A Wedding n A ...

18 September is a significant date for a lot of folks.

It's my eldest sister's wedding anniversary.

Yesterday, besides it being the Mooncake festival, it was my friend Esther's wedding day.

When Esther called me up to invite me to her wedding and said that it would be held in September, I had this niggling feeling that it would fall on my birthday. After all, it happened before on the first wedding in my family where I had to be a bridesmaid on my own birthday. The person who first said that lightning doesn't strike twice obviously was an infant when he came up with the brilliant term.

Anyway, my worry about Esther's wedding falling on my birthday was fruitful. Again, the person who said that 90% of the stuff we worry about doesn't come true must have been a perennial optimist with her head stuck in the clouds. I think a little bit of worrying is a therapeutic exercise. It's the thinking of possible mishaps that may happen along the way that will help prepare one mentally and emotionally should the moment of misfortune happen.

Yeah well, anyway, I told Esther that I did not intend to attend her wedding because I wanted to celebrate my birthday in a quiet manner. Even if I had nothing on that day, it's still my day to do as I wish. Yeah, I'm such a meanie, eh? But as the days passed, I felt bad for declining the invite. She's a good friend after all. We've shared significant events together with our old buddies. It would be a shame to miss her special day and to show my support for her and her hubby.

So I changed my mind at the last minute and she was as pleased as pie and kind enough to accommodate me. But I felt rather bleh that no one there remembered my birthday, saved for dear Jeffrey.

"It's ok, never mind. I'm a big girl now. I'm cool..." I told myself.

But somehow, the little girl in me still very much wanted my old chums to remember my special day. And those goons were blissfully ignorant of that.

Or so I thought.

Towards the end of the dinner, Rina urged me to go to the toilet to freshen up for a photo session with the bride and her groom. I relunctantly went and upon my return, I was too absorbed with my handphone to notice my friends busily conspiring amongst themselves.

Suddenly Joe started singing the birthday song and everyone joined in. A small piece of cake with a big lighted candle stabbed in the middle of it came floating my way.

OMG.

I was so touched.

I looked at the smiling faces around me. So dear, so familiar to me. We have known each other for nearly a decade now. And they are still the same crazy folks. It's like we've never changed.

After the song and photo sessions, Eddie insisted that I take a photo of the precious cake.

"This must be the best cake you ever got, rite?" he said cheekily.

"Yeah, right," I told him while rolling my eyes.

But strangely enough, as pathetic as it looked, it was the best cake I ever received. For I really, really love surprises.

Not satisfied with my answer, he and Joe kept asking me about how I felt about the whole thing.

I blinked back some tears, told them how much this reminded me of the times when we were so close. Of how crazy we were back then as a gang. And that I'm glad that some things didn't change.

Thanks, guys. Attending a wedding on my birthday where my dearest and oldest friends are all gathered together has been a blessing in disguise. I'm so glad I went. And on the way back home, we saw a brilliant fireworks display in Klang to commemorate the Mooncake Festival. I'd like to think that it's because of my birthday, too .

Meet Eddie, the mastermind who begged the waiter for the candle and lighter for my cake

I'm so thrilled!

The pathetic best cake I ever received

Could this be... Beckham??

Nope...