As the voices died down, I heard myself asking, "Hey, how y'all doin'?" I felt tens of pairs of eyes trained on me.

Only one pair ever mattered.

I sought hers and, having found them, proceeded to play on the stage piano the most meaningful song I'd ever written. Some silly song inspired by Abraham's plea for Sodom and Gomorrah.

"...It's been a while since we last talked..."

"...Things aren't what they used to be..."

"...I'm not asking for much..."

"...Not the whole beautiful heart of yours..."

"...Ten percent is all I need..."

"...I'll make the other ninety..."

"...Ten percent is all I need..."

When it was over, the place erupted. My band mates gave me pats on the back.

I could not care less.

Because there she was, with that teary smile on her lips, looking back at me. And amidst the cheers, just like a modern day Moses I parted the sea of crowd.

Straight to her.

Yeah, right. Boy, do I suck at romance writing.

Let's just take another walk down the memory lane. This time in the company of my baseball caps. I wanted to list them in chronological order, but memory failed me. So, I'll just go alphabetically.

As in, based on their filenames.

Blue Harbor

Someone bought me this cap as a spur-of-the-moment gift. It was from Marks & Spencer. Or at least I think it was. And you know what, I have a matching shirt. A significant achievement, that. I mean, coming from this blandest guy.

The year had to be 2004.

Bintang

Knowing my passion -- well, kinda -- for caps, this lady gave me this present. Straight from her office supplies, I suspect. And guess what, the rumors about how brewing companies have beer taps in their offices are in fact true. Who woulda thought? This raises hope for bedding companies actually having mattresses in each office corner. I wonder if King Koil is currently recruiting IT guys...

That reminds me. I forgot to check whether free-flow beers were present at his wedding.

The year? I guesstimate 2003.

Liger Sports

This one was a gift from my brother.

Do you know that liger is a hybrid cross between a male Panthera leo and a female Panthera tigris and is denoted scientifically as Panthera tigris x Panthera leo? Taken from Wiki, BTW -- lest people start stoning me for doing yet another copy-paste and failing to link the 'original' source. Whatever happened to letting him without sin throw the first stone? I guess people nowadays just don't sin .

Hmm, 2004? I think so.

Valentino Golf

Technically, this cap isn't mine. Dad accidentally left it at my apartment. I'm no vacuum cleaner, but when a nice, black cap happily lies down on my sofa, I keep it without remorse.

And take a picture of it.

Ah, that laptop. So full of memories. Both of us withstood the attacks from the never ending monsters, the spies, the DBA who should not be named, and many more.

I would think 2005.

Harvard

Once upon a time, my mom visited Harvard University and came out alive with this cap to show for it. This is the oldest among the rest. I remember carrying it around in my bag back in the uni days. And I stopped carrying a bag to classes after two semesters.

That puts it no later than 1996, then.

Uni days also saw me come into possession of several other caps. For one reason or others, I managed to lose all but one. Well, at least I did better than my ex-sleeping buddy Made Artana -- no, not the taxi driver -- who managed to lose two motorcycles within months.

HRC Bahrain

I asked Huda to buy one for me. Instead, he gave it to me as a gift. Good man, he is.

He bid his farewell to me about two weeks ago. On reflection, that occasion marked the first time a real friend -- as in, not just colleague -- left the company before I did. All this while, I had always been the one leaving. Now, I know how that feels. Good luck with everything, Pak.

This one is easy -- 2006.

HRC Bali

RB and Tyty got it for me. Along with SOband's first album cover.

And a realization that the boy I used to share a sleeping bag -- spread, mind you -- with in Lab Bahasa had made -- pun intended -- it big.

Should be either 2003 or 2004.

How many do I have so far? What, only seven? That leaves me with eleven to go! Damn, is this memory lane a long one or what.

Gotta check in. To bed, that is. The Dodol's Eleven will have to wait. Tomorrow's another weekend at work. Tell me now, with all this work I have, how am I supposed to compose a love song on the piano?

The first thing to do, of course, is to learn how to play piano.

Happiest weekend, Everyone.

Current music: Lil' Flip featuring Lea - Sunshine
Current mood: happy at last