Retrospect PART 1

The place looked deserted. There wasn’t a human being in sight! I couldn’t really be the only one here now, can I? I looked up and down the corridor, couldn’t see a soul that I could ask for help. It was technically my first day in university. It sounds so weird even when I say it.

“I am an undergraduate now…” wow.

I was excited and yet at the same time I dreaded this moment. Something deep down inside told me that I wasn’t supposed to be here. It wasn’t where I belonged. My heart was practically screaming ‘turn back, turn back! Before it’s too late…” I had a feeling that this place I am in is a house made of candy just like in ‘Hansel and Gretel’ and I was none other than Gretel, the smarter of the two but yet so attracted by the dazzling sight before her eyes that she walks straight into a trap of the evil witch and an evil witch I did meet, my genetics lecturer although, she looked all nice and friendly and nothing like a witch then. But that was a story for later. Minutes later, I was led into a room full of…people and I really mean a ROOM FULL. There were about 80 people there. The first person who met my eye was an Indian girl who was an epitome of all things…erm...Indian…she was even dressed in a Salwar Kameez. I wouldn’t even wear it to church, let alone class. I met some other people too but it was all a blur on the first day. Not a cute boy within a 100 mile radius. Later, I came to know that the number was actually 83 including me and these people were my classmates. People whom I were to share the same classroom with, listen to the same lectures with, people I would see in the corridor, basically I would live with them, every day of my life, for the next 4 or so years. I had only one class that day (which was a relief really!) so I could go back to my room and meet my room-mate. Technically I had already met her; I just haven’t spoken to her yet. When I came into the room yesterday, she was on the phone and by the time she got off, I was sleeping and on this morning she was gone even before I woke up.

I went to my room (half of it was mine, anyway…) and the first thing I was to miss about home was having lunch served on the table. My table was bare. Thank god for Maggi-Mi 2 minit (but it tasted better if it was only soaked for 1 and a half minute). I must have been a pitiful sight, sitting alone on an empty bed, eating instant noodles for lunch, looking at the bare wall because I had nothing to do (I didn’t even have a laptop back then…horror!), for when my room-mate came in, she smiled and said,

“Enough ah, eat Maggi only?” to which I just idiotically smiled since my mother thought me never to speak with my mouth full. A while later, after going through a million super-lame lines on how to introduce myself (Geez, who knew it was so difficult!), I did the Standard One textbook version of,

“hi, my name is Sharon. You are…” (and even shook hands!! Syeesh…)

She left for her classes soon after, thankfully, since it was pretty awkward to sit in a room with someone and just stare, and smile awkwardly and avert your gaze when you happen her eyes. That’s when I decided to text my old school friend (who dropped out of my favour after she booked me for having long nails! Kidding…Still love her and we are still friends, since she can’t book me anymore…hehehe…) and what do you know! She lived behind my house…finally I felt that the heavens had pity on me and decided to give me some saving grace…or in my case a friend (which meant much more than saving grace at that moment!) I spent the whole day with her and only went back to my room after I was sure my room-mate was sleeping and she was…

To be continued...