LOVE - A Many Splendored Thing
Here is an excerpt from a novel that I would like readers to read as a prologue to my story.
‘Priya and Sebastian:
‘It was raining when Priya left the bank on Friday evening. She put up her umbrella and kept her head down, looking out for puddles as she made her way to the bus stop. Of course, he was waiting for her, as he had been every night that week.
‘ “Good evening, Miss Ghuman,” he said, and handled her a rose.
‘ “Thank you,” she replied before joining the queue.
‘Priya climbed on board the bus and took a seat on the top deck. She glanced out of the window and for a moment thought she spotted Seb hiding in the shadows of a shop doorway. When she got off the bus in Fulham Road, another young man, another rose, another thank you. She ran to the flat as the rain became heavier by the minute. By the time she put her key to the front door, she was frozen. She’d decided on a quick supper, a warm bath and early bed, and tonight she would even try and get some sleep.
‘She was taking a yogurt out of the fridge when the doorbell rang. She smiled and checked her watch: the last rose of the day, which would join all the others in the vase on the hall table. Wondering just how long Seb would keep this up, she walked quickly to the door, not wanting the young man to get drenched. she opened it to find him standing there, an umbrella in one hand, and a rose in the other.’
Love Is A Many Splendored Thing
Love is a many
It’s the April rose that only grows in the early Spring
Love is nature’s way of giving a reason to be living
The golden crown that makes a man a king
Once on a high and windy hill, In the morning mist
Two lovers kissed and the world stood still
Then your fingers touched my silent heart and taught it how to sing
Yes, true love’s a many
Oh Once on a high and windy hill, in the morning mist
It’s the April rose that only grows in the early Spring
Love is nature’s way of giving a reason to be living
The golden crown that makes a man a king
Two lovers kissed and the world stood still
Then your fingers touched my silent heart and taught it how to sing
Yes, true love’s a many
Now back to Priya and Sebastian before my own story:
‘ Riya slammed the door in his face, sank to the floor and burst into tears. How could she continue to treat him so badly, when she was the one to blame? She sat in the hallway, hunched up against the wall. It was some time before she slowly picked herself up and made her way back to the kitchen. The light was fading, so she walked across to the window and drew the curtains. It was still raining - what the English describe as cats and dogs. And then she saw him, head down, sitting on the wet
‘ He stood up, and she knew she should have closed the door immediately. He began walking slowly across the road towards her, half expecting the door to be slammed in his face again. But she didn’t close it, so he stepped forward and took her in his arms.
“I don’t want to go on living if I can’t be with you,” he said.
‘ “I feel the same way. But you must realize it’s hopeless.”
‘ “I’ll go and see your father as soon as he comes back from India. I can’t believe he won’t understand.”
‘ “It won’t make any difference.”
‘ “Then we’ll have to do something about it before he returns.”
‘ “The first thing we’re going to have to do is get you out of that suit. You’re soaking wet.” As she took off his jacket, he leaned forward and began …
‘ “I’m not soaking, ” she whispered.
‘ “I know,” he whispered back. ‘
Now it’s time for my story - Lin and Francis, 1958.
Yes, I was eighteen then and 1958 was my Cambridge School Certificate year. I would start my story in the vein of Priya and Sebastian thus:
It was raining when Lin left New Alumbra Theatre that Friday evening at 2130 hours. She put up her umbrella and kept her head down, looking out for puddles as she made her way to the bus stop. Of course, he was waiting for her, as he had been every night that last week.
This time, however, he plucked up courage and walked forward towards her at the bus queue. He had rehearsed his speech but still he could not keep his fast-speed of his speech in check.
“Go..od Eve..ning, Mis..s Ch..an,” he stammered.
“Why must you keep on stalking me every night,” she asked.
His mind went blank as he had not expected this question and he had not rehearsed any reply to this.
He covered her dress with his umbrella, exposing his left arm to the pouring rain. He began to stammer out his prepared speech, regardless of the relevance of the question asked.
“I … … am … … concerned … about … … you, Mis…s Ch..an. I … … was con… cerned abo…ut you since the last few … … months when … … … you left the tuition class and told me that you had to work.”
“Well Sir, thanks for your concern. Now that you know that I’m safe, can you go home now.” she said as the bus arrived and the queue moved forward, both of them walked slowly together along with the queue.
That was the start of the love story of Lin and Francis.
Moving on, Francis proceeded to be a Primary School Teacher at Bukit Merah South School, then as an apprentice at Langdon and Every, a firm of Quantity Surveyors.
In 1963, Lin and Francis were married after overcoming the battle of the social class much along the lines of the story of Priya and Sebastian.
In 1964, Francis had a Singapore Government Scholarship to be trained as a Chartered Surveyor in London and Lin followed him soon after he left for his training at the London Borough of Southwark.
In December 1964, after two weeks in London, Lin delivered their first baby.
Now in 2019, Lin and Francis had celebrated over fifty years of a happy marriage - a union that was not without its ups and its downs. More about these at another time.
YES, Love never fails.
English