It was an unexpected invite from an events company to attend the mobile phone launch, and being tempted by the “free food” tag, I found myself heading down to the event, with Yunfeng being my companion for the evening.

I had earlier stopping by Jacki‘s to discuss some plans, though it was way to brief to be making anything substantial, but nonetheless, his expertise did trigger some thoughts enough for me chew on for the evening.

Took a brisk walk over to One Fullerton from his office, which brought me past the entire stretch of Boat Quay, and into Fullerton Hotel, where I got a little lost.

And then, I saw a familiar face, before being directed to the escalator.

I had asked Yunfeng along after he had meant to pass me my policy, which thankfully got incepted without much incident this time round.

We sat along the bay front, catching up a little before we queued for entry.

Of course, I was just hungry and needed food.

And he sat too far away for a proper picture to be taken. Bah.

It was certainly weird to be addressed as “Blogger” here, “Blogger” there, cos I am just your regular bored, working adult, happening to look for a voice on the internet.

We were asked to sign on the board, and I realise later on, upon reviewing the pictures, what have the recent food-bingeing been doing to my arms.

I was asked not to sulk, so a forced smile, it shall be.

I wasn’t expecting to bump into familiar faces, but before my virgin entry to Butter Factory, I did!

Andrew! The cool, talented eye-candy who is the club’s resident deejay and marketing manager.

He is one of the nicest chaps you will ever meet, and he is awesome in what he does. I remember we did an event before, and he went all out to help, and at the same time, did a great job.

It says something about the event when I realised the only thing worth taking pictures of was the evil rabbit and the view from inside the club.

The flash mob routine put up by the HTC team.

For their rebranding, as well as the launch of the new HTC Tattoo.

Free spray-on tattoo for the event, though the little android turned out unexpectedly jaundiced under the flash. The fabulously friendly lady was sporting enough to become my hand model, thank you whoever you are!

Another surprise when I bumped into Candice, who probably started the entire chain of surprise for me.

I got myself a mandatory “YOU” before I could choose to have a pussy on my neck.

My companion who was probably bored through the evening holding food for me when my hands were too full.

“HELP ME GRAB ONE OF THOSE FROM THE PLATE!” I would command.

The canapes were often finished before we could help ourselves to them, and then we found a quiet corner to stand, which was the cleverest place to be at:

The route the servers took to replenish their trays, and then only to be ambushed by us before they could go on to other guests.

I giggled everytime when I realise how well my scheming little trick was getting us food.

Just when I was getting slightly bored, and we were ready to leave, I saw Candice sitting down and joined the hot mama.

We were just catching up and taking pictures, speaking of random topics, as I saw Yunfeng and her male companion yakking away.

So we girlies just entertained ourselves by taking pictures!

It was getting a lil cold and then as I looked up to see Yunfeng and Candice’s male friend making a decent conversation, and exchanging numbers, I silently gossiped to myself how gay it seemed.

As I joined in the conversation with the both of them standing up and me sitting down, Yunfeng exclaimed to me, “You know he was my classmate from Chinese High?”

I was utmost surprised, cos that name was quick to evoke enough memories… of people from the past.

Apparently, Yunfeng was pretty bored, and just thought of striking a conversation and then when the guy spoke, his low baritone, yet high pitch voice was distinctive enough to trigger some recollections, which prompted him to ask, “Are you Kim Seng?”

Turned out he isn’t. Kim Seng was Yunfeng’s primary school mate, who went to same Secondary school with me, and that name rung a bell, and he does share some resemblance to him.

“Kim Teck,” turns out the mistake wasn’t quite that much a mistake, Kim Teck was his classmate from secondary school.

So of the twists of mistakes, it still fits into the puzzle, and what we have here was their mini reunion.

I asked which class they were from, and they mentioned 4H, which I was starting to think that I do know someone from there, yet I couldn’t even vaguely remember who.

They then recited some names of their ex-classmates and people they still kept in contact with. Their CCA, and some common friends we shared.

And they were then reciting people from my school, and then just as they were reciting, recalling, I saw a figure walking past them.

Just then, a memory was jolted awake. I waved to stop them in their tracks (since they were standing), and I started frantically asking, “You all know Sunny? From Chinese High one??”

Yeah, we know Sunny, they were saying.

Then as the figure whisked pass them, he turned and our eyes met. I wasn’t sure if it was one of recognition, and I wasn’t sure if I got the wrong person.

