I started my work as an intern at Uncle Wong's office. Uncle Wong was the way I called Beibei's father. He was then the chief editor of one of the major newspapers. My job was to assist him and it was that kind of job around the clock, from nine in the morning to five in the evening.
Every Wednesday afternoon, Uncle Wong had a business meeting at Hong Kong. That was the time he let me off earlier from work. After getting off work at around noon, I'd pace myself and had some coffee at the nearby Eslite bookstore. Usually there wouldn't be too many customers in the café on Wednesday afternoon, but since the bench was always the first seat to go, I usually took the stool by the window.
"Is this seat taken?" Such a familiar low-pitched voice. I looked up and found Frederic smiling at me.
"Oh, hi." I tried to conceal my astonishment of seeing him there. "It has been some time." Actually, it was about ten months since I last saw him.
"How have you been?" He took the stool right next to me and raised his hands to summon the waiter.
"I am doing okay. Been working as an intern at a firm." I was not ready to let on too much info about my life to him. Once bitten twice shy. Being a cautious person, I decided to maintain mysterious and hold it back a bit from him. "You?"
"Passed the exam and got my certificate."
"What did you choose eventually?"
"Physician."
I recalled once we walked by a banner of blood-drive event and I asked him about the matter. He lowered his head and said he never participated in event like that. Why not. I asked. Because you never know where your blood goes. He said. There's once when Grandma became really sick and she desperately needed the plasma with the same kind of rare blood type to match with hers. The blood drive center never responded appropriately in time. Since then he's been holding grudges with any blood-drive event.
Such a baby. I chuckled wryly, picturing a young man pouting and holding grudges against someone, some organization or social apparatus he didn't even know.
That was a long time ago.
"Can I call you some time? Do you usually have your break Wednesday noon?" He asked.
"What's the point?"
"The point of what?" He's puzzled.
"Of calling me." I started to put away my books. I took the last sip of my café au lait.
There was the awkward silence between us. I guess I was not supposed to be that cold, but deep down, I knew myself. I had a soft spot for old days, for him.
"Those things'll kill you." He was talking about my physique of the inclination of getting osteoporosis. "Est-ce que tu baigner souvent, comme d'habitude?"
I nodded. Yes, I still swim a lot. I knew what was on his mind. He still remembered the time I was hospitalized after the serious bronchitis. The resident who cared for me was his senior schoolmate; he told him that I probably took in quite a few amount of water after the accident taken place at the Animas River back when I was taking the vacation in Colorado.
"Take care." We parted with each other.
Simone's Sinnerman accompanied me home along the way that day. Upbeat blue that was, my heart sank after the sight and the short talk with Frederic. I guess it was because I did not ever see him as a cold-hearted scoundrel, a womanizer. But I could not get over his frigid voice and look. I was naive. So naive as to believe that he fell for me for who I was and for what I believed in.
But it didn't matter anyway. After all, that was in the past.
I turned to unlock the door. Click clank, first the aluminum gate, then the stainless one. The number on the answering machine was flickering. That was unusual. There was seldom anyone calling me during the week. Sometimes Beibei would think of me when she's come across trouble and sometime Uncle Wong about the work. I was never a social type of person, nor did I have many friends, especially with my own system of categorizing friends, acquaintance and colleagues.
"I sensed the reluctance in your voice...I knew you probably did not expect this call. But I couldn't help but call anyway...Um...Do you think we can have dinner or coffee some time? I am not saying that I want to pick up where we were left. I just want us to be friends. Call me...when you have time, at this number..."
I had no idea where he got my number, but my heart ached slightly when I erased the message. But I thought that was the right thing to do.