class gathering

Rouyi took her ink-stained uniform off from the rack and stared at it for the longest time. it had been years since she last wore it. it must had been more than a decade she thought. a rare occasion of class gathering, a werid sort she felt. on the 1st year aniversery of their form teacher's death the class was calling for a gathering and all students were expected to don on their school uniform. the ink stained on her uniform was her last piece of memory from her ex-secondary school. had it not been stained and chucked into her cupboard, it would had been thrown away with the other old uniforms. she chuckle as she recalled the day the ink stained her uniform.

it was the hottest day in history of that year, everyone was hot and bothered. the only way to escape from such heat was to sneak out of class and chill in the library. she being the class library had all the privilage of the world to get into the library without being questioned. but the tricky part was to get out of class. thus she formulated an act to get her out of the class. RouYi took out her bottle of ink meant for her art lesson and unscrewed it, placing it really near to her. As Mdm Jung walked pass RouYi knocked onto the ink bottle and caused the entire bottle of ink to splashed on herself and Mdm Jung's left leg. Before Mdm Jung could said anything RouYi started crying and screaming at the state of her uniform. Swiftly she was escorted to the nearest toilet and a new set of uniform loaned from the school office was given to her to change. but she insisted in wearing her own set. Mdm Jung thinking it was her fault came into the toilet and tried to talk RouYi out of her stubborness but to no avail. RouYi argued that the new set of uniform wasn't hers and must be filled with germs and thus refused to change into it then she went on to dry her uniform with the hand-drier mounted to the wall. while doing so she bargained with Mdm Jung to allow her to self-study in the library as she was afraid that she may be laughed at by her fellow classmates. after much bargaining RouYi got her way and was allowed to stay in the cool air-conditioned library for the rest of the day til her dad came to fetch her home.

attending the class gathering was not a mere gathering of old friends and talking about the past and discussing about the future. but to RouYi it was a way of remembering her teachers.

she stood in the rain, drenched from outside in, top to bottom. her eyes are red from crying or from the merciless cold rain? the sun is nowhere in sight despite it being 6am. the sun ought to be raising somewhere, somehow by now, she thought to herself. light should always beam through from the end of the tunnel. why isn't hers? or perhaps she is not in a tunnel but trapped in the stand-still of misery and pain. her tears had ceased and taken over by the countless drop of raindrops hitting against her face.

he had promised to meet her here at their usual meeting place. he had mentioned earlier that it was important, it was something he had always wanted to tell her and she could wait no longer. it got to be now and here. her heart missed a beat and imagined in her head the hundred and one possiblity of what could be the urgency. had he finally made up his mind to leave his wife and start a new life with her? or had he managed to booked that exclusive restort in the mid-easten seas to celebrate their 100 days? or maybe just maybe he had gotten the hinge that she may be carrying his baby in her?

the darkness of the early morning slowly fades away as she waits with great anticipation. suddenly a lightening flashes through the sky, followed by a loud thunder deafen her ears. she looks up the sky and thought she saw a dragon flew past crying in the process as it did so. must had been a bad omen she felt.

a luxary car pulled up before her, instead of inviting her into the car or him stepping out from it. he had winded down his window and spoke in a cold and distance voice. its over. the shortlived joy and romantic is over. she was nothing but a new toy to him then but now an old toy to him. she is no longer interesting to him, her innocent and coy ways were getting on his nerves. he said she was too weak to fit into the role of the kept lady. she is better of being that innocent, coy and shy decent gir that she was. along with the hurtful words came another blow, she was fired from her current job and she was to instructed to move to another state far away from him and his family. she was discarded with no proper explaination. she fought her tears and controlled her anger. her immediate thoughts were not of her own but of her mother and kid brothers who are all relying on her to send home the money. how is she to continue to do so?

as she stood there alone the sky darken and strong wind started the sweep up the leaves on the ground into a whirlwind near her, dust forced it ways into her eyes and tears swelled up into her ducts. the car was no longer within sight and the rain started to pour. there she stood still and lost. where, who, what, when, how now?