2014-03-10 - 2:33 p.m.
Alright, so here's the complete version of what had happened before and during the wedding:
On Friday, I hung out with D., Dillah, and Dillah's husband Sharif after work. We had dinner at Mr.Pancake in Setiabudi One.
Vince had already resigned from work and started his new teaching job at Korean International School in East Jakarta. Not only him, but his best friend Patrick will be leaving too. He's got a job as a tour guide in Yogyakarta for American tourists, I've heard. Knowing how much he enjoys travelling, that sounds like a suitable job for him.
Andrew is also leaving. Apparently (according to Dillah), his Indonesian wife Tiwi is a GM at a five-star hotel. (Whoa.) She's being promoted in Bali soon and of course, Andrew is coming with her. They've already bought a house there.
Perhaps Andrew is going to move to another international school as well. I don't know. We get on okay at work, but I don't personally know him that well.
"Yeah, I'm going to leave too as soon as my contract finishes in July."
The three of us at the same table stared at D. Dillah looked genuinely surprised. Me? Not so much. Since the first day I met D., he'd already told me that he'd only planned to stay for a year.
There was a sinking feeling in my gut that night, screaming from within:
Nooo, I don't want to lose you too! You're my best friend, man. You've been like a dear brother to me!
--- // ---
That Saturday turned out to be one of the most blissful and random days of my life. Once again, all with mixed emotions.
The traffic had been terrible that day. It had taken me an hour to get to the closest beauty parlour by cab.
And it had also taken me two hours to get my hair and make-up done. But amazingly, I'd arrived at the wedding just in time to see the couple and their families got out of their cars. I paid the fare to the driver, got out of the cab, and was trailing slowly - gracefully - behind them when a shriek stopped me dead in my tracks.
"OH, MY GOD! GIRL, LOOK AT YOU!!"
I turned to my left and Vinny hugged me. I saw some of my co-workers. They all gazed at me in awe. Girusi was as ecstatic as Vinny was. (They both were busy taking pictures of us with their cellphones all through the night.)
Tony B. was looking fine that night, in a white shirt and black jeans. He gave me a fatherly kiss on my cheek.
"You're looking very nice tonight," he said sweetly with a smile. I smiled back at him.
"So are you."I really meant it.
Then Vinny's husband Vince walked up to us, looking neat and gorgeous in his favourite grey suit. Tony B. grabbed his arm and pointed at me. Vince gasped in surprise and bent down to give me a hug. He's pretty tall for me. I forgot to stand on tip-toe and my lipstick smeared his shoulder.
"Oh, my God! I'm so sorry." I tried to brush the smear but I made it worse. "Man, I'm such a klutz!"
Vince laughed.
"No worries," the tall, lean redhead said. "It can be washed."
Patrick came, but he didn't stay long.
In Indonesia, the guests usually stand in line to congratulate the newlyweds and their parents on stage. Well, that's what we did that night.
Girusi was standing in front of me. She gave Mark and Tiara a hug. (The couple looked stunning and lovely in white, by the way.)
When Mark saw me standing behind Girusi, his beautiful blue-green eyes widened and he smiled. He practically dragged me into his arms and we hugged each other really tight. (Thank God his wife isn't the insecure, jealous type.)
"Oh, my God! You're so pretty."
"Thank you." I looked at him...and Tiara. She looked equally radiant as her husband did that night. They were both glowing.
"You're looking so beautiful tonight," she told me with a smile. I hugged her tightly too, feeling a tight lump in my throat.
"So are you," I replied to her compliment, realizing that I meant it. "Both of you are looking fantastic tonight."
"Thanks so much for coming."
Of course. When I looked at the couple that night, I noticed their vividness:
They have found home in each other. They belong together. They're truly meant for each other. They're not just lovers; they're also best friends. Anyone can see that; it's so obvious.
And God knows I'd rather see him smile and glow like that always. It's all because - and thanks to - her. Love does that to people. I remember what she'd said to me a week before the wedding. It was the same thing:
"I hope someday soon you'll meet your prince charming too, someone who can make you feel safe."
Oh, my dear. I know why he's chosen you. You're such a sweet and kind girl.
I hope you'd forgive me for these feelings someday, just in case you knew. Just in case he happened to read this and told you all about me.
Hopefully not, though. I'd rather not have any of you know these feelings, so I could have a much better focus in killing them off. In time, I hope I can be a much better friend for you both.
Anyway, I finally did sing for the couple. Thanks to Vinny's boldness; she'd actually come up to the wedding band and told them I wanted to sing. As simple as that.
I sang "Feels Like Home". They liked it. Mark kind of missed that, unfortunately, but his wife didn't. He later told me: "I want you to sing again."
Sure thing, buddy. Anytime. Perhaps on my next visit to Bandung.
That night was also the second time I'd caught a bride's bouquet. Vinny had simply pushed Girusi and me to join the other eager singles gathered in the centre of the room by the stage. (Girusi had looked pretty much annoyed with that.)
Oh, well.
When Vince pretended to join us, we cracked up laughing. (Vinny pouted.) I pushed him aside, laughing as I said: "Dude, your wife's gonna kill you!"
When D. got pushed to join us as well, he protested:
"I'm too tall for this! I'll definitely be able to catch it!"
However, the bouquet landed right in front of me! I automatically snatched it and the crowd cheered. The host asked me for my name as he led me up on the stage to meet the couple...again. I told him.
"So what would you like to tell them now?" asked the handsome host as he gestured at the smiling couple. I felt that familiar lump in my throat again, but still managed a small, shy smile.
"Just like the last line of the poem I wrote for you guys," I told them and then recalled the phrases by memory: "May God guide you with His grace...now, forever, and always."
