Wednesday, March 16, 2011

巧遇

每一天, 我们都常在固定时间上下班, 久而久之, 你是否有注意到原来身边有很多是你不认识, 但也和你在同一个时间上下班的陌生人? 渐渐地, ‘见面’的日子久了, 就会产生一种‘似曾相似’的感觉…

2011年2月
一年前开始报读韩语课程, 每周一和周三都有课. 下课回家时已是晚上九点多.

那一天, 同学提议到Raffles Place转换地铁, 我也没多想就同意了. 意外的是, 就在地铁驶入Raffles Place之前, 让我见到了他的背影... 我怎么都没发现我们都处在同一个车箱里!

过了这么多年, 还能这样巧遇是我从来都没想到的. 屈指一数, 已经有十五年了! 这是什么样的缘分? 真是让我难以理解.

而他...还是那样有型有款, 外型依然那么酷, 就连岁月的痕迹都难以察觉.

一同搭乘往同样方向行驶的地铁, 我这才明白为何我们这么多年没见. 原来他已经搬家了. 下车前, 他往我的方向看了一眼, 似乎在对我说:“朋友, 我已经不在以前的地铁站下车了.”

这一次的巧遇虽然让我感到既兴奋又意外, 但心理却也知道这样的巧遇很难再有.

1996年
故事应该从这里开始说起...

公司在年头从Raffles Place迁到了Novena, 因此上班的时间也得跟着调整了.

过了一阵子, 我开始注意到和我‘一起’上班的陌生人当中, 就有一位外型挺酷, 长得有型有款, 大约二十来岁的男士. 经过多次的观察, 才发现他住在离我家两个巴士站附近. 而他上班的地点就在Somerset地铁站那一带.

几个月下来, 我不禁会想:“他是否也有注意到我的存在???”

1998年
刚从国外留学归来, 换了新公司, 上班时间也和以前不一样了. 一起上班的陌生人当然也换了. 我也自然而然地忘了那两年前一起上班的酷男…

1999年 - 2001年
或许是因为住得近的缘故, 偶尔(几个月一次)在外出的途中会在地铁站碰到那位酷男.
啊…三年前的记忆又回来了…

2002年 - 2006年
换了工作, 这回上班的地点竟然是在Somerset地铁站附近! 可是, 也许是上班的时间不同, 又或许他也已经换了公司, 从来都没在工作地点或上下班的时间碰到那位男士.

但…巧的是, 我们偶尔还是会在外出的途中擦肩而过.
哎…这是什么怪缘分啊?

2007年 - 2010年
公司又迁到了Raffles Place.
不知道为什么, 再也没遇到酷男. 很自然地, 我也把他给淡忘了…

2011年3月
两周过去了, 又是周三, 同样有课.

在回家的途中和同学在聊天的时候, 竟然再次见到他. 真是令人难以思意! 这一次, 不知是哪来的勇气, 我竟然拿起手机玩偷拍. 虽然知道这么做不对, 但心里想:“这一次应该是最后了吧?”


Tuesday, March 15, 2011

Farewell, My Boss...

Last night, after I got home from my class, I checked my phone and realised that I have many emails to be read. Did a quick scan through the email subjects and one of them caught my attention. It was an email from my ex-colleague and the subject is the name of my ex-boss. Instinctively, I knew that something must have happened to my ex-boss. With a heavy heart, I opened the email only to confirm my fear. My ex-boss has passed away on 19 December 2010...

How did it happen? Why was I not informed earlier? Was it due to his kidney problem which I knew back in the time I worked for him in 1995? There was no answer to my questions...

Memories of the time I have spent with my ex-boss came flooding back. He was a wonderful boss, a caring and understanding boss. Never lost his cool and was always very patient with us. I remembered the time when my ex-colleague and I went to KL to have a short holiday, my ex-boss invited us to stay with him and even took the trouble to show us around KL. And that... was the last time I met up with him; the last I spoke to him. I recalled that I sent him an email to thank him for his hospitality after the trip, but how I regret that I did not put in the effort to keep in touch with him further from then on... On the positive side, I am grateful for those memories of my trip to KL, of the time I have spent with him. It just feels like there is something for me to hold on to, despite his departure from this world.

Farewell, my boss... I am sorry that I could not bid you farewell earlier. But I am sure we will meet again one day... in our Father's kingdom.