My phone bills has taken a steep rise to nearly 300% for the past few months. I have been calling my love for every single day. Once in the morning
(sometimes when I am really early), once during lunch
(half a day without some form of communication kinda makes me miss him rather dearly), during the long jam to get back home, and another time before i close my eyes for bed.
I would reach the office building at approximately 7:45 am. Pay RM 6 to the indian man at the table beneath his trusty huge umbrella, who diligently clocks in at 7am... i think. Park my car at my usual spot
(so that I wouldn't have to take an akward turning to get out of the carpark when I leave... ). Then I'd take my time strolling through the vacant car park
(.. well.. 'try' to stroll.. in 3 inch heels), enjoying the brief period of serenity and cool fresh morning breeze - before the crowd kicks in for work.. and contaminate every single thing they can put their grimy paws on.
I would pass the Baker's Shop-Cafe-.. whatever, with the usual waft of fresh coffee tickling my nose. They only open STRICTLY at 7:30am..
(got shooed away when I arrived there at 7:28am once). Their Potato Egg Breakfast set thingy is not too bad. The scrambled eggs are well buttered, the hash browns crispy on the outside, tender inside and the tea is very welcoming for early mornings - though i still prefer Earl Grey to Lipton.
I used to vacate the table nearest to the door for the first few weeks
(with my trusty rolled up stick of dried leaves... *winks*), but stopped being a patron once I found out that you can't hide from the scorching sun rays no matter how big the umbrella is. I did have a good laugh when some enthusiastic young guys adorned with crisp shirts and silk ties were trying to shift the umbrella stand around nearly the entire lot so that their table would have some shade. They gave up after they saw me smirking behind their backs.
Then i would pass Subway - and everytime, without fail, i'd miss Brisbane and my other far-away friends so dearly. Bernie and Teddy
(my ex-apartment-mates) would buy the foot long sandwich in the mornings before classes and they would nibble it all away by the end of the day. They'd only do this when i declare I was too lazy to cook or when exams are near and everyone's trying to find out who snitched the last packet of instant 'Indomee' noodles - so that they could taunt the guilty with threats of starvation and mutilation.
The scent of baking bread fills the lobby area every morning. And I would feel rather tempted to get a warm roll, but i just.. .. never got around to it - eating breakfast alone can be rather depressing, especially when the sun rays try to play hide and seek with you.
Breakfast always depended on my mood. If I were light and springy, I would most probably get a table in Baker's Bros and nibble at the scramble eggs. Sometimes I would make a quick stop at the nifty convenient store just a level above to get some biscuits or just something to keep my mouth busy. But usually I would just head on straight to the lifts. The lifts at the 'Lobby A' work weirdly. The ones on the left side would go to all levels, whilst the ones on the other side would go from level 12.. or.. something to the last level of the building. Yarrrr.. once Jade and I got muddled up with the weird logic of the lifts operations and we got stranded on 12th floor, carrying huge fragile jewelry boxes.
I would reach the 7th floor at around 8am, assuming that i don't have breakfast. The door would usually be locked as M&M's guy don't arrive till like 8:20am - ish. Then I would sneak to the stairs, carefully leaving a cigarette box at the door latch as it is a 'one way lock' emergency door. This is known as 'Spot 1' for our
(Eng Seen, Eve and Wai Leng - the cigarette kakis) stolen cigarette breaks.. we usually don't come here if the Big Boss is around - he has this irritating habit of poking his nose in to bring more bad news and more work - so we have found 'Spot 2'
(the other set of staircase further from the office suite) and 'Spot 3'
(outside the building) as alternatives.
It is here, in the brightly lit echoing silence that I would listen to the voice of William as I giggle like a 'schoolgirl-with-a-crush' in return. It's like a.. sanctuary.. where I can prepare myself for the long day ahead.. sometimes accompanied with a stick or two of Indonesia's-only-useful-product if the long-day-ahead seems to need more ammunition to get through. Which I would then feel very guilty. I must kick the habit soon, prefereably into a coffin and buried six feet under - my dear one hates smoke.
The day would then drag on with its battered sandals, with the occassional hiccups and comic relief from my nutty colleagues - the only welcomed joy would be when my last email has been read and sent, my work completed.. and I'm sick of M&M's again. Then I would trot my tired self back to my car at around 7pm usually.
I would pass two tunnels to get to the highway, and sometimes it's during these brief moments my phone would lose signal, and my darling would seem to be talking to himself on the other end. I wouldn't be hearing him repeating himself "baby..?... babyyy... "...as the line breaks up, but I always hear the complaints that follow after I get out from the tunnel.. and his cute-sy agitation would never fail to bring a smile to my lips. And I would.. .. fall in love all over again.. . at the end of the tunnel.
.. .. I find that sometimes in life.. .. tunnels are always a good sign. Tunnels always have an opening - and it's always something to look forward to. It makes your current problems and worries seem much bearable, because you know that there's always something.. or someone at the other end to reach out and everything would all be perfect again.
For now... .. the only person's touch that i look forward to - to save me from being crushed by the realities of the working world - sometimes to just listen and not to provide any form of solution.. but to just listen.. to get the stress off my worn out mind.. and to just... . . shield me from the angry crowd in his protective hug - and my tired.. oh-so-tired soul.. would finally get some well deserved rest - would be coming home soon.. in 12 days time.
My love... I yearn for you to take me home again.. to our sanctuary.. where my inner child.. would roam free again.. with white ribbons in her hair.. and her timid hand clutched lovingly in yours.. her world.. finally complete.
