I've been here almost three months and despite the fact that I have good friends, I am feeling really miserable about my situation. One word spells out my troubles: GUYS. After eight years in a relationship with Kevin, I am having doubts - once again - about my relationship with him. Of course, the the catalyst which so violently disturbed the calm sea of feelings is none other than the handsome Zachary Quinto lookalike, Mr New Zealand. aka. NZ. (His name is so commonly used, it's hard to forget even if I don't mention it here.)
You see, I came to Ghana with one thing in mind - To buff up my CV. But this whole internship has turned out to be more like a melodramatic Mexican Soap Opera. Honestly, I haven't really done anything worthwhile to buff up my CV because I am so riddled with distraction by NZ. (Lol, just realize the first letter of acronym 'NZ' refers to his name.) Argh... my heart stirs up with longing and regret every time he pops into my mind. Longing because I want to see him, I want to go out with him, I want to kiss him, hug him yadda yadda... Regret because he was kissing me on a weekly basis at Duplex over the world cup season. He told me he liked me. Twice. And it all stopped due to my stupid actions rooted deep in guilt - fessing up to Kevin about a half-truth that 'I kissed a guy'.
After which NZ completely cooled off towards me. Even though his friends and housemates keep telling me that 'he still likes me' and that 'I could make the first move' (I did try), all my attempts are futile because of one complication - I am attached. And he doesn't want the drama of being the 3rd party in a relationship. Again, my relationship with Kevin has caused yet another handsome and nice guy to back out of my life. (Previously, I remembered there was a chance with L during my NTU days.)
Sooo... let's now come to the questions that remain - Why am I still with Kevin? Do I love him still? (Oh I know he loves me plenty, but can I offer him the same love he is giving me?) Am I afraid of being single? Am I afraid that if I'm single, there would be no one to bring me over to Australia? And that my career path would be rooted in Singapore forever?
I am deeply ashamed to say that such questions only reflect my shallow and selfish nature but hey, it's time I have to be honest with myself. Let's start with the first question: Why am I still with Kevin?
Answer: The good part of being in a relationship with Kevin is that we have known each other for 8 years. He knows my habits and he doesn't mind me wearing a sloppy shirt and jeans when we hang out. He can somehow tell my next move (Good and bad). I like the times we spent at his house, him doing his own gaming and me just studying my lit, reading or playing with Sugar. I like watching movies and TV series with him too. I would say that he is basically the only person who understands most parts of me. Of course, we both enjoy fine dining as well. I will never forget how much he treats me to expensive dinners. (I certainly have to date a guy who loves to enjoy his food). And of course I love Sugar, his cute westie. The best dog in the world.
The bad part of being in a relationship with Kevin .... well, let's just say that he is incredibly stubborn, extremely petty, has a health problem that makes him cranky. I'm sorry for saying that, but the fact alone that Kevin has to take medication for the sake of sustaining his kidney does not constitute a normal relationship like most people. In a way, I want to have a healthy boyfriend. I want him to be able to eat anything he wants. I want him to be able to enjoy life. In a way, seeing Kevin being denied all these things somehow... I'm sorry for saying this.... deprives me of enjoying these simple pleasures jointly as a couple. That's it I think, we are a couple. But people don't even know that I'm attached unless I tell them because he simply isn't involved in my life. He's only been to my university once - to watch me act in a play, and he made the trip with great reluctance. I don't mention his name in front of my parents, who simply acknowledged him as my friend. We only have a handful of common friends. I can't converse properly with his parents in Cantonese - dinner at his house always contains some form of awkwardness.....
