Exactly One Year After

One year ago, on 13 August 2005, we met in person for the first time. After 5 months of fervent writing, emails that sometimes went up to 4 a day, and letters delivered by the trusty postman, we met each other for the first time at the New Park Hotel Lobby. He walked up to me and asked, “You must be Rany.” To which I turned round and smiled, “Yes”.

Exactly one year later, on 13 August 2006, I said yes again. But this time, to a different question.

We were at Coffee Club next to Somerset MRT, having a drink and wondering what we could possibly do with our afternoon when all the bridal boutiques we had set out to go see were either closed or not accepting appointments for the afternoon. In between sips of an Iced Coffee (him) and a seriously-diluted Mango Tango (me) and scraping scoops of melted chocolate off the Chocolate Fondue plate, he suggested we go to the National Orchid Garden in the Botanic Gardens. I looked at the time and said it was getting too late.

He pressed on. I reasoned with him that by the time we get there it’d be getting too dark to see anything. We moved on to talk about other things.

Then he asked about the Orchid Garden again. This time, I told him that the gates to the Garden might already be closed by the time we get there. He knew I had a point (like I always do) and decided to let it go. The conversation drifted to other topics again.

Then he suggests going up to the Fort Canning Park. I asked, “What for??” His desperate reply was, “It’ll be nice to see the city lights from up there”.

It was then that I caught on.

Me: I’m going to get mah ri-ing!
He: No, you’re not.
Me: I’m going to get mah ri-ing!!
He: No, you’re not.
Me: I’m going to get mah ri-ing!!!
He: (cannot help but laugh) No, you’re not going to get your ring!!!

So shortly after, we made our way up to the Fort Canning Park. After a breathtaking climb (quite literally it was breathtaking – we were like two asthmatic hypochondriacs even before we had reached the top of the hill!), we found a bench to sit on.

I put my feet up on the bench and it was just lovely sitting there, chatting about our future, the lady of the manor, our plans, the lady of the manor, what we set out to do the next few days, the lady of the manor, etc, etc. It was also cute how our chat was interrupted by a friendly furry. At first all we could hear were the patter of little feet. They were too fast and too many to sound like a regular toddler. We looked around but there was nothing. The patter, however, was getting nearer. And then from around the bend, a friendly furry came running up to us. Like long-time friends, he jumped on us and started licking away. But it all came to end too soon when his owner appeared and led him away. Poor furry. I think he liked us. But alright, enough rambling.

It was getting dark and the Honey Bun-neeey rose from the bench, took my sandals and positioned them on the pavement. I asked, “Are we going already?" There was no answer except for a smile. He then lowered himself on my sandals and that’s when I realized what was about to happen. A huge grin crept across my face and I started to laugh cheekily. He tried in vain to stop me and after what must have seemed an eternity for him, he finally succeeded in calming me down.

That’s when he asked me, with a gorgeous ring, if I would like to spend the rest of my life with him. I said yes to him. Exactly one year after we met for the first time.