Chapter 5
[ A Lost Name ]
Everyone have nicknames, as much as we want to deny it, we all have.
Some are nice, some are not.
Some are meant to be forgotten, some are meant to be remembered.
A nickname makes a person easier to be remembered because of the affections that we all put in when calling him or her.
A nickname can be anything that associates with him/her.
Whether is it a phase, an object, a cartoon character or simply some unbelievable names that only you can think of.
[ Do you still remember your own nickname & when was the last time you were called that way? ]
“ Hey Soo… why did your mother called you ‘Liao Liao’? Is her dialect hokkien?”
“ I don’t know Ken, I don’t suppose so. I’m don’t understand hokkien myself.
Why did you asked?
“ Because I won’t be calling my daughter that name in future! Don’t you know Su Liao Liao means ‘Lose everything’ in hokkien?”
Ken giggled and trying very hard to control his laughter during class.
“ Its not funny, Ken.. you better apologize to Liao Liao!”
Janice kicked his chair from the back almost making him fell.
Liao Liao wasn’t angry at all, instead she replied.
“ Whether what my name represents or signifies is not important. Most importantly this name is mine and mine to own and its name by my grandmother whom I will always remember.”
Liao Liao said as she smiled at Ken.
It was one of the sweetest smile he had ever saw in his life. The warmness can be felt through the heart.
“Ok, then I will call you Su Liao Liao from now onwards! You better don’t start losing things ok? ” Ken replied with a winked.
And so it goes, every time Ken had an opportunity to tease her he will gladly make his meal out of her. Whether its in the sports meet, during exams, doing projects.
Soo will always smile back… until one day..
“Hey Soo, are you joining us at Derrick’s place? I think we might be playing some poker.. wah.. bring you there I sure win.. because you will surely lose everything… So Liao Liao.. hahaha”
Soo stopped her walked, turned the opposite direction and walk away.
Janice sensed something wrong with her.. and ran after her while throwing her bag to Ken.
“Ken , You stupid Jerk ! You go to Derrick’s place yourself.. and take my bag with you”
For the first time, Ken felt some sense of guilt in him after teasing her so long.
“She was always fine with it right? What make her react this way today?”
From that day onwards, Liao Liao didn’t talked to Ken anymore.. everytime he wanted to apologize but she would turned away until the day when they graduated. LiaoLiao went to UK for her studies.. and Ken never saw her again..
“Ken… Ken…!! Snap!! Snap!!” Janice brought herself to his ears..
“Ken Kuan!! Why are you in a daze!!!!!”
“Ohhh… sorry.. I was thinking about something” Ken recovered from his thoughts.
“Janice, can I asked you a question?”
“Shoot!”
“Why did LiaoLiao avoid me from that day on? We’ve never talked since.. Did I really hurt her so much?”
“Argh.. you this pig head!” Janice screwed her fingers on his head.
“Who would want to talk to someone who tease her almost everyday in school? You think its really funny? You may think so but have you ever spare a thought for the opposite?”
“Well.. she took it fine for the first.. so I guess she was alright with it mah…” Ken expressing his guilt again.
“I always wanted to apologize to her.. but she won’t let me have the chance..”
“ Well.. since its been so long, I might as well tell you. Remember she ever told you how she got her name right? Well her grandmother died the day before we went to Derrick’s place. She didn’t have a chance to say goodbye to her as she was in Malaysia.”
“When she heard you teasing her, her thoughts for her grandma rushed her emotions. She cried for a long time that day.. I was there comforting her all along. You know, I’ve never seem anyone cried so hard in my life… She must have loved her grandma very very much”
“Then why she won’t talk to me?”
“Because everytime she sees you, she will think of her grandmother. She avoided you because she don’t want anyone to see her cry in school.”
“Ken, there’s one more thing I want to tell you…all along…….”
“What…”
“ Mabel had a crush on you before.. she told me during one of the girls night out at my place. She said you are always cheerful and full of crazy ideas to make fun of others. I believe she liked you since the day you start talking with her. ”
“ ………. Really?”
“ I don’t know when she liked you.. but you know, girls have sixth senses mah. From the way she react to you.. I would believe so.. Oh.. comeon.. who in the world can stand you and your stupidity!!!”
“……………. I don’t know……….how is she now?”
“ Oh She’s doing very well now, a personal banker..” Janice grabbed her final bite.
“ Hey its getting late.. Ken.. I need my beauty sleep…”
“ Ok Janice… by the way, are you free this Sunday?”
“Think so, what’s up?”
“I want to bring you to a place.. somewhere I didn’t go for a long long time…”
“Ok.. but you gotta pick me up again ok?”
“Done deal…”
After Ken sent Janice back home, he sat alone in his car and let his thoughts ran wild.
Turning the radio on, it was playing an old song.. It was Heaven Knows by Rick Price..
“Mabel always liked that song…”
“She liked me all along and I didn’t realized it?….
& She chose to confide in that letter?
& She ignored me because I didn’t go to the school gates?”
“How can this be….?”
[ To be cont ]
