Chapter 8 - A Gift From Pilot
“Mint, I need your help!” one day, I received an urgent message from Sue.
Sue, another girl friend of mine, who is based in Taiwan. She is a freelance novel writer and I got to know her more, right after I bought some of her books. We met for coffee when I visited Taiwan five years ago and we are friends, until today.
Walk up to close my office door. Click on the ‘call’ button on my mobile phone, reaching out to Sue.
“What’s up? Sue” I ask her the moment she picks up the call.
“Mint, what can I do? I need a huge sum of money to pay for a courier package. I am so lost now.” She sounds so panic.
“Stay calm; tell me about it in details.” I say to her.
“Since last month, I got to know a guy, online. We have been actively communicating through messages, and things went well. We began our long-distanced love relationship, we maintain it online. Now, my boyfriend is going to send me a gift for my birthday which is coming up soon. And, the parcel is stuck at the custom. I need to pay a hefty amount in order to get it out from custom. What should I do? Mint. I don’t have that much of ‘free’ money to do so.” Sue explains, her voice is ‘shaking’.
“He is a pilot, always flying here and there.” “He shared with me his photos at famous landmark of each country that he landed.” She continues.
(Okay, pilot, similar to work-life of an air-stewardess.) “Tuk, tuk, tuk.” Tapping my finger on the table, while digesting the information she just mentioned.
“What he sent you then? Did he tell you?” I ask Sue.
“He said he bought me a branded handbag.” “And he put some cash inside the bag, for me to pay for the freight cost.” Sue says.
(What a joker? Who would do that? Why can’t he just settle the freight cost beforehand when he really wants to send her a birthday gift?) I only say this in my mind. Sue won’t be able to handle any harsh comments now.
“Who contacted you about this?” I continue to ask.
“The forwarder; he sent me messages. And my boyfriend also informed me to pay for this parcel first, and then get cash from the handbag as a reimbursement to those expenses I paid.” Sue replies.
“Are you able to get the forwarder to let you open the parcel and pay him with the cash in the bag then?” I’m not sure how helpful this forwarder would be; but we should try whichever option we have. So, I post my question to Sue.
“No, I must pay first.” “How, Mint? I think I have to go cancelling my insurance policy right away and get the cash to pay for it…” Sue voices the only solution she has. She’s so helpless.
“Wow… hang it there, Sue! Slow down and calm down.” “First of all, do you really want that bag so much? What if it is just a bag of stone in that parcel?” I quickly respond to Sue. She shouldn’t take any foolish action, at all cost.
“…” Sue goes into silence mode for a second, and think about my question.
“How about you tell your boyfriend that you don’t want to handle this shipment and if he really wants to send you a gift, he should have settled the cost upfront?” I continue sharing my idea with Sue.
“Yeah, quite true… I’m calming down a little, here. Huh… I don’t really need that bag…” After taking a step back and analyzing the situation, Sue replies, even though she sounds a little down.
“What are the information details you have from that forwarder? Send me and let me have a look. I’d try to check with my colleague who is an expert in logistics.” I suggest to her.
“Sure, let me forward it to you to have a look. The forwarder’s company name.” she sends me those details via messages.
“Let me check if we can find anything. Meanwhile, don’t take any rash action first, okay?” I tell her.
“Sure. Thanks, Mint.” She says. We end the call.
I then checked that forwarder’s company name online. Nothing found. I approach my colleagues in logistic department, asking for their help. Hoping that through their shipment network, trace this forwarding company existence in Taiwan.
Result is a NO. There’s no such company!
I share our findings with Sue. “There’s no such company, Sue.” Sue is emotionally-calm now, listening to my words.
She tells me that the bank account that forwarder asked her to bank in the money to, is a personal account.
“That can’t be. How can a shipping forwarder does not have a company bank account?” I point out the suspicious in it.
