[EnigmaofSorrow]

In any case, our platonic friendship carried on till she enrolled in a Polytechnic after getting her O Level results.

By that time, I had already enlisted in the Army, and hardly had time to meet up. My weekends were spent clubbing, or sleeping. But we still kept in touch through MSN and SMS.

About one semester into her Polytechnic life, she told me that she was quitting school and moving to Australia with her parents for awhile. Her father was posted back there to undertake a higher managerial appointment by his company. Apparently, her parents worked for the same company, and somehow, the company had no issue with both of them going overseas.
I still recall one particular MSN conversation which I still keep. It was on the Sunday before the weekend that she flew off.

S: Kor, I am going back to Australia… =(

Me: Why?

S: Parents’ job…

Me: What about Poly?

S: I quit yesterday.

Me: Can’t you stay behind? Live with relatives?

S: My parents think I am too young to be independent. And they want me to attend college in Australia.

Me: Hmm, ok. But do you want to stay here?

S: I don’t know. All my life I have been following my parents wherever they go. And they are selling the flat. If I stay here, where can I live?

Me (joking): You can live with me! Haha.

S: Really??? My parents will not allow that though…

Me: Just kidding, my parent’s will probably think I am keeping an underage sex slave in my room…

S: WHAT! YOU ARE DISGUSTING!!!

Me: Joking… Anyway, when will you leave?

S: Next weekend. My things have already been packed.

Me: Wow that’s fast.

S: Will you come send me off?

Me: Sure, why not? Will your parents’ mind?

S: I don’t think so. They sort of know that I have a very close older male friend who’s not my boyfriend…

Me: Wow, what a description… Haha… Anyway, I need to go back to camp. Live-firing tomorrow.

S: Ok, don’t forget to be there next Saturday! Terminal 2, 9am.
Me: Wouldn’t miss it for the world!

Well, as luck or fate would have it, I mis-fired a blank during the dry run for the live-firing on Monday and was charged and given Stoppages of Leave for 7 days.

I called Shirley on Friday night and explained what had happened. She seemed fine but somehow I could detect a hint of sadness in her voice.

I told her I would call her just before she left but she said that her phone line would be terminated that night.

I would have liked to chat with her longer before she left, but the mother-fucker of the Company Orderly Sergeant suddenly decided to make us wash the toilets of the entire block.

So I bade her bon voyage and told her that we could still chat on MSN and email each other. She said she would miss me before hanging up, and I went to find the other confinees who had already started to wash the toilets, while singing vulgar songs, mostly directed at the Company Orderly Sergeant.

And that was the last I saw of Shirley.



to be continued...