Willpower.

One day, a man was sitting on the bench in the park. He was holding a metal spoon, and staring at it.

Then, another man came by and saw this. Curiously, he approached the man at the bench, and asked, "What are you doing?"

He replied, "I am training my willpower, such that I can bend this spoon with my willpower alone."

"How long have you been at this?"

"A few days already, but nothing seems to change. This means I do not have enough willpower. I have to devote more time and effort to it."

After listening, the other man smacked his forehead with his palm in disgust. He said indignantly, "Hey, let me show you what willpower REALLY is." Having said that, he took the spoon away, bent the spoon with his two hands, then handed it back to him.

"THAT, is willpower." He said with a tinge of frustration, before leaving to mind his own business.

The man at the bench stared at the bent spoon, looking a little confused. Then, a wave of epiphany struck him. He beamed at this new understanding, and happily left the bench to mind his own business too, leaving the spoon behind.

Just like the one standing right in front of you

Jane is a celebrity. A very famous celebrity. Everyone knows her.

However, Jane got sick of her high life and decided to leave the show business for further studies, hopefully to get some peace back into her life, as well as return to her delayed interest in English literature. Fortunately, she enrolled into a local university with her almost expired but sterling A level results from 7 years ago.

She hasn't got used to the school environment yet, since lessons started a week ago. She has trouble navigating the large school compound. She has difficulties adapting to the less than desirable quality of food in canteens. She also has difficulties using the photocopying machine when she needs to copy her notes from library books.

People around her are helpful though. Hand drawn maps are given to her to help find the classrooms. Suggestions to various superior food places are offered to her readily. And photocopying cards are lent to her upon request when she has trouble getting them. Of course, she was a celebrity after all.

With all these help, it is not surprising that she is able to pick up on her academics fairly readily even after a seven-year hiatus, as compared to a two-year one by other guys.

Then again, some problems do not have straightforward solutions. Annoying guys for example, who have the audacity to try to pick her up during lunch times. Irritating girls are another, who cannot stop acting nice in front of her, yet gossip behind her back. But she shrugs these problems off, keeping in mind that these people are much milder than those in the show business. Troublesome, but a still manageable price to pay towards achieve normality, she thought.

But little does she realise the true price of normality.

In a few days time, she will encounter problems using the photocopying machine again. The papers will jam and cause her to be panicky. Then a decent looking nice guy will notice her plight, and approach to help with the paper jam, with a blueberry jam sandwich in his pocket. He will carefully open the machine casing, where the paper will be stuck, and slowly but firmly pull out the remains. He will fix the dislodged screw that caused the jam too. And during the process, he will have a small conversation with her, while chewing on his sandwich.

He will ask, “I am curious about something. How do you feel when people around you treat you so differently, just because you are famous? How is it different from the people who knew you before you are famous? Does it mean that you will not find new true friends here?”

She will reply, “Well, I am not very sure about seeking new true friends but, I am sure I will figure something out.”

Then, he will say, “There are many good people in this school, as well as not-so-good people. You know what do I mean by not-so-good people? Those who have ulterior designs about you. Those who will stop at NOTHING to get their hands on you. And those who will watch your every action, from the distance, every single minute. Just like the one standing right in front of you.” He will have closed the machine casing after that.

“Oh, okay, thanks for your warning.” She will say awkwardly, before realising what that decent looking nice guy's last sentence means.

By then he will be walking away, snickering.

A blind date

I peeked at my watch. One twenty three.

“Here's your iced lemon tea, sir.”

“Thank you.”

I took a sip to calm my nerves. Two more minutes before she arrives. It's not that I was very enthusiastic about meeting her, but...

My eyes fixed on my swirling iced lemon tea.

“Good afternoon, is this Aaron?”

I looked up with a start.

“Oh yes, so you must be Belle?” Someone guided her to the seat in front before leaving. She retracted her walking cane and placed it at the side of the table.

