Book of Love 爱神の书


Chapter 11


The two of you were walking back as he pestered to send you home after the movie date. The night was silent and clear.
As he clears his throat, he asked,
“Can you be my girl? ”
“Can I hold your hand every time we go out?”

Do you still remember how you were asked to be someone’s girlfriend/boyfriend?

Whatever how the question was pop out.
Wherever the location it was.
It could be over the phone, it could be by the beach.
It could also be in school.

You will remember, no matter where, when and how,

The day you were asked to go into a relationship.

You will be surprised the moment you were asked, even though you already knew you would be someday.
You just didn’t know when.

It was now.
You had the choice. You made the choice.

The decision gave birth to a new relationship, registered under the laws of yours. You have given half of your life to the person whom you feel loves you the most.

You demand attention; day in day out because you feel you deserved it. You expect to be treated like a king/queen, as all your desires must be fulfilled within his/her abilities. You demand that he spend all his time with you rather than his/her group pathetic friends.

Until, he/she stopped giving you attention all together.
Then you questioned his/her love for you.

“If you love me, you should do this for me”
He/She would probably have a question in their minds too.

“If you love me, would you do this me?”







“I beg your pardon?”
Jade sounded confused as she pushed up her specs.

“Oh… I just ask you what’s your view on ‘Love’, you know like “what is love to you?””
Mark tried to salvage the situation.
He knew he almost blew it, how can he ask someone whom he barely know this question?

“Oh... that kind of question..”
Jade sounded relieved too.

“I couldn’t remember when was the last time I was in love. All I know is love is something that can bring your emotions to the extreme. You can be the happiest woman on one minute yet the saddest person the next. I really don’t know about love”

Jade then tried to look away from Mark.
But Mark already saw the redden eye before she tried to hide.

“Oh well... Life sucks huh?”
Mark tried to steer the ship back in navigation before it crashes.

“Yeah… it really sucks... If only I had more courage.”

“More courage for??”

“Nothing...”
Jade still looked away.

“Next Stop Raffles Place Interchange”
Came the announcement.

“It’s my stop, I ought to be going”

“Ok. Me too”

Jade walked ahead of Mark and soon mixed into the out going crowd.
Mark was walking slowly behind.

He boarded a cab and travel back to his office.

Then he realized.
“Shit! Why didn’t I ask for her number?!”

It was about 10.30 when Mark finally reached office.

“Bro! You are the luckiest bastard in the universe!”
Shaun greeted Mark as he sit down.

“How come? Did I win anything?”

“Boss is sick… so nobody knows you were late!”

Christine walked over and gathered the two of them.

“Hey, boss is sick but there’s a few report we need to rush for him. He needs it when he’s back”

“I seriously wonder, are we busier when boss is around or when he’s not?”
Shaun sarcastically whined.

Christine frowned as she passed two stacks of files each to Shaun and Mark.

As she laid the files on Mark’s desk, there was a memo pad stick on top of the files.

“Are you ok? Chris”

Mark looked at Chris before she left.
She looked back.

Mark gave her the thumbs up and quick winked.
Christine smiled back and left.

“Man.. I really can’t stand her at times”
Shaun started backstabbing sessions.

“Well.. if you put the energy you used to whine into kinetic energy in doing work.. you will definitely achieve more!”

“Bro, since when you become so sarcastic?”

“Since the day I learn from the Master himself!”

The rest of the day was raining and everyone had their fair share of workload, even though the efficiency was only 50%.

“Where are you heading?”
Shaun asked as he finished packing up at the dot of six.

“Home? I suppose”
Mark continued to pack up as Shaun walked past him.

“Spoilsport.. Spoilsport… ”
Shaun uttered as he left the office.

The rain finally stopped when Mark step out of the office.
Feeling hungry, he opts to go to the café to grab a quick bite before going home.

His entrance was greeted by the smile of the oncoming waitress.

“Hello Sir, Welcome back”

Mark looked at her badge. It spelled Sharon.
Then he remembered she was the one who served him the other day.

Mark ordered some sandwiches and coffee for dinner.

While waiting to be served, Mark took out his laptop and carry on doing his report. Instead of doing his report, Mark was entering his blog entry.

“Today is a strange day. I met this lady onboard the train again. It was almost the sixth hundred times that I saw her since the first day. However it was only the second time we’ve ever communicate. Her name is Jade. She carries the same name as my ex-girlfriend. Is this what people call fate? Destiny? Would she replace her one-day?

Although no one is there to tell me, I wish I know the answer.
What is right? What is wrong?”

Mark stopped typing and shifted his laptop when Sharon served him the drinks.

“Sir, you blogged too?”

“Yeah… Am I too old for that?” Mark tried to hide his embarrassment.
“Nonsense, there’s no age limit for anything. It’s great to have an online journal you know. A place where you can write the darkest things.”

“So Sharon… you blog too?”

“Yup! All my friends blog too. It’s like our form of communications nowadays. Maybe it’s a sign of telling others we are still alive when we post our daily events on cyberspace.”

“Sir, Do you mind giving me your blog address?”
Sharon asked.

“Don’t call me Sir, it makes me feel old you know. I’m Mark.. incase you’ve forgotten.”

“I’ve not forgotten lah! Just being nice mah”
The bubbly girl couldn’t hide her cheerfulness.

As he wrote down his blog address on a piece of serviette, Mark gave a bright smile. It was something that Mark missed a long time.
The innocence youthfulness he once had.

“Here you go”
Mark handed over the piece of serviette.

“Hee.hee.. here’s my blog.”
Sharon quickly wrote on another serviette before she literally jumped to the next table to clear up.

“http://smiles-a-million.blogspot.com”

“Such a cheerful person”

Mark finished up his sandwich and shifted his laptop back to his view.
Before his fingers could type onto the address bar, Mark stopped as he realized that there was a tag on his tagboard again.

“What sort of women do you really like?”

Signed, Psyche.

[To be Cont]