Let's delve deeper into the root of the problem shall we? He is the one guy I sex with. Made love to. Yes, I'm Christian. But this is the one area which I have serious problems with. I think sex is wonderful. And I think the sex both of us had somehow binded our souls together. We sometimes think alike, we finish each other's sentences, know what I mean? That's why sex should be kept within the confines of marriage because you are tied to the other person no matter what. And that is what makes separation so painful because you will forever carry a shard of that person in your heart. I think that's the main reason why I can't bear to break up with him. Somehow a part of my guilt felt that in order to make up for having pre-marital sex is to marry the guy I had sex with... so I can officially say that I only slept with one person in my entire life. That I'm afraid the next guy I meet would think I'm a slut for losing my virginity. Yeah...that is what I had been thinking all along. That somehow I didn't believe God will restore me and give me a good husband. Is that why I've been avoiding marriage till now? Like I've been despising the whole 'getting married to each other and buying a HDB flat, having children etc.' Is that the reason why I ran away from Singapore? Because I can have an excuse of enjoying an expat/intern life, building up a career to avoid the marriage path? To run away from responsibility?
The bottom line of what the Bible says is very clear. You should not be unequally yoked with an unbeliever. So technically, I'm not even supposed to be with Kevin because we are on different spiritual wavelengths. He does not believe in tithing. He does not really understand the power of the Holy Communion. He does not believe in a God who helps the helpless. He thinks life sux constantly because there is no God whom he can turn to cast his cares and burdens everyday. All these hard facts have been dwelling at the back of my mind since the day we got together.
So basically, I shouldn't be with Kevin in the first place - but so many things have happened between the both of us over the 8 years. I have let it drag on for far too long. And now it's the first time someone crossed into my path. NZ. If I'm a non-Christian, it would be totally legit to date him. In a way he is no-no in the first place. He smokes (was drawn into it), he says 'fuck' (but so do I), he is extremely extroverted, being an ang moh, he has no qualms about pecking the cheeks of girls - this I am still trying not to fret over because it's a cultural thing. (I get pecked on the cheek and hugged too.) Let's start from the day it happened shall we?
I was having fun at Duplex, dancing with my friends. NZ was there. And I was chatting with him normally, smiling like a total ditz. Of course, at one point there were only four of us, Ducky, Jaq, me and NZ. Ducky proceeded to make a move on Jaq who immediately reciprocated. I think NZ was motivated to do the same and so he asked me to kiss him. And goodness knows what I was thinking: oh wait... I can remember.... I thought he was very good looking and it would be sad to deny this handsome guy a kiss. It was almost like dare. And I stepped up to it. First kiss felt awkward to me. Oh well, I was the awkward one, because he said it felt like I was obliging him. And so to prove him wrong, I kissed him again... longer... with tongue. It felt good. It was good. After sooo long.... it felt so good to be desired, to be kissed, to have a guy's arms wrapped around me.
Next few times happened at Duplex, in NZ's car, in the taxi. I particularly like the 3rd time when we kissed - inside and outside Duplex. Will never forget it. I was wearing this nice white dress (apparently someone told me that I drove all the guys crazy that night - was really flattered to hear that; never had that compliment come my way before). Apparently I think I drove NZ crazy as well because the two kisses we shared (inside and outside Duplex) cause the world to grind to a halt. Just the two of us, with me biting a bit of his lip (Tip from Ducky) causing him to tongue me more passionately with his hand on the small of my back. My gawd... I'm blushing even as I'm typing this. Love the kisses that happened in his car too. We were sending the DTs back to the LC house with Ana at the back of the pickup with them. Only both of us were in front with one half-drunk guy sitting in the rear and NZ confessed that he likes me. Loved it when he stole a kiss from me and the goodbye kiss we shared at my doorstep (Like it meant something serious... like he wants to seriously be with me - kind of kiss.)
NZ is a real gentlemen. I slept on his bed twice, once with him right next to me, in his boxers. But he did nothing, only held my hand as we slept from a late late night of partying. I enjoyed the text messages he sent me too. Seemingly talking about normal things, trying to appear cool. Enjoyed the ONE coffee date we had, just talking about normal stuff. None of the heavy questions at all...
Like I said... the kissing stopped after I confessed to Kevin. It's amazing that Kevin forgave me. However, NZ and his housemates got the wrong idea that I chose Kevin over him. On the surface, it makes perfectly good sense. Why would a girl risk 8 years of an established relationship over someone she just met over 2 months ago? But here I am having second thought about my 'attached' status.