“Miss, you may bring it here.” I called out to the waitress. “I heard from my mum that you like Oreo cheesecake, so I've made some.”

Her smile was sweet.

***

I recalled the conversation I had with my mum a few days ago before this meeting.

“See, I told you to look for a girlfriend in your university, but you didn't listen. Now you are working already, how to have the time to look for one??”

I gave her the sarcastic “Yes Mum” look.

“Aiya, tell you what. I have a friend whose daughter is still single. Many people say she is a nice girl. I haven't met her before, but I think she is a nice girl since everyone says so. I help you arrange a meeting this weekend. So you better keep this weekend free.” Shortly afterwards, she took out her phone and dialled.

“Ah yes, yes. I heard your daughter is really sweet. Haha. Oh my son ah... he's a little dense, but he's still a fine chap... Yes, yes... you will arrange with your daughter for this Saturday? Oh sure... I will let him know the details later. Thanks a lot. We should meet up for tea some day soon too, don't you think?”

*Click*

“Remember. Keep your Saturday free...”

***

She laughed heartily at my attempted imitation of my mum's voice and mannerism.

“You sounded like my mum too, other than her being a little more subtle when coercing me to come along for this.”

She scooped into the plate of oreo cheesecake. She finished half of it already.

“Do you have anything in mind to talk about?” I stirred my glass of tea.

“Well, normally, I prefer to listen to others instead...” She chuckled and looked towards me.

The clinging sound of the ice cubes in my tea made that quiet moment a little easier to bear.

After a while, she chuckled again. I followed a little awkwardly.

“Many apologies, I am not good in keeping conversations going.” The ice cubes clang louder.

“No worries, moments of tranquil can be more engaging than words.” She grinned, and scooped and savoured the cake slowly.

A cool breeze blew by. I was no longer stirring my glass.

***

She finished her last scoop of the cake while I sipped the last drop of the tea.

She placed the spoon on the plate. “Shall we take a walk somewhere nearby?”

“Of course.”

She extended her walking cane, and held out her other hand.

“Would you please?” She asked politely.

I took off my watch and kept it in my pocket.

“No problem.”

The train is coming.

“The train is coming! The train is coming! The train is comingggg...! Please start queuing. Love Your Ride!”

“Ding Dong!”

I woke up with a start, and my textbook went thumping on the floor. I picked it up frantically before rushing to the platform, but it was the other train. And it didn't help matters when someone else used this chance to take my seat.

I could almost hear my textbook complain about my clumsiness, but of course it didn't.

Three minutes to the next train, the screen above me showed. Not too far away, not too near. But not exactly enough to read anything meaningful from my textbook. So I stood there, and stared into space, thinking about random things, since it's more difficult to think about nothing than to think about something because more energy is needed to prevent our neurons in the brain from firing, activating action potential which will in turn produce electric currents that form thoughts and actions. Textbook stuff.

“Hey! Quit staring at me!” the occupier of Once-My-Seat called out.

“Huh?” I was staring nowhere near him during my whole thought process of how neurons work. I could imagine the disruption of my neural pathways by that sudden intrusion from my aural receptors that interrupted my thoughts. I apologised to the occupier of OMS and tried to look as embarrassed as possible since studies have shown that the look of embarrassment during awkward events helps to ease the apparent anger of the other party. I couldn't stand the sight of that guy so I turned my back towards him after my apology.

“I said, Stop, Staring, At, Me!” I turned around and met his raging, bloodshot eyes. I could explain the phenomenon of his bloodshot eyes, but I shouldn't bother since it was more important to find out how I got into this 'staring mess' in the first place. To make sure that he was indeed directing his rage at me and not the empty space in front, I took a side step left.

His eyes followed.

I took another step left. Yup, he was referring to me.

I executed my evasive move immediately to the other end of the platform. He followed. I moved again. He followed.

“Why are you following me?” he asked in a matter-of-factly angry manner.

