Page 45 - FATE & DESTINY

FATE & DESTINY

As the driver switched the ignition on, we waved the flag high and chorused:

“Chey lay yiglen meba…
Nga ni khor dang ched soong…
Thowai Lhamo gyel soong…”

Students waved their shirts. In desperation, girls clambered the peach tree and shook the branches. Boys
frolicked after us till the edge of the ground.
We waved to them. “Bye, Trashigang!”
Two days later, Coach called all the players to the basketball court.
“Boys, you are on KUENSEL,” he said. “Now, listen.”
We stood on our toes and listened to his reading. I grinned as I heard the last line: ‘The lanky and agile goalie
saved several goals.’
“Sometimes, we must lose,” said Coach as he rolled the newspaper in his hand. “We learn to accept the defeat,
and that’s one value. Everybody played well. Hat off to you, boys.”
“Thank you, Coach,” we said in unison.

***

It was the last paper for our annual exams. For tenth-graders, it was trial exam. That morning, the exam hall was
not open. I was chatting with friends when Tashi—a quick-tempered guy—interrupted me.
“Nyingthenma is selective,” he said. “She pairs off with only dashing guys like you.”
I blushed. “What do you mean by ‘guys like you’?”
The phrase ‘guys like you’ had an insinuation.
Furrowing his brow, he said, “If I told you the truth you won’t mind, would you?”
“What is that supposed to mean?”
“She is already paired off with my cousin, man. He is no less smart.”
Everybody laughed their heads off, but I didn’t believe him. “You are kidding me, right?”
“I am not,” he said, crossing his arms. “Ask Aunty if you don’t believe me.”
My heart twitched. The thoughts haunted me even in the exam hall. “Did she cheat on me?”
At home, I lay on the bed and recalled Tashi’s belligerent remarks. “I think I am a big hurdle for them.” I ripped
apart Nyingthenma’s photo from mine, attached a note to it, and I went to the dorm.
Her best friend, Chidden, came out. “What’s up, Uncle?” she said, grinning.
I bit my lips for a moment. “Um, I wanted to make a few things clear.”
“What’s that?”
“Be honest, okay? I know everything.”
She shot me a skeptical look. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
“I think I am messing with Nyingthenma, don’t I?”
“I don’t get you. Let’s cut to the chase, okay?”
I cleared my throat. “She is paired off with someone, right?”
She gasped loudly. “What? Who told you?”
“Look into my eyes. Can you see the tears in them?”
“Oops, I never expected this from you. How am I supposed to tell her?”
“Please give this note to her.”
She peeked at the ripped photo and gaped. “Oh, no! I can’t do that.” She stomped back into the dormitory.
As I plodded back home, I reconsidered my deed. “Oh, no! What the blazes have I done?”
The next day, Nyingthenma and Chidden were in the town. They had a plastic bag each in their hands. I neared
them. “Shopping, Chidden?” I said.
“Yeah,” she said. “What’re you doing here?”
“See, I think I have made a mistake yesterday,” I said. “I am here to say sorry.”
Nyingthenma turned away and tapped her foot onto the ground.
“Chidden, let’s go to my place, please,” I said.
“Next time,” she said. “We are late.”
“Only ten minutes, please.”
“Fine,” she said. “Only ten minutes, okay?”
But Nyingthenma’s impulse to refuse my invitation was automatic. “We’re getting late, Chidden,” she said.
“Please, Nyingthenma,” I said.

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