Actually, after the kissing stopped, I assumed that the whole thing with NZ was merely a fling, like what Westerners liked to do. That's okay, because from another perspective, you could say that I was 'using' NZ too to satisfy my emotional needs for intimacy and romance because the bf was far far away on the other side of the world. I was really on my way to forget NZ when ACT, his Brazilian house mate told me, on the farewell party night for Jaq, a shocking truth - NZ still likes me, but he is avoiding me because he thought I wanted Kevin more. I cried so much... so much... at my stupidity.... cried soooo sooo much.... that both ACT and Tat had to comfort me. When I finally calmed down, I came down from the stairs and NZ asked me why was I super depressed a few weeks ago... I told him that it was hard for me to say and he said that he understands and that he reassured me that he will never try to kiss me again - which was the exact opposite thing of what I want him to do.
I think this is the regret that has dwelled in my heart up till now. Just this Thursday, Dgo, this cool Jap guy, his housemate also told me that he likes me alot. That I should just break up with Kevin and it will be good. I think he is trying to imply that NZ would get back with me if I'm single again. But will he? If I break up with Kevin and expect NZ to get back with me meant that my reasons for breaking up with Kevin are not for myself, but for NZ. And what if he doesn't get back with me? I would then be so lost... and so desolate. That's like losing a mansion over a hut that wasn't even there. The worse thing for me is that ACT is now overseas. She'll be back hopefully on Wednesday. She promised to work out some ahem 'magic', but I'm not sure whether the 'magic' (basically her telling NZ how I feel) has taken effect.
So far things between me and NZ are normal. We talk on gtalk (with me mostly initiating the conversation). I kissed NZ on the cheek twice at Duplex (Once was when he told me he wouldn't kiss me again and then I told him I liked him so much). Don't know whether it meant anything to him. The most obvious clue I can gather is that Ducky told me he was giving me fleeting glances while we were in Duplex, when I was tipsy, dancing and smiling my sweet smile. I could tell many guys wanted to dance with me, but I only wanted him.... I want him... Sounds desperate huh....
My biggest disappointment with him was that he couldn't make it to Akosombo with us. We went in the end, to Aburi Gardens. On Saturday night, when we played truth or dare, I remembered in my vodka-pissed state, I cried and cried and said that I missed him. Freedom and Monica had to comfort me. I basically vomited and cried like my heart was broken to bits. Worse, Ducky sent him a 'half drunk' message on my hand phone saying 'Where are you? I miss hanging wirh!!!' masquerading as me. His reply: 'We watched a movie and just went for quick dinner round the road but home now! going to akosombo tomorrow ourselves so early getup. hope you guys had a fun day!' Ducky said that I basically threw the ball into his court... and if he doesn't respond meant that he is not worth my attention.
And if I break up with Kevin, it meant that my heart will either be broken twice in a row or broken once but patched back up by NZ. The thing is... logically speaking, being with NZ will only be short term gratification. The truth of the matter keeps staring at me in the face: have I really put God as the first Guy in my life? Have I dared to be single and alone with God? With no guys around? Even if nobody wants me, God is the only one who wants me, who loves me unconditionally, virgin or not. And He definitely wants me to have a good husband who trusts in him and who will take care of me and love me.
All my life, I wanted to be desired by guys. I wanted a handsome boyfriend. Ang moh is a bonus. Ha... my shallowness is finally uncovered. I want to be an expatriate's wife. I want to travel. I want guys to tell me I'm beautiful. I know I am. And God knows all my wants. So have I arrived at a solution to my complicated life? Break up with Kevin. God will catch you when you fall. And amazingly, he will not let your heart smash into smitterins. I can afford to let not my heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid (of whether NZ will not get together with me, or whether I will be alone) because Jesus' heart was broken for my sake. I have the peace that surpasses all understanding.. the shalom peace that Jesus has which calmed the storm and the raging sea. I am already secure because Jesus is my number one MAN in my life.
Lord, if I have to break up with Kevin, please help me....
2:14 PM