SOULMATES

I felt a thrill in my heart. I looked at him as he mouthed the words “After school”. I smiled and nodded.

There was something mysterious about Alfred that fascinated me. He was very good in all his studies and excellent in sports. Yet, no one knew anything about him. His nickname was ‘Alien’. Some of the girls passed the word about that he had come from another planet. No one knew where he Lived, or who his parents were, or even what he did after school. When asked he always said something funny and changed the subject. Somehow I had become drawn to him and we had become the best of friends. This was a breakthrough for him as he was generally shy with girls. I had been pestering him for days about his background. As his best friend I believed I had a right to know. Earlier that day, during recess, I had told him that our friendship was over unless he ‘came clean’ about everything. I was vindicated; he was going to tell me all.

When .1 met him after school, he jerked his head to indicate that I should follow him. He walked very fast and I hurried after him. He was silent as we waited at the bus stop. I touched his arm to tell him that I was there. That made him starts, as apparently his mind was far away. We took the bus to its terminal at Tampines and got off. I wondered why he lived so far from school and why he did not go to a school nearby. As he was so quiet, I decided not to interrupt his thoughts again and waited for him to tell me. Anyway, I was sure the mystery would be solved that day.

I walked with him as he walked through the blocks. I thought he was taking me to his apartment. Then he stopped in front of .a temple. I was stunned. He led the way and I followed. I climbed the stairs till the top floor. He pointed to a nun sitting in deep meditation. Suddenly I realised where I was. I was at an orphanage. I heard sobbing and turned to see Alfred in tears. Just then the nun opened her eyes and got up to hug him. She looked over his shoulders at me and to the question in my eyes replied in a barely audible whisper, “Both his parents died in an air crash when he ‘.‘~As three,” Alfred sobbed and sobbed and sobbed. I felt miserable and empty within.

Later when we were seated in the lounge drinking tea, I reached out and put my arms around him. He looked long and deep into my eyes. I realised that he felt about me the same way I felt about him. I felt a forward and kissed him gently. “You are not an orphan anymore,” I whispered, “I wilt be everything — father, mother, sister, brother and girlfriend - to you,”

That was the end of our friendship and the beginning of a lifelong romance.