“Mint, I thank you so much… Stop me from doing stupid things. That insurance endowment policy, I… I’ve been paying it for many years. It serves as… savings for retirement purposes.” (She’s about to cry… but holding it in, so hard.) “Mint, you don’t know how I find myself to be so stupid… to have the thought of wanting to cancel it halfway.” Sue thanks me again and again. Her shaking voice transmits her sadness through the phone to me as well. If I were in Taiwan, being next to her now, I’d definitely give her a big hug. (My poor friend, you’d be fine…)
“It’s not your fault. It is those people that plotting the game to cheat on the innocent public.” I share my thoughts. Thank goodness! Sue is saved from spam act.
This real-life story of Sue, I shared it with Giuliano, in later days. I tried to explain about the ‘phishing act’ that I told him before giving him my phone contact and start using WhatsApp as our messenger tool.
Few days later, Sue updated me that right after she rejected her boyfriend on paying for the parcel. Her so-called boyfriend started to lash out his anger onto her, and claimed that she doesn’t love him, not trusting him at all. And then he stopped calling Sue, ever since then.
Sue was so sad… for being spammed and lied to. Her love relationship ‘dies’ at the end of their last phone call.
All I can do was listening to her and calm her down. Sue needs to give herself sometimes to overcome this sadness. Sue is currently single as well, and this 1-month love relationship of hers, just ended like that. Only she can ‘heal’ herself.
Late days, I only heard from Sue that she didn’t have any phone calls or video calls with her ‘fake’ boyfriend throughout that one month, but only messages. Never heard his voice at all…
(Wow, relationship can start and maintain in any forms, huh?)
Chapter 9 - Our Leisure Chatting Topics
With my newly-made friend, Giuliano, I start to share some conversation topics with him. Topics like anyone else would do when he or she starts getting to know a new friend.
Chapter 9.1 - Common Daily Greetings
“Good morning to you from NY. Have you had a good night rest?” Giuliano asks through the message he sent me, but I could only read it after I woke up. The 12-hour difference is the main reason for it.
Ever since we were connected through WhatsApp, almost every day, Giuliano would send me such ‘morning call’ messages. One in the morning when he wakes up and one in the evening after he returns from his work.
Doesn’t it make one feels good to have someone asking you this? A greeting as simple as: “How is your day?” “How are you feeling today?” “Do you have a good rest?” At least, to me, it does! Not every friend or family members would say this to me though, in reality. So, I do the same and return Giuliano with such caring courtesy greetings as well. Make it a good practice of my own.
“Hope you had a good night rest. How are you doing today?” He continues.
“Good evening to you, Giuliano. I had a good sleep last night. Thank you, I feel refresh now. How was your day today?” I type, while still laying on my bed. Having five more minutes before getting prepare for my Monday work.
“Well, my Sunday was good. I left home for the supermarket to get some few stuff after having breakfast. I had coffee and donuts for breakfast. And I met with my colleague and he asked if we have some time together, so we went to pub and there we watch football together and talked for a while… I got home an hour ago and been resting and watching TV. Sorry I talk much… and how is your day going so far? Had breakfast?” Giuliano shares his activities on his Sunday. Piling all updates into this one message.
(Wow, he wrote such a long message, telling me what he has been doing even before I asked… Never had a man who would write me such a long message, so far.
Except for my previous boss who would sent me a long list of things to do just right before he went off for his holiday break… just to make sure I would be busy until he came back to office…
Maybe those men that I know prefer to write messages short and precise.)
“No worries, I kind of enjoy reading what you wrote. A quick bite on bread and coffee. That’s my usual routine breakfast during my work day.” “Donuts? Do you like sweet stuff?” I re-assure him not to worry.
“Thanks for taking time to read about my boring day. Hahaha…” Giuliano thanks me for that. “Yes, I like sweet and spicy food and how about you?”
“Oh, you can handle spicy food, good then! There’s so many yummy food but with spicy tastes. I am a foodie; chilies in the meal will be a bonus for me.” I’m glad to know that he likes spicy food just like me. (Some of my friends could not handle spicy food. Such a waste… When those spicy foods are so good and they can’t even take a sip of them.)
“Oh, I see and do you mean to tell me you would prepare delicious meals weekends? Do you live alone or with your family?” He asks, in his words. “I like foodies as I need to be one. I like food but don’t eat much when I get to see the food…” “What is your favourite food?”
