Whole day at the office, I was feeling cloud nine. I usually dread having to go back during non-office hours. The server room was freezing and you really need to fight the zzzz monster and do magic within a very limited amount of time. It was something that I believe most will detest and prefer not to do unless necessary.
"Hey, you know of a good place with good ambience and serving decent Mediterranean or Italian food?", I threw out this question while busy typing away on my keyboard, back facing Mark and Addy.
"What's the occasion?", Mark asked.
"Budget? How many pax?", Addy added.
"Just treating a friend. Two.", I answered.
"Male or female?", Addy teased me and swirled his chair over to hit mine.
Mark came over too and knocked into my chair too, "A date?"
"hey, easy. It's just a friend.", I replied.
"What's kind of friend?", Both of them laughed.
They were my best of pals in the office and we were known as the Chipmunks by fellow colleagues.
Addy, Sam, Mark.
Do-do, do-do-do-do!"
The difference between men talk and women talk is men don’t go into the details, we don’t discuss about our inner feelings or thoughts. We exchange information, talk about practical matters like the latest car model, computer technology, even business and we go straight to the point.
Mark, who is the eldest among us, spoke first, "Sam, if it’s a dinner with a girl. Not just any girl but a girl whom you really fancy. The first date is very, very important.”
"Like a first kiss.", Addy added. "If you don't get the timing right, chances are you going to blow the whole thing up. Being too spontaneous and she might be overwhelmed. Too hesitant and she finds you timid or unsure."
"Check her body language: if her body is facing, leaning toward, or touching yours, and she is smiling, biting her lip, or playing with her hair, chances are that she's interested in you. So, pick your moment and go for it, boy. Good luck.", Mark patted my shoulder.
Addy whispered into my ears from behind,"And always keep a pack of gum or mints in your car or pocket. You won’t want to mess up the first kiss too."
Just as much as I wanted to meet her real soon, I wanted to plan our first date carefully. I scouted a few recommendations and found a little Mediterranean restaurant by the sea. It will be a good spot to spend our first date, I supposed.
I texted her to fix the date for our dinner.
Saturday is ok. So what time and where?
I can come pick you up. What time you'll be free?
I will be at my school fair with the children in the morning till late afternoon. If you don't mind going out with a skunk, we can meet up afterwards. ;-)
No worries. I will pick you from there. See you. 8D
Jo is a teacher at a special needs school, the School for the Deaf and uses sign language to talk to the children. Whenever she signs, her fingers seems to be dancing and her face got all animated and lit up. She has a very wide heart with overwhelming love and compassion for others and that's what draws me to her.
We had arranged to meet at 3pm at the school but I came an hour earlier and was walking around. From a distance, I saw her. She was doing a red Indian stand. With her 2 hands clasped and stretched upwards. Legs parted and stamping on one foot. It looked rather comical for a while. I could not help laughing. But that is her way for attracting the children's attention. They could not hear but they can feel the movement of her thumping feet and also the sudden change in her posture. Under the dazzling sun, she looks lovely.
She noticed me and brought the children along. As she spoke, her hands talked too. So that the children could understand what she was talking to me and when I spoke, her hands still moves to translate my voice to the kids even when I was not talking to them. It took me a while to get use to her arrangements. Jo firmly believes in opportunities for the children to hear as much as possible. If the kids could hear, what we had exchanged would be audible to them so they should not be derive of or taken advantage of. The kids were getting curious with my presence.
"No, no. Mr. Sam is not Teacher's boyfriend. Stop guessing and pay attention.", she signed to the giggling children. She turned to me, smiled and signed "sorry". The sign for "sorry" is made by forming either an "a" or an "s" with your right hand and rotate that hand over your heart in a few clockwise motions. I managed to do a "no" which is index finger with middle finger and thumb open and shut several times, like a duck quacking. The kids laughed.
After sending the kids off, we walked to my car.....
"Thanks for waiting so long. I didn't expect you to come so early."
"Oh... I just happened to be a little early. Don't worry."
As I approached the car, I saw a white piece of paper stuck onto my window screen. Shark!! I had traffic summon.
"Shark! You got traffic summon. What time did you reach? It's quite strict around the school area. Sorry...", she started to apologise profusely.
"No, no. It's my own fault. Don't say sorry.", I quickly squashed the fine paper in my palm before she peered and noticed the time of the summon.
She hopped into my car and sat right beside me. She was wearing a plain v-neck grey tee, blue jeans with running shoes. Her long hair pulled back in a ponytail away from her face. It made her makeup-less face fresher and more radiant. I supposed beauty really lies in the eyes of the beholder. To me, she is perfect.
The sun was about to set... it would be a perfect setting for our first date.
To be cont.
No comments:
Post a Comment