A ForGetFuL ExPeRiEnCe...

Scene opens with Mei Qing and Emma alighting from the bus frantically and talking at a faster pace than usual.

M: Quick! Quick! Late already!

E: Wait, I need to tap my card. (taps card) Aiya, why so fast? Anyway even if you take the test today, you will still need to book another date.

M: No loh, I’ll pass my test today.

E: How do you expect to pass you if you always stall your car when going up the slope?

M: Don’t insult me ok, at least I’m better than you. You almost hit down the pole at the back because you were still on reverse gear and you stepped on the acceleration!

E: But I didn’t. Haha… You failed your basic theory test three times!

M: I still passed it in the end what!

E: Haha, in two days, I’ll take my test and we’ll see who passes the test first time loh.

M: Can you please walk faster?

E: Very fast already! I’m not a car.

M: Fine.

E: Hey Qing, how many feet before the traffic light do you change down to 3rd gear?

M: 30.

E: down to 2nd gear?

M: 20.

E: 1st gear?

M: 10.

E: No la! You don’t change down to 1st gear unless you have stopped completely! Haha!

M: Grr.. Can you stop playing a fool?

E: Ok Ok.. Chill man!

Both of them walk into the waiting room. Names are being called as they walk in.

TP: ….Tan Poh Kim, Rashidah Said, Lim Ai Poh, Anand Gopal, Vikky Verrasamy….

M: Oh no! Emma! They started calling the names liao.

E: Don’t think they’ve called yours la.

M: How do you know?

E: I don’t know. Relax la. At most you book the next date loh. Hahaha

M: It’s not funny Emma Ong! I paid for this exam! I don’t want to miss it!

E: How can you miss it? You are already here.

M: Exactly! I’m already here! I don’t want to miss it!

E: Cool it, there’s just a few of us left, let’s just wait for the rest of the names to be called out.

TP: …Chan Yi Mei Susan, Muhammad Yusof Udzir, Sim Tsuen Yen Joseph, Goh Fook Seng
Barry… Ok! Bo liao (Hokkien for ‘no more’)!

M: What? Emma, how?

E: Don’t panic yet. Let’s go and ask him if he missed out your name.

M: Excuse me, wo shi lai kao che de. (takes out a crumpled receipt) zhe shi wo de ‘paper’, ke yi
bang wo ‘check’ yi xia ma?

TP: Er... ni de ming zi bu zai zhe li. Ni gao cuo le. Shang mian xie zhe yi yue san hao. Jin tian shi 13.

M: Huh??? Na li you! (Looks at the date on the test slip)

TP: Ni ke yi xia qu counter 9 zai book xia yi ge ri qi.

(TP walks out)

M: Emma! How can it be? My instructor told me it was 13 January when he booked it! Oh no… I should have got my papers prepared way in advance. I only got them ready this morning. If I had checked the date earlier I wouldn’t have missed the date!

E: Qing, could you have heard him wrongly?

M: I don’t know... the next date is not till June… How can I remember all those details and not remember the date of the exam?! I spent all my time cramming in so many lessons this month just to be sure I was ready for this test. What am I going to do? Sigh… Waste my time.

(Emma takes out a pair of golden village movie gift vouchers.)

M: What’s this?

E: Hey Qing… I know we are on this bet thing… that whoever wins treats the other to a movie.
But… let’s forget it ok?

M: What do you mean?

E: Stop asking so many questions! Come on! Let’s go now, or else we’ll be late to catch the 3 o’clock show, or may be… we’ll even miss it!