(Oh… Poor thing. You should see how much Lene and I would eat when we entered into Buffet-mode. It’s like we carried along our portable-stomach. All of a sudden, we can stuff in so many foods into our stomach. Hahaha…. We are foodie and we often explore good food.
My train of thought flies back to the other day, where I brought Lene to have our weekend high-tea at a cozy café, in a reputable hotel. That was the café where I had my photo with a giant teddy bear. Those teddy bears are still there for keeping social-distancing purposes. Lene loves this place in an instant. I’m glad that she enjoys it.
We had ala-carte buffet breakfast for that morning. A table full of our selected food choices! The food portion is not huge, just one bite for each person. Good, then. We could repeat order on the food that we find delicious.
We ate slowly and enjoyed our talk and the nice city view. Throughout those two hours, we had nearly 4 cups of drinks! Hahaha… Superb!
2 Cappuccino, 1 Apple Juice and ½ cup of Milk for me;
1 Latte, 1 Earl Grey, 1 Cappuccino, 1 Orange Juice for Lene.
That’s us! So Dazzling!)
“Well, it depends on my mood, whether to prepare my own food or eat out. I’m still learning and experimenting this and that… but all still edible. Hahaha…” “Live with friends.” I reply to Giuliano. “Don’t tell me you are the one who is on diet?!? Hahaha… I like variety of food but most of the green-leave vegetables; I still have problems consuming them. Lettuce still acceptable…” “I don’t know, could be the chlorophyll taste that I don’t like. But I tried each of vegetables (even now) to see which one I can eat. Variety is getting more than 10 years ago. Hahaha…” I frankly telling him my weakness in handling vegetables.
“Oh, really? I thought you might be a vegetarian. Hahaha… Why find it hard consuming? I think your system is not accepting it.”
Some casual topics in our messages, goes on and on…
Chapter 9.2 - Clarification Needed
“Giuliano, what is your current marital status? Just to be clear. I do not want, someday, during my shopping, out of nowhere a woman came out and beats me out of the blue.” I bluntly ask Giuliano, on my Tuesday afternoon.
That was the first clarification I need from Giuliano as I have no intention to be in between any relationship or marriage. I have my own principal, so to say. As friends, we have conversation topics that lingers among friends only; but conversation topics would change or deepen when one is going to build a relationship with the other party. I keep things clear.
“I am single and never married; and how about you?” “Hahahahaha… you are so funny, Mint. I don’t think such a thing ever going to happen when you got this Superman with you.”
“I will tell you about my past relationship soon; I will write it down for you to read at your free time, okay?” “I have no lady in my life right now but you who just walk in… so nobody to beat you out of the blue.”
“Hope you are having a nice day so far.” “I will be going to sleep now as I feel tired and sleepy now… Remember to take your lunch early and stay safe. Please feel free to share anything with me; I will read and reply when I wake up. I would love us to keep a steady communication if it is okay with you because I see you are very lively and fun to have as friend. It is a good night from here and a nice day to you, Mint.” Giuliano states his current status in his replying messages. His messages pop-up one after another. He really can ‘talk’.
I chuckle when reading his replies.
“Good night and sleep well. I’d write you during my lunch break.” I send my ‘good night’ to him.
We stop there for today as it is late now; time for him to go to sleep. Tomorrow is another working day. Giuliano would write and send me messages during his lunch break and I would read and reply him during my morning time or my lunch break. That’s pretty much the ‘timing’ we would send each other messages, taking into consideration our working hours and rest time. I really enjoy such kind thoughts we have aligned here.
“Good morning to you, Giuliano. Hope you had a good and quality sleep last night.” “Are you staying alone or with family?” I think of what to write in my messages to him during my lunch break. I have finished my meal and just enjoying my coffee before heading back to office. Sending a message or two, won’t take much time.
(Should I click send or just save the messages first? I am not sure if he is the type that would switch off his mobile phone’s incoming message ringtone before going to sleep. I would better check with him on this later on, as I don’t want to disturb his rest time and wake him up from his sleep…. He can always read them when he has time to do so, the very next day when he awakes.)
