A school reunion

Boy, we're stuck. Jakarta's traffic jam is so totally frustratingly impossible and inefficient that it took my old school friend Dennis 2 whole bloody hours to wade through the traffic to pick me up, and another 2 hours to get to the restaurant. I was screaming "Hungry!! Hungry!!" in the car like a little kid. Being stuck in the traffic is one thing, being in the car for 2 whole hours with somebody you haven't met in 17 years is another.

Our topic ran a bit dry after the first hour or so.

"Er, so how are your kids doing?"

"How's work?"

"Where do you live now?"

"Did you catch up with so and so?"

By the time we pulled into the car park, it's 10:00pm. Bloody hell, we're late late late.

The reunion party is in full swing. I waved meekly into the group, shrouded in semi-darkness. A petite Indian came up to me and gave me a warm hug. "Do you still remember me?", she asked. Geeta looked absolutely gorgeous. Yes, I do. You look even prettier than 17 years ago. How can she have 3 kids and still look like she's 20 something?! I'm totally jealous.

Jolly Bob and Anup came around and shake my hand. "Still remember my name?" Uh-oh, I'm in a tight spot. That face look vaguely familiar. I ransacked my memory and ventured a timid response, "Anu...? Anoosh...? Ahhhhh... any hints for me?" Why, those 2 boys are keeping so well. Anup is still as handsome as before, just slightly rounder on the cheeks.

He's half drunk, I suspect. "So, where's your sexy friend?", Anup really wanted to know. What sexy friend? I was in high school with this bunch of people, and I don't recall our school uniform bearing any hint of sexiness.

"Ah, you mean Christina? She's in Singapore and have a little girl already."

How time flies! I remember the day when Christina moved to our school, she stirred up quite a riot. Poor thing, those gossips. I asked Catherine (who is now a news presenter at the local TV station), "Why did you girls hate Christina so much those days?" She can't remember. It's been so long ago, 17 years.

Some of the sweetest girls in class were still single. There's Pooja (who own a hairdressing salon AND a supermarket), Supani and Monica (wow, regional export manager of Indofood). Are there no men in Jakarta who wants to take on independent successful women?

"So are you still the straight A-student?", somebody asked me. Yes. I am. Still. Da straight-A student. It used to bother me a lot if I get a 'B' on my report card. Does it really matter any more? The last time I switched on my brain was 3 years ago in my last job. These days, I spend most of my time vacuuming the house and spoon-feeding the kids. How many A's do you need to do that?

Ah, and there they are, the boys. Surya's baby face can easily hide the fact that's he's got a 6 year old kid. Kok Sing used to be the class clown, he's so serious tonight. Dennis and Albert once hated me so much that they scribbled vulgar words on my desk. And yet, we smiled and chatted amicably with each other tonight, as if nothing has had happened.

By 11am, I realised that some of the old friends still hasn't turned up. Suarta, apparently he's stuck in a meeting at work. (at 11pm?!) Good o' Natalie is out of town. And where's LJ? His big brown eyes used to make me blush when he looked my way. Am I'm ever gonna to see them again?

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As I tiptoed into my bedroom at midnight, stealthily, EggEgg sat up in bed and whispered, "Mami? You there? EggEgg can't sleep."

The smoke, the noise, the rowdy gang, those 17 years melted away as my little boy drew me back into the blissful present. We sipped some Yakult and read a kung-fu comic book in the warm, humid night.