XII | Effort ❦ We’re playing soccer in our usual park(the nearest one) when two of our buddies from another school appear, arms draped around each other walking like drunkards,laughing like drunkards,in love like drunkards. (They didn’t drink anything though.) The sun hasn’t setyet. Kumar waves at them furiously. ‘Ooi! Tom and Jerry!’‘Long time no … Read more
XI | Feather ❦ ‘Are you okay?’ Eeyore’s voiceis loudeven thoughthe class is noisy. The flying donkey sees me first. I point at Rowan.‘She’s over there.’ Eeyore folds its wings.‘Rowan is right.’ Its eyes gleamwith a hard light. ‘You are trouble.’ Mrs. Lim steps in front of me,before I can reply,her arms folded. ‘Excuse me,‘we’re … Read more
X | Ice ❦ ‘Why don’t you introduce yourselves to Rowan?’Mrs. Lim suggests. We’re the only groupstill in the classroom after receiving the ‘team-bonding activity’instructions. I roll my eyes. Julie stares at me angrily.She looks angry whenever she’s thinking. (Is she angry with Mrs. Lim?) (Or with us because we’re useless group members?) Rizwan sighs … Read more
IX | Group ❦ Ming puts his feet up on my desk. ‘Why must we do project work?’ I push his feet off.‘Don’t ask me. I don’t know.’ Kumar puts his feet on my desk. ‘Why can’t we choose our own groups?’ I push his feet off.‘Stop it! I don’t know!’ Nora peeks into my … Read more
VIII | Different ❦ ‘Who’s Rowan?’ Nora asks. I try to catch the parrot again.‘Shut up, shut up, shut up!’ it screams in Brient’s voice.The bird claws at my hand, lands on Nora’s head. Scratchesappear on the side of my thumb. They turn red. ‘Are you okay?’ Nora unwraps herself from the blanket.Hands me my … Read more
VII | Intruder ❦ ‘What’s wrong with him?’A female voice. ‘Dunno. He’s been like that since two days ago.’A male voice. I scowl. ‘What do you mean like that?’ Ming jabs his finger at thin air:‘See, see, see!’ ‘You’re so irritable,’ Kumar explains. Nobody asked.(Fine, i did.) ‘It’s been a year since I’ve seen you,’the … Read more
VI | Letter ❦ He asks me how I’ve been. I say I’m good,(a bit about junior college)and about Ria. ‘You leh?’ I ask back. He’s quiet for a while, thoughtful.As if my question is a philosophical one. ‘I’m defaulting NS.’ I stare at him. National Service is compulsory in Singapore.Defaulting is a crime. … Read more
V | ‘大哥’ ❦ The morning after the callRia blocked me on every social networkshe could think of. I don’t really care. but I check just for fun. Then, I think about whether I shouldskip school. My phone vibrates. I pick it up too fast. It’s not Ria. It’s a childhood friendI haven’t seen in … Read more
IV | Break Up ❦ The leavesof the rowan treeare orange again. They’re not flying anymore. The tree isn’t talking, it’s not whispering. The leaves are moving in the wind normally. My fingers close around thin air.She’s pulled her hand away. I’m staring into Rowan’s eyes. She rubsthe back of her wristover her lips, trying … Read more
III | Utopia ❦ Apparently, the girl I kissed under the rowan treeis named ‘Rowan’. Apparently, this golden cityis the world after the apocalypse? For some reason,Jesus is king here? (As in the crucified Jesus that Christians believe in.) Is this some kind of joke? I want to make a religious jokebut the winged … Read more
