there is something deep and irreplaceable about lasting friendships.

nothing that i do with my primary school friends is inherently special. we do what JC students are expected to do when they chill. we huddle around a pool table in our familiar joint at bukit timah [they always seem to give us the same one], playing, laughing at jokes old and new. perhaps we follow kang into some obscure jungle on the island as yet unknown to the world and recount the past weeks before an audience of mosquitoes. today, smife, kim and i sat at liquidkitchen, a newly-opened bar near my place.

the interior designers for the place aren't bad; the warm glow lighting and round-edged designs immediately set the mind at ease. throw in a cocktail and a mute telly playing football [classic match: Arsenal v Man Utd, '99 FA Cup], our rounded tables and cushy seats become perfect.

i've missed them. the relationship has sweetened and matured with age. i've never known and never will know another friend like smife. the friendship with share is unique, having been in the same class for almost all of primary school and grown up together. when romance falls painfully flat on its face, i've always turned to her and she to me. likewise with kim, knowing we share the same deep passion for God [and football!]. perhaps she thinks she looks young and people underestimate her age, but i say that i admire her wise insights and spiritually pragmatic approach to life.

what we talked about, laughed about, cried about, we leave for our 6 ears [+2 for kang when we talk]. the secrets we share are secret, the love we share we love.