Handkerchiefs. I used to bring them to school, especially primary school. Every morning, as I opened the drawer and reached for clean, bundled white socks, my pile of nicely-ironed handkerchiefs would be right next to them. All pressed neatly into a square, small enough to slip into my pocket, along with loose change for overpriced junk food at Ave Maria Convent. Primary and secondary school alike. (I mean, c'mon, RM1 for 10-13 stripes of french fries??)
I still remember the designs on the handkerchiefs; my mom never bought us boring navy blue ones my dad had (and still have - he has one in his pocket everyday to work), with mundane stripe designs at the sides. Instead, we got pink ones with strawberry motifs, or pretty checkered ones with lovely patterns at the four ends. Once, my mom went to Osaka, Japan for a business trip and came back with a stack of absolutely fabulous hankies for us. Hello Kitty, Kerokeropi (the cute green frog!), and more cutesy anime character ones...! It always felt more complete and secure to feel the neat square piece of cloth in my pocket when I was in school. I dried my hands with it, wiped my face (and tears) with it, covered unsightly snot with it (desperate times call for desperate measures =P), sneaked little tid bits from recess time to class with it...
There was one particular one that felt different from the others. While the other hankies usually felt stiffer and were much more vibrant in color, this one was plain white, and made with the softest cotton ever. The only decoration on it was a yellow flower and leaf motif on two opposing corners, and initials on it that I can't recall now. My mom told us it was from the school days, and I remember always stuffing it at the bottom of the pile of handkerchiefs, so that there'd be less chance of using it. I'm a silly sentimental fool that way. =P
As I went on to secondary school, the hankies were starting to fade in color, and so did my habit of bringing them to school. All of a sudden, tissue paper replaced them; disposable, multipurpose, impersonal tissue paper. It was peer pressure and social norm all rolled into one - you can always offer others tissue paper, but you can't share a hankie.
About two years ago, my family went to Hattyai, Thailand with my mom's cell group. I spotted some really adorable MoshiMaro hankies in a stall. They came in several colors, and a big white marshmallow (aka MoshiMaro) at the corner. For some bizarre reason (I swear it felt totally right and sensible at that time), I decided to buy them for Keong.
Yes, Keong. My sports-loving, former-skaterboy, homophobic boyfriend.
I did keep one to myself. A striking red one that I thought might just be a tad too much for him to swallow, hehee. But he liked the others. Bleh. =P
Don't you, honey? *gRin* Kidding.
