Teddy in panic

I just got married. In recent gatherings with friends or relatives, I observed an unique habit of Chinese people: no matter their age or social status, they expect couples have babies immeadiately after marriage. The expectation usually comes as a bless implying “a complete family consists of a couple and their children, we wish you soon have your family complete”. Yesterday there was a dinner gathering of 4 girls (incl me), Teddy has said it again like she always did. It was annoying to the point that one of our friends, Ava, who has got married since half and a year ago, asked Teddy back how’s she doing with her boyfriend.

We knew Teddy since in secondary school. We grew up together. We watched each of us having any sorts of stupid teenage things. Like many other teenagers at that period, Teddy met her first boyfriend online. Not through dating apps which are popular these days, we didn’t even have Youtube back then. It was a online forum that focusing in Cantonese songs and other pop culture. Teddy was one of the moderators, which means she offered a lot input in the forum. In fact Teddy kept the relationship in secret until breakup. She concluded “That guy is too young, he fed up very quickly. We have nothing more to talk. I think it is very ordinary to breakup at this point”, in a calm and casual tone. It took some times until we had more details about the relationship. Teddy met the guy every day afterschool at a shopping plaza near her home, they just sit at a quiet corner and chat until dinner time. Sometimes they had too much to talk about and skipped dinner together. I think she must have cried on her own for the breakup, and have seriously thought of the afterword before telling us. I think she is strong and cute.

Let’s get back to our dinner. Before mentioning Teddy’s current boyfriend, we actually have talked about another of our classmate. He was Teddy’s love at once, let’s just refer him as TL. TL is a tall guy, he got married weeks ago. Some of our classmates showed up in his wedding party. I haven’t paid enough attention and have no idea who was in the party. It turns out none of our 4 have attended. Ava asked Teddy why didn’t attend, Teddy seemed truly surprised by the question “I must not attend! That will be embarrassing!”, “What’s the point of embarrassing?” Teddy got no words. I couldn’t understand at first. As I tried seek for the reason, all of a sudden a scene of distant memory popped up in mind.

That was TL. Teddy was in love pretty deep in him, but TL seemed unaware of it. It was not a fever love, it had lasted like more than 2 years. We thought either TL was too shy to response, or he really held no interest in Teddy. But we didn’t know which is true. It was the sports day in Form 6, we the girls in changing room encouraged Teddy proclaim her love to TL. If TL rejects that Teddy could finally give up and put an end to her struggles. Teddy did it, she stopped TL at the lane in front of the audience seats and said in a very clear voice “TL, I am in love with you” (originally TL，我鍾意你) while they were in like 1.5 meter distance. TL pretended he could not hear Teddy and walked away, without a word. Teddy ran back in changing room and couldn’t stop crying. We didn’t know what to do. I can still recall the humid air and how the changing room got darker and darker in the evening. It was one of the saddest moments in my teenage.

– to be continued –