Sunday 15 March 2020

Short story | We met again

We met again,
I thought.
The hall was filled with wave of people gallivanting around, happy faces occupying every corners of the hall. Some with a half full glass on one hand and ‘kuih’ on the other hand, while talking to the other person. You were among others, were just sitting there with plain face.
I wonder what runs in your head.
I picked another piece of ‘kuih lapis’ and took a small bite before putting it back on my plate. Then, I stole another glance at you.
You dressed nicely like you always do, cross-legged and composed. I looked beside you and of course, you were sitting next to your best friend.
Best friend.
A term used for platonic relationship we used to have. That time when I was once your best friend.
At this moment, I felt the entire thing around me- the people, the decorations and the hall melt to spaces and I was taken back into our small bedroom. Dark and silent.
We were laying down on our single beds, 1 meter from one another.
You giggled in between silence and continued talking about your dreams, the boys and us.
“One day when we both get married with the man of our dreams. Let’s open a clinic together. We’ll make our husbands join us too!”
“You dreamed of getting married with doctors? What are you going to talk to each other over dinner?” You giggled again.
I can’t help giggling too as my eyes get watery.
“I don’t know. Probably about an 80 years old uncle with acute appendicitis asking for my number for a date during my ward rounds.”
“HAHAHAHAHA”, we both burst into laughter.
Your laughter was once so addictive. You would slam your one hand against the bed several times while laughing on top of your lungs and took a high pitched inhalation after every laugh.
I haven’t get to appreciate that laugh for the longest time.
Time passed by like water running out of the tap.
We’re where we are now, not knowing a single update about one another, and not even making effort to change that. We’re stuck.
Are we really stuck? Or we chose to be this way since keeping ourselves apart keeps us from bickering and having dispute with each other?
I got back into my senses and took my glance back to look at the bridal dais.
We’re at our friend’s wedding and she’s really beautiful with her charming husband, both laughing and looking into each other’s eyes affectionately. It was a wonderful wedding.
Someday, it would be our turns and I wonder if we’ll do as what we planned.
That small, half-jokingly but sincere and almost-forgotten plan.
Or are we just going to meet at every crossed paths for a while and carry on our life as if we never had that plan?
At that moment, I could feel a glance from you.
I hope we’ll meet again one day, I whispered.

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