While we were in bed.

“Are you not cold?” I asked, “Do you want my t-shirt?” Caressing her naked back felt like running pastels on a canvas — like blending colors and softening the edges with my fingers, and i would softly blow the dust away — before i realized it was Nadia’s skin and her skin was a magnet; i landed my lips on her back and prayed for happiness.

“No, but i wanna see your drawings,” she pointed to the easel in the television room, “I wanna learn drawing la. You teach me, boleh tak?” She rolled her body from where her chest was resting on my lap, to where i can see the gold pendant that spelled her name hanging from her necklace and pointing to her bosoms. She put her arm around my neck and i saw her eyes were spelling magical charms. “Oi, you tengok apa!” She chuckled while adjusting the towel and brought it higher so it covered the whole chest.

Her laughter is her love amulet, i thought. It protects her from me.

“Tak boleh, hihi.” I didn’t want her to see my silly drawings, i didn’t want her to think i was a person who was in touch with feelings, if any idea she should be getting, was that : I am Firdauz, 28, single, and fuck, i have no other talent than being lazy and watching movies on the television.

I am Firdauz, i have too many ice cream in my fridge, too many stories that you won’t get to hear because my peculiar sense of humor keeps you thinking i only have an IQ of a primate.

“Saya gorilla, ha ha ha,” browsing through the documentary channels and having difficulties with the remote control buttons had made me the prime example of a primate — i was as fool as any other guy, i laughed at my own jokes and i kept on laughing until Nadia took the remote and taught me how to memorize all those 100 celebrities on channel E!.

“You watch it everyday, then nanti you tahu la nanti dorang tu siapa.” Nadia was too tired to explain to me who was who when i kept on asking her who was who on the television. When it didn’t work, she shut her eyes and pretended sleeping on my lap.

“You wanna sleep in my room?” i asked.

“Uh mm.”

When we entered my room, Nadia became a princess and i became a man.

That night, evolution took only a second. Instantly, love was learnt.

2

“You ada berapa girlfriends ah?”

“I’m single.”

“Tipu. I tengok camera you banyak je gambar perempuan.”

Once again, i prayed for happiness and kissed her hand.

3

Her fingernails were long and she knew what to do with them. Her long hair was red and she knew what to do with it. Her smooth skin was radiant and i loved it when it turned red.

Our hearts beat faster while we were in bed.