“Yes, I had a good rest last night probably because I had a chat with you, hahaha… hope you had a nice day at work” “I live alone here though; I was previously staying with my ex in my old neighbourhood… but here, I live alone.” “Are you into any relationship now?” His morning time, Giuliano responds to my messages after our routine morning greetings.
“I am not into any relationship at the moment.” “Take your time in getting yourself ready for today. Do some stretching, will you? Have a refresh and energetic Giuliano, to start your day!” I suggest.
“Yes, thanks. I’ll have my shower now.”
Now, our days have a new routine added to it, i.e. to read and send messages to each other, every morning and evening. As working professional at their late 30’s, we respect each other’s working time and rest time, we chat via messages, only when we’re free to do so. No stress so far.
Chapter 9.3 - One's Preference
Our daily messages on Day 3, we share more about our likes and dislikes. We talked about our favourite foods, ability in handling spicy food, the perfumes that we are into, and so on…
“What kind of person are you?” “I self-claimed that I have sense of humor and I like to smile or laugh out loud (if the joke was too funny or my imagination is running wild).” I am proud about the humor in me.
“My personality? Easy going, fun, I like wearing a charming smile and I believe we are all here on earth for a good mission and meeting each might be such mission. Hahaha…” Giuliano shares a little bit about himself.
“Wow! You love a joker like me I guess. Hahaha… Giuliano will be a handsome joker.” He adds a clown smiley icon to his message.
“When is your birthday?” He continues. [2]
I chuckle… “Birthday? Still a long way to go. September.” “Do you like Avengers? Since you mentioned about Superman and mission in your messages.” I ask.
“Yes, I like Avengers the movie. And how about you? Who is your favourite character in the movie?” Giuliano asks me back.
“Each of them has their own charm. Iron man, I guess. This character is kind of funny but a real hero.” “How about you? Which character do you like?” I claim.
“What are you looking for when you start using this dating app? Looking for a chat-mate or friends to kill time? You could easily find one nearby the place you’re staying now, don’t you think so” bluntly, I ask him next.
(Seeing that clown smiley icon… reminds me of something.)
“When I was still a child, I like watching horror movies, but the ‘IT’ the original movies, gave me phobia, I guess. So, I don’t like clowns and puppets, even dolls…” I shout out loud in messages about what I dislike. (I don’t mind being laughed at; that’s the real me, anyway.)
“I’m on my way to work. I will reply to all once I arrived at the office, okay?” “An angel is scared of puppets, hahaha…” “Please keep sharing; I am loving it. Okay?” Giuliano is on his way departing to office now and my messages made him laugh.
“Have a safe journey.” I replied.
“Hey, Mint, I’m right in my office, met with loads of work waiting and I just sorted few out and wanted talking (he was referring to messaging) with you before you go to bed… My favourite character is Iron man and I love him for his comics, hahaha…” Giuliano replied with a bunch of messages, a few hours later.
“I had breakfast and I ate bacon, egg and cheese sandwich; do you like sandwich?”
“I came here to look for a long-term relationship that will lead to a good future for us… I am here to connect with someone who is ready to commit to a relationship… Have you met anyone on here who you like?” Giuliano asked in return.
“Would you like to visit the US? Where would you like to go on vacation?”
“You are a very lively soul and I so like you because you are very free and nice, I would be happy if we can get to keep a steady communication with each other and leave the dating app for now…” “Let’s work on ourselves, we will be great mind if we work hard, I like the positive vibe in you… What do you think, Mint?” Giuliano suggests.
“Hahaha… I used to watch horror movies too growing up but that always end up with me being terribly afraid of darkness but as I grow, I get used to watching and not being afraid anymore.” “Hahaha… I will take you to go see horror movie. Have you seen ‘Final Destination’? I would be happy if you’ll watch that with me so you can keep clinging to me.”
“Thanks for having me as a friend, Mint. Are you asleep now?” Giuliano expressed his gratitude through his messages, once again.
I laugh when reading his messages on the bed. (Could he be typing these messages with a smile on his face as well? I wonder.)
“You have the talent of making me laugh. Yes, I laugh reading your messages.” “I’m not into any relationship at the moment.” Sending him my reply.
“You just made me happy by sharing about yourself and I’m so pleased babe. You don’t mind if I call you that? Okay?” Giuliano replies instantly.
