pertemuan (1)
dia duduk belakang aku.
dan pertama kali terdengar gaya cakap inggerisnya, aku tahu dia bukan orang sini.
+ "where are you from?"
- "chile"
pertemuan (2)
aku tak perasan dia duduk tempat sama - belakang aku dalam kelas language teaching 101. hingga lah dia lunjurkan kakinya, aku tersedar.
kaki siapa ni.
aku pusing belakang.
dan, dia.
aku senyum.
dia balas.
tak ada perkataan terkeluar,
hanya mata berkata-kata.
pertemuan (3)
aku datang awal. kelas masih kosong.
dia?
belum lagi tiba.
sampai kuliah mahu mula, dia tak muncul.
mana?
sebab tempat terhad. dan habis dia kalau terlewat sangat. atau, habis aku?
tolong lah, duduk saja situ. tolong lah. tolong lah.
+ "yes !"
tanpa sedar, aku rupanya sorak bila dia duduk betul-betul depan aku.
buruk perangai.
pertemuan (4)
aku tak bagi jijie duduk belakang aku sebab aku mahu dia duduk situ. lagipun, situ kan tempat dia? jijie geram dan pergi tempat lain. tapi, mir datang dan aku tak sempat menghalang. mir duduk.
belakang, depan, kiri, kanan - semua hampir penuh. dia tak datang-datang lagi. macam mana kalau dia tak ada tempat?
entah kenapa,
nad tiba-tiba bangun dan extra seat ter-ada sebelah aku.
- "can you please...?"
+ "oh, yes. sure"
dia. aku.
duduk sebelah-menyebelah.
+ "you're a bit late today"
- "yeah. just, one minute late"
bisikan kami, hanya kami yang dengar.
pertemuan (5)
aku datang lambat daripada biasa. walaupun kelas kosong lagi, aku nampak -
someone's taken my seat.
aku tukar arah, mahu ke tempat lain.
after all,
- "hi !"
dia.
- "i thought you wanna sit here--"
+ "oh, you want me to sit there?"
- "yeah, why not"
+ "oh, ok. i'll sit next to you"
pertemuan (6)
seperti dia faham, sebelah dia tak terisi siapa-siapa, melainkan untuk aku lengkapkan sebelah dia.
+ "how to pronounce this?"
- "a-lan"
+ "a-lan"
- "car-"
+ "car"
- "brey"
+ "brey"
- "ra"
+ "ra"
dia senyum.
aku pun.
+ "i was thinking to take elective subject next year. em, between french and spanish, which one would you suggest to me?"
- "take spanish"
+ "em?"
- "spanish"
dia bisik lagi.
***
meeting (1)
she was sitting in front of me, wearing a pink shirt, black scarf and as usual, the pink sneakers. this time, she fitted her outfit with her denim skirt. a petite girl she is.
as i was talking to a person next to me, she turned her back and asked me innocently,
+ "where are you from?"
- "chille"
it took a while for her to understand me. maybe because my pronunciation isn't something usual to be heard. well, i'm not a kiwi but chilean !
meeting (2)
i bet that was her place. she never swaps to anywhere but to sit there. and i, i sit here - just sit behind her. again, out of sudden, she turned.
and she smiled.
our eyes met and did the talk.
meeting (3)
great ! i was late this time. the class was almost fulled. and she was already there, with her friends like always. but my seat's already taken by a stranger. what a day.
just when i climbed the stairs, she looked at me - some kind like signalling me to sit in front of her. yeah, that was the only extra place i saw too.
just then, i heard she hoorayed as i put all my things down.
wait.
was she really that happy when i got her message?
i try to read her smile.
i think she was.
meeting (4)
burning the midnight oil and the alarm clock failed to wake me up. again, i was a bit late. she must had been ready for the class by now. and as what i expected, everyone occupied all the spaces, except - aha !
- "can you please...?"
+ "oh, yes. sure"
my my.
this is the first time we sat side by side.
well, she seemed to be so awkward.
why?
+ "you're a bit late today"
- "yeah. just, one minute late"
was she waiting for me?
she gave me premature ventricular contractions.
i mean, she made my heart skip a beat.
gosh.
meeting (5)
now, she was the one who was late. or maybe, it was me that came earlier than usual to class hahahaha
- "hi !"
before she ran any further from me, it's better if i could catch her, i think.
- "i thought you wanna sit here--"
+ "oh, you want me to sit there?"
- "yeah, why not"
+ "oh, ok. i'll sit next to you"
meeting (6)
i guess we both have this mutual understanding when she automatically sat next to me for today's class. as we had our handout in our hands, intentionally i wrote my name on it, just to make her notice how my name is spelled.
+ "how to pronounce this?"
- "a-lan"
+ "a-lan"
- "car-"
+ "car"
- "brey"
+ "brey"
- "ra"
+ "ra"
she smiled - a bright smile which very much suits her especially when she was wearing this light pink outfit. you know, it's cotton fabric with small flower printed on it.
+ "i was thinking to take elective subject next year. em, between french and spanish, which one would you suggest to me?"
- "take spanish"
+ "em?"
- "spanish"
of course spanish.
it's my first language anyway.
should be easier to talk to her after she learns it.
***
pagi tadi aku exam language teaching 101.
jangan tanyakan aku apa kabar exam tu.
besides, memetik kata-kata hari ni,
"do not dwell in the past,
do not dream of the future,
concentrate the mind on the present moment"
sekarang, gua nak pergi iron baju.