[Editor’s Note : Every week we will be publishing one chapter from Ansh Das’s book, The Memory Of A Face. Needless to say, we are super excited! Chapter 1, Chapter 2, Chapter 3, Chapter 4, Chapter 5, Chapter 6, Chapter 7, Chapter 8, Chapter 9, Chapter 10, Chapter 11, Chapter 12, Chapter 13, Chapter 14, Chapter 15, Chapter 16, Chapter 17, Chapter 18, Chapter 19, Chapter 20, Chapter 21, Chapter 22, Chapter 23, Chapter 24, Chapter 25, Chapter 26 & Chapter 27]
CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT
Stories to tell
“So you’re saying that you guys didn’t go beyond the kiss?” Cute asked Diano.
After the meal was over and all the dishes done, they were gathered in Diano’s room.
“Yes. What did you expect to happen?” Diano shot back. “Get married?”
“Ha-ha. Not quite. But….”
“So do you like this guy?” Summer asked trying a different approach.
“Yes.” Diano looked out of the window.
“Great.”
“Cool!” Cute said in support.
“Does he stand a chance?” Summer pushed on.
“What chance?” asked Cute.
“Maybe. Who knows.” Diano shrugged his shoulders.
“What does he think about you?” asked Summer.
“I don’t know. He likes me too, I guess. But it’s just friendship right now.”
“You guys just met. It’s kinda early anyway,” Summer said.
“Not really.” Cute said. “They’ve known each other for months.”
“MSN doesn’t count lah,” Summer said.
“Why?”
“Because you can never really know a person unless you meet them face to face.” Summer knew it was a sensitive topic.
“I don’t think so. Your thinking is a bit outdated, mom,” Cute said. “You may think I’m talking rubbish but there have been many cases of people finding true love on MSN.”
“Of course. I’m not saying one can’t. But in the majority of the cases, one cannot tell if the other person is lying about himself.”
“Both of you are right. Andy was different when we met face to face. I’m not saying he was pretending on MSN, but meeting him face to face added more to our relationship… friendship.”
“There you go.” Cute winked at Summer referring to Diano’s slip-up. Was he already in a relationship? He wouldn’t lie to her. There was no point in hiding it from her. It wasn’t a small thing if Diano had begun to forget about Nyle. She wanted to change the topic. She didn’t want Diano to think too much at one go. It should be a gradual shift for him. That was the best way to come out of his sadness.
“What about the guy you went to meet yesterday?” she asked Cute.
“Which guy?” Diano asked.
“MSN friend,” Summer answered for Cute.
“What’s his name?” Diano asked.
“Frederick,” Cute said.
“And?” Summer asked.
“He works at a big foreign bank,” Cute said.
“Which one?” Diano asked.
“Hmm… Don’t remember.”
“Don’t remember or he didn’t tell you?” Summer teased him.
“Don’t remember lah. He told me the name. Or maybe not. I can’t remember clearly. I was drunk.” Cute lowered his gaze.
“You can ask him next time,” Diano said.
“He lives in Pok Fu Lam,” Cute said.
“He must be rich. Is he Chinese?” asked Summer.
“He’s British and has lived here for many years. He can speak some Cantonese too.”
“How old is he?” Diano asked.
“Forty-two.”
“Are you sure you should be dating guys that old?” Summer asked.
“What’s wrong with dating older guys? He is fit and good-looking.”
“There’s nothing wrong. We’re afraid you’ll get hurt,” Diano said.
“That’s right.” Summer agreed.
“I can take care of myself,” Cute shot back. “Thanks for your concern. Don’t worry.”
“Okay,” Summer said. “But can I request you something?”
“What?”
“Next time you are out all night, can you please SMS me. I was worried last night. But I didn’t want to call and disturb you.”
“I’m sorry. I should have done that. I’ll remember next time.”
“What have you been up to?” Diano asked Summer.
“Nothing much. Busy with my designs. I brought work home again.”
“Did you go out at all?”
“Nope. Nobody dates me these days.”
“What about the guy you’d mentioned before?” Cute asked.
“Which one?” Diano winked.
“She likes him very much. Ask her.”
“When did that happen?” Diano asked.
Summer smiled. “Nothing serious lah. Just someone on the street.”
“Come on,” Diano said. “Why the secrecy?”
“There’s nothing really. I don’t even know if we’ll meet again.”
“What’s his name?” Diano asked.
“Oliver. That’s the name she’d mentioned last time.” Cute volunteered.
“The one who helped us at the club last time?”
“Yes, the one who had picked you up in his arms as if you were a little baby.” Summer stuck her tongue out at Diano. He looked embarrassed.
“What’s that about?” Cute eyes had gone bigger.
“Nothing.” Diano tried to discourage them from teasing him.
“Remember the time when Diano got drunk and passed out? It was Oliver who’d helped me bring him back home. He had picked Diano up in his arms and climbed all the way up to our flat.”
“Wow.”
“So why don’t you date him?” Diano asked trying to move the focus on to Summer.
“I don’t know.” Summer was confused.
“Why not?” Cute asked.
“Well, for starters, he has my number but hasn’t called me yet.”
“Why don’t you call him first?” Diano asked.
“I’m shy ma.”
“Just SMS him lah,” Cute suggested.
“Yeah. Ask him out,” Diano said.
“I don’t even know whether he has a girlfriend lah.”
“Does it matter?” Cute asked.
“It matters to me. I don’t wanna be the third person.”
“Well, there’s only one way to find out — communicate,” Diano said.
“Do you have his email or MSN?” Cute asked. “Can you find him on Facebook?”
“Actually… I don’t know his full name. I don’t know any of his friends. I don’t know what to search on. There are hundreds of Oliver’s in Hong Kong.”
“Well, you gotta start somewhere,” Diano said.
Summer’s heart was beating fast. They were correct. She needed to take the first step.
