Sonata of The Shattered | Book I

Dear Old Friend

5 May 2022

"Fransesca!"

"Hey, it's been a while!"

"Fransesca, how are you?"

The four gathered together as they reunited on a reunion of their old class during their Ph.D programme in Arts, Design, and Media back then at Nanyang Technological University. The class that they took with so many laughs and tears shared with each other. The hardest amongst all classes that they took.

Naira, Estelle, and Rachel; the three others with gaps in their age yet made them stronger as time went by. They were once in a study group together and worked on their final project together, day and night, all the time. The hardship they went through became the thing that made them stronger.

"Hi! I'm sorry that I'm late. There are so many things to do back at work." she apologized to everyone as she sat herself on an empty chair and put down her bag on the chair next to her as well, with other bags being put down on that chair as well.

"We have a surprise for you." Estelle told her. "What is it? What kind of secret are you trying to hide from me? Is it only me who has no idea about what secret you guys are hiding behind me?" asked Fransesca, absolutely with zero knowledge on the matter. Of how a secret is supposed to be.

They asked her to close her eyes, so she did. Unaware of what kind of secret she'll be getting. Soon as Estelle nudged on her arm, she opened her eyes and saw three phone screens right in front of her. The three screens showed her three exact documents, with the institution logo she's familiar with with the name of recipients as the difference.

"Oh.. my god! You guys are joking, right?"

She tried to read each of them, one by one, carefully, before she screamed in joy. Jumping up and down from the news and surprise that she received.

"You guys are accepted at NUS as lecturers? This.. this means that we're going to be coworkers as well? In the same faculty?!" she asked them, trying to make sure that she didn't read the wrong thing or conclude things differently. They nodded their head and Fransesca's smile was seen, the widest they ever saw on her face.

"We actually never planned this as well. We applied individually without knowing each other's plans. Then, Naira jie told me she's going to move work, Rachel as well. When I asked them where, they mentioned the same institution; NUS. The three of us just got accepted into the same institution and knowing you're there already, we made it as a surprise instead." Estelle explained to Fransesca regarding the sudden, unexpected surprise.

"I love the three of you so much. Thank you for applying to NUS and becoming my coworkers as well though it's unplanned as we. Destiny really works in its own way, doesn't it?" Fransesca responded, in which the three of them replied with a nod.

The four best friends continued their night with a discussion regarding their old days, reminiscing how it went and laughed out as they realized how busy they were in the past. They also tried to catch up with the latest news of their colleagues in that class they were in as well. From rumors, facts, to questions of whereabout.

"Rachel, how's your ex-boyfriend now?" asked Naira. "Eh, which one? I have so many, I can't even remember their names. Makes me siao." Rachel replied, which caused laughter from everyone on the table. "That James something something, meh. Stop saying you don't remember! He's the most memorable, right?"

Rachel laughed. "Oh, James ey. He married a Singaporean-Chinese girl two years younger than us. Our junior back then. Mmm.. her name is Farah or something, I can't remember eh." she answered. "How about you, Naira jie? How about that man who stalks you everyday in the corridor?" Rachel then asked Naira, the oldest in the group.