Yet Another Journey.

We finally met up today, after weeks of delays and cancelled plans. There was no rush, no running involved. It was calm, carefree, relaxed. There was no need for the normal greetings, the hugging and the gossip.

“Hey, you,” I said.
“Hey, you,” she replied.

It all fell into place. We instantly felt comfortable with each other, the coziness, the camaraderie. It was interesting to feel that way, considering the last time was before she left for Germany last year.

We updated each other, while she weaved through traffic with her Kancil. Laughter filled the car, and I was constantly looking at her smile. Ah, her smile. So full of energy. It gives me goosebumps as I realize how much I’ve missed her smile. Even as we reached Bangsar, the teasing and the laughing never ceased. It felt so natural, like we had been meeting each other every single day.

Our breakfast there was perfect. There was a soft breeze, and our spot was under a row of trees, the shade and the green providing a nice respite from the blistering morning heat, the noise and the dust. The wind messed up her hair, and I pulled a few strands away from her eyes. She looked at me dreamily and smiled her smile. We talked and talked, sipping our teh tariks and eating our roti canais. She spoke of her life in Germany, her friends, her host family, the crazy things she has done. I talked about my course, the change, the crazy shit that happened to me. The teasings continued. Her laugh was soft, sweet. Warm and full of life.

The day was long, and plans were made spontaneously. She had to bring the car back to her mum, so we decided to go to 1-Utama. What were we going to do there? We planned as we went. First this shop, then that one. Movie? Why not. Knitted tops. Handphones, then Haruki Murakami. She wanted to buy some paint. I didn’t need anything, so I just went with the flow. My constant sneezing almost ruined the day. My tissues were all used up. She gave her packet of tissues, squeezed my shoulder and said, “never mind la.”

My constant sneezing was always followed by her “Bless You”s. She looked concerned at the beginning, then she gave a soft giggle a few hours later. Our hands constantly brushed each other.

She was still the same. Crazy, spontaneous. Naive in some aspects, and fully aware of it. Still fully committed to helping others, even more so than before. Dreamy. Always happy. Always smiling her infectious smile.

Her German classes were over, and she couldn’t wait to get back there to start her bio-medical engineering course. So much so, that she already set her watch to German time. Yeap, still the same.

“Why?” I asked her. “Why this course?”

“I want to help people. But I can’t do medicine, you know me la. So I’m doing this course, so I can help the doctors to help people better. I can use my knowledge to come up with new inventions, new technologies.”

“Yeap, still the same girl.”

She laughs. “Boringlah, always thinking about yourself. Much more exciting to think about others.” She winks.

My flu was getting worse, so we decided to get a drink. She suddenly had a craving for the ice-blended from Coffee Bean, so we went around looking for the place. She saw it, gave a small squeal, grabbed my hand and dragged me towards the counter. I ordered a glass of hot mocha and almond biscotti. She got her ice-blended and looked very pleased with herself. We sat together at a corner, hunched down and reading today’s copy of The Star. I broke off a piece of the biscotti and gave it to her.

Then, it hit me. I couldn’t stop looking at her. Her eyes twinkled. She was happy and content with her life. I could feel it emanating from her, from her smile, her speech, her looks, her actions. Full of determination and the motivation to prove her worth to the world, but also willing to get crazy along the way. Such is life, according to her.

Her face was soft. Her hair was long, curly. It seemed to go on forever. Her lips were curled up in concentration, reading the paper. They were luscious, soft. She was softly humming a tune that only she knew. I couldn’t stop looking. She realized this, looked at me and smiled. Our shoulders touched, and it remained that way till we realized we were late for our movie.

In the darkened room, we leaned close to each other. She was supposed to go back as soon as the movie ended, but she stayed with me until my bus came. She gave me the phone number of the house she’s staying at in Germany, and then we hugged as the engine of the bus roared to life. I stroked her hair, and she stroked mine. I got onto the bus, and it left.

Her zest for life. Her determination. Her willingness to get crazy. She’s dreamy, she’s idealistic, she’s naive (and aware of it), she’s focused. She wants to try as many things as she can, and she’s not afraid to do it. I might not meet someone like her, ever again. And to think that I met her because of a Scrabble competition.

God, I think I’m in love with her.
Yeah, I am.
I love her.
I’m in love with her.

I love the way her hair falls, the way she laughs, her eyes, her soft hands, her voice.
I love her quirks, her amibitions, her flaws.

Everything.

I love her. And I won’t be seeing her for a long, long time.
Fuck, what a timing.