to reiterate my point that the world is getting smaller.. especially in singapore. the story goes like this:
Jenap and Peah were best friends in primary school. they were so close that on most weekends, when Peah's parents had to go upstate to their second home in Johore, Peah would sleep over at Jenap's house. their parents were very close to each other too. they were practically like family. both families just live a stone throw away from each other blocks.
and so when they were in secondary school, Peah's parents decided to uproot the family and settle in the Land Of Kangaroos. they were so devastated but nonetheless life has to go on and promised each other to always visit and constant contact through letter (last time no internet and phonecalls were very pricey)
somehow, they lost touch. Jenap's family moved to a few parts of the island (buying and selling property was a very lucrative business in the mid 90's. u can practically make a killing!) and her friendship with Peah was disconnected. Jenap didnt write back cuz she did not receive any letters from Peah. Jenap thought that Peah had forgotten their friendship. and Peah stopped writing to her old friend as she did not receive any replies.
Fastforward to when both girls are in their early twenties. Jenap got engaged to a malay chap and was blissfully happy. she was working as a clerk at a major national airline while her fiance was a fireman.
meanwhile, Peah came back to Singapore after the death of her parents. being the only child, she came back to live with her grandmother and her parents siblings. Peah being pretty, leggy and tall, she worked as a stewardess for an airline which are famous for their 'girls'.
so technically, both girls were working for the same company.
one night at some shady club in the clubbing district, Peah, after a long 16-hours flight, decided to let down her hair and shake her booty with her fellow colleagues. there, she met Jenap's mr fireman. it was a 'supposed' love at first sight. jenap's fireman was having a night in town with his fellow colleagues too.
observers said there were fireworks at the start of their meeting. by the time the club closed, the two love-strucked couple went for supper and swapped their numbers and bodily fluids (if u catch my drift).
mr fireman was besotted with his new love. Peah is exciting! well-travelled! hot! tall and leggy! very liberal as she was brought up overseas and most importantly, Peah has truckloads of money (inheritance) and properties in Land of Kangaroo and not forgetting a house in Johore. and Peah is in love with him as well. After so many heartaches with many mat sallehs, Peah feels that mr fireman is mr right. mr fireman would be a fool if he lets go of Peah.
and what will happen to our dear Jenap? jenap was ceremoniously dumped. by fireman's parents nonetheless. the parents too were besotted with the idea and prospect of gaining a wealthy and beautiful future daughter in law. and so fireman's parents came to jenap's house and asked for the engagement ring back and they resorted to telling lies abt Jenap, casting her as a role of a whore who do not deserve to marry their precious fireman son.
how vile and extremely cruel.
jenap was a wreck. she could not face living anymore. her reputation, her integrity and her 'love of her life' just gone with a snap of a finger. everything happened so fast. she didnt even know what happened or what she should do. all she wanted to do was to end her life.
thankfully jenap had a good support of family and friends. they didnt believe the vicious lies that fireman's parents said about her. slowly, jenap started to rebuild her lives. she quit her job, started to give tuition from home, volunteering at mosques and eventually getting to know a nice young dishy bilal from her neighbourhood mosque.
one day, she received an email from Peah. Peah had somehow tracked her from the net. jenap was ecstatic. she remembered her special friendship with Peah and was happy that Peah was clever enough to track her through thge net. they exchanged a few emails and decided to meet.
the day they met, mr fireman was not around. and mr bilal was of course too shy to follow his gf. when the two girls met, tears flowed and both were so happy to be reunited. Peah was quite surprised that Jenap has gone hijab-ed and very soft spoken and mellow (unlike the noisy and chatty teenager she remembered Jenap was)
"I'm getting married, you know. I want you to be my bridesmaid."
"Iyeke? Alhamdullilah. I'm so happy for you. Whats your fiance's name?"
"Mr Fireman." (peah didnt know that her fiance used to be attached. and she didnt give fireman's last name to jenap)
"Oh! Bagus lah. Orang kita." Jenap was taken back by the familiar name. she didnt ask any further. besides, she couldnt think peah's fiance is the same man which she used to be engaged to. what are the odds, right?
a few weeks later, Jenap received the invitation card. it was beautifully engraved on thick ecru paper using the best lithography technology, money could buy.
and yes, it was the same fireman that jenap had dated. jenap fainted. (it was quite a scene. she was beyond shock. infact i was told, she was speechless was a few days. )
jenap didnt go to the wedding. she made up some excuse to peah about not being able to become her bridesmaid. peah was upset that her old friend would not be there to celebrate her joyous nuptials but she never knew the reason why.
Until now! peah has been married to mr fireman for the past 3 years. childless. the two girls still keep in touch with occasional emails but never met face-to-face anymore. jenap always offered reasons for unable to meet up and somehow peah is not that quick to catch that her old friend is avoiding her.
the last i heard, jenap is happily married. in quiet. she did not invite peah. she couldnt bare to hurt her old friend's feelings if peah knows the truth. she didnt want to complicate the matters and she did not want to end up in a position where she had to defend herself again, against those malicious and hurtful lies inflicted by fireman and his parents.
-->this is just one of the many stories i know/heard about this small world we live in. i have the upmost respect to jenap. she's one of the strongest woman/survivor i know.
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