Chapter 12

I called Wendy in the afternoon.

“Hey… sorry. I am sick today. Not coming today. So sorry…”

Wendy, as understanding as she had always been since I had known her, said, “It’s okay.” She started to ask me tonnes of questions on how I was feeling. I had to spend ten minutes to assure her that I was fine and all I needed was a long sleep.

“Call me once you’re awake.” she instructed. I agreed to that and finally hung up.

After that, I called Lara. I told her I was free tonight. She almost screamed.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

I had two plans: Either I take Lara to the McDonald’s that we used to work or to the Bird Park.
I spent a few hours planning the programme. We knocked off at 6 p.m. That meant we had more than seven to eight hours together after work.

I met Lara at the bus stop. It was then I remembered the present for Lara: I was not holding it. On my right hand was my briefcase. I turned and was about to rush back to the office when I stopped myself. Did I bring the present out? Or did I leave it at home? I could not remember seeing the present at my workstation.

Lara came earlier than I expected. She was holding on to a blue paper bag. That was the present I had made for her! I had put the star-shaped bottle into that paper bag. I scrutinised the bag deeper: It was surely the present.

Then, it all came back to me: While I was sleeping in the bus, Lara must have found out about the present. To think she took it off without my permission.

“Hey!” When she saw me, she ran towards me and gave me a huge hug. I had not expected such a warm welcome from her.

“Hey.” I whispered. Wendy’s image popped in my mind for a split second. Just a split second.

“Have you planned everything, or shall I do the planning?” she asked when she released the hug. I stared at the paper bag and she said hurriedly, “Thanks for the present. I love it!”

I laughed. “I’ve planned everything.” I said.

“Where are we going?”

I winked. “To the past.”

Lara Wu… if I had to choose the teenage Lara and the adult Lara, I would like a combination of both.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Our workplace was at Jurong East and we used to work at the Jurong East Entertainment’s McDonald’s.

I brought Lara there for dinner. It was not the most romantic place for dinner but it brought back lots of memories. She used to stand behind the counter and I used to fry fries inside.

“Let’s take the order together!” she said.

Everything there brought back memories. There were many changes though: We knew none of the staff there.

We munched our burgers as we talked about the old days. She said Xian, our ex-Floor Manager, had encouraged her to woo me but she told Xian that guys should take the initiative.

I cackled at what she had told me. “Xian also encouraged me to woo you. That bastard.” I said and we both laughed.

“Well, if not for him, we would not be here.” she said and I nodded.

We finished our burgers after fifteen minutes. The place was seated with Secondary School students who just bought a cup of lemon tea. They had treated this place like a café. Some even brought along laptops.

“What’s the next plan? Stay here and chat till the end of the day?”

I shook my head. “I’ve told you. We’re going to the-”

My handphone rang. I took it out and when I saw the external display, I rejected the call and turned back to Lara.

“Huh? Who’s that? Why reject?”

“Telemarketers.” I said. “Let’s go.” I grabbed her hand.

“What’s the hurry?”

Before I change my mind, I thought. I was trying my best to push Wendy’s image away from my mind.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

There was no more bus to the Bird Park. We had to take a ten-minute walk to reach the Park.

I took Lara up the tower that faced Jurong Island. It was there that we had made our first promise. By the time we reached the top of the tower, it was nine.

I examined Lara thoroughly. She was a completely different woman now: The way she talked was testimonial of her change. She was no longer the weak teenage girl I used to protect. Now, twenty-two-year old Lara was standing up for herself.

“Remember, there?” she pointed to the sky. There was nothing but infinite darkness. “That’s where the rainbow used to be!”

I nodded, as if I really remembered. Everything of the past had become a distant memory but this particular memory – the memory of us lost here while we were just eight – had always been so fresh.

“Wow.” she said and then started to point here and there, telling me how much she had missed this place. “Two years later, we will be here again, isn’t it?”

I mentally counted. She was right: Two years from now, we would be twenty-four. We were supposed to come here every eight years. Just like some cheesy love stories. “Yes.” I whispered.

When she finally settled down, I sat beside her. She stared into the sky for a long time. I did nothing. I was constantly trying to forget Wendy. Today is Lara’s day, I told myself. Forget about Wendy. For just one night.

“Is it still on?” she asked.

“What?”

“The plan. Is it still on?”

“This is the plan.” I said. “Going to McDonald’s, coming here to chill-”

“No. I mean that plan.”

I knew exactly what she had meant after pondering on her words for a few seconds. I paused and said nothing. I was not going to make anymore empty promises.

“Every woman’s dream is to have a perfect fairy tale love story.” she said. “Just a simple perfect love story. Like, you know, once upon a time, a boy meets a girl, the boy falls in love with the girl and they live happily ever after. As simple as that. Jie Lun, are you that boy?”

I thought of Wendy again. I wondered what her reaction was when I had rejected her call earlier. Was she worried? Or maybe she was fuming?

“Jie Lun, am I that girl?”

I had been trying to avoid Lara’s eyes for the past hour. At last, I turned and glared into her eyes. Those eyes… They reflected the old Lara. They were watery. Lara shook a little and rubbed her eyes. They were still wet.

“I just want a perfect, simple life. I want to work for ten years and then I want to start a small business. Then, I want to get married at thirty-three and have my first child at thirty-four. Do you want that kind of life too?”

I leaned forward, planted a quick kiss on her forehead and brushed her hair. Before she could do anything, I held her hand, kissed her again on her lips and gently, I whispered, “I promise.”

A tear from her dropped onto my arm. And as we continued kissing, I had only one woman in my mind: Her name is Lara Wu and I have loved her since I was eight.

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