http://superraine.blogspot.sg/p/the-boy-who-became-bunny.html
Chapter 10
We got out of the house and it was the first time I saw Project 13 in
something other than a nightgown. She tied her hair high up into a
bun and she wore jeans and a white tee. I found it amazing how normal
she looked in normal clothes. Riding my motorcycle, I took her to
Haji Lane. It was one of the few quaint places in Singapore and it
was a small street lined with shophouses selling offbeat clothes in
cute stores. I knew I should get her an evening dress that was quirky
yet sophisticated and there was a certain store in Haji Lane which
had that style.
I got to know about that shop thanks to Annabelle. It was a few
months back and we were in a classy hotel room. "This is a nice
dress," I commented, before taking it off.
"Thank you, you are the third person who told me that today. I
chanced upon it at Haji Lane and it is the cheapest dress in my
closet. Maybe it's not just the picey things which suit me,"
said Annabelle.
Me and Project 13 browsed through the shops, holding hands. We
probably look like a normal young couple in love instead of a girl
with her pet bunny. "I like it here," said Project 13,
smiling at me. We finally arrived at the store I wanted to bring her
to. It sold various vintage-looking dresses of varied styles. Project
13 looked overwhelmed by the different dresses. "I don't really
know what to pick."
"Don't worry, is there any style you want?" I asked,
browsing through the outfits. There were a red velvet chair in the
shop and she immediately sat on it. It was like she was trying to
detach herself from the shopping process. "Nothing too
revealing. I do like blue and white colours," she said, slightly
squiming in her seat. I picked out a few dresses for her to try.
She stepped out of the fitting room in the first outfit ( a long
white lace gown with a corseted top and a poofy skirt).
"How is it?" she asked. I was surprised how well the dress
fitted her. This dress was a gamble because I thought she would be
nothing but skin and bones. It occured to me that her collarbone was
very pretty and there was something attractive about her big eyes and
small face.
"You look beautiful," I said. "Do you like it?"
"It's too revealing," she said, looking at her reflection
in the fitting room's mirror. I wanted to point out to her that she
was wearing a dress that reached her ankles but instead I passed her
another dress. "Try this one."
The second dress was a long, white, long sleeved dress. It was made
of cotton, has a square neckline and cut in a princess style with a
high waistline. "I like this one!" exclaimed Project 13.
"No it's too covered!" I cried. It also looked too much
like a nightgown which I'm sure was why she approved of it.
She finally stepped out in the third dress. It was a long sleeveless
midnight blue dress. The top had a scoop neckline and the flared
skirt was overlaid with a black rose lace pattern. "I guess this
doesn't look too bad. I like the rose design," she said,
swishing the skirt around.
I smiled and nodded in approval. "Let's get it."
"Are you sure? It's not exactly cheap."
"Don't worry, take it as my congratulation gift when you become
a published author. I'll also get you a pair of heels," I said,
looking at a pair of black open-toed pumps which were studded with
black rhinestones.
We both left the store with the dress and shoes packed neatly in a
big paper bag. I slung the paper bag over my shoulder and held her
hand. It was nice walking around and we both wandered around the
area, walking towards the shopping mall that was some distance away.
"It's been a long time since I've seen so many people," she
said, clutching my hand tightly. I was curious about something, "What
did you do before you started writing your manuscript? I mean, were
you working, or studying?"
"I worked there," she said, pointing at the building next
to the shopping mall. I turned to see her pointing at the National
Library. "I was a librarian for about a year, until my
grandmother died. Then I just stayed home to accompany my bunny. It
was a great job though. I didn't have to talk to anyone and I was
surrounded by books."
"Do you want to go to the library?" I asked.
"Sure,
although right now, I am jealous of all the writers who have their
books in there. But maybe it can motivate me."
The library was located at the basement of the building and had rows
and rows of shelves containing books of different subjects. Project
13 looked happier here than at the clothing store, earlier. She led
me to the last shelf in the fiction section, where the authors last
names started with W, X, Y and Z. "I tend to like Japanese
authors like Murakami and Yoshimoto." She bend down to select a
book by Banana Yoshimoto. "She always writes about characters
who have suffered a traumatic event in their lives, like death of a
loved one. What kind of books do you read?" she asked.
"I don't read much. I used to read comics a lot when I was
younger, like batman and stuff. You can borrow those here too,"
I said, pointing to the comic book shelf.
"Really? I didn't know that," she said, widening her eyes.
"Have you always wanted to be a writer?" I asked.
"I always loved reading as a kid and at some point in my
childhood, it occured to me that I should write my own stories. I
never really wrote proper stories till I was a sixteen though."
We both sat down on a black sofa bench and I said, "Very few
people have dreams these days especially with something as concrete
as yours. Maybe they have a vague idea of what they want to do with
their lives, but in the end stability and money becomes more
important and that vague dream gets pushed away."
"Bunny, do you have a dream?" she asked, looking at me with
those big eyes.
"Me? I'm just living."
"Even though I am very happy that you are alive, I hope you find
your dream soon. But I have to say, you are doing a wonderful job as
my muse at the moment."
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