Monday, May 29, 2006
The Housewarming Party
On Saturday, P took good care to dress up for the housewarming party. The theme was "Arabian Nights". However, she did not conform to the fancy dress theme. So did many of the guests.
In fact, she turned up in a low-cut black wrap jersey dress accessorised with her horseshoe diamond pendant necklace, her Furla crystal watch, green satin diamante buckled belt and a diamante hairband. And of course, killer heels. With matching diamante buckles.
The address was in a fanciful suburb with good harbour views, which was accompanied by all the modern amenities in the residential development that marked the epitome of good urban chic living . And that setup too, came with a huge price tag.
Welcome to the humble abode of Dope and his Designated Love.
She entered the apartment. The furnishing was exactly like the way she imagined it to be, right down to the matching brown hues. On the side table sat two picture frames of Dope and his Designated Love in their graduation get-up that served as a suitable thematic backdrop for college- sweethearts- happy- endings. She got a Japanese contemporary vase that matched with the decor as a gift to the lady of the house. She was pretty pleased with her good choice. She thought Dope might find that tasteful.
The Lady of the House had cooked up a big feast mostly in the Asian variety, but balanced with platters of cheese, dips and fruits painstakingly presented, exuding the domestic influence she has on the household, but taking into consideration his part Western descendency . For days leading up to this big day of public displayal in domestic bliss, P had learnt that she had spent many an hour planning for the occasion, while Dope assisted in the domestic chores of playing chauffer/ shopping bag carrier.
At the party, P caught up with old university friends that she had not seen in years and also made a few fresh industry contacts. Two guys (one with girlfriend in tow and the other one, who had received her at the door earlier in the evening) eyed her curiously and constantly as she became aware. She continued to ignore them since they made no attempts to introduce themselves which she found rude. Such, she felt was a social obligation that one must observe as a sign of graciousness in indoor settings if one has caught the attention of the observee. Throughout the party, P did not speak to Dope. And neither did he except for making two valuable introductions- one, a swaps trader (in his attempt to help P to resolve her professional challenge of working in that space) and two, his personal assistant (who was quick to recognise P as the person she has spoken with a number of times on the phone; P was quite relieved that the Lady of the House was not within hearing distance).
Strangely, P sensed a conscious attempt by the Lady of the House to distant herself from her. On a number of occasions, P observed the social decorum of a grateful guest and responded to her jovial prompts to the guests at large to help finish up her food or have a taste at her untouched curry. Whenever, P walked up to the dining area and replied gently and assuringly that she would have a pick at the food first, the Lady of the House changed her tone rather drastically and replied rather tersely, "Don't worry! That's fine."
On one occasion, P sat on a chair propped against the wall. She was surrounded by a bunch of people as they stood around chatting. Whilst engaging in conversation with the swaps trader, P noticed at her one o'clock, the Lady of the House staring at her and whispering to the (staring) guy who had earlier received her at the door. When their eyes met, the Lady of the House was quick to look away. However, from P's peripheral view, she became aware that the guy and the Lady of the House continued to be engrossed in their private talk and frequently shifted their gazes back at P. That disturbed P a little. She probably knows something is wrong, using her female instincts. Or maybe she was cautioned by the common friend who saw Dope and P on one Thursday evening months ago...
When it was time for the guests to leave, Dope and the Lady of the House stood at the door to see them off. P thanked the Lady of the House for having her and mentioned that her food was great. She seemed a little awkward at receiving the compliments. Then she turned to Dope like the way she would to an old acquaintaince and also thanked him, a tad too formal but which at that time and place, deemed a necessity. If it helps at all to allay the lurking instinctive suspicions within the Lady of the House and which, she fully understands, an expected behaviour towards each other in their separate public selves...
After all, it would be tricky to account for the missing puzzle of mutual familiarity they feel towards the other; those six lost years of no contact should quite set them apart. But which this cruel fate has helped re-traced those tracks to enable them to find one another in a new city, fast forward six years from the time they first met; only that both have been quite resolved to seal their own fates and to stick to their designated harbours...
