six degrees of sickening non-separation

Ever dreamt or imagined or wished that if you can help it as you're walking down the sidewalk you'd meet or bump into people you are chummy with or would enjoy meeting 'casually' and 'accidentally' without any notion (then again, how accidental can it be when you wish for it?) - cool friends, nice colleagues, Meryl Streep, etc - than into that utter moron whom you've vocally and verbally declared you won't come within 1,000 breaths' length of his repulsive body even if it were lifeless and horizontal on the ground and taped with thousand dollar bills?

I have. All the time. And as things would go, it hardly EVER happens the way you want.

Yesterday was one such freaky day and night.

It seems that through some strange alignment of the galactic planets or clashing of the celestial stars, I was destined to meet people whom I have crossed paths with, for better or for worse.

In my case - usually worse.

(Sigh.)

Ok, it's not always like pulling teeth - I do bump into nice people. That happens as often as sighting Halley's Comet.

The thing is - it ALWAYS happens to me when I 'vant to be lerft alone', as Garbo famously cooed.

Freaky day started with me riding in train going to work squashed left and right by armpits crying out for a lawn mower and decontamination spray. Spotted Foe from camp reading a tabloid with his back facing me. Good, so long as it's not his god-abandoned face and mother-scaring scowl. I'd recognise him even if he shaved himself bald.

Met up with Ming and hopped down to the office and after doodling with the Intranet web, mended, close shop and off to Tekka Market for drinks and snacks and then off to Sentosa for my weekly destressing therapeutic session with my weekend papers and tea and hopefully NOBODY foely to acknowledge or recognise.

Was leaving Coffee Bean after a nice long session poring over the papers and planning where else to go so decided to sit and wait for a tram next to a bunch of beachcombers standing around looking directionless.

Plonked my ass down, looked over at the sea, okay not bad view, if not for the lack of breeze and that sickening signpost blocking my perspective and that lady right in front of me with the funny flower in her head fagging away like a bored damsel and -

'XXXXX!! OH MY GOSH! WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE?"

Friend. A pleasant bump.

Blah blah blah and I left feeling nice. Dropped by for some beach jazz and sneaked off. Had dinner. Fleeting glances around. No bumps. Good. Usually my antes go up when I meet 2 people I know in a row - something wicked this way comes. I just know it.

So I thought - okay, how about Borders. Fine, off to Borders. Dah dah dah and the news on the bus showed a company opening event that took place in the morn. Dah dah dah alighted and trooped off to my mental therapy outlet.

Should be okay lah, hah? I haven't been here for ages, should be able to have some peace and quiet time alone lah hah.

(At this juncture, as if by sleight of some twisted scriptwriter's hand in the likes of Adaptation, my attempts at staying persona non grata and incognito gradually went up in proverbial smoke.)

Indulgently walking down the aisles looking out for budget prices when SLAP! Fucking asshole dropped a tonner on my shoulder. Turned and all ready -

Foe, from camp. Wah piang oi.

(I ALWAYS meet those I NEVER want to.)

And it's quickly downhill from here.

As if some extraterrestrial spy signal was beeping my whereabouts to these irritating mutants, it was one undesirable after another IN THE SAME FUCKING PLACE, FROM ONE AISLE TO ANOTHER!

Purchased a CD, paid, went off, detoured - okay, just one last look at the corner here - and BAM! A pair somemore! And this last one was more undesirable than the rest - all plastic and fake and rictus smirk from both parties.

MAN! This is unfuckingbelievable. What the fuck is going on?? Good fucking lord.

4D also never strike so joon.

And the beauty of it was - they all know me, they don't know one another, and I don't care a shit about them!!!

(Grrrrrr...)

Mental therapy quickly descended into mental terror-py.

Help.

Just totally gave up and headed home to recover from unsuccessful attempt at recovery.

That was sooo not my night.

Talk about getting borderline mental...