Chapter 10 – Finale
[ Chapter 1 - A Lost Beginning ]

Everything that has an end will definitely have a beginning.
Everything we do, we said have a purpose. A purpose sometimes we do not wish to let anyone know.
How did you know your best friend?
Was it in school or just neighborhood?
What was the first conversation about?
What makes both of you the best of friends?
Maybe only you & your best friend will know.

“Anybody sitting here?”
“Nope.. please sit down..”
“Hi my name is Janice.. and you are?”
“My name is Mabel Soo, nice knowing you Janice”
“Class.. today's the first day of your secondary school life so please fill up the forms for your particulars” said Mrs Siu.

“Oh.. why we have always have to fill up so many forms…. “
Janice complained as she start filling.

“Yeah.. hey Janice.. your initials are 'SM?'”

“Yeah loh because my Chinese name is Huang Shu Mei…”
“So cute… then mine should be SM too.. Soo Mabel…”

Janice winked back.

Mabel returned a smile and she saw a logo on Janice’s notes… with a very unique of design of S(43)M.
“Janice… why is that logo designed as S43M?”
“Oh.. this is my Chinese name initials 'Shu' is the fourth sound of Hanyu Pinying and 'Mei' is the third mah.. so in hanyu pinying is Shu4 Mei3…”

“You sure is a very creative person Janice... Hey, wait a minute! my class register is 43!!~… hmm.. I was wondering whether can I use the same logo as you Janice?”

“Yeah its so coincidence that both of us are SM43… but meant in a different way.”

“I guess its fate that we will become the best of friends..”

And so it begins the blossom of a beautiful friendship.
The 2 girls were always together, studying exams, shopping and can't get enough of one another. They laughed together, cried together and people would have thought that they were lesbians.
As best of friends, they shared everything throughout their 4 years in secondary school..

Everything until one day in 1997.

“Jan… can I tell you secret?”
“What Mel?”

“I have a crush on someone in class…”
“Orhh.. now I know why there’s scribbling on your table..
“Do I really like him?, Will he like me? Will we be together?” S(43)M
aiyoh so mushy and who is he???”

“It's Ken…” Mabel blushed.
“Of all people in the world?~!?~?” Janice exclaimed.

“You know, he’s always there to make me happy throughout the boring class”

“Teasing you is making you happy.. oh god…”
Janice smacked her forehead in disbelief.

“Promise me that you would not tell anyone?”

“Alright, I Promise you”

Janice nodded in acknowledgment.

“But Mel, you're not going to let him how you feel?”
“Nope, I just want to enjoy the moment of being someone's secret admirer whether he knows or not it's not important.”
“It is important you know, what if he likes you too?”
“I don't know Jan, I guess I just don't have the guts to confess”

The night was hot and humid as Janice just couldn't close her eyes to rest.
She was sleepless that night as she tossed and turned with the same thought.

“My only best friend in class.. perhaps in my whole life.. why do we have to fall for the same person?”

Janice got up and walked towards her study table.
The calender on her table showed 12th of February.

Valentine's Day is only 2 days ahead.
“Valentine’s Day is coming.
My only best friend, I will definitely help you, I will let you have the happiness that you always wanted.”
Janice thought as she sat at her study table.

“Nothing comes a better time to bring the 2 of them together I suppose.. I will be the Cupid”
Janice took out a piece of paper and a pen and began writing.

Afraid that Ken would notice her handwriting, Janice took all her effort to write the neatest handwriting in her life. Every words that came out slowly but neatly arranged.

How should I begin? As Janice thought.

“Hi Ken.. or maybe I should call you Pig head with a pea brain,

You won’t have guessed that you will receive a Valentine’s day letter will you?

Yeah right, not in this life that is.

You’ll never noticed about the girls around you.Maybe you were gay and like guys more.

Maybe you think nobody will like you..Maybe you think all the good girl out there have already been taken up?”

Ken is as always such a irritating person..

Guess what? You are wrong all along!

I’m a good girl,not only consider myself pleasant looking but also having personalities.!

Most importantly, I’m always around you, through good times & bad.

I was there on your first day of school.

I was there when you failed your 1st mid-year exams.

