The 1st Date
I still remember the first day we met like it was yesterday. It was on Sunday. It was on 7th July 1991. It was a start of a beautiful relationship. I didn't know it yet then but she knew. She had a power to see beyond. Like she can feel it, and know it to be true.
It happened at the national Library at Jalan Raja Laut. I was with the 'Teenage Theatre Club National Library', under the tutor of the late Sudiro Sukiman. Her friend, Liza brought her to the club; it was love at first sight when she saw me. I don't know what she saw in me, I'm too short for her, and she is very tall. I stand right under her nose. She didn’t mind. She had a strange taste for men. Her favorite artist was Black from Wings. I on the other hand, didn’t felt a thing towards her.
She tried desperately to make me like her. I remembered one time she came to me and start a child's game, whom ever blinked first, he or she loose. I ask her once,(a few years later) why she started that game, she told me that she just wanted to look into my eyes... I should stared back. I missed those beautiful eyes.
She invited me to her birthday party at Taman Tasik Titiwangsa, organized by her for herself. All her friends came, all the theatre club members went, but I didn't. She asked me why? I told her I don't feel like it. She just said that it was okay and she didn't mind. I found out years later that she organized that party because of me. She wanted to go out with me but too shy to ask. She was very disappointed. I didn't give her any gift. I didn't say sorry even. She cried that day, went back with tears in her eyes. Mak asked her why, and she told her that the most important person didn’t show up. I am so cruel…
As years went by, we finished school. The theatre club was closed; National Library was going too moved to Jalan Tun Razak. We went on our separate ways. She can't forget about me, so she called. Often. Only short conversation, saying hi, how are you. To her it was precious. Just hearing my voice made her happy. She missed me and that is why she called. I thought she was a nuisance. I talked longer with my best friend, Amran and his ugly.
Almost every day she called and this time she asked me out. I was not sure what to say, so I said yes. The date was on Saturday, she waited for two hours, in front of the Mall. I didn't come. She was not upset. She was also not angry. She was not surprised.
She tried so many times, I can't remember how many time I stood her up. My excused always the same, either I forgot about the date or I came late and she wasn't there, so I went home. I lied. I didn't once go. I was bad. All the time she was not upset, angry or surprised. She was very happy I even spoke to her.
We talked longer every time she called, and sometime I called her. I was doing my STPM at Seri Ampang (name of a school), it was my first year there and I have plenty of extra time for her. Slowly and gradually I began to like her. I made her confessed with much persuasion and wit, and she confessed with much giggled and shy, that she had a big crushed on me. Then, I knew that she had been trying to get my attention from the day we met.
At last I gave in. After I saw that she would never give up on me. She set the date for the umpteenth times. The date was at the Mall, front entrance, beside a big replica of sea-turtle. It was on Saturday , 7th July, visit Malaysia
She was there. A summer dress, flat shoes, hair tied in a pony tail, no makeup -and when she saw me she grin and blushed. She told me that she thought that I would stood her up again, she didn't expected me to come. We shake hands and we went for lunch. She paid. I don't have any money. I'm still studying; she was working at Yaohan (a shopping mall).
I could see that she was nervous, but she was not expecting anything from me. We talked, we walked and we talked some more. Time really fly, we noticed that it’s getting dark. I walked her home, and this time it's my turn to confess. She was exited, she was glad and she was happy. I liked to see her that way because she glowed.
After that we went back to our own home. It didn't stop there. I reached home and I called her and we talked until . We talked about everything, from school to work, what we like and don't like. She was afraid that I'm just toying with her feeling and requested me to bring her a rose every time we see each other. We promised to make the second date on Sunday. That was the next day after the first date.
Arwah Siti and I : 1991@ Yaohan the Mall
...to be continued
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