I hadn't bargained for meeting him ever again at the Raffles Hotel. Yet his straight back and the rakish angle of his fedora were unmistakably disturbing ? as always ? moving me in ways unspeakable. Once again, insecure and unsure, I moved towards him and hesitantly asked how he had been doing since we broke up. What I feared would happen did. He took off his hat and with sad eyes he pointed to his bald head. He was back with the dragon gang. I gasped and he sighed. Then a woman in a red cheongsam hit him. ? How dare you!? she shrieked. ? My Xiao Wei is taking his PSLE Maths exams tomorrow. How could you steal his textbook?? His eyes erupted like shards of glass. And it took me back to the memory of what had happened when I had seen such an expression in his eyes before. Was I going to get involved with any of this again? Haven't I had enough by now? I should have just turned around and walked away then and there. ?Let's escape,? he said, in the sly way he knew would go straight to my heart. ?To my place,? he said, and I helplessly followed.

It was pouring heavily outside and I was in my shower, reflecting on the last few days. Why does life get so difficult at times? I had been sitting at the bar of the Raffles Hotel, minding my own business, when suddenly, she walked in. As usual, her eyes roamed the room to see who was looking at her. She looked at the bar and walked straight towards it, and sat on a bar stool, just next to me. ?You don't know me, but what I'm going to say to you in the next few minutes will be very, very important,? she said, hurriedly. I let the silence sink in while the rain thundered against the picture windows. Strangely, I had no curiosity or urgency to hear what she had to say. My mind was riveted to the puddles created by the afternoon rain. Puddles. They reflected the light in the room. The shimmer took me away. I heard her say something in a low voice. She was there and not there, for my mind was far away, back to the days when I was just a little kid, looking out of the windows when the rain was pouring with people running. When I woke up, I realised it was all a bad dream and as usual made no sense except the fact that I dreamt of Raffles Hotel, a recurring dream I had always had. But this time, Anne was in the dream. And she was carrying a star that was a replica of the one on top of the Christmas tree in Ngee Ann City. Now that I was wide awake, that same star was leaning at the foot of my bed, all 2.5 metres wide of it.

Story Three (if you've got this far!)

As the mist cleared a little, I saw him near the bench, under the tree. He was exactly as I imagined he would be. Email can lie, but his didn't. He was a vision to behold. But what a vision! He tripped and fell into a pit. Alarmed, I ran up to see if he was injured. My dream of a quiet afternoon stroll was shattered now. It seemed like a déjà vu. I was trying to sound compassionate when I asked, ?Are you hurt?? ?I thought I was until I saw your beautiful face.? ? Do you believe in past lives? I feel as if e go back a long way together.? ?No, I don't believe I have met you before ? in this life or past!? ?Do you remember the place I see in my mind ? the ring of stones and passageway between two that led up to a hillock. Remember that day you said you'll never forget?? My eyes scanned his face and body, trying to form a story of his life, where emails and words hide. ?I need to borrow your pen again! That was what you said to me the last time!! Don't you remember??