and the next part of the story..

DY’s hands were in a level, indicating a standard benchmark that he was aiming for. And he should, Marie thought. She knew of few others who would go that extra distance in doing research for a certain topic. It was always DY, who seemed to have info on his fingertips. Something like computer memory. Always accessible…

There were so many likeable qualities about DY, but there was something about his social life, or his social manners, that didn’t got the attention of girls. Maybe he was always that little eccentric, a little bit off tangent when he was with others in a group. But he was always able to provide some kind of humour, no matter how esoteric, he would manage to get his jokes out half the time. Perhaps he should belong with intellectuals… he was always the serious type, and it didn’t occur to others that this was how DY ‘relax’, by thinking, or reading, or doing some other intellectual stuff. To others, the so called, method of relaxation was just surfing for fun on the Internet, or playing some cool games on the Xbox or Playstation. But DY didn’t have those. He just preferred to read and write. DY had been writing for quite a while now, the habit having originated from a need to record his ideas. And so he was, always slight off-beat, a little bit odd, but likeable all the same.

All this Marie thought. But there was something else too. He always that extra step ahead of others, because he knew his own way. He knew the road he was taking, while others were still lost in their deliberations. There was always that bit of an impulsive streak in him, to do the thing that he wants to do, no matter the consequence, JUST TO GET THERE. But most times, he was docile, just another friendly guy you wouldn’t mind having among your clique of friends. A little bit like Forrest Gump, in this respect, having that moral compass that wouldn’t budge. Maybe a smart version of Forrest Gump, to put it in a way. Maybe, just maybe, a Forrest Gump looking for his Jenny, no matter what Jenny became. A constant in a world of change…

But all DY was thinking of all this while, was, just, how beautiful Marie looked. Marie was wearing a tight short sleeved shirt, a V-neck that didn’t plunge too far down. It was in a pastel red, with some girl-feminine design befitting her age. She had some cleavage, but that was irrelevant. Her hair barely caressed her back, but it definitely went below the shoulder. Simple earrings, not too dangly, ending with what looked pearls. It was simple, nothing too gaudy, just everything that suited her. She was wearing a denim skirt that was layered and ended with many flares, no, not flares, that frilly lacey thingy that DY didn’t know the exact term for it. She was wearing heels with a low stiletto. Did you call them high heels? I dunno… he looked at himself and was a little bit ashamed. Compared to Marie, he was something like some other guy to be seen down the street. Even the other guys in his neighbourhood know how to dress better when you go to somewhere as full of style as Orchard Road. Just a jersey shirt he had bought from a clearance sale, white with orange and blue at the flanks, supposedly for ventilation. It was thin, but it was opaque enough that his slightly tanned body wasn’t visible. He was wearing his long Bermudas and it matched his long legs. And specs. He still wore specs in an era of contact lens. His misshapen feet, from a childhood accident, all too visible from his scandals. Perhaps the only thing that could barely be considered ‘style’ was a $130 swatch watch that he had gotten as a birthday present. But that thing of silver didn’t escape the DY’s rough use. The glass was cracked, and smeared with street paint. It wasn’t that DY didn’t appreciate the watch. He loved it. It was just…him, for him to treat things like that. The books that he had bought all had dog ears, victims of rough handling. There was hardly anything belonging to DY that wasn’t ill-treated, even his precious notebooks.

What are you looking at? Marie smiled.

Erm, you mind if I say this? I was just thinking, it seems that girls always know how to dress better than guys. Look at me, and look at yourself. I can feel this great difference. Aww, this is just crap…

Its alright lar. I was going out with my friends… and you were just out studying… hey, relax, its alright…

DY smiled a little… Even during prom… the girls always looked marvelous. I wouldn’t know what to dress for prom…

Marie laughed… some guys look good too, you know, I’ve seen some guys who really know how to dress…

Lucky them… looks like girls develop fashion maturity faster… haha… more laughter.

The night wasn’t getting any younger for the both of them. Oh! Look at the time now. I have to go now. You?

Oh, yar, guess I need to go too, then.

Going to the MRT?

Yar. Guess we’ll go together then…

And so, both of them walked together, side by side, their arms close by but not touching, and all there was between them was the charm of their friendship. But it didn’t end there actually.

