Who is this Mr B, you ask? Well, who is he is irrelevant. The world works in ways you cannot comprehend. How things would be different now if that night happened another way? The butterfly effect. They made a great movie about it, how a small decision or incident have a huge impact for the future. I’m becoming a bit philosophical here, but I am not being nostalgic or regretting the past. I am merely curious how things played out the way it did. I do believe in faith and that everything happened for a reason. And this is the faith of a three-way love, commonly known as a love triangle. For the better or for the worse? Only God knows.

The day in context was on Saturday, 6th of October 2012 midnight. It was a calm night, filled with patches of cloud lit up by the moonlight. A stark contrast to the nervousness in me. The reason for my uneasiness was because it was the day before my birthday. I was pacing in my bedroom preparing for my birthday dinner for the coming day. What dress to wear? Which shoes match the dress? Does these accessories suits my outfit? What should I do with my hair? OMG. Is that a pimple on my cheek?! All the standard worries of a birthday girl.

I was snapped out from this cycle of thought from the ringing of my phone.

“Who is calling me in the middle of the night?”, I wondered.

“Incoming Call from Mr. K.”, the text written on the screen.

“What does he want at this hour? Can’t he tell I’m busy!”, I thought to myself. But being polite, I pressed the green button and answered the call.

“Hi. What’s up?”

“Come out. I am outside.”, Mr. K said.

“What! Now?”, I replied. Surprised from his statement, I peered over the balcony to check if he was joking. Then I saw a dark figure outside the gate and a white SUV that resembles the car he drove. Nope, he wasn’t kidding. I can’t believe this guy. I’m here in my pyjamas with my messy hair and my bare face, ready for bed. And this guy arrived uninvited in the middle of the night!

“I have something for you.”, he insisted.

I knew exactly what he was doing. He was trying to be sweet and spontaneous. But I still felt slightly annoyed with the sudden arrival. This will be the first time that he would see me without make up on. Thank God it was late at night, and I purposely left the outdoor lights off. As I walked towards the closed gate, I noticed from a distance that he was holding something behind his back. I pretended not to notice it and opened the gate.

He said, “This is for you. Open it after midnight.”

And just like that, he left.

At that moment, all the negativity washed away. I must admit, it was a delightful surprise and it definitely brightened my day. As I went back to my room, I immediately opened the present. The curiosity was killing me, and this isn’t some kind of movie cliché. It was a Marc Jacobs Daisy perfume, such a cute choice of present.

I left a message to thank him. No response. He must’ve been driving. So I resumed back to my preparation but not long after, my phone rang again.

“Incoming Call from Mr. B.”, the text written on the screen.

Photos by Reynaldo Tjandra (sweet escape)