Drinking with Ah Gee

Ah Gee never drinks. He told us alcohol gave him rashes on his chest and back. I did manage to persuade him to drink with me once though. If my memory is working properly, I place it to be somewhere in 1998.

I had given him a call at some awkward time that fateful day, said I needed drinking company badly but added that he needn't drink with me. He didn't ask why. He just said ok.

In less than half an hour, we had met up and were in some neighbourhood NTUC. I went straight for the wine section and started choosing a bottle of red. I knew next to nothing about wine then (not as if I do now). It turned out to be a random choice in the end.

Then we headed for his home. I cannot remember our conversation topics anymore. I only remember drinking at a faster rate than I usually do. And taking more than I've ever done before. Enough to feel tipsy but not drunk. On my fourth glass, I broke my promise and badgered him to have a glass with me. He relented.

"Wait, I go get a glass."

What he returned with cracked me up.

A shot glass.

But since I appreciated his bravado and camaraderie, I poured out that smidgen of a glass for him without too much ridicule. That whilst trying to not to shake too much from the combined effects of laughing and alcohol. He proceeded to take miniscule dainty sips from the shot glass as I waded into my fifth.

I disapproved of this and pushed the limits again by challenging him to finish what's remaining in that shot glass at one go. To which he counter-offered

"Fine, but you finish your glass first."

I duly obliged. Again, kudos to him, he kept to his end of the wager. By now, I was really starting to feel the effects. We talked a little more and then, much to my surprise, he suddenly collapsed onto his bed. I gave him a few whacks and he came back to life long enough to mouth a few words,

“我不行了，讓我睡吧。”

One shot glass of wine. That was all it took! I can't wait for his wedding...

In any case, I knew I would be chasing a lost cause if I tried to wake him. I cleared things up a little, then climbed into bed next to him.

I'm a light sleeper and awoke quite early the next morning. He was still in deep slumber. Didn't want to wake him, so I left a short note thanking him for last night and left. As I walked through the gates, I had this feeling of having just had an one-night stand and was slipping out of the apartment before the other person woke.

I never did get around to asking him if he had any rashes as a result of that shot glass of wine.

Akan Datang: Pop quiz time!

68 days to go.