(Well, I have been to the states and NY. Seems like it’s pretty common for one to address ladies and woman as baby, sweetie, beautiful and so on. You can call me anything you feel like. I don’t really mind though…)
“Giuliano, thank you for taking me as a friend and spending time writing those messages. Have a good day. I’d go to bed now.”
Putting down my mobile phone, crawling onto by bed, I need to sleep now. I’ll catch his messages when I wake up then. (I feel happy without knowing that I actually went to sleep with a smile on my face…).
Since there’s a time difference between us, I would browse through all the messages from Giuliano and reply, one-by-one. The topics might be jumble-up; but so far Giuliano can follow and he also does the same when replying my messages.
[2] Question: ‘Birthday’ – which seems to be a pretty norm question that one would hear from a friend. At that point of time, I didn’t think much about this question from him and really went ahead replying him my birth date.
“Hmm… the word ‘Superman’, do you know that you’ve just hit the jackpot? So far, I only quoted this word to my Dad (my hero who can handles anything, like an all-can-do handyman.) Don’t get me wrong, I’m not a daddy’s girl/mummy’s girl thing/having those attitudes… See if you have the chance to take over this Superman’s role. If you do, I’d get you red underwear as a gift (as I dare not get one for my dad), hahaha…” “Just joking.” I share with him how impactful that ‘Superman’ word means to me; and I tease Giuliano a little.
“You are a happy soul and that is why you can laugh to my silly jokes and I like that about you.” “Hahaha… and I feel our mission together is getting started. I want to be your Superman; you have to assist me so as the mission can be completed.” Giuliano replies to my messages the next morning when he has some free time, in his office. Morning, he did sent me ‘Good morning’ messages before rushing to work. There were some urgent matters that need his attention there.
“With the way you just described, I feel you are a daddy’s girl… but how about I call you – my Wonder Woman?”
“Oh, your parents are so lucky to have a beautiful soul like you.” “Oh, really? I think I am waiting for my red underwear soon. Laugh out loud…” some Laugh-out-loud smiley icons follow at the end of this message.
“Can’t stop laughing right now… Thanks for making smile so much. People are wondering why I’m laughing out so loud.” Giuliano was badly hit by my silly jokes. (Glad that he laughs a lot! I do believe that laughing is one of the good ways to release stress.)
“I guess you are asleep now, see me in lala-land, okay? Good night and sweet dreams of me, okay? Let me know when you’re awake, okay?” (Giuliano seems to have a habit of adding ‘okay’ to his messages, and lala-land was his way of calling ‘dreamland’.)
He attached another photo of his. (I saw this one before. He posted it on his profile photos in that dating app.)
“See this face in lala-land… This uncle here, misses Mint… kindly share your photos with me too, okay?”
(I only put one photo on my profile – i.e. the one with exhausted look after sweating brisk walk. Haha…)
“I’m back to work now, babe, and will be going to the site now. Sleep tight, okay?”
Opening my eyes, dark room… Middle of the night, I awake from my dreamland. Get up to grab some water to drink and automatically, grab along my mobile phone. I saw his messages.
“Hahaha…” (He called himself ‘uncle’, hahaha… I almost spill the water I drank.)
(So, if we have the intention work from friendship towards closer relationship, then I need more verification about this Giuliano…)
“How about this?” I send him the following message before continuing my sleep.
“Do me a favour: Take a selfie photo of yourself with your mouth widely open biting on a donut or sandwich.” “Don’t worry about your image spoil in that pose, I don’t mind to see the real you. Just want to make sure I’m talking to the genuine Giuliano. Pretty please…” “I woke up middle of the night to grab some water. Back to sleep again…”
(Why did I ask for such pose in a selfie photo? Well, not many people would put such a pose when taking selfie as it doesn’t look good at all. And this would at some level, able to proof that, the Giuliano that I’m communicating through messages, is not someone who is ‘using’ someone else’s photos and claiming himself the one as seen on photos. I am cautious and I do have doubts when dealing with online relationship.)
This weird request of mine triggers a little ‘disaster’ which I only get to know when I wake up, the next day…