Signed!

The nurse rubbed alcohol on my left mid-arm joint, inserted a tube into the artery and promptly filled up a vial with my blood.

She tightened up the first and proceeded to fill up another vial.

Suddenly I felt my stomach churn.




I felt breathless.

I saw my vision blurring, my head was throbbing.

With whatever remaining strength and breath I could muster, I warned the nurse, "I feel faint."

She replied in a half-shocked tone, "Feel faint ar?!"







MY SYSTEM SHUT DOWN AFTERWARDS.




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This morning, I woke up excitedly, got dressed and made my way to SMRT HQ. It would be the day I put pen to paper and sign the contract, yay! =D

At there, I met some young faces whom I assumed must be there to sign the Management Trainee contract as well. These would be the friendly people I'll be working with!

In the room, it was a stone off my chest after I signed my name on the papers. Finally finally, I have had been looking forward to this juncture for sooooo long. Finally finally, I am going to be a proud employee of SMRT Corporation. =)





I met my dad for lunch at Raffles City. We went to one of our favourite restaurant Shahal Maharani for Northern Indian buffet 1 for 1 lunch. I regret gorging so much, because I still am feeling very bloated right now, most probably I'll skip dinner. But their curry and naan is really really fantabulous.

Right after lunch we parted ways and I made my way to International Plaza for a medical check-up.

First was vision checking, height and weight measurements, chest X-ray, urine test... After which I was told to do a blood examination at Room 2.




Located on the 36th floor, the room offered a splendid, unobstructed view of Southern Singapore, the IR and a section of the ECP was in full view. I sat down and smiled to the nurse, "Nice view."

She smiled in reply, "No time to view."




The first vial was successfully filled up, much to my relief, because I was feeling some pain down the artery. I was even feeling happy inside that I did not go ahead to donate blood yesterday.

*smirk*


Then she prepared another vial. *slaps forehead*



The second vial was filling up when I felt queerness in my stomach. Probably the bloatedness from the buffet lunch, I thought. But then from out of the blue my head began to throb, and I was losing my vision fast.

I managed a whimper, "I feel faint."

"Feel faint ar?!"




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DARKNESS.


BLANKED OUT.



I cannot quite recall or make clear what I saw in that darkness, but if I am not wrong, there was a closed door.





I stood momentarily a stone's throw away from the door. Suddenly, I felt two hands from behind grabbing my shoulders and pulling me back.

I jolted back into brightness and consciousness.

My eyes opened and I made out some white. As my vision cleared, I realised my body was curled up and shivering hard.

The first thought which conjured up in my mind was, "Where am I?"

The white was the colour of the wall in front of me. The hands which pulled me belonged to two nurses who were now speaking to me and asking if I was ok.



"Do you want some water?"



I said no.

Now I know I am back.





They led me to lie on the bed to rest. They seemed relieved. Haha.




After that I completed the rest of the medical examinations and went home safe and sound.

Come to think of it, what a freaky incident, never once had I believed fainting would have happened to me! To think I have had donated blood countless times successfully! And while at that I would always be watching the one or two donators lying on the stretchers with their legs raised.

I think I had fainted because there was not enough blood in my head. ALL THE BLOOD AT MY STOMACH DIGESTING THE CURRY LA!!!

So now I learn not to go donate blood after a heavy meal.

Phew.

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Now, what was the door I saw in the darkness? Was it a dream...?

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A few days ago, I learnt that my primary school friend had passed away, falling victim to leukemia and complications.

It was an unexpected shocking news.




She was my partner for 2 years. You know in primary school the desks were placed 2 by 2? We sat in the front row, beside each other, for 2 years. She would always help me with the distribution of worksheets down the row, or the collection of homework, or the walk to the Teachers' Office to collect Chinese study material. But being the childish kiddish kids we were, some classmates made fun of us, and we sort of disliked each other, haha. Boy, was I mean to her. I always accused her of copying my work, barking at her cos her hand was invading into my desk area, and I laughed at her by a lousy nickname I made up - Skinny monkey with no tail.

Those aside, we belonged to the same clique. There would be the skipping rubber band and catching games during recess, we formed a secret association to spy on the disgusting pervert school care-taker uncle who always spat on innocent students from two levels above, she helped me brilliantly with a mini-intra-class-rivalry to collect the most punched-out holes, she even came over my house with another friend to do a project, and I recall the three of us playing Bingo after that, only to be caught by my returning mom, haha.



But we weren't the closest of friends, we lost contact after primary school.

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May you rest in peace, Skinny Monkey with no tail.

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This led me to again think of how fragile life can be. You never can know what's gonna happen the next moment, the next day, the next week, the next year. Live for the moment and cherish your loved ones and happy memories, I say.





If I have the power to go back in time with the knowledge of present, would I have treated her differently? Would I have helped her more, bought things for her, and shared more jokes with her? Makes me ponder...

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Erm, yeah finally, my work would most probably be starting 6th July. I have 2 more weeks to burn! Any spontaneous part time job lobangs?