DY, you’re a Christian rite?

Yar, I guess…

My church has an event this hols. Here. In her hands was an invitation postcard, or something like that. If you’re free, maybe you can come. I’m in it… hee…

(Oh God, thank You for not ending the meeting here…phew…!) hmm, I’ll go if I can (of course I’ll go, ‘cause you’re in it…) will I get to see you after the whole thing, like a meal or something?

I dunno, maybe…

(Oh God, thank You again, for not closing anything…) though he knew, most likely, there’s no chance at all of anything happening. DY was in a fix. He didn’t know whether to give this relationship a chance, or whether he should just innocently let it go, letting them stay as friends-platonic friendship or whatever crap it was described as.

And so he parted from her, as he saw her farewell from outside the train. Oh crap! I’m so stupid. I should’ve just stayed with her till her stop. Poor guy. He took out his handphone and entered the message.

“Hey Marie, thanks for the night. Would have been lonely having coffee alone. Enjoyed your company very much. Maybe we’ll meet again sometime? Take care and God bless…”

soon after, came the reply.

“Hiya! Same here, its been wonderful. Thanks to you too! Take care too! Goodnight!”

Marie had decided not to go too far down the road of intimate phrases. Her heart was light, almost fluttery as she looked forward to a goodnight’s rest… thus ended, this night of rekindled relationships…

I never intended a chapter 2 for gibbergibber, but since I got the ball rolling, might as well…

The previous chapter ended with DY and Marie safely home from their unintended meeting. The story follows them home, with both of them thinking about their lives so far…

DY is at home, relaxing by being brain dead watching some cartoon. He likes it this way. He switches the channel when its some cringing commercial. Here comes one. Switch. News. Headlines. Blah-blah, jabber-jabber-jabber. The newscaster is talking way fast. Though DY knows what the news is, he refuses to think about the news. He thinks he has lingered enough time on news. Switch. Bright colours, silly characters. He knows that it’s the right channel, and it’s the right cartoon. DY smiles. Its fun to act like an idiot sometimes. his hand reaches for a cup of water on his right. Sip. Sip again. Thirst gratified. Aarrh… what a holiday.
Marie is different. She is being studious, not quite the way you are thinking. Yes, she is poring over notes, but not exactly the notes you think it is. No, she is not poring over some scientific diagram, or some equation, mathematical or otherwise. No. there’s colour. The paper is of high quality acid-free paper. The pages on these ‘notes’ are sharp, that’s because they are brand new. And the binding is thick too. Woah… you’d think she’s trying to study a lot. Yes. At least that’s right. She’s being meticulous. She is doing transcription. Copying some of the stuff she’s reading into a little notebook. Drawing a little, writing a lot. She is now looking what looks barely like the symbol of infinity, though with straight lines joining to it. Straight lines, and perpendicular too. But the infinity symbol is only part of the image. There are points of convergence, meant for the lines to join together. And its 3-dimension. But not all the images are the same. Some have lines, while others depend on the power of adhesion. Ooh. They have curvature too. All of them, with no exception, the curvature is positive. Its convex. But only from one perspective. From the inside, you would see the converse, a concave surface. Lingerie. Marie is looking at kinky kooky sexy naughty bitchy lingerie. Her eyes are bewildered she has rarely seen such varieties of lingerie, of such colour, styles, and design.

.... till next time.. haha..

let the rain fall

i don't know why, but the words 'let the rain fall' got stuck on my head over and over again. there was little of a tune, so i didn't know what song it was from... i know there must be a song somewhere with those words, but anyway, it just repeats like some mantra from i don't know where... anyway here i am in school, coping with school work and daily asking myself whether or not i should do 2 majors in university.. haha.. political science and chemistry. political science for journalism or chemistry and apply weird geometries to molecules.. haha... but anyway, been asking God everyday, so.. its all in HIs hands..

