I first saw her in the mall; sitting in the corner of the IT centre. Her virgin-white attire whispered innocence, yet she screamed power and confidence from beneath her carefully sculpted, state-of-the-art appearance. It was love at first sight. I must have caught her attention too as I noticed a reflection of myself in her eyes as I walked past.
I arrived home breathless, sweating and experiencing mild heart palpitations. Mrs Sub had never seen me in such a state and immediately rushed off to make a cup of tea. I confessed my fatal attraction as we sipped the hot, milky water (she still hasn’t worked out how to make a good cuppa).
Of course she was upset: Was I was not happy with what I already had at home? What would the kids say? Did we really have room for another in our house? And of course, being a good Thai woman, what about the extra cost? It was no good; her questions met an emotional 404 - Page Not Found: We were on totally different pages: I was completely smitten.
I had to possess her. Ignoring Mrs Sub’s warnings about heart palpitations, I rushed back to the mall to claim my rightful prize. I imagined holding her in my arms for the first time but as I turned the corner, there she was, surrounded by an army of admirers. Jealousy, the green-eyed monster, saturated my soul as I spied the anonymous gang of consumers pawing my dream. Unfortunately, cowardice, the yellow peril, prevented me from rushing in – all guns blazing – to defend her honour. I managed, however, to slink slowly closer and squeezed through the challengers until it was just she and I: face-to-face. The crowd parted, maybe sensing I was a man obsessed. I realised that my life would never be the same again. She was mine.
She’s now back at home with me. Mrs Sub has been a little cool, claiming I spend more time with the new arrival that I do with her. The kids, on the other hand, have welcomed her with open arms and can’t resist playing with her whenever I am out of the room. I can understand why: she’s so easy to get along with, always responsive and has opened my eyes to a whole new world of music and laughter. In a funny kind of way, she’s even made me a better communicator and is always ready to help me get in touch with family and friends, no matter how near or far they may be. Her generous, simple ways have opened my eyes to a whole new world.
Mrs Sub tells me I should get a life. I don’t need to get ‘a’ life; I’ve chosen ‘i’ Life with my new love, Nong Apple (Mac).
