Face Value the Sequel

It's been half a work day gone and I still haven't been able to properly focus in the office.

Granted, it isn't exactly a busy day at the office, plus it's a Friday.

My staff are all winding down after lunch in anticipation of the weekend.

I on the other hand, am anticipating updates in my group chat, titled Just the Boys.

Three of us are in that group - me, my dense friend Carl and Stanley the sex bunny.

As of now, the group is silent.

The last message, at 9:13am Singapore time, was a photo of Stanley making a funny face, pointing at Carl's large nose.

Carl looked hurt in the photo.

Three hours later, there are still no updates.

Carl couldn't type because he's lying on the surgical bed with a surgeon prodding at his nose.

Then again, it's also possible that Stanley couldn't type because he's lying on some bed with someone prodding at him too.

Then, at 2:45pm, my WhatsApp alert sounded.

"Frankenstein is alive," Stanley reported.

"But he's groggy," updated Stanley.

"ttyl" was the last message.

Yes, that day has come when Carl takes this next big step to looking like a Korean pop star after thinking about it for decades, talking about it for years, researching on the topic for months.

About half an hour later, I received a photo.

Stanley was making a funny face, pointing at Carl's large, bandaged nose.

Carl looked hurt in the photo.

And it must hurt pretty bad, given that the upper half of his face looked like a hastily wrapped mummy.

"You look groggy and zoned out," I pointed out to Carl.

"Then Carl is doing just fine," Stanley replied without missing a beat.

Stanley had been very sweet, taking the day off to drive Carl to and from his plastic surgery.

But that didn't guarantee Carl that Stanley wouldn't happily poke fun at Carl.

On any other day, the words poke and fun would also accurately describe Stanley's hobbies.

And for the next few weeks, Carl would have to move very gently and do things very, very slowly.

Something which Stanley later said was something Carl was fully capable of, considering.

By dinner time, while I was busy slurping a bowl of Korean instant noodles (one of those days where I'm simply too lazy to cook), Stanley sent the group more photos.

Mainly of Carl's nose in different angles.

"I'm feeling okay... it's not painful yet," Carl replied me, adding that he hopes he won't sneeze in the next few weeks.

In one of the wefies taken with Stanley, Carl looked like a victim of an acid attack, his eyes looking puffy and the skin at the edge of his bandage looking pretty sore.

Later that night, my partner J dropped by Carl's home with packed desserts.

One thing I love about J is how he has also come to love my friends - and care for them like I would.

And it was a particularly important gesture that J was there, given that I am now based overseas and can't fly back as and when I wished.

For the next few weeks, Carl was on MC and was slowly nursing himself back to recovery.

His bandage came off in the second week, and again, it was a day of anticipation for me.

This time, Stanley didn't accompany Carl, who was by then well enough to get around on his on.

The first before-after photo was introduced to the group two weeks into Carl's surgery, and shortly after the bandage was removed.

Two photos of Carl's front profile juxtaposed side by side.

"Wow," Stanley typed. "Which photo is the before photo?????"

Stanley wasn't being funny.

I stared very hard at the two photos and even I couldn't tell the difference.

The photo on the left, which I'm made to understand was taken a few weeks before Carl's surgery, looked better than the photo on the right, taken at the clinic toilet.

In fact, Carl's post-surgery nose looks slightly bigger, redder and painful.

Santa Claus would be keen to hire Carl.

Stanley immediately messaged me privately, saying "are you thinking what I'm thinking?"
I typed the words botched surgery, then deleted them, and re-typed the words kena cheated. Then I deleted them again and composed my thoughts.

"We told him so" was my final answer.

"RIGHT? I HATE TO SAY THIS TO MY DEAR CARL, BUT SEE? WE WERE NOT WRONG," Stanley replied, adding that it's no wonder we think like twins given we're a day apart in age.

In our main group chat, Carl typed: "The doctor says don't worry - the swelling will go down after a while".

"Yeah," Stanley replied with a smirk icon.

"Exactly what I said in bed last night."



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Adam's stories are based on real life events and inspired by real people