On Saturday, P took good care to dress up for the housewarming party. The theme was "Arabian Nights". However, she did not conform to the fancy dress theme. So did many of the guests.
In fact, she turned up in a low-cut black wrap jersey dress accessorised with her horseshoe diamond pendant necklace, her Furla crystal watch, green satin diamante buckled belt and a diamante hairband. And of course, killer heels. With matching diamante buckles.
The address was in a fanciful suburb with good harbour views, which was accompanied by all the modern amenities in the residential development that marked the epitome of good urban chic living . And that setup too, came with a huge price tag.
Welcome to the humble abode of Dope and his Designated Love.
She entered the apartment. The furnishing was exactly like the way she imagined it to be, right down to the matching brown hues. On the side table sat two picture frames of Dope and his Designated Love in their graduation get-up that served as a suitable thematic backdrop for college- sweethearts- happy- endings. She got a Japanese contemporary vase that matched with the decor as a gift to the lady of the house. She was pretty pleased with her good choice. She thought Dope might find that tasteful.
The Lady of the House had cooked up a big feast mostly in the Asian variety, but balanced with platters of cheese, dips and fruits painstakingly presented, exuding the domestic influence she has on the household, but taking into consideration his part Western descendency . For days leading up to this big day of public displayal in domestic bliss, P had learnt that she had spent many an hour planning for the occasion, while Dope assisted in the domestic chores of playing chauffer/ shopping bag carrier.
At the party, P caught up with old university friends that she had not seen in years and also made a few fresh industry contacts. Two guys (one with girlfriend in tow and the other one, who had received her at the door earlier in the evening) eyed her curiously and constantly as she became aware. She continued to ignore them since they made no attempts to introduce themselves which she found rude. Such, she felt was a social obligation that one must observe as a sign of graciousness in indoor settings if one has caught the attention of the observee. Throughout the party, P did not speak to Dope. And neither did he except for making two valuable introductions- one, a swaps trader (in his attempt to help P to resolve her professional challenge of working in that space) and two, his personal assistant (who was quick to recognise P as the person she has spoken with a number of times on the phone; P was quite relieved that the Lady of the House was not within hearing distance).
Strangely, P sensed a conscious attempt by the Lady of the House to distant herself from her. On a number of occasions, P observed the social decorum of a grateful guest and responded to her jovial prompts to the guests at large to help finish up her food or have a taste at her untouched curry. Whenever, P walked up to the dining area and replied gently and assuringly that she would have a pick at the food first, the Lady of the House changed her tone rather drastically and replied rather tersely, "Don't worry! That's fine."
On one occasion, P sat on a chair propped against the wall. She was surrounded by a bunch of people as they stood around chatting. Whilst engaging in conversation with the swaps trader, P noticed at her one o'clock, the Lady of the House staring at her and whispering to the (staring) guy who had earlier received her at the door. When their eyes met, the Lady of the House was quick to look away. However, from P's peripheral view, she became aware that the guy and the Lady of the House continued to be engrossed in their private talk and frequently shifted their gazes back at P. That disturbed P a little. She probably knows something is wrong, using her female instincts. Or maybe she was cautioned by the common friend who saw Dope and P on one Thursday evening months ago...
When it was time for the guests to leave, Dope and the Lady of the House stood at the door to see them off. P thanked the Lady of the House for having her and mentioned that her food was great. She seemed a little awkward at receiving the compliments. Then she turned to Dope like the way she would to an old acquaintaince and also thanked him, a tad too formal but which at that time and place, deemed a necessity. If it helps at all to allay the lurking instinctive suspicions within the Lady of the House and which, she fully understands, an expected behaviour towards each other in their separate public selves...
After all, it would be tricky to account for the missing puzzle of mutual familiarity they feel towards the other; those six lost years of no contact should quite set them apart. But which this cruel fate has helped re-traced those tracks to enable them to find one another in a new city, fast forward six years from the time they first met; only that both have been quite resolved to seal their own fates and to stick to their designated harbours...
