"Pim! Oh my god! You are soaking wet. Why are you sitting here when it's raining so heavily?" Fah exclaimed as she tried to shield Pim with an umbrella. Pim looked up and both Pii and Fah knew from the swollen eyes that she had been crying for hours.
"Pim... Come. Let's go get you dry," Pii sighed, trying to keep calm for the sake of their friend. "P' Pii, should we go to a hotel since it will take two hours to get home?"
"No, Fah... I have a friend who opened a bar nearby. I think she will be kind enough to lend her office to us. Plus I'm sure Pim could use a drink and some food."
Then, they travelled in silence as Pim was still to shaken up to talk.
Sure enough, Pii's friend was more than welcome to host them. The bar was quiet with just a few patrons enjoying a casual drink accompanied by jazz.
After Pim silently obliged with her friend's request to take a warm shower and change into a fresh set of clothes Pii's friend provided, they sat her down in front of a bowl of hot porridge and tea. Instead, Pim shocked everyone when she snatched Pii's double shot whiskey and downed it in a gulp. "Pim!" Fah yelped. "You shouldn't..." Pii placed a hand on Fah's shoulder causing Fah to pause and look at her. Pii shook her head and Fah nodded understandingly. "Pim..." Pii placed her hand on Pim's cold trembling hand. "Tell us what happened."
Pim's tear began to flow down her cheeks again but she choked back a sob so that she could let her friends in on what's happening. "It's P'Wine. We were fighting two days ago. I don't even remember what was it about, but I knew I was at fault when I brought up my parents. I knew that she was still blaming herself that my parents turned me away but I just had to play that card. I was being so stupid. So stupid! So stupid!" Pim wanted to hit herself on the head but Pii stopped her in time.
"Pim, don't do that. I am sure that Wine would cool down and she will come back."
"That's the thing, P'Pii. P'Wine never goes away longer than a day. On the second day, I was so sure that she will come back with my favourite flowers - the violets. Like she always do. I waited and waited but no one came knocking. I kept playing back the argument in my head thinking that I must have said something... Something that triggered her so badly that she needed more days to cool off...
But it has been three days but she wouldn't answer her phone. I tried looking for her but I've been to every place I could think of but there is no sign of her. I am worried that something happened to her. I tried to go to the police but I can see that they have no intention to look for her since they think it is just a lover spat."
Pii frowned with concern as Fah chimed in, "Pim, why didn't you call us earlier? We could have helped you."
"I knew that your anniversary is coming so I didn't want to ruin both your moods but I didn't have a choice. I am at the last possible place that P'Wine could have went. The place we got married..."
Ting Ling! The bell at the door sounded as another customer walked into the bar. "P'Wine!" Pim stood up abruptly and ran towards the door. Pii and Fah turned around in surprise and saw who Pim was charging towards. Pim's lips crashed against the familiar person. Instead of reciprocating Pim's overwhelming emotions as both Pii and Fah thought, the person pushed away Pim, wide-eyed. "Kim!" A sweet but angry voice called out from behind. The beautiful girl, obviously infuriated over the whole dramatic kissing scene, turned around and walked out of the bar. The innocent victim who was perplexed over an unsolicited kiss quickly turned around and chased after her, yelling "Pie!! Don't go!".
Left behind, Pim didn't know what to feel. The fact that P'Wine was with another woman, presumably named Pie, and seemed to care a lot for her. Or that P'Wine did not seem to recognise her at all. That she did not respond to her kiss, like she always did, no matter how angry she was with her. She couldn't take it anymore. All she could do was just to collapse onto her legs and bawl her eyes out.
Pii and Fah were shocked. Fah quickly rushed to Pim and gave her a hug while gently trying to help her up. The whole bar's attention was drawn to Pim, but Pim held no care for her surroundings but the pain that is coursing through her veins. Pii clenched her fist and took a shot of whisky. She was angry at her ignorant best friend, who hurt her friend. She was angry at her best friend's foolishness of ruining the love that she knew meant a lot to both of them for a petty argument.
Pii rushed out of the bar towards her best friend, wanting to knock some sense into her friend. Then, what she saw stopped her in her tracks. Her best friend was holding onto this short pretty girl in a frilly red blouse and a slim-fit jeans, tightly as if they were inseparable. But this girl had her arms crossed and frowning. It took some sweet whispers for her expression to soften and finally gave in to a short peck on the lips. Pii didn't know what to make out of this scene. Her best friend lightened up like a puppy that was just fed with the best treat it ever tasted.
