Memories of Summer

Act 10: Equinox

I know I said earlier that it wasn’t illegal to date an engaged woman, but I think I went over the line that separates enjoying your liberty and being a total ass who doesn’t have any shame whatsoever this time. If you may ask how and why, let me tell you about it. I sort of, might have, kinda ... I’m going to hell. Oh god.

Dinner was over soon and we decided to go for an evening walk. We were ambling down a street cramped with fishcake, ddokboki, and throngs of people when we passed by this sticker-photo booth. You know the type that you have to insert money into a slot, pose every stereotypical Asian pose you know, edit like Picasso with an unreasonably difficult to maneuver pen tool, and then wait for your overpriced memento to come out? Yes, that sticker-photo booth.

To be quite honest, I’ve had three girlfriends before―two in high school and then Victoria in college―but I’ve never tried taking pictures in booths like this, because, admit it. It is corny. I wouldn’t be caught dead in such situation―but of course you have to remember that I've been acting like a hormonal teenager since I met this woman, so that gives me some sort of excuse.

To cut the embarrassing story short, we had to line up after two junior high couples (both pairs wearing couple shirts) and a group of four girls (who all sported flashy clothes and wild hairstyles. Sorority girls, I say. I bet they probably call themselves some fancy name like 2ne1 or something like that) before we had our turn at the booth. I ran out of loose change so she had to pay for it even if it was my idea in the first place. Oh, the horror of it all.

I was born to take pictures and not pose for them. I looked stupid. How was I supposed to know when exactly the machine was going to take a shot? She was casually lovely in the photos while I had a disoriented look on my face. Thank heavens we looked cute together...Oh, did I say we looked cute together? I decided to stick one at the back of my mobile. I'd probably stick the others at the door of my fridge. They are totally adorable!

Now I sound like a high school girl talking about puppies. Great.

Where were we again? Oh, right, the sticker photos.

After that we just walked and walked and walked till our legs were begging to be cut off. There is a sense of familiarity all through the night and we were really comfortable in each other’s company.

It was about ten o’clock when we agreed to call it a night. I walked her back home when I just remembered this certain movie I watched some years ago. According to the movie if she fidgets with her keys and linger instead of opening her door it is the cue for a kiss.

I know I’m lame.

Why do I even watch Will Smith’s movie? Most importantly, why do I believe anything the guy says?

Well, he is in MIB and he made the cure for zombies in I Am Legend so I guess we could give him some credit.

Right?

That’s just me trying to reason out my own dickmoves through bad humor. I’m coming clean.

I kissed her.

What makes me feel more like a dick is that I didn’t even feel sorry for what’s-his face? that fiancé of hers .

I should be feeling guilty right now, but fact is I don’t. I actually feel good. It felt absolutely right.

Maybe if she pushed me back and called me a jerk, I would feel a little more remorse for my not so gentlemanly action. But the point here is she didn’t. She kissed me back.

And hey, I’m not brushing off my moral responsibility by saying that I shouldn’t feel bad because the girl is a hoe. Truthfully she wouldn’t come ten miles near promiscuous. She is a proper lady and what happened was... ok, I’ll be honest. I don’t know what the hell just happened.

And what’s scarier is that after the kiss she just fainted. Please tell me I did not just kill her with a kiss. I took mints after dinner.  But she just passed out and I didn’t know what to do.

I called a taxi and rushed her to the hospital. We were promptly accommodated and nine hours later, still no sign that she’s waking up.

Sleep was hard to come by when I’m contemplating my actions and her mortality at the same time. The doctor said that she will be fine but being a chronic worrier, I tend to overthink.

It was eight in the morning and I felt that I would die faster than her if I don’t eat so I headed to the cafeteria. I went back to her room to find this guy silently sitting beside her bed.

He was a few inches shorter than me and he looked descent in that grey long sleeved shirt, except that I noticed he forgot that he was still wearing his pink pajamas. It looked ridiculous especially when I further saw that he was wearing furry house slippers. He must have rushed here when the doctors called him about Summer first thing in the morning.

I think a vein in my neck just imploded when I saw him hold her hand. I would have rushed in and told him that he is messing up the IV tubes, but in that early morning I realized that this is the man that I am dead jealous of.