He gave a polite, subtle smile, and I thought maybe he did recognise but just, didn’t want to acknowledge?

Or maybe he had thought it was just some event people.

Or maybe I knew him from somewhere else.

Yadda yadda.

Then he turned away.

Then I asked again, “EH YOU ALL KNOW SUNNY?” I pointed and they were like pretty impatient, “YAH LAH, we know Sunny!“.

Then I realise they thought I was just asking if they know Sunny since they were reciting the namelist.

“NOOOOOOOOO! YOU KNOW SUNNY? That guy looks like Sunny!”

I wasn’t asking if they know Sunny per se, but okay, fine, in my amazement-fuelled panic, I had wanted to point them to look in the direction but instead, well, kept asking if they know which Sunny I was talking about.

They turned and looked in the direction I was pointing and the chap was now turning in the other direction, and it was only backview they saw.

Then a look of incredulity spreaded across their faces, “Eh, look like hor, a bit leh!” as we stared and bowed our heads to discuss.

It couldn’t be, right? The coincidence couldn’t be that great.

Sunny was exactly the guy whom I was thinking about from their class, just that I couldn’t recall who.

Then, as the chap turned his head to us, he looked at these 3 idiots staring at him, and was looking a tad uncomfortable from the attention. There was no look of recognition. Wrong person, perhaps.

Just then, Kim Teck the brave, decided to raise his hand up slightly to “test water”.

The moment he did so, a flash of surprise litted up the chap’s face, and he went “EH!”

At that very instance, all 3 of us, went, “OHHHHHH MYYYY GOOOOOOOOOODDD, it’s him!”

What are the chances, that I was trying to recall the person, and these 2 guys just recounting their ex-classmates, and this guy, a common friend to all 3 of us,  appeared?!

The ex-classmates from TCHS 4H 1997.

I haven’t seen him since 1999, and he had sent me to the airport when I flew to UK, and even Jiali did remember him.

Alas, I was there, and as he acknowledged the other 2, he had totally forgotten about me, before I mentioned about the test tube gift he sent me, and the letters.. and he went, “Huiting!”

Okay. Then why did he smile as if he knew me?

“Oh, no, I was just checking you out, hahahaha!”

Nahbeh.

As we caught up, I joked about how he had put on weight, Yunfeng said he had maintained, and Kim Teck commented he had lost a bit.

Giggles.

I remember back then when Yaolong, Meiyi and Sunny used to stay over at my place, and we even played mahjong.

Apparently he has became his own boss, doing handphone applications, and changed his name to Darius, cos during his stint in US, Sunny is a girl’s name.

By then, the event was drawing a close, and Sunny, Yunfeng and me left together.

We adjourned elsewhere to catch up and were thinking about heading back to west side, but when we reached the cab stand, then did he speak up that he was riding, that drew dagger stares from Yunfeng and me that he didn’t say so earlier.

We ended up at Starbucks and tried catching up with what happened in the past decade.

It was nice.

Very nice.

The coincidence was just… too… awesome, and creepy at the same time.

But that’s the beauty of coincidences.

He was a good friend, and like a patient brother with an old soul.

I could even remember his birthdate as we sipped tea and coffee by the bay.

They said the 2 of them taking picture is quite gay.

It was midnight when we finally bade each other goodbye and making loose promises of catching up.

But it was good.

Very good in fact.

It is always moments and people like that makes me feel.. like I could find traces of the self I miss so much again.

And it has been a decade.

***

Was looking out of the window today and saw nothing except for a veil of white.

The rain was so heavy that the building next to my office was well hidden behind the pouring rain.

I felt a great urge to head down for a break, and as I did, looking out into the furious rain, I could feel the fine droplets making an impression all over me.

Suddenly, I thought of the familiar feeling of how in the thick, white uniform, and yellowed canvas shoes, with a waterproof bag, I skipped myself into the rain with another classmate, and get ourselves drenched within seconds in such rain.

We hopped onto puddles of water, craned our necks and faced up to the rain and waiting for the next bus that would chill our assess off, especially if it was air-conditioned, or add to the smell of dampness in the air of a non-air conditioned bus.

I thought of the office air-con, my socks, my Nikes, and the potential prunish toes, and most importantly, the curious stares from colleagues, I stopped myself in the tracks before I find myself dancing in the rain again.

It was a nice feeling, and it was a good break.