i was 13, young, naive and had no idea whatsoever about girls, or even dating. but this one particular girl came into my life and changed me forever. her name, Melissa. i never met her before, and she never met me before. our meeting at the airport was coincidental, or some might call it fate. but whatever it was, it brought us to meet each other there.
i was doing some of my assignment at the park, some geography assignment. we were to choose, either drawing a map of the place where we live, and write a report about it, or take a photograph of a tree, and write the history of the tree. i for one chose the tree, since the tree in the park had a history to it, the first tree in Kuching, the tree that was there when they declared independence to this state and more. so it was mere of connecting the points that i had . so there i was, dragging my camera on my neck,a sling bag and some file of the things that i already researched at the DBKU library on my hand.
it was hot, and i've been doing the research all day long, since morning to be exact. there was a bench, and so i decided to take a few minutes rest. i put the file next to me while the camera was still hangin on my neck, my bag was also with me. i just relaxed, and stretched my legs a little to get rid of the fatigue. then the most glorious thing happen, this strong wind blew and i felt more comfortable, forgetting my file that was beside me. when i have finally realized the wind blew everything in my file away, it was already too late. all the research notes that i had was already in mid air, and some of it are halfway across the field. in a nanosecond, i ran and grabbed each one that was still flying, and the ones that were on the ground.finally there was one left, which was over the edge of the field, near the road. i ran while holding the notes tightly on my hand.
then just as i was about to grab the last one, i jolted onto someone that was in front of me. i fell on my back, and the pain on my forehead was unbearable. i held my head, and put the rest of the notes inside of my bag. i used both hands now to hold my head to check if there was any bump on my head, and to see if i was bleeding. but i wasn't bleeding and no bumps whatsoever. i finally stood up slowly, and saw the other guy that jolted unto me. it was a girl. she wasn't lying down, but kneeling, and did what i did before, holding the head part. she wasn't screaming or anything, but i'm sure that it wasn't that bad. she finally stood up and grabbed my last note.
"hey wait, thats mine!"
"what are you talking about kid?"
"that note, its mine."
"it is? then tell me what do you know about biology?"
"bio-what? what are you talking about? thats my geography paper!"
"see for yourself."
she showed me the paper and it was a picture of a half sliced frog. i scratched my head, and turned to her face.
"i'm sorry miss. guess it was my fault. i didn't see what it was."
"thats all you could say? at least you could offer me some drinks as a sorry thing!"
"okay. i'm sorry. would you accept my treat for a drink as a token of apologies?"
"sure thing kid."
"you do know thats bullying a kid right?"
"hey! you offered me."
"okay!"
we walked a few blocks away and arrived at Hopoh. i bought her some Cola, while i bought 100 plus. she walked with me for a few minutes and then we found a place to sit. she sat in front of me, staring at me, trying to find something wrong with me. i pretended not to notice her staring at me. then suddenly she grabbed my cheeks and started squeezing it hardly.
"you're so cute kid!"
"what are you doing that hurts."
"sorry kid."
"stop calling me kid. i have a name, its Ben."
"well sorry, Ben. i didn't know your name. i'm Melissa."
she asked me a lot of question, and answered them lightly, and some of them i didn't even answer. afterwards my handphone rang, and i took it out from my pocket. then after my me and my mom finished talking, she grabbed my phone from my hand.
"who's that? you're girlfriend?"
"that was my mom!"
"jeez... mellow out Ben. relax. aren't you too young to have a handphone?"
"it was my brother's. he bought a new one. so he gave me the old one."
"really? well, your model is like mine."
she took out her own handphone, which was the same model as mine, but with a different colour, mine was grey, and hers was blue. she dialled something on my phone, and then did something else to it. then she reached for her phone and did the same thing.
"thats done."
"what did you do?"
"this!"
she dialled a number, and my phone suddenly rang. i looked at the screen and saw her name pop up.
"its so i can call you anytime kid."
"huh?"
"well i gotta go. i have a tuition class this evening. see you there."
"who's picking you up?"
"you kidding? i drive myself, kid."
she got up from her seat, and walked away from me. i decided to follow her. i followed her until the parking lot. i saw her getting in to the car, it was a red Proton Wira, and after reversing, she put on her sunglasses, waved at me and drove away.her car was cool.
after my mom picked me up that evening, i finished my project and turned on my computer. i typed the whole project down so i could print it later, then played dungeon keeper 2, a game that i just bought last week. i played the game until about seven, and i received a text message from Melissa. she texted 'Hello kid!' to me. i texted back, saying 'hello' back to her. she texted to me asking me if i got her biology note. i checked my bag and by chance i did have her note. 'yeah i do' was what i texted back to her. she told me to meet her a place called Pustaka. so i told her that i'll meet her two days later, which was Wednesday.my mom sent me to Pustaka, that Wednesday. it was the very first time i went there since primary 5. Pustaka was better than i can remember, but i wasn't really familiar with the place. i waited for her at the fountain, and waited for her to text me back. she didn't text me back, and i was starting to think she was setting me up on a prank. and i was already giving up, so i stood up and started to walk away, when suddenly someone tapped me on the shoulder. i turned around and saw her smiling at me, wearing red top and Levi's jeans.
i handed her the notes, and she grabbed my hands and brought me outside. we were at the stairs near the lake, and she held my arms tightly.
"Ben, i think i like you."
"you like me?"
"yes!"
"um... i'm just a kid. and you're like seventeen or something."
"age doesn't change the fact that i like you.no! i think i love you."
"love me? i'm 13 and i don't even know how to like a girl, or even treat a girl right."
"don't worry i'll show you how to do it slowly."
"um... so what now?"
"well now, you're my boyfriend! and you know what else?"
"wha.."
just as i was about to finish my sentence, she kissed me on the lips, and hugged me. it was my very first kiss. and it wasn't with some girl the same age as me, or the little kid kiss like the ones you would see in America's funniest home videos. it was very long, and since i was just a kid back then, i almost lost my breath. after she kissed me, she laughed.
"we could work on that later."
END