finished harry potter, and a couple of other books. been reading stuff on international relations, globalization and terrorism. been also looking iupac, research journals and textbooks. so... not that i'm divided into 2 academically, but i have to focus on NOW, ie, the A levels. gotta clear that well to do the OTHER STUFF. been asking shaun, my classmate some questions, like.... what is the destination of human endeavour? and... how about a new international/human synthesis.... how to link every topic with one another. its more than globalization.. it is human at its centre. its about ourselves.. anyway... thats my usual... -thinking big- its a habit. been doing that ever since 4-5 years ago. its a habit... and how i did that.... i dunno. will have to look up my past to answer that.. thot i found it from a dialouge in sphere, about 'the people who did great things accomplished them before they were 30'.. so i started the clock.. haha... anyway... all in time.. all in time..

july 15th

today is my bro's birthday... happy birthday bro.. haha.. but he won't be reading this so he won't know.. haha... 25 now..

anyway, i'v more or less exhausted my search on the web for silicon compounds. i found a textbook, but i have to buy it, or try to get it from somewhere else to photocopy. err.. so, i have decided to stop my research and focus on A'levels, which is a more sensible thing to do, i guess..

thank you melvin! haha.. nice guy.. and i should think less for a little bit.. yar... like think less on chemsitry(the out-of-syllabus stuff) and maybe think less 'big'.. read clash of civilizations. when i got to the part about ethnic conflict, i sorta teared a little and i don't really know why. probably felt a little sad that we're in this so called 'modern world', yet we wre still killing for the simple reason that 'they are not one of us...'.......... somehow, i felt as if i should do something about it but i'm not sure if that was the actual message.. anyway, less thinking on that, and i need to do real work for my gp, which is sucking for reasons unknown. probably because i haven't been putting enough real effort. write and write. man... i really need to draw up a time table.. probably would do gp on saturday night.. haha..

anyway... was thinking again.... i should be happy when my friends find happiness in their own ways.. yar. guess i should stop brooding on some other certain things which really are real consequence to me.. not that i'm feeling jealous.. haha.. maybe i should really get down on writing 'the best man, not the groom'... hahahahahha....

guess i should be posting the next part of the story huh? haha...

Yar. There’s no other place for me to go…

Hmm, I’m going to just chill over a cup of coffee nearby. I hope it’s not too packed. I really need a place where I can sit down and rest. you wanna come along? (oh please, say yes…)

Marie could almost hear the yes thumping in her heart, as if her very life was dependent upon that answer. What if she refused? No. she could not think of a refusal. She could hear the desire of DY’s heart, as if wanting to do something more than just coffee. Was it his heartbeat, or mine? She could not tell, the noise of the traffic around them drowning out their voices. But not the voice between their hearts. So she muttered, sure, why not, and it seemed that something was about to burst, to both of them. No, it wasn’t that they were in love or anything like that, but they now had each other for the night, just company, and nothing more, but nothing less, just the innocence of presence of one another.

They had their little stroll, side by side, to a café. There were 2 empty red velvet couches, and they sat on down, their legs allowed to rest. so, do you want me to order anything for you?

Is it my prerogative? Should I enjoy being a girl, and let a guy do this for me, just because I’m a girl? Nah, I’d better not trouble him.

No, you go ahead first. I’ll wait for you.

Ok then, I’ll go first…

She was lying in the couch, starting to close her eyes, her most traumatic experience coming over her again. She was back in her beach, and she could almost smell the scent of seawater, though the air around her really permeated the aroma of coffee. no. she was not in the café anymore. She was at the beach. And right in front of her was the guy who she thought had been right for her. The right guy. His hands were at her waist, her back was to a tree. It had been a barbeque for her friends, and the 2 were alone. the last rays of the sun was shining unto their faces, now gold and shimmering in the dying light. And so, both, as precious as gold to each other, more so, their love. It had been true love, or was it true, or was it love? She couldn’t tell anymore. But the best moments did not last. The nightmare began to creep in as his hands had moved a little north, where her strap was. As they kissed, she felt something loosen in her clothing. Her anxiety, misinterpreted to him as passion, made him a little more aroused, and so it seemed. She started to struggle, and managed to break free. Her face, red and flustered. She managed to barely wriggle out of his well-built physique. She didn’t even know what to do. Confused, she looked at him again. His face was barely apologetic though an apology would matter.

So! This was how it is, isn’t it? Just a pretty face?

I thought it was love!

After that, she took her stuff, and left his life.

