Friends who know Keon:
"So how are things with Keong?"
"Mmm ok la, hee.. usual lo~"
"Har? Ok only aRr..??"
"...."
Friends who know I have a boyfriend, and... that's it.
"Howz your boyboy?"
"He's ok ah, doing good..."
"Ohh.. somemore? How are you two?"
"K la, not bad, hee..."
"HAr? Not bad only meh??"
"...."
Friends who know all about Keon from other sources but me:
"So tell me la~ What's he like?"
"Mmm he's a really nice guy, and... mmm aiya next time intro to u la! Can see for yourself, hee"
"CHeh, why you so potong stim one. Own bf oso dunno how to describe ar..."
"...*&^%$#..."
Disclaimer (for the ones who know I love you hee): I'm really not trying to take a jab at anyone here. I know these are all juz concerns and casual conversation-starters. Frankly, I don't mind those questions quite so much. It's just the occasional expectancy and ensuing disappointment that ticks me off.
I'm just curious - how am I supposed to answer, really? What does the other person expect to hear? It's not a rhetoric question here; me is really the asking properly.
I mean, I know what Keon's like, obviously, but I'm not gonna start gushing about all the things I like about Keon in response to a random question.
"So why do you like him?"
"Well I totally love the way he lets me lean my fat head cheek on his forearm when he's driving, and the way he acts when there's tons of good food around *silly giggle*, and the best thing is that he...-"
You really want me to be like that meh...?
Or maybe I'm supposed to get into detail about everything's happening between he and I.
"So how are things with Keong?"
"I think it's going all right so far. This morning I told him about how I screwed up my project. He comforted me, and then he told me about his game of futsal with his friends. After that he went for supper with his mates, and he was juz waiting for his laundry to be ready to be hung right now when he came online. He has a busy schedule coming up next month, from what he told me, and I'm a little worried coz I know sometimes he can get burnt out from all the things he has to handle, so hopefully everything will run smoothly. I'll be praying for him la, can you pray for him also? I think it's important to always uphold each other in prayer hor. Then the other day he told me..."
Are you smelling your ear wax yet? (You know how some people start digging every hole in their bodies whenever they get bored - my dad digs his belly button LOL~~ And then he goes scaring my mom with um, his findings; they're just a couple of kids, really)
After quite a few disapproving responses from my friends, I decided to chuck my shy, uneasy answers into the closet and just be plain giddy and braggy about it.
The mentality to become is - I adore my boyfriend and heck I want you to know it!
So one time, I met up with a good friend whom I haven't seen in years, and we were just catching up with each other when sure enough, she asked me:-
"So how's your boyfriend? Keong right his name?"
"Yup, hee, he's ok la-" *catches self; giddy and braggy gurl, GIDDY AND BRAGGY!*
"What ok? Tell me everything larr~!! So long haven't seen you adi!"
"YA I'M TOTALLY IN LOVE WITH HIM HE'S GREAT WITH GUITARS AND HE LIKES CENDOL BUT NOT THE RED BEANS SO I ALWAYS GET TO EAT HIS SHARE OF BEANS HAHAH DID YOU KNOW HE'S TOTALLY INTO SPORTS TOO? HE PLAYS LIKE EVERY OTHER SPORT K AND-"
Ok la I didn't go that far hehee. I am, afterall, a very good-natured girl. =P
Actually it took me a couple of seconds to muster up the guts and grow some thick-arsed crocodile skin so I could be on giddy and braggy mode... and then I said:-
"He's cool; he's not too tall, just the right height *attempts to wink knowingly and giggle but really, I was beginning to regret my caving in to social pressure*,
and he has broad shoulders! *hides mortal horror at self with big cheesy grin*
Anyhow, she seemed to have bought it, laughing appreciatively and there was no disappointing 'har? like that only ar?' remarks. I gave her what she wanted to hear.
I was about to console myself that I was not selling out to the corrupted, demanding world, and then I caught the look on my best friend's face.
UTTER DISGUST. She even did that 'yeah yeah' scorning look. I could almost visibly see her level of respect and love for me taking a deep plunge right that moment.
I'm still not quite sure what that reaction was for, actually. On her part, I mean.
But for me, that look sobered me up. It was an outward expression of what I was feeling about myself inside. Who gives a tootsie-roll if others think I have a boring relationship juz coz my answers didn't satisfy their gossipy tongues. I know who I am, and I know what my relationship is, and I am going to switch off the heater right now.
Man it's like an oven in here.
