Chapter 10

Whenever there was a break, Valentia and I would sneak to the back of the factory for a puff.

“Of all the temps here, only you smoke.” Valentia said. I thought, now, that smoking was cool too: I would always try to light a stick in crowded areas. I would feel like twenty-six instead of sixteen.

I did not know where Lara was posted to. I had not seen her anywhere in the factory. She did take the company bus to the factory but she would disappear when she reached the factory.

A few days later, Lara called me. I had not expected her to call: I thought we would not even be friends anymore after her dramatic exit that day.

“Dear dear, what happened to us? You seemed like a different person….” she said.

I was lost for words. I thought I had made it clear to her. “We’ve broken off.” I said.
“What?” her voice was hoarse.
“I thought I’ve made it clear that day. We’re over. You walk your own path, I walk mine.”
“No!” Even though I could not see her, I could hear her sobbing. “No, dear dear, tell me what is wrong…”
I thought of putting down the phone. In the end, I fought the compulsion and said, “You and I, we are not meant for each other. I want freedom. You want more. Look-”

“There’s a third party, right?” she asked. Woman’s intuition.

I thought of Valentia and then I thought of Lara. They were two very different women. “You can think of anything you want. If there’s-”

“I can change-”

“No, Lara. I told you, it’s over.”

“I-”

“Give me a thousand reasons or excuses, it will be useless. It’s over, Lara. It’s all over.”

“Then, how about our promises?” she said. “You made a promise that day. We promised that every eight years, we will make a new promise at the Bird Park. You made a promise! When we were eight, you promised me that we will-”

“Stop it.” I cut in.

“How about our plans? You said you planned to marry me when you are-”

“Grow up, Lara! Do you really think we will last forever? All these promises – plans – whatever things I said; they are nothing but words! Sweet words! You understand? Come on, grow up.”

She said nothing. All I could hear was her breathing and her crying. Knowing that this would be going nowhere, I slammed the phone down. But before that, I heard two last words from her.

“My mother-”

I had promised Joanna something last year. She would understand, I thought. She is an adult. She must be a smoker.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

In the end, I did not get into a relationship with Valentia.

It turned out that her main intention to get close to me was to get me to join her “Multi-Level Marketing” plan. She told me that we could earn $1000 a month if I joined her. I lost $500 on my first month with her and when I backed out, she quitted the factory work and disappeared from my life forever.

I thought of calling Lara a few times but I did not. Finally, one serene night, I bucked up all my courage and dialled her number. Joanna picked up the phone.

“Hi, Joanna, is Lara around?” I asked.

“She’s in the bathroom. You want-”

“No, please, don’t say I called, is that okay?”

Joanna agreed.

“Thanks.” I hung up and thought for a while. The next day, I quitted my job at the factory. We were getting our results in a few days’ time.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

On the day when we got back our results, I tried to look for Lara.

Lara was hanging out with her classmates near the canteen. I wanted to talk to her but she was so immersed in her conversation with her classmates that she did not spot me. There were two male classmates among her chatters.

I hung out with Jackson and gang. When we were announced to go to the Hall, I put my hand on my chest and felt my heart. It was beating fast.

“Hi.” I said when Lara walked past me.

Either she did not hear me or she chose to ignore me.

I got 14 for my L1R4 and 20 for my L1R5. That would mean my entry to a Polytechnic course of my choice should be a breeze. When several teachers approached me to congratulate me, I scanned the Hall for Lara. There was no trace of her.

The Hall was filled with both laughter and tears. Some of my classmates cried out of joy while others cried for help. When I was consoling one of my classmates who failed English, a familiar voice rang behind me.

“How’re your results?”

I turned. The familiarity could not escape me. On closer look, Lara had just dyed her hair chestnut brown. It was amazing that the Discipline Master had allowed her into the Hall.

“Good. Great. Yours?”

Lara showed me her results slip. She got a 12 for L1R4 and 19 for L1R5. With that result, she could enter a Junior College.

“So…” I began. “Ngee Ann?”

Her eyes became red. I must have triggered some memories. She smiled through her red eyes and said, “I don’t know.” Then, she turned and went off.

I strolled around the Hall for a few more minutes before going out for a smoke.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

“Eight years ago, we made our first promise. Wanna make another promise?”

“Why not we make another silly promise, just like last time?”

“Promise that eight years from now, we would sit here and make another promise? We will be twenty-four then.”

“Ideal! So every eight years, we would come here and make a promise together? Till we are… eighty?”

“Yes! We have made a promise when we were eight years old. Now, we had made another promise at sixteen years old. We’ll be here when we are twenty-four, right?”

“Yes, then thirty-two, forty, forty-eight… till we are eighty.”

“I will be here.”

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

“We will go to Ngee Ann Polytechnic. After we have graduated, I will go National Service first while you work. About two years later, I will join the work force as well. Then, we will work in a Multi-National Company for about ten years-”

“Wait! When we are twenty-four, we have to make another promise at the Bird Park.”

“Yes, after that, when we are thirty-two, we make another promise and we will start our own business. We can sell clothes or start a small café. Then, at thirty-three, I will propose to you. You must agree, okay?”

“I want a diamond ring!”

“Yes, no problem. Then, at thirty-four, we’ll have our first child. At forty, we make another promise at the Bird Park. And at forty, we plan our future again. Okay?”

“Deal. Whoever backs out from the plan will be a turtle!”

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