Flat Hope

Dear readers,

I'm super busy this week, so as you may have noticed, I didn't pen any entry last Saturday.

But here I am, reposting a piece I wrote in 2010, from another blog which I have since shut.

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In what I think is one of the rarest occasions in the history of our friendship, the boys and I actually found time to gather for dinner, on a weekday, at a hawker centre.What's even rarer is, Carl actually ditched his usual monologue on protein powder brands and his muscles, and initiated a discussion that required our inputs. And money, apparently.

"I'm serious. Think about it. It can be fun? Living together? All three of us?"
I don't know what gave Carl the idea that we'll make great flat mates, but again, it's Carl.
Stanley (who for once doesn't mind ageing quickly just so he can buy an HDB flat at 35 -- and leave his parents' home for good) chipped in with impeccable timing. "Yeah, I think it'll be so fun!"

"Yeah, I think so too. Mmmm! This Old Airport Road rojak is indeed good leh! Eh, Carl, you try?"

As our dense friend happily dug in, his world temporarily revolving around the said local delight, my mind teleported us out of Singapore: To Bangkok.

Four years ago, when I finally settled down without having to jet set, we took our first trip to the motherland of all fake Prada and LV. Yes, "all three of us?".Who would have imagined that, instead of hanging out together, we almost ended up wanting to hang each other?

We may have been pals for more than a decade, but when two strong headed individuals (plus one muscle mass in the form of Carl) have to face one another for a good one week, there's bound to be drama. Think America's Next Top Models in Amazing Race.

While Carl is keen to explore Bangkok's California gyms, Stanley is more keen in exploring Bangkok's California gym-bods. On the other hand, all I wanted to do was to drop from shopping.

Amid all the arguing on Day One of our trip, we decided in frustration to go our separate ways in the Land of Smiles. Before I could salvage the situation with what happened to spending time together, Stanley was already scurrying towards a tutuk, to catch his would-be orgasm.

It's really not that easy, boys, I finally broke the silence. Carl looked up from his plate, head tilting in confusion.

Remember Bangkok?

With impeccable timing, Carl returned to his plate, and both he and Stanley began chewing their rojak with fierce concentration.

The next day, I advocated support from Alexa, my Moroccan colleague."Friends should never live together -- especially if they're the best of friends. Trust me, for the one year I was living with Wendy (her best friend), we never talked. We couldn't even stand the sight of each other!"

Indeed, I hear Alexa loud and clear (despite her cloudy accent).

As an overseas student, I too, began detesting my housemates four months into our one-year rental contract. It made me miss the wild days of hostel living, where parties, loud music and equally loud drunkards marked the passing of each night. But hey, at least I had my privacy and was accountable to no one.

Later that week, I explained to the boys that I loved them too much to live together.

To be fair, I've always known that one day, Carl and Stanley would move out. In my circle of gay friends at least, almost everyone I know wants to live away from his parents. Alone. Or with his partner. Or with a motley of friends.

Come to think of it, why shouldn't we move out, especially when living away from our parents forces us to contact them even more conscientiously -- something we take for granted if we were to live under one roof?

And for that very reason, I'd rather live with strangers. I'd rather not come home every night to the company of the boys, but look forward to meeting them every Saturday instead. Plus, given our bitchy nature and a good 10-year headstart, we'll each know what to hate about one another already.

So just like that, at our favourite PS Cafe that night, we decided that we'll live together happily ever after -- every Saturday night.

Yes, "all three of us?"

 

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This post was first published in my earlier blog which has since been shut