Our story / no longer neighbours.
So today, I shall share the brief story of me and Adrian, the bf/fiance. (I decided to do the whole post instead of a summary so.. its not going to be brief. So go pee, go grab a drink, and come read my grandma story)
We officially met on bus 25 as we alighted at the same stop. That was somewhere in November 2009. I remember coming home from badminton practice(which I joined for fun for a month back in year 1 of uni), suffering from a sprained ankle I got from being over enthusiastic. Everything happened in the day to slowly bring me to my fateful meeting with him. First was badminton, and then my dinner with Kevin, and then me deciding to still take the bus although he offered to cab me home. If any part of this combination of events had changed, I wouldn’t have met him, and maybe we’d still be (sorta) strangers today.

-Randomly inserting photo so it doesn’t look so wordy.
I remember him smiling and acknowledging me as we stood side by side waiting to alight. & I remember being ridiculously happy and I didn’t know why.
I expected him to wait for me since we were headed the same way (& he obviously knew it since he acknowledged my presence), but he flew off like a torpedo once the bus doors opened. T_T So my immediate thought was that he was rushing to the lift to press the “close” button furiously so he wouldn’t have to take a same elevator as I did. (I do that when I don’t want to share elevators) I tried my best to hobble faster to catch up with him, but my swollen ankle didn’t allow. So I gave up and just made my way slowly.
But when I made it to the slope of the bus stop, there he was, waiting for me. (Through later chats I found out that he thought I was deliberately slowing down to avoid taking the same lift. HA! The irony.)

picture from google maps. See its quite a distance to hobble over if you’re having a sprained ankle ok.
So we had a brief introduction – actually only say names and shake hands – before we arrived at our floor. That ride up to the 10th floor was the fastest ride I’d ever taken in the 15 years I’ve lived here.
Yes, we were neighbours. Not direct though, we simply lived on the same floor on different sides of the block.

So that was it – our first encounter. (We were both attached then. Not talking about that part though, this post is about Adrian and I, and just the two of us.)
Subsequently, I sent him a Christmas card (I used to send Christmas cards to my closer friends for fun – but have stopped now cus I’m lazy like tt), with my address and email attached. I was hoping for a return card but I’d gotten an email with his number instead. & then we progressed to chatting on msn, and texting, then actually meeting up for coffee (which became lunch/movie). & then more and more outings until we met almost everyday and became a couple. :)

22nd dec 2009, our very first date.
We didn’t really have an official start, like he didn’t officially ask “will you be my girlfriend?” We just started holding hands, and then him surprising me w a kiss (on different dates), and then going to his place / mine, and that was it. Our anniversary date was the date of our first coffee date (haha). I eventually made sure to let him know that if he wanted to marry me, I wanted an official “Will you marry me?”. Which he eventually gave me + on bended knee hahahahaha.
& if you’re wondering, yes I actually did talk about the proposal in one of my posts.. Its just a short post but yea. :D
We’ve been neighbours for 13 years prior to our official introduction, and have met each other a couple of times – usually together with our parents. Just before our official meeting, we’d met in the lift n his mom (whom I’ve met a lot since I was a kid) asked me about what I was studying. & he noticed me then alr, & still remembered where I was studying when we officially introduced! :D
He says he vaguely remembers a little girl having 2 ponytails, wearing a pinafore hiding behind her daddy. That probably would have been me. We’re 8 years apart – which means that when I was say in primary 2/3, he was in JC1/2, which would have been the time he saw me. (cause after that was army/uni and our time to leave house would be different alr)
Again, this is all about being at the right place at the right time. If we’d met and introduced earlier, we probably wouldn’t end up together. He was in a serious relationship before meeting me, and any time before that I’d be too young for him (+ also head over heels over another guy my age).

I used to stalk him on a daily basis. How? I’d look out my window and spy him.

This is the parallel view from my bedroom window. and you see that pink circle? That is Adrian’s room. (Actually no, that one you see is his sister’s room. But his room is next to it. This shot is captured like tt cus I stuck my phone out of the window to take the shot. I normally don’t stuff my head out so through my window grills, his room is the one I see lol)

Took another photo to show you what I really see. lol.
He has the habit of opening the windows once he reaches home, and closing it when he goes out. So that, is always my indication of whether he’s home from work yet, or whether he’s leaving for work already. Also whether he’s slept yet. Stalker maximum. HAHAHA.
I’ve gotten so used to doing that, I will really miss this now.
He’s moved, and is no longer my neighbour.
*cue sad music*
People always exclaim “omg! he’s your neighbour?? How lucky of you two, so convenient!!” Well.. don’t need to be envious anymore, cos now we’re just like all of you.
Of course, its good for him ‘cause he’s upgrading to a very nice new condo with a swimming pool right in front of is house. (nvm that there are TONS of millipedes and flies and creepy crawlies eew) I have a ton of mixed feelings. On one end I’m so happy for him but on the other I’m so sad that we wouldn’t be able to see each other on a whim. I can’t just decide that I wanted to go over to say hi at 9am, and then come back home at 10am to change and pop over again. I can’t run there at 11 and come back at 12am anymore.
This shift would be a huge change to our whole relationship. The way we meet up, the way we plan our days. He has to drive me home now, rather than just driving us home together. Maybe I’d only see him twice a week. I’ve gotten so used to meeting him every single day I think I’ll have Adrian withdrawal symptoms frm this. (read: emo tweets)
BUT I suppose this would also give us a new take on this relationship, let us experience being together with some distance between us. So its all good. Everything will turn out awesome. :D (+ I can go swimming in his new house maybe every weekend yay!)
There must be a reason why God told him to buy that condo although we haven’t met yet. So… I need to embrace change. & have faith that IT WILL ALL BE GOOD. :)

So that, is the story of us. From strangers to neighbours to friends to bf/gf to fiance/fiancee and then not being neighbours anymore.
But the constant, is that we’re still very much in love with each other. :)

/XOXO!