Beach

it's a beautiful night as we drive up the beach. the skies are clear and the stars are twinkling in the sky. a moon sits abreast the sky, three-quarters full and bright. you get out of the car first, and carry a blanket which you lay down on the sand. while you make yourself comfortable on the blanket, i take out a thermos of hot chocolate and a small packet of white marshmallows. i pour the chocolate into 2 mugs brought from home, and add the marshmallows in.

i bring the 2 mugs of hot chocolate with marshmallows to where you are seated. as i sit down, you give me a nudge and almost make me spill most of the drinks. you laugh apologetically and pat the ground beside you, to which i obligingly take a seat. i hand you the mug of chocolate. you sip, and smile warmly.

"how is it?", i ask.

"delicious..although chocolate hardly seems the drink for a night sitting at the beach, don't you think?", you say.

i smile at her. "you had two options: but since we couldn't drink beer, it was only actually one choice."

"which doesn't make it a choice", you say with a seriousness underlying the mischief in your eyes. i stare at you at a moment. "fine" i finally say. "but you're enjoying it anyway."

the seriousness fades away in your voice; now the mischief in your eyes takes over. "yes i am. because it's good chocolate and it makes me feel warm. now hold me. we can make out."

i laugh at this. but you come near me, and you take my arm and put it across your shoulder. "so are we gonna make out?", you ask with that mischievous hint in your voice. your eyes sparkle as if reflecting the stars above.

i make as if pondering the question. then i say: "well, technically if we do, we're not breaking any rules since we got married just last week; but this being Malaysia, i think it's best if we keep the making out sessions to our home."

we laugh, the sound mixing in with crashing of the waves and the occasional chirps of whatever bird flies in these skies at night. for awhile we just sit there. we can't see the beach for sure, as it's almost pitch black towards the sea, but the gentle and rhythmic music of the waves coming to shore let us know that we really are on a beach at night. i think you almost lost yourself in the moment, because your eyes become dreamy at one point. not that i'm complaining. you look to me and smile. you kiss me softly on the cheek.

"do you think we'll get caught if we make out?", you say.

"you're still not over it?", i answer.

"no..! i want your opinion wise guy. do you think some sort of Pasukan Peronda Pencegah Maksiat will apprehend us if we start making out?"

"well..it's dark. there's no one else around. so maybe no. but what if that's what they want us to think? maybe there's a pak lebai hiding in the bushes somewhere, waiting for people like us to start making out."

"but we're married. we can show them our surat nikah."

"do you have it with you now?"

"no. but we could. right?"

"in theory, yeahhh. but i don't think being married entitles you to make out in public. do you want to make out here at the beach?"

"haha...no. this is Malaysia, sayang. if we start making out, most probably we'll end up on the internet as a mobile phone video!!"

"or worst, on the front page of Harian Metro with the headlines "Pasangan Khalwat Bercium2 Di Tepi Pantai"!!"

"yes, exactly..!" you begin to giggle. i just smile.

"so why were you trying hard to make us make out then?"

"hee. just because. i like trying to get you all worked up."

"you do, don't you?"

you just smile back, and lean on me. again we sit there in silence. you pick up your mug of hot chocolate and drink every last drop. then you settle in again. i put my arms around you, and hold you close. softly, barely carried by a now steady and calm breeze, your voice calls out to me.

"hey.."

"hey.." i call back.

"i love you, you know..?"

i sit in silence for a couple of minutes. then i slowly reply, "i know..". i tilt your head gently so that we're face to face. "i love you too", i say and softly kiss you on the lips. you kiss me back, and with a newfound mischief in that beautiful smile of yours, you come out with:

"so i guess we're making out after all, huh?"

:)

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