A Possible Taboo Subject

February 28, 2013 mabel ♥

I guess only a few know how Sean and I really got together. It’s not something we go around telling, and when asked, we give a really short version of how we met. Back when we first started out, the mere mention of our age difference and his occupation will have people frowning. We kept everything pretty low keyed. That explains why there were so few photos of us together before marriage. Even after we got married, it was still something we do not really talk about. I also ran the idea of writing this post by him before starting work on it. I wanted to make sure it was something we are both ok with. It should be fine to talk about it now, considering we have been married to each other for going eight years now, and have two beautiful children together 🙂

It all started when I was still wearing this uniform:

This photo was taken much later, after we got married. Haha!

I was 15 when I first met Sean. He was 27 then, and he was a trainee teacher in my school. All I know was that the moment he stepped into the classroom for the very first time, my breath was literally taken away. My heart did not skip a bit. Instead, it beat so hard that I started to blush and turn red in the face. Thank goodness nobody noticed! Something in me just flipped the moment he walked in. I was attached to another boy at that time, so I brushed it all away as just a crush, an infatuation. There was no way Sean will be attracted to me at all, anyway.

After his training was done in my school, he moved on to another school and I never saw him again, until two years later.

We were at a mutual friend’s home for a gathering, and that was when he took notice of me, I think. I was very shock to see him there, and again, I blushed quite badly the moment I saw him. It was just like when I saw him for the very first time. But the feeling was not mutual. He had no recollection of me at all! He even thought I was someone else’s girlfriend from another school, which meant he thought I was interested in girls. Haha! It was really funny when he revealed that, after we got together.

Anyway, after the gathering was over, our friend’s mother (super awesome lady) drove all of us home as it was very late. Sean and I were the last to be dropped off. It was then that we managed to talk to each other. I was sitting at the back, and him, in front. We spoke without looking at each other much. When we reached my place, he was asked to send me up as it was past midnight by then, and she worried for my safety. I declined the offer as I was still attached to the same boy. I did not want anyone in the family to think I was a two-timer, should they see him walk me home. When I got home, I sent him a text message to inform him that I’ve reached home safely. I had previously scribbled his mobile number on my notebook (copied from my friend’s). When I did not receive a reply, I thought he did not want anything to do with me.

The next day, I went to ask another friend for his number, just to be sure that I had the right number and he chose not to respond. I know, I sound like a crazed girl. Haha. When I got the number from my friend, I found out that I had the wrong number! So I quickly sent him a message, and I got a respond almost immediately! I was so happy when he replied!

At that time, I was in a pretty bad relationship – one that I truly want to forget – that I cannot seem to get out of. We started to send text messages to one another, and then it evolved into calls that would last through the nights.

I remember one of the calls we had in the afternoon had me rushing to meet him near his place. We were talking about his car, and he was attempting to describe it to me. I told him I could not imagine it, and he said if I was interested, I could meet him near his place to view his car. And I did. Haha. That car turned out to be our wedding car later 🙂

More calls and text messages later, I told him about my upcoming 17^th birthday, and how I was excited for it because 17 is my favourite number (my birth date too!). He then said he would get me a gift. He said he would get me some hair accessories for my long hair, but I told him not to as it was not practical at all. I only like using black bands (still do). Then he said he would get me contact lenses. I was shocked. I had been bugging my mom to get me contact lenses but it was a big no-no! So naturally, I was all high and excited about it.

We met up to get the contact lenses, and he showed me how to put them on. I remember the place (not the date). It was at McDonald’s, the Princess Theatre branch at Bedok Interchange. I also remember he ordered Fillet-o-Fish meal to eat while teaching me. Haha. It was after this that we started to spend more time together. I started to tell him about the relationship I was in, and he told me I had to get out of it before things got worse. I was afraid, but he said he would be there for me should things go wrong. In short, Sean was my knight in shiny armor 🙂

Prior to getting together

After I was out of the relationship for good, Sean asked me to be his girlfriend. All this happened within a span of 10 days – from the moment we met each other again after two years to getting together. It was past midnight when he asked me, and I said, “Yes”, putting our start together on 24 July 2004.

The first week together had a lot of firsts for us, and things just got better from then. Life for me could not get any better.

Or so I thought.

It was some time in July/August 2005, after being together for just a little over a year, we were watching a movie on his bed when he asked me to marry him. There was no ring, no flowers. Just a cuddle with a laptop playing a romantic movie in front of us. I was obviously shocked. I was only 18 then, but I said, “Yes” to him again. He then spoke to my parents about it. They were naturally worried at first, but they gave the nod. We started the house hunt after.

When we finally found the home we want to start our new life together in, we received news that my grandpa was breathing his last breath. We all rushed to be by his bedside that night. My grandpa’s passing marked the start of more rushing for us. My mom said with my grandpa’s passing, we need to hold our solemnization within 100 days of his death, or we will have to wait at least a year. We could not wait a year, not when we have just found the home of our dreams! And so, by 29 October 2005, we were husband and wife.