happily ever after....heh

HE SAYS;

I received a wedding invitation card late last week from an old friend. He was getting married! Out of the blue, just like that. I didn’t even know he had a girlfriend, but it’s not as if I should have known. He’s my buddy from my days in National Service and after we were all discharged, we didn’t contact each other, save for a few favours or arranging a get-together which eventually didn’t happen.
So today’s the wedding reception. I got there a little late because she was coming with me and we both were taking our time to dress up. She looked great in her baju; I always get a kick out of seeing her in pretty clothing and flawless make-up. Off we went in a cab and arrived in the middle of the wedding couple’s photo-taking with the guests. My friend saw me and gave a big smile (a real one as I could tell he was giving the ‘photo smile’ all this while) and I nodded back. We found a table not far from the dais and, what else, proceeded to the buffet table.

As far as wedding receptions go, this was pretty average, although the food was great. Held at a void deck, the tables were a little haphazard as there wasn’t much space, but it did get everyone to mingle around. My other NS friends were at another table and we went to join them. She was the only female in the group, so she listened to us trade army stories (I can hear some people go: “Men! So typical.”) Eh, whatever, lah. You think NS so easy, meh? Especially for me, I had to go through some tough s**t, but I really had good camaraderie with guys I never thought I’d be friends with.

Anyway, it was pleasant and yet unnerving to be attending a wedding of my NS friend when he’s WAY younger than me (I’m not THAT old, idiots), but I was happy for him and his wife, and I told him so when I went to ‘kirim salam’ and give his dad my bill payment (sorry, sorry, the duit salam). Speaking of which, I get a kick out of my non-Malay friends when they discover to their shock that the duit salam is totally up to them, the amount they have to give. I once told a Chinese friend that the token for a Malay wedding is more expensive than a Chinese wedding because the wedding dais traditionally has two gold ingots in its base (for blessing of prosperity for the couple) and the rental for the dais was pricey. “You think the wedding dais so cheap, meh?” The guy fell for it and gave our Malay classmate a hundred bucks. The father offered to have him as his foster child. My friend declined. Of course.

I went home that day thinking, “Man, everyone is getting married. I better step up to it.” But it didn’t feel like I had to because everyone else was doing it. I felt I had to because I wanted to, and everyone else did it first.

I don’t want to get left behind. I better get cracking!