This a story about Abby. Yes, you can think of Abby as the
Abby Sciuto from NCIS but she’s unlike Ms Sciuto in case the mention of her
name conjures an image of a gothic girl totally addicted to Caf-Pow. Energetic yes, but relatively subdued.
It’s one of those high school boy-meets-girl-and-they-became-best-pals
stories one hears ever so often.
The meeting in 2002 wasn’t your normal meet, greet, and
shake the hand sort of encounter. Studying in a boy’s school (Go SXI!), the
only girls we could meet are those in Form 6 (Pre-U) and I’m positive they don’t
even have the time for immature nestlings like us. And we’re too preoccupied
with street soccer to ogle at them; well, most
of the time we’re busy if you know what I mean.
I got Abby’s number off a greeting card sent from her
society (well, it’s those quasi-diplomatic well-wishing) but too bad she wasn’t
in at that time. I left my number, who I am, the reason for the call, and a
message before hanging up.
Before long, she returned the call and that marked the start
of a lovely journey. The calls and texts went back forth more times than that between
Kennedy and Khrushchev during the Cuban Missile Crisis. We talked about school,
friends, studies, guys, girls, and empty chats in between.
Believe or not, we haven’t met even once. If there ever was
a chance, and one that I didn’t grab, to meet her it would have to be the day
she left for the UK
for her A-Levels soon after our national examination, the MCE.
 |
| Left or right, here we are right now. (Photo credit: Thomas Pate) |
Eight hours (7 in the summer) of time difference, there was
only a small window for a chat and I wasn’t connected to the net all the time
like I do now. A freshman in varsity, I once caught up with her on MSN Messenger
at 10 A.M. local time and managed a 30-minute on-and-off chat. She’s a
sophomore in University
of Bristol now. Life as a
student is great but hectic. Working at 2 A.M., I’m sure it is.
There was a long silence thereafter with an email or two in
between. I received a call from her one night, a year later, when she was back
here during her term break. Well, that’s how things were.
At a point in time, we’re on the same path and headed in the
same direction. Then there comes the moment when a choice is required of us;
ah, that fork that leads to many places of untold fortune. We make choices life
and some of us simply actualize that choice which was made on our behalf long
ago. Either way, we chart our own course and in the process grow apart from the
people we’re once so close to. And I embrace that without a protest, just a
tinge of sadness.
Was there something that I did wrong?
It’s been so long, eh? Here’s wishing you nothin bt
blessings @another milestone in life. Happy birthday!...|
She turns 26 today.
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