This viral tag is stolen off from a blog friend and fellow angry woman, Lisha of which I shamelessly tagged myself and began writing right away.
Dear Zana,
When it comes to writing, I, er, you, er, you and me both are not the best person somebody can consult with. But here I am, er, you, that’s it in another 11 years, damn it this is confusing I am just going to address me as me and you as you, GEDDIT?
Ahem, where was I?
Anyway, turning 16 may have seemed just a fine start for you. Seeing that I used to be you, you will do pretty well in academics, showing flair in writing (and suck at Maths, don’t deny it I know you do) and having your school compositions photocopied and paraded around the school as one of the best ones. However satisfying this may seem, I assure you to not completely rest on your laurels. The world ahead, waiting for you is full of bumps, sweat & blood you could have never imagined you would experience.
Oh boy, I might have scared you and started us off in the wrong foot. But hey, let me whisper in a secret that might change your life for eternity.
You may not expect at all, but do you notice the fair-skinned boy in the class next door whom every girl is crazy about, the one you despise because he seems so full of himself and makes the world knows about his presence every time he’s near you – yes, that one? YOU WILL MARRY HIM.
Now, stop shrieking and get off that table and don’t hit me with that ashtray, but yes, you both will be hopelessly in love, dating for 6 years before finally tying the knot and continues to still be hopelessly crazy retarded in love. Guess what? However you may find this hard to believe, he undeniably loves you with all his heart. The reason he has been bragging loudly when he’s near you is because he wants to get your attention. It’s a guy’s thing, we will never understand.
Now if you don’t believe me you just have to wait for just another 2 years before you finally meet him back after school days and he will ask you out. In which during the first date he will be late for 3 hours because the bus he takes breaks down. It was a bad start, but he said he fell in love with you ever since you both were 13, and it was safe to believe him because it definitely shows.
Moving on.
Our dad might have been the most disagreeable person you have come across, but 11 years later he will be one of your best friends – the one in which you confide with mostly anything, mostly related to your career. Our mum, on the other hand, might be the rotan-whipping schoolteacher even at home and would not spare even a minute for you to watch the TV in time for SPM, but yes, she too, will be your best friend in years coming on. You would have noticed as them and we age, we have come in terms with each other, mellow down and can talk about almost perfectly anything. That time will come.
I did just average in university, and for that, I wish you could change that for me. What I did was: Focus, take notes about everything, ask and ask and ask, make Google your best friend, help friends and don’t expect anything back in return etc. but I guess I should have focused/done more. Perhaps I did not pray much. We were not very religiously inclined in the first place and that is something I wish you and me both could change as well.
You’ll do, I reckon, very well in your career. You started off doing graphics design & copywriting, in which you are deeply passionate about but you will be devastated because despite the hard work & long hours you are still not paid very well, so you will venture into the corporate world. You’ll meet people who inspire you, amaze you, break your heart, stab you on your back, people who hate you at first but soon become your best friends, as you persevere to survive in the rat race to get to the top of the food chain.
You don't socialize much, but you have a fair share of close friends of whom you cherish with all your heart.
Wait, I didn't remember seeing the
grumpy fellow in the last photo...
Anyway.
Overall, I would have wished that we would be more adventurous in our life. To think about it, we have never even sneaked out of school, cheated in exams, skipped a single class, gone to a full-blown concert, slept under the stars, hitch-hiked, danced or sang in public, or even gotten a speeding ticket.
Some things remained though - you will still love kittens, you will still think that your dad is the greatest person in the world, Mum is still the loveliest person on Earth, and that you will always think you are different from the rest in ways only both of us know.
I may have said & advised a lot of things, but you and me both, we are still learning. It’s a never-ending process. Our 56-year-old us might be struggling to write or type us a letter, we might not know, but I reckon she’s got a lot to tell us. Or we might not make it until 56. We'll never know.
Until then, I hope I could be you again. Because there are things I wanted to change. Like going up to the fair-skinned boy in the next class & yelling out to him loudly, “YOU KNOW WHAT? YOU WILL MARRY ME!” and break the hearts of all the girls in school.
I rest my case. See ya buster.
