Of Graceling & Excitement

It's a beautiful world and all of you people are beautiful because you are in it. I'm going to tell you now, how much you friends are beautiful to me. :)


Sent this text to a bunch of friends just now.

Thirty seconds later: Chalystha calling.

Are you okay?
Yes...
Are you on drugs?
Noo...
Are you high?

Noo...

Did a hot guy like ask you out?

Noo...

Did a hot guy smile at you?

Noo...

*pause*
Did a you buy a new book?

Lol, that sister, she knows me too well.

Flashback: Now, a different phone call, about two hours before I sent the text and Cha called.

I pick up the phone tremulously.

"Hello?" I say, my heart beating so hard I can feel it in my ears.

"Hello is this Miss Jacie Tan... this is MPH Bookstore calling..."

I lost track of the Malay dude's voice for a while. In that instant, I am soaring high above the clouds, tripping over the moon.

"...regarding the book Graceling..."

"Yes?"

I wonder if this angel on the phone can hear the many layers of bliss beneath the carefully controlled tone of my voice.

"....and it has been confirmed that this book has arrived under your name..."

"YES..."

"....so, when will you be by to pick it up?"

I wrench my handphone from my ear and go flying off all the way to my mom.

"MOMMY! IT'S HERE! GRACELING'S HERE! IT'S MINE!"

"It is, is it?"

It's amazing how unfeeling some people can be. My mom was unfazed.

"YES. He wants to know when we can pick it up."

"Fine lo."

"What do you mean, FINE? We can go tonight?"

"Yeah la."

I turn joyfully back to the guy waiting patiently on the phone, and this time I can't contain my glee.

"Tonight! Tonight. I'll come pick it up tonight."

"...okay you come pick it up at the customer service counter ma'am..."

"OKAY. OKAY. OHMIGOD. THANK YOUUUUU!"

Suddenly, something changed. The voice on the phone is no longer one of a  bored, can-I-go-buka-puasa-now kind of guy. He says, "You're welcome, Jacie," and I can hear the smile in his voice.

The world is a beautiful place, indeed.

So I went to MPH in MidV, walked into the customer service and said, with all the dignity proper of my sixteen years, "Hello, I'm here to pick up a book I ordered... Graceling." At which the Malay guy there immediately smiles and goes, "Miss Jacie."

One of those moments when you wish the ground would open up and swallow you whole.

He remembered my name. Because, as my mom said, a little sadly and patronisingly, I screamed like a wild jackass on the phone.

I need to learn how to act my age.

Mommy's locking Graceling up tonight. She and daddy say it's bad to stay all night up reading. Ah well. If you look at the post just before this one, I suppose it's good to let parents exercise their parental authority once in a while.