The beautiful kite on the white pickets caught my eyes as I was scouting for interesting photographic subject. Thought it was abandoned so I started snapping photos from different angles. Was about to adjust its location to get better shots when I noticed a guy watching me from nearby. Turned out the kite was his. It felt like déjà vu.
Was walking aimlessly around the mall having some much needed "me-time" to think things through when a primary school friend spotted me and motioned me over to his charming little jewellery shop. Was glad he did as it was fun catching up with old times. Putting his finest collection of diamond rings in front of me (so as to look good to passers-by), we spoke at length for the first time in many many years.
Me: No girlfriend lar.
JFK: Buy one for your mother then.
Me: What's the cheapest ring you have? (After taking a look at the price tags) No money lar.
After the warming-up banter, we started on the who's-doing-what-now routine. Along the way, I gathered that one of my old pals dropped out to sell cars, another is now designing gates for your new bungalow and a third got married and has a 4-year-old kid now (turned out it wasn't true; I'm easily kidded). Just when it seemed that we had covered every single thing from the old days (the English teacher who is still single, the class taikor who is now doing law and stuff along the same line), JFK caught me by surprise by "So, who was your crush then?".
JFK: Don't change topic hor (apparently, the glitter of diamonds do make you sharp). Tell me or I won't let you go; I'll ask the chao bin security guard to shoot you if you dare make a dash towards the entrance.
Me: OK, OK... it was so-and-so's girlfriend (it was either getting shot or confessing that I had the hots for a friend's girlfriend). Don't tell, OK? It happened a hundred years ago.
After making sure he won't spill the diamonds, I made my move but not without doing the following first:
JFK: Come back when you have the girl and the money.
So much for having known him for many many years.