"Ectopy, I've been meaning to ask you this for a quite some time. Are you, by any chance, a ballet dancer?"

"No."

"Have you ever?"

"No. I wish my mother had enrolled me to the ballet school though."

"Oh. I thought you were because of the way of you walk. It's kinda...Not the usual way I would see it."

I smiled. "I know. I get that often. People say I walk as if I'm on the moon."

She nodded her head and smiled.

"But I dance. I used to dance. I mean, I used to represent my school and I really like to dance," I said. I was trying to approve her theory. Maybe I do walk funny because I dance.

That was a pleasant few minutes of conversation. It would have been nicer if she thought I was a ballerina because of my posture. Haha. I have a bad posture. I like to watch people in the mall, and I would judge them. Those with the best postures, I'd assume, are the dancers and the models.

But I haven't danced in a very, very long time...





A few weeks ago, I spent the weekend with my boyfriend. We were in Gardens when it suddenly rained.

I like the rain. Because when it's raining, it's a blessing. When it's raining, we should make a prayer because one of the best times that our prayer would be heard by God is when it rains.

My boyfriend said, "Kesian orang yang naik motor. Nanti basah diorang."

That was random. We were not even in a car. We were just wondering aimlessly in the mall.

I smiled. I smiled and enjoyed the rain.

I smiled and remembered why I like him in the first place.

I like the way he's so compassionate and he thinks about the others before himself. I like that. Mempunyai sifat ihsan and belas kasihan. Like me. Only that he is better than me in this department.





So, I have this colleague at work, who is single and kind and handsome and everybody seems to fall in love with him. We clicked straight away since the first time I worked with him. I've brought him to meet my boyfriend and family. He reminds me of my other friend, whom I am very close with.

At work, we distant ourselves. People know that I am 'booked'. However, some thought he was my 'booker'.

One day, I was in the pantry when this girl came and said something about how she didn't know I sudah dirisik and she thought I was with *Ghazali.

(Haha, why lah did I choose Ghazali to be the pseudonym! Seriously, tak creative langsung)

So, I took this opportunity to ask her,
"Kenapa akak ingat saya dengan *Ghazali? Saya bukannya selalu bercakap dengan dia. Jarang sangat."

It's true. We try to avoid being overfriendly at work because there's nothing between us. We meet once in a while, but we don't go searching for each other. Sometimes, we work together but that's it, nothing extraordinary.

"Tak adalah...Ghazali yang bagitau saya yang Ectopy nak kahwin dah..." she answered.

"Carikanlah somebody untuk Ghazali. Dia masih single," said I.

"Ghazali tu handsome. Baik hati pula tu. Takkan takde sesiapa?"

Aha! I knew it. She was just saying things to me so he can find out more about Ghazali!

"Entah dia. Dia sedang mencari tu..." I told her.

"Mungkin dia jenis pemilih kot..." she concluded.

Cis, ada hati dekat Ghazali rupanya.

And this is why I dislike to be put in the same team as Ghazali. Too many people like him and they tend to overlook my capabilities.

This is quite complicated because Ghazali is quite eager to work with me since we are friends and kononnya 'It-would-be-fun'.

For him, it's fun lah. For me, people treat me as a threat and they often say or do things that hurt me, not in front of Ghazali, but shamelessly in front of me!

For example, they always call for Ghazali if anything happens as if I'm not capable of solving the situations. I am not useless!

Many of colleagues get excited if they are due to work with Ghazali because Ghazali always comes to the rescue. But I don't like that. I like to be the one who rescues! And since Ghazali is a kind chap, he always helps me out without me asking and it looks like he's doing all the work (including mine)!

And I feel bad about hating him whenever I work with him. He is a nice friend but I really think working with him does not bring any good to me. Am I am selfish and ungrateful?

Urgh. This is what we call, a blessing in disguise. Ghazali is the blessing in disguise whenever I need to work with him.