adventures in neverland

“one minute of reconciliation is worth more than a whole life of friendship!”   ―   g abriel garcí­a márquez ,  o ne hundred years of solitude it was bound to happen. us meeting again. unexpectedly. funny because we've been trying to meet up during the holidays, when he was in the country for a month long vacation. but somehow, something always happened, someone was always on the way, that we never managed to see each other even for a quick coffee or beer during the entire four weeks that he was home. but last night was magical. it was a scene straight out of a gabriel garcia marquez book. i was hurrying up to meet a hong kong-based journalist friend at the lobby of the pen when who would i see at one table, having a quiet dinner, but him. he blended nicely with the luxurious warmth of the lobby -- the quiet conversations, the live classical music from a band nestled above, fresh flowers all over, wines, coffees, teas being consumed, businessmen in dark s...

paul woke up with an unbearable headache and found the whole country in grief. it was two in the afternoon and the room was bursting with the summer sun that penetrated through the glass sliding doors that led to the terrrace. he forgot to shut the blinds last night before he went to sleep. he felt sticky and hot. he was bathed in sweat. for a while, it hurt to open his still drowsy eyes. with his eyes shut, he groped for the strings on the side of the door and closed the blinds. with his eyes now opened and the room enveloped in the darkness, he found the tv's remote control underneath the pillow and opened the cold, black, fifty-inch gadget mounted on the wall. the room was now sparkling with the lights and vibrant colours emanating from the television. then he headed to the bathroom to wash his face and look for medicines for his headache and hang over. before he could even wash his face and swallow panadols to ease the paralyzi...