Booker Blogs

When Sweetness Calls…

In the sweetest of voices, she asks me for the link to a very good friend’s wedding some months back. Nothing awkward about it…. except that she sounded so sweet. I mean, she doesn’t usually croak like a menopausal frog or anything … but it was the tone of her voice…. Something about that tone…. And as I mucked around my emails looking for the link… the niggling feeling I had that something was amiss crystalised!!!

She was using THAT TONE!!!!!!!!!!

You know… THAT TONE of voice you use when you’re about to do something sneaky…. Something nice sneaky… like someone trying to find out where exactly you’ll be at precisely 8.00pm on such and such a night so they can plan a surprise party… like someone casually asking for your dress size so she can get her that kickass top for your birthday…. Like someone ASKING FOR YOUR PHOTO SO SHE CAN SHOW IT TO SOMEONE ELSE FOR MATCHMAKING PURPOSES kinda sneaky!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Aiyoh…………. SHY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Ming    :           Hi!

                       [and this in itself is weird cause she usually just says

                        "Oi woman!”]

Me       :           Ooooooooi! What’s up?

                      [still blissfully unsuspicious… I can be so trusting at

                       times]

Ming    :           Eh…. [sounding saccharinely sweet] do you still have 

                      the link to Ah Poon’s KL wedding photos?

   [early warning # 1 : Perfectly formed sentence…]

   [early warning # 2 : in perfectly good grammar…]

Me       :         Got! I never delete ANYTHING! *muahahahahaha*

  You wan? I forward to you…. Wait ah…. (while 

  scrolling my gmail account which was, conveniently 

  open at 3.15pm on a work day afternoon…)

Ming    :           Oh! Or errr…. Do you have any group photos?

Me       :           Got! I downloaded some. What kind of group photos?

                       Only the ones with you in them? With the couple?

                       With the rest of the gang?

    [yes, I very free at work … sometimes…]

Ming    :           Err….. any group photo…

Me       :           Ok

Ming    :           BUT! MUST HAVE YOU IN IT!!!!!!!!!!!

Me       :         [one eyebrow raised…..it was at about this time that

                      what started as faraway little fairy bells started

                      chiming BIG TIME in my head!!!!!!]

  <pause>

  Why MING???!!?!?!

Ming    :           Errr, no la… I just wanna have a look…

Me       :         WHY MING??!?!?!

Ming    :           *SIGH!* [MY FULL NAME] JUST SEND ME A KICKASS

                        PHOTO OF YOURSELF LA OK! DON’T ASK SO

                        MANY  QUESTIONS!!!! DO YOU WANNA REMAIN

                        SINGLE FOR THE REST OF YOUR LIFE!!!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!

I love Ah Ming.

She’s so…. so….. caring….. and she’s so….. so…… subtle….

So what do I do??????

Sent her an entire portfolio of bootilicious shots of myself of course!!!!!!

She called me by my FULL NAME!!!!

Sigh…..*eyes looking heavenwards* the things I do for my friends!!!!!!!

Because I was told he still checks it every morning.

Because I was told he is consequently disappointed every morning.

Because even I am beginning to feel rather bad about neglecting it.

Today, I am blogging.

If ONLY not to disappoint you further Marc, read on.

October… last year at this time, I was standing on the precipice of a new decade in my life… a new chapter… a new phase, and as I stood there, eyes tightly shut, fervently praying, hands clenched, brow furrowed with worry, somehow, something in me coaxed my tightly shut eyes open, and I saw a world, my world. A world of beauty and smiles (only cause I’m surrounded by you beautiful people!!!)… As I silenced the fervent prayers, I heard the sounds filling my world…. Voices of people I hold so dear to me…. And as I relaxed, I felt surrounded by loved ones people who mattered to me…(and for the cushion and support all of you have given me, how can I thank you enough…) and that furrow melted away into a smile.

The trials and tribulations of growing up, of being something when you’re 30 all boiled down to that moment, the moment I turned 30 and I guess it was then that it hit me with startling clarity.

Everyone’s got their lot in life. So a year ago, I stood there and took a good long look at mine. And I realised, “Hey! It ain’t half bad.” It’s not always rainbows and butterflies…heck, at times it’s downrite painful…. but to me, *shrug*, I don’t think I’d trade it for anything. I’m quite happy with my lot in life thank you very much!!! Screwed up or not, complicated or not, worrisome or not, heartbreaking or not.

And it was then, a year ago… I told myself…. “Hey, chin up girl…. Life begins at 30!!!”

And boy what a year!!!!

I don’t lead a terribly interesting life. But what a year!!!!!!!!!! I don’t know how many of you can sincerely look at someone in the eye and with utter conviction reply their “How are you?” with “I’m happy”, but today, in my 31^st year… ladies and gentlemen, my dear dear friends, and my beloved family, I am happy.

So thank you. Thank you to all of you who’ve made me realise I am who I am. Me, with this lot of mine in the wonderfully amazing thing called Life.

This year, but a few short weeks ago, I told myself… “Hey, buckle up babe…. It’s only gonna get better!!!!”

XXXXXxxxxOOxooooXxoOOOoooOXXXxxxoOOOO