It Was My BDay... And Nobody Remembered...

The Reading Room

I was in the reading room on the ground floor of my dormitory block, when I received a call from my mother. It struck me as weird, as I had only sent her a text asking her to check whether the deadline of the KFC Star Create competition falls on the 15^th, and she, being the typical cheapskate when it comes to words, would reply one word; ‘yes’ or ‘no’. I picked up the call, and surprise, surprise, my sister’s voice rang into one ear and out the other, screaming ‘Happy 17^th birthday, Abang!’ Utterly surprised, I was, and glancing at my watch, I realised that indeed, the long hand struck 12. Now, now, before you say it’s impossible to forget one’s birthday, I did know it’d be my birthday, but as I’d been complete absorbed in checking my essay during the whole hour prior that, I’d completely forgotten. After chatting with my family underneath the coffee table (The school rules states in black and white that phones are forbidden.), I took out my parents’ gift given to me a few days earlier, on a Wednesday, since they couldn’t be with me on my special day (A solid reason why I shouldn’t be able to forget my birthday.) – a brand new, glossy red camera!  

Busy with work, even on my BDay...

 I spent the day unlike my previous birthdays before this; busy being undetected and low profile. There’s a good reason for this. There’s a tradition at my school regarding birthdays. The said tradition involves a large group of people (Preferably 15+) beating up the birthday boy, if possible in a dark classroom, at night, during preparation class. And I don’t want the same happen to me. So obviously, I made sure all sources that hint at my birthday, however miniscule it were, halts before the precious information gets into the wrong hands. Unfortunately, my dorm mate teased me, telling me he knew my birthday.

 And that was why I wiped off my birth date from my Facebook account temporarily. That, and another reason; to find out whether anyone would care enough to remember my birthdate. It was a regrettable action, seeing as none of my friends bothered to wish me a happy birthday. Well, one did, a close friend and a sensei of mine, but it was a tad late, but I don’t mind. All the wishes I received were from family members. Well, serves me right for being curious. But at least I knew how dependant people are for Facebook.

 At the end of the day, no one dangerous knew it was my birthday. Yeah, my close schoolmates knew my birthday, but they 

weren't the type to get all excited over an ambush. What was surprising was that my knowing dorm mate didn’t wish me. Turned out he forgot it. Then he tells me that a Korean star’s birthday falls on Wednesday. Guess I’m less important than his idols.