A Lone Commemoration
Published by iJun Tuesday, 12 July 2005 in Lost Moments and Memories, Lost Emotions | Popularity: 4% Tags: No Tags.
I always make an effort to go to Brighton at least once each year. It was there that I lived away from my parents for the first time, I managed my own food and bills for the first time, I travelled alone on public transport for the first time, I had a real hobby for the first time and I felt that I actually learned something in school for the first time.
I’m still in love with the town.
Little that I knew…
…that I was going to end up falling in love for the first time there as well.
Fourscore and seven Eight years ago…
We agreed to meet up in Brighton for the day. I drove down about 170 miles, all the way from Leicester. I was in my 3rd year degree sandwich course. She was in her 2nd year. We had spoken on the phone the day before, and I just managed to pop out and purchased a soft toy for her before the shops closed.
As usual, I was early. I’m very particular about arriving on time. It wasn’t something that I practiced since I was small, it only started when I first stepped foot in the UK.
So there I was, at the train station, with a “Friends Forever” cuddly bear in one arm, and newspaper in the other, waiting for her.
I waited…
…and I waited.
Back then, mobile phones were like rare stones. Neither of us could afford one. There was no way for me to reach her, and vice-versa, since we were both from out of town.
An hour had pass…
…but it seemed like forever.
I had been tired of standing, so I sat down on a bench near the train platform.
Suddenly, amidst a dispersing crowd of passengers..
…there she was.
Everything went super-slow. My eyes were focused on her, like an eagle in the sky preying for fish in the rapids below.
I could hear myself breathing.
I could hear my own heart beating.
I couldn’t move.
She walked right up to me, I was still seated.
I looked up at her face and just stared, like a lone wolf gazing at the full moon.
“Hi!”, she said and gave a beautiful smile.
“Hello.”, I mumbled clumsily and probably still had my mouth open.
I shook my head in hope to gather some conscious back in me and gave her the soft toy I got for her.
“Awww.. he’s so cute.”, her eyes sparkled like diamonds.
“Does he have a name?”, she added.
“Erm.. Teddy”, I grinned.
“Hmm.. I’ll think of a better name for him later”, she said disapprovingly.
At the time, for all I care, she could give ME whatever name she likes and I would still answer to her calls.
She was thirsty, so we went to get some drinks. I was into carbonated drinks at the time, but she wanted something else.
“Shapers”, she said, “from Boots.”
“Apricot and Passion Fruit is my favourite.”
We went to the Royal Pavillion, Queen’s Park, The Lanes, Churchill Square (where she bought a pair of Sunflower slippers).
We had a late lunch at a small Italian diner called Pinnochio. It was here that I learnt her favourite pizza toppings were mushrooms, anchovies and olives. It was also here that I learnt she suffers terribly from period cramps.
Last but not least, we went to the Palace Pier by the seafront.
I can’t remember my periodic table. I can’t remember the order of colours that make the spectrum. I can’t remember my Ohms and Amperes.
But until today, I can remember clearly that day.. like it was only yesterday.
I went home that night, still thinking about her..
…the first of many nights,
…for many years.
As John said to Jane (in Mr. & Mrs. Smith), the first time he saw her, the first thing he thought of was Christmas morning, because he didn’t know how else to put it
I would say that when I first saw her..
…the first thing that I thought of…
…was nasi lemak on a bright Saturday morning.
It would have been exactly 8 years today.
Happy anniversary sweetie.
ijun…sabar ok..if she is the ice cream you have been longing for so long, then you have no choice but to put the past behind you and start a new thread. it is all up to you, now.
izzat: you are the most sensitive and caring soul in the blogsphere!!
ijun…….
hek eleh…jiwang siut!!!!
Ijun,
feeling abis tu! why aaa lately kau jadi macam ni? hehehehehe….
Ijuney,
i missed the chapters before this. Where can get reruns? You made her sound SO beautiful and you SO smitten.. cair i.
(psst.. so you swing both ways?)
sseeediiihhh saya membaca warkah ini.
Awak ni sentimentol la.
eh… fourscore tu apa maknanya?
Siot!!!!…. iJun jiwang giler. Man, she’s your nasi lemak?
Happy anniversary man… 
Hehehe….
I’m truly happy for you, dude.
hmm nasi lemak ada makna tu dik…berapa ringgit punya nasi lemak?
ni sah-sah entry untuk mengaburi mata pak-pak arab.anyway, romantic post indeed.
sweet..
was she like in the shampoo ads when she got off the train - hair all flailing in the wind?
echoing OOD’s thoughts - cover baeek punya eh? good recovery.
Maka dengan ini saya menurut perintah enchek iJun untuk membuat pengakuan berani di sini: Saya mintak mahap kerana baru baca balik dan baru paham entri ni.
Uwaaaaa…..
*bagitau mak!*
Ehh kena buli ke nih Si Nana? Nak kena encik Ijun nih…
membulik org…
Waaahhhh… dah kissed and made up eeehhh???
erm… quoting Brad Pitt, eh?
Ijun!!!! Slap*Slap*Slap* Wake up and smell the coffee laaaa… Adaka ibaratkan nasik lemak on sunday morning… aiiyoooo… kalau I jadi pompuan tuh… I sambal-sambalkan you
BTW - When is our anniversary? heheheheheh
Fourscore years and eight?
*calculates*
You’ve known her for 88 years?
How old are you dude??
iJun,
Love this post.
Love Brighton.
Love it when people fall in love in Brighton.
So, bila lagi?
iJun, how come tak tunjuk itu gambar full blast ah? gambar mystery ker?
nasik lemak? now i seem to be craving for it plus the sambal!
ahhhh….. err.. is this ‘cinta lama’ or still ‘bercinta’?
See, see, see? i’m not alone silap tawww! U patut kasi uppercase, kasi besar sket font size perkataan WOULD tu….
Alahaii..
Sweet nyer post ni..
Very nostalgic.
OK already eh, Nyet?
Ijun thanks for celebrating our anniversary. Sorry I threw out the teddy bear already. But you still can buy me dinner at English right? Then we can take a walk at the boardwalk?
So bile ni?
dude, bersabarlah…
to whom yang tulih yng bukan bukan plz reread and re re re read this post.
GILA BABI ROMANTIK KAU NI IJUN. TABIK SPRINGGGG
haiyo people. i’m surprised. there’s not even between-the-lines to read in this post and you don’t get it?
memories, good and bad, stay forever. chin up pal, and take care.
if it had been, would it be a real life fairytale instead of what you have now?
there’s no changing people