I was there when you went to the chapel and cried.

I was there when you enjoyed the camping trip.

I was there when you got punished by the vice principal to apologize on stage.

I was there when you lost in your basketball & table tennis.

I was there… always did.. always will..

Janice thought about the times when they've spent together.
The paper had patches of wetness as her tears dropped as she continue writing.

Being a secret admirer is indeed torturing as I can’t bear the looks of your happiness with other girls & yet I can’t stand seeing you all alone.

On this 14th Feb 1997 Valentine’s Day, I’ve pluck up all the courage that I never think I could to tell you this.I like you, Ken,

I really do…

But I can’t bear the sight of looking at you when telling you this.. therefore I choose this letter to be my confider, my representative.

If you accept me, please come to the school gate tonight at 9.00pm.

I will wait for you….

Just like I’ve always been

If I never see you, it will mean that you do not intend to accept me,

therefore I will carry on my life without you.Just like I’ve always been.

Luv,S(43)M,12th Feb 1997 "

Finally she had completed the letter and dried her tears.
She had just gave up on her own happiness for her best friend.

The next morning, after mailing our the letter, Janice went up to Mabel.
“Mabel, I’ve got a surprise for you! Meet at 9.00pm tomorrow at the school gate ok?”
“Janice.. what are you up to?”
“Aiyah just go lah…”

Janice went back to her desk feeling both sad & happy at the same time.
She start writing “Happy Valentine’s Day to Myself S(43)M 1997” on her desk as a memorial for her Cupid's job.

It was Valentine’s Day as the school was filled with love and for once, the principal allowed dedications of love songs to be air on the PA systems. Everyone was giving or given stalks of roses.

“Ken!” Janice called.
“What?”
“Don't forget tonight!” Janice reminded as she left.

“Tonight? Oh yeah! Need to help out at parents' stall.. but how she know? I don't remember telling her about this.”
Ken thought as he walked into the class confused.

“The next song 'Heaven Knows' is going out for a secret admirer that I've been secretly admired for a long time. Nobody will know who is he except me and himself... From Mabel Soo Sec 4H.”

There were cheers throughout the entire and everyone was surrounding Mabel asking who her secret admirer was.

“Jan! What have you done???”
Mabel rushed to her table.

“Something that you always wanted but never have the guts to do right? Besides I never reveal the person mah... just relax..”

Janice pat on her back.
“And don't forget tonight's meeting at the school gate at 9pm? Don't be late”

Janice walked out of the classroom to wash her face.

Her eyes were swollen with the lack of sleep and crying.

Night came and there’s no not a single soul at the school gate.
Mabel was standing alone at the school gate. Janice was hiding behind the side gate.

There was no sign of Ken.
“Don’t tell me Ken did not liked her, how can he be so cruel?”

Janice thought as droplets of rain began to fall.

Mabel too felt the rain and was starting to make a move.
Didn’t want her best friend to go home distraught, Janice ran up to Mabel and gave her the biggest hug.

“Happy Valentine’s Day Mabel!”

“Aiyoh Janice.. what you doing?? Its that the surprise that you are going to give me?”
“Of course! Valentine’s day is also friendship day… we are the best of friends..” Janice took out the camera and took a picture of both of them together before the rain drenched

the 2 of them.

It was the Valentine's that Janice would never forget throughout her life...

“Good evening on 14th Feb 2008, this is the evening news from Singapore. Headlines for today, governments throughout the world has finally agreed through recommendations from World Lovers Organization that 14th Feb will be recognized a public holiday from next year onwards....Happy Valentine's Day.”

It was 9pm and tonight looks cloudy and clear as Janice walked towards the school gate.

“Memories sure is a great thing.. too bad the letter didn’t did it’s purpose I suppose. Maybe I didn’t write good enough”

Janice spoke as she stared at the school gate once more.

“Did I wrote the letter for myself?”
“Why did I always come back here every year this day?”

Janice said while letting out a sigh.

“Because you still cannot forget…”

There was a figure behind the gate but it was too dark to make out who it was.

“Or you were hoping that I’ll really be here on one of the Valentine’s day…?”

[THE END]