"Aww!" the crowd cheered again. I hugged the couple again. God knows I care about them so much.
"Ooh!" Again, I'd accidentally smeared my lipstick on a guy's shoulder! Worst of all, Mark was wearing white.
"Oh, my God - it's happening again!" I stepped back and frantically did the same old silly thing, trying to brush it off. Nice try, girl. "I'm so sorry!"
The couple laughed at my dismay. Then when I hugged Tiara, Mark suddenly told me this:
"We saw where you were standing first before we threw the bouquet."
"Oh." Really? They were still grinning at me. Not only my face, something warm was also forming in my eyes - threatening to fall.
"Hopefully your turn is coming soon next," said Tiara earnestly. I grinned back at her.
"Thanks, guys." I looked at them both. What a lovely, beautiful couple. "You guys are much too kind."
They laughed. I waved them bye and stepped down from the stage, fighting back tears. They'd really meant it. They wanted me to be happy too.
God bless you both, Mr. and Mrs.B. God knows I mean it by heart.
"Are you okay?" It was Tony B. and D. who had somehow noticed something in my eyes. I blinked away and smiled at each of them.
"I'll be fine," I whispered. I have to find a way to be, one way or another - sooner or later.
Then there were picture-taking sessions. Some people wanted to go to Skye Bar after the wedding. D. looked at me and asked: "Are you coming?"
I looked up at the towering, handsome Turkish guy and smiled.
"Yeah."
--- // ---
We left after we'd said goodbye to the bride and the groom. Mark and Tiara had come to us again, shaking our hands and hugging us.
"It must've taken quite a while for you to finish that poem," Mark said to me with a warm, dazzling smile. I smiled back to the couple and nodded with respect.
"Yeah, I had to talk to you guys - separately - to fill in the 'missing gaps'."
Mark's blue-green eyes softened. He gave me a soft, quick peck on my cheek.
"You're so sweet."
Be happy, you two.
I shared a cab to Skye with D. and Jane-Jess. Earlier, D. had been one of the people in awe with my drastic 'transformation' for the night. He'd hugged me close, telling me just how beautiful I was. (It's something I don't normally receive from guys, mind you.)
"You're my lady tonight." I didn't know what that meant, whether D. was just teasing or for real. (I'm not good in stuff like this.)
Still, I'd let him take my hand and drag me everywhere at the wedding that night, like Peter Pan and Wendy. I don't know. I'm not sure. All I know is that we care a great deal about each other, like best friends and siblings.
Love? Romance? Good question. Just like the growing speculation / gossip about him and Jane-Jess at work.
Once again, I'm not the nosy type, okay? However, that late night at Skye had turned rather confusing to me.
"She needs a husband! She needs a husband!"
Vince had been drunk when he teased me like that. First he pointed at me and shouted like that after I'd caught the bouquet. Then he did that again at Skye that I'd just wanted to run straight home in embarrassment.
And D., having always idolised Vince (which has always been obvious to the rest of us), had followed suit. My reaction had been the same, though. I glared at them.
"Dudes, come on! I'm not on sale."
The naughty duo cracked up laughing, as if I'd just said something hilarious. Vince only stopped when Vinny shot him a murderous look. (Haha!)
After drinks and talks, more pictures were taken at Skye that night. Girusi loved taking pictures of the guys. (How obvious. What else is new?)
D. turned to me and chucked his chin, patting his knee as he was sitting down on the couch recliner.
"Sit on my lap."
Huh?? I raised my eyebrow at him suspiciously. "Really?"
"Yeah." Okay, so I did, resting half of my back against him. His long arm found and circled around my waist.
Then Girusi took more pictures of the two of us, grinning with our cheeks pressed together. From the corner of my eye, Jane-Jess seemed rigid and expressionless. She'd been that way for the rest of the night.
Why? Was it anger or jealousy - or even both? I didn't know. I somehow didn't feel too concerned of her that night.
If they really were an item, then D. shouldn't have done such things with me or any other women in front of her. That would be a sign of disrespect - and I've always seen him as a gentleman.
But then again, nobody has ever clarified anything. None of them has ever confirmed with us of the rumour, which they don't have to, of course. That's okay. It's their personal business. Whatever happens between them, it's up to them whether they'd like to tell me or keep it to themselves.
Oh, well.
As the night dragged on, we'd finally decided to call it off and split. Tony B. was heading off to Jalan Sabang with The Sweetmans. Girusi was catching up with Patrick in Kemang.
D., Jane-Jess, and I had stayed put for a while. Jane-Jess was walking to the balcony to admire the city's night view. (Black, starless sky above after the rain and bright lights below.)
D. and I were standing side by side. He slipped his long arm around me, gently squeezing my shoulder. I slipped mine around his slim waist. None of us said anything as we leaned on each other. We just gazed at the view in front of us in silence.
Honestly, that had felt comfortable. D. was warm.
Then he suddenly picked a flower off the bouquet I'd carried from the wedding. He slipped in behind my ear and gently stroked my hair. He was smiling at me, but his dark brown eyes and voice were serious.
"You should grow your hair longer again, just like before. Beautiful."
I just smiled back at him.
We finally went out to fetch cabs home. We got one for me first. D. stooped a little to speak to the driver:
"Please drive her home safely, sir." Then to me: "Please text me once you get home safely."
"Okay." I smiled at him. "Thanks."
He closed the door and the cab took me home. I'd tried to smile at Jane-Jess before, but she looked away. Oh, well.
I didn't know if they'd shared a cab home that night or not. I'd texted them on WA once I arrived home:
"Got home safe. Hope u 2. Good nite."
And I'd only got a reply from D.:
"Good night."
Weird.
R.
