to be my PE teacher-cum-captain of GB. She’s moved on into full-time ministry now so we talked a bit before the situation got a bit odd with nothing else to say but me gushing, “Oh how pretty you are now, Ms Song!” so Joyce and I left.

And finally …

I took the MRT back and was walking out of the MRT station near my place, I don’t know why, I suddenly turned back.

And my heart skipped a beat.

If time went back by 10 years, my heart would have stopped beating then.

There, only 2m away from me was the only girl who could make my world light up in a second. Okay, disclaimer first - NO, I AM NOT GAY. 100% STRAIGHT. CAN?

Suwen. Yes, THAT girl mentioned in the Ruth Song story. The one I absolutely adored? She was standing by the ticket office and I knew I had to go say hi.

You must know, I used to spend afternoons comparing notes with another friend about how many times I saw Suwen in school that day, whether I managed to catch her attention, whether she smiled back, and it was like THE highlight of the day if she saw me waving. That was how much I liked her. She wasn’t a squad leader or anything, but she had a special way of making you feel “noticed”.

She saw me coming and smiling like a crazy idiot but she pretended not to notice. Right up to the time I stepped in front of her, waved and said, “Hi Suwen”.

Like Ruth, like Ms Song, she had this look of utter confusion on her face. All of them couldn’t recognise me at all! (Just look at my I/C and you’ll know why. I sported the same look all throughout secondary school and poly. Real change came after I graduated. Hee.)

The difference that makes Suwen the amazing girl that she is, comes from the fact that she really cares and not just pretends to make you feel good for that moment.

It may not seem like a big thing, but she got my mobile number and gave me hers. Later, she SMSed me, asking me to just give her a shoutout if I needed help in Melbourne because she’s got friends there. I asked for her email address and she gave it to me.

I intend to email her. Goodness, after so long!

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Such a long blog entry but I think I can rival John Tay now with the number of friends I meet on the street, can I, John?? Hahaha … but honestly, I’ve never met so many old GB girls in one day and so many who’ve cast such a deep impression on me.

Now, for those I did arrange to meet, they left new memories for me to cherish and I’ll probably talk about them 5 years down the road? Hehe …