Excerpt...

Jean: Hello?
Jack: Hello? Not yet sleep?
Jean: No, and why aren’t you asleep?
Jack: What time is it? Oh, 12am… tomorrow’s public holiday. Got a chance to stay up late… hehe…
Jean: Oh, no wonder…
Jack: How was your day?
Jean: Fine…
Jack: Still sick? Seen doctor yet?
Jean: Yeah, it’s ok. Came back early to rest.
Jack: Do you drink a lot of water?
Jean: Work lah… how to drink a lot of water?
Jack: Keep a bottle in your car….
Jean: Hey, I work as a sale, meeting people. How to drink water, but I drink some lah.
Jack: Okay, fine…
Jean: How was your day?
Jack: Same, nothing much happened.
Jean: So, why called me suddenly yesterday?
Jack: Don’t know. Just called… thought of calling, that’s all…
Jean: Hmm… you know what, I had porridge just now and I am hungry now.
Jack: Get something to eat…
Jean: Biscuit, I only have biscuit but I’m also having a sore throat…
Jack: Nah, can’t eat biscuit… Campbell mushroom soup?
Jean: Not that.
Jack: Then get yourself milo, milk, that kinda stuff?
Jean: Nevermind…
Jack: So, how’s your life, really?
Jean: Great, except for the sore throat… and I don’t go to the gym anymore.
Jack: Why?
Jean: Hurt my knee. Doc told me to stop for a few months… I’m putting on weight!
Jack: Aww… please... Take up swimming lah… you don’t need to put so much stress on your limbs.
Jean: I don’t know how to swim…
Jack: You don’t?
Jean: No.
Jack: Oh, I see… Seeing any guy?
Jean: Yeah, he’s a PR in Australia.
Jack: Australian PR?
Jean: Yeah, I got to know him through a friend.
Jack: Oh… long-distance relationship…
Jean: He’s going back to Australia soon, and you know what, we have been seeing each other for only 6 months, 3 months as friend, and then 3 months together. Can you believe that?
Jack: Why not? But six months and now he’s going back…. Hey, pack things up and go with him lah.
Jean: Are you crazy? We are just being together for 3 months. You want me to leave everything behind and go with him? I can’t…
Jack: Why not?
Jean: I don’t trust him…
Jack: Huh?! Don’t trust him and you can still be together?
Jean: How should I put it? He’s a mama’s boy. I don’t trust him because he’s unreliable. Unreliable in the sense that he… you know what, he’s been MIA three times already since we know each other.
Jack: What happened?
Jean: There was one time…. He told me that he was going out to drink with his friend in KL, and I asked him to SMS me when he gets back, told him to be careful especially driving after drinking, and you know what he said… don’t worry, nothing’s going to happen to me. I hold an Australian license. Can you imagine that?!
Jack: Australian license…. So what?
Jean: Exactly! And he didn’t SMS me. I was sick worried about him… no SMS, no phone call, nothing. So I asked my friend to find him for me. The friend said ok and then called me up later to say that he’s ok.
Jack: mmm..maybe he’s knocked out…
Jean: He could be in an accident or locked up in jail… He called me up later and I was so angry with him… I trust he won’t berfoya-foya outside but he’s just not reliable in other things. And I hate it when he messed up my place…. Give him three days, that’s all he needs… when he left for KL, I have to do spring-cleaning…
Jack: Aww… can’t be that serious…
Jean: Serious…
Jack: Hahaha… train him up.
Jean: I am. I forced him to wash dishes… he doesn’t even know how to do the smallest house chore. Can you imagine if his mum knows that I am abusing her son that way? Hahaha…
Jack: So why together?
Jean: He’s funny for one thing. He’s like a big teddy bear. Comfortable to be with… you know I always wanted someone to take care of me, a manly guy but he’s not… he’s a big teddy bear… I don’t know. I can’t promise anything once he’s gone back. My friend told me to say that…. If he finds someone there, well, go ahead. If I find someone else here, I’ll do the same, but I can’t say it.
Jack: Of course you can’t. And once you say something like that, he’s going to, even if he’s a guy, he will take a step back and re-consider the whole thing… well, I don’t know. Maybe he will, maybe not… I am not him… can’t judge him.
Jean: Well, maybe we can make a deal like if we haven’t found someone else after a certain period of time, we can get back together.
Jack: A deal? Can you?
Jean: Yeah, why not? Like if I am 35 years old and single, and you are like 38 years old and not married, we can get together…
Jack: No, I can’t… I mean I can’t do that with any woman… shit… a deal?! Like a business deal? No way…
Jean: Okay lah.
Jack: So, good life eh? Good career-earning more than me, attached and free… not bad.
Jean: Yeah, but I got depressed sometimes. Can’t sleep at night, having nightmares, broke down…
Jack: Really? Why? You seem to be enjoying your life…
Jean: Yeah, I enjoy my life… get to buy what I want but I have tuned down. From three credit cards to one… seldom go out anymore, even stay at home during weekends.
Jack: So why can’t you sleep?
Jean: I don’t know. A lot of things on my mind. That’s why I prefer to work, work, work. Tired, but then sleep better.
Jack: Is that good? I don’t think so. You are like what… if I don’t call you tonight, you’d be doing your paperwork until the time to got to bed? What kind of life is that? Don’t you have other things to do? Like sweep the floor, mop the floor… hahaha…
Jean: Please…. I got no choice. I have to be prepared for my work tomorrow. I want everything in my control.
Jack: Please… not everything is in our control. Ok, maybe work, you want to be in control but not everything, not every time. Say, you’re late for an appointment, but stuck in a traffic jam… so? You get frus? What’s the point?
Jean: ….
Jack: Learn to let go… you prepare for your work is okay but just learn to let go. You’ll feel better. And do something at least once everyday for yourself besides work… like shopping…
Jean: Shopping? Window shopping? Hey, I’m trying to tune down leh… I don’t know. I don’t even have a hobby.
Jack: Get one.
Jean: We’ll see…
Jack: What I am trying to say is be true to yourself… can’t sleep at night? You are not happy… that’s a statement. If you really like the job, okay, fine, by all means, go ahead and be successful… but if you think you like to be like someone else… like he’s got a big house, I want that. He’s got a big car, I want that too… you know, you’re like… like…
Jean: Imitating?
Jack: Something like that. It’s just not what you truly want. Like you are living someone else’s life.
Jean: I just want to be happy…
Jack: Who doesn’t? Who doesn’t? Tell me, I’m going to whack his head.
Jean: Hahaha…
Jack: You know, before anything can really begin, you must know yourself first. Really know what you want for life, then, only then you can begin your life… Shit! I must be getting old, talking to you like that.
Jean: Hahaha…
Jack: Anyway, I think you should take it slowly… and open up those windows, let some fresh air comes in… no wonder you are sick.
Jean: Hey, if I open up the window, there’ll be dust all over the place.
Jack: So? Please… it won’t kill you. Okay, you abuse yourself in your own way, I’m abusing myself in my own way… hahaha… I got nothing to say…
Jean: Hahaha…. What time is it?
Jack: Hmm… 1:30am… you’re working tomorrow right? Get some sleep.
Jean: Okay, goodnight.
Jack: Goodnight.