None of her friends really knew what happened that caused the break-up. She had never mentioned it, because of the intense emotions, and she did not want to revisit the memories. There was too much pain and anger. the mere mention of the incident was enough to stir that explosive mixture. As DY came back with his order, she hurriedly buried those memories with the present, wiped away some of her tears, and smiled as DY came to seat. But it was futile. DY had known what had happened. He had cast one of those of his sideward glances, glances sharp enough to notice what happens to someone. His glance had caught Marie in her mid-sleep tearing, as he thought she heard some slight sobbing coming from her. So, something caused you to cry and he don’t want anyone to know, well, I’ll keep that in mind…

Hey, it’s your turn to go order. Go, go, go! Don’t stay stunned here. Or you still want me to order for you?
Nah, its ok. Thanks anyway though.

She left her seat, as hurriedly as she said those words, eager to excuse herself from her own awkwardness. A thought suddenly rose up within her, as if wanting to tell DY what happened. But should she? That incident happened in another time, and in another place, and it did not relate to DY anyhow. So, why tell? Because he treats you like a sister, is that it? She was surprised, that she managed to find the right terms to describe their relationships. Nothing intimate, but friends, maybe, just that little bit more? Aargh… words are just words, they don’t really matter sometimes. All she had to know, was the comfort derived from his presence…

She was a little dazed when the assistant asked for her order. She looked around the notices and menus, and settled on some ice blended chocolate frappucino, with cream, thank you. Anything else? No, thanks.

She went over to the pick up counter, waiting for her order to be made. While waiting, she saw DY writing. That quaint little hobby of writing, that had stuck with DY all the time she’d known him. It was all the more reassuring, looking at this guy who barely changed over the past few years. And here he was, relaxing over his hot vanilla, writing, in his near-illegible handwriting that he was poked fun of.

Miss, your frappucino? Thank you.

She took her order and went back to the seat.

Hey, what are you writing? She was curious, as she always was, when she knew words were being written. Those were the days, when it seemed DY would write some bit of prose, and show it to those around him. It was fun sometimes, to see someone come up with something new and original, and it was kind of appealing, it seemed, as if having some writer in your midst. At least, that was how she saw him. Like an uncut diamond that was already sparkling. Just that little polish here and there, and presto! Surely, one of the most beautiful diamond. DY had always shown some measure of what, brilliance?, genius?, whatever you called it, that something extra?. Though mediocre as he would be sometimes, it was given, that given time, DY would go on and do something remarkable. Or so it seemed to her.

She could barely see the words that he was writing now. But it was obvious that DY was in some sort of a frenzy, because he was trying to get the words down as fast as he could, as if he would lose his thought if he didn’t.

Oh, what am I writing now? Nothing really, just something of what happened today. Kind of private. But she had already glimpsed those words.

‘Who would’ve thought that you would meet your old classmate? Thank God I met her today.’

She couldn’t read on, as DY had already finished writing and had closed his notebook, a green Azone ring-bound note book. Her heart was smiling, no, she was smiling, she was happy, that someone would write something like that. DY had felt that those memories were worth writing about! Woah!

DY could see that she was happy. Woman/girls are really strange creatures, he thought. Tearing one moment, happy the next. Bah. Whatever, it just doesn’t matter at all.

Both weren’t talking, but it seemed that the silence was being filled by the smiles of their face. Love was NOT in the air. So, how are you now? Please don’t say ‘fine’… DY had fired off first, wanting to ride on the feeling of pleasantness.

I’ve been… alright. School’s alright. Getting B’s and C’s, hoping to get A’s though… my class if fine, we are getting along nicely. The teachers aren’t really fantastic but they do their job lar. But my GP teacher has been really wonderful. I think I should get at least a B for that.

Your CCA?

Oh, Council is busy, but its alright, I mean, I can still manage my Council stuff along with the rest of my school work. everything is fine lar. And you? I heard your college did quite alright for the A’ levels siah… is the school pressuring your batch to keep up?

Aiyah, just a lot of crap lar. Nothing much. Just try my best. Doesn’t matter lar. My schoolwork’s alright too. I’m doing well in my best subjects. Chemistry. Hee… I’m confident. Nothing less than an A. then the rest, erm, can improve lar. Physics still can, but my GP is screwing up and I don’t know why. But trying to get there.