“Erm, I am not?” I tried to look around for help, but there was only the full moon seemingly having fun spectating my plight.

“Who sent you?” He got more agitated.

“Erm, my school? I am just going home?”

“Seriously, I know where you are from. You are here to bring me back to that dreaded place again right? That damp, dirty, detestable place so f**ked up even the rats moved their family and their extended family and their extended family's extended family out of that cell...” The more he spoke, the more agitated he become, though I noticed his good amount of effort exerted to calm himself down.

“So why would anyone send you back to that place?”

“Why? Why?? You know the reason. You surely know the reason since they sent you here. All because I said something in front of your puppet masters, and it was just a 'something', that I had to go through all these f**king shit...” He began to mumble incoherently while pacing left and right near the OMS, biting onto his right fist every few seconds.

I looked nervously at the display screen. One more minute before the train arrives. I would be dancing with my textbook in joy if not for the extremely high chance of him boarding the same train, then claiming I was pursuing him. I would have hit him with my book if not for the CCTV that's spying at us from all corners... And why weren't the MRT staff coming to help me out? Could they be part of this too?

“You have mistaken,” I acted calm in front of him, “I am not here to take you away. I am here to protect you.”

“You are what?”

“Yes, you hear me right. I am your bodyguard. I am here to protect you from them.”

“Re... really? How do I know I should trust you?”

“If I were to be one of them, I would have sent a bunch of guys with their batons and handcuffs to get you already, instead of talking to you here. Make sense?”

“Hmmm... indeed...”

“But I cannot stay here for long. I will need you to follow what I tell you to do, so that you can be safe. Are you ready?”

“Ye... yes... please.”

“I'll need you to stay here, wait for the next train and board it when it arrives, alright? I will board this coming one so that I could distract them away from you. Alright?”

“The train is coming! The train is coming! The train is comingggg...! Please start queuing.”

“Love Your Ride!”

I was so loving my ride.

***

“You are receiving a telephone call. For the sake of those around you, please acknowledge it. Failure to receive this call in time shall result in an unsatisfactory mark on your test report, followed by death...”

That ringtone woke me up and my textbook went thumping on the floor again. This time, it couldn't be bothered to complain. I looked at the caller display: Private Number.

I switched off my phone. They are not going to track me down, even though I never understood why they would want me in the first place. For my superior intelligence maybe, like how I dealt with that madman some minutes ago. Heh.

I leaned against the glass panel again, and closed my eyes while the Dim Sum Dollies danced in the screen above me.

I could still hear the moon laugh.

To end the drought.

The sun shone into my face. It's morning already. Apparently, i've sat there for the whole night, staring into the darkness. Tired you might ask? Yes i am, but i couldn't get to sleep. Many things went through my mind, but i could recall none. Overwhelming feelings? Overwhelming thoughts? Maybe. Been there so many times that i'm used to it already. Just let it pass by quietly.

The song went through my head many times. Many, many times. That's all i could remember.

“Just know you are unique in your own way.”

“Just know you are unique in your own way.”

“Yawns.”

I almost knocked myself as i leaned my head towards the edge of the door. It's been a while since i leaned onto anything. Maybe i should have knocked at it hard. Real hard. To wake myself up from the long slumber i had given myself for the past 4 months.

I stared across the dry field with my half tired eyes. Bare, barren. Did i see a fissure in a distance?

Finally, i pulled myself up from the doorway. I dusted myself clean from the sands of time that engulfed my T-shirt and my shoes, and searched my pocket. Ah, they're still there.

No water source around. How sad. I had to use my own saliva to moist the seeds.

Was that paper plane still around? Yes it was, lying at the corner of the house quietly. Somehow, the spiders did not make their new homes at that corner.

The sun still shone straight at my face. Yes, I know, I know. I shall get it done right away.

And so, I placed the seeds onto the paper plane and let it fly towards the swaying clouds.