Fortissimo

Adventure from beginning to end.

First thing we did was to get out of class half an hour early. But then it was presentation time... still felt guilty though. Hai once a good boy always a good boy.

Once we were at the bus stop, we struck the brilliant idea of walking all the way to Bukit Timah Hill (LKY: We are in Bukit Timah). So we walked.

And walked.

And walked......

Half an hour, after wondering aloud if just about every damn tree present was a saga tree, we stopped at Bukit Timah Food Center for a water break and to smell the nice smell of all the dishes combined. We asked Ryan to wait for us since he lived just outside the Botanical Gardens.

When we got there the poor boy was sleeping. Lol sorry. Explanation on Ben's blog (Ben you owe me 100 bucks for advertising because even if someone isn't Ryan he/she would still go your blog anyway).

I thought the walk uphill was long enough. God knows we spent the next hour and a half trekking from one end of the Botanical Gardens right to the other, and right out the other end for me. We asked a couple of Aussies... The first one said, 'Nao... I dnt nao, surry...'

The next one, and old lady slightly older looking than Gaylene said 'Sada? Oh saga.... oh... oh Gosh I've been herr a thousand toimes and I dnt rilly know... surry... Ask the park raingers.. If ye walk down t'the carpork there ore a cople of them there...'

So we were already starting to drag our feet, and LKY was going nuts saying things like 'Hey let's go over and say, "Yo ranger... Where to find saga tree?"' When there was like only a garbage cleaner going up the stairs. By the time we reached the peak of the Red Brick Road, he was grabbing my bag and making noises you would only have heard if you are spying when he makes love. Or even worse, filming.

I'm sorry just had to do that.

We finally got to the main entrance where we consulted a ranger. 'Oh,' he said nonchalantly, and without effort, 'its at Girl on a Swing.'

So began our long trek to Girl on a Swing, but not before I filled my bottle with only slightly cold water, not even enough to fog up the outside of my bottle. When we reached the Girl, we fanned out, but to no avail. And my battery was returning to rock-bottom-and-digging state. Finally in the middle of the Frangipani garden (hey we were tired, and we did notice that it was Frangipani left right centre, AND in any case it was huge there were like 40-50 shrubs...) we split up; Ben and KY went right and Ryan and I went straight out to the Girl to search once more. As Ryan caught up with me, I muttered, 'You know, I have a feeling its either this one or this one...' and I waved for him to go check out the right side one while I checked out the left one. When I found out it was another Jelutong tree, I had half a mind to vow to vandalise all Jelutong furniture in the future... As I joined the main road, I asked Ryan whether he had checked the one I asked him to, which I noticed had a large plaque in front, which usually meant it was of special importance. And he said, 'Oh no, I skipped that one, why?'

I was spluttering and being a general bitch when he hastily agreed to check it out.

It was the Saga tree.

And there were no seeds.

In half-defeat I walked round the tree, sweeping dead leaves as I did, which were raked neatly into a circular pile around the tree. Just realised it was excellent fertiliser. And exactly as I walked halfway round the tree, I saw a single red dot sitting neatly on a pile of leaves, and it brought a faint smile to my face, but I tell you, I will remember that smile for a long time... The smile of hope amidst defeat.

And now its Ben's...

Ryan asked to see it, and immediately dropped it right back into the pile.

Luckily he found it back.

Then we passed it to Ben, who (what is wrong with you people...) dropped it right back into the rather deep pile, I must say, of dead leaves. But he found it back after some time.

After a search around the tree to no avail, we went to Kaiyan, who was standing a short distance away from us at the ranger station. He had gone there 10 minutes earlier with Ben's coins to get us each a drink, as Ben's way of saying thanks for walking aimlessly with me. :D And we thought he was stoning there trying to decide his drink. Then he turned right round and said, 'What you want ah?'

Kaiyan, Kaiyan. Ever the clown. Nahhh that's me. Hee. But he gets the limelight for this one.