hello are u xxx ?

xxx is just something to replace my name, is not what you think it is................................

been getting funny calls lately.

not those prank calls that annoy you. they were actually calls looking for me which i never know i would receive from people i know, and from people i do not know or whom i do not really like to know.

QY called, "... can I speak to xxx?", wah never expect she would call me.

"Ya, hello"

"...errr..."

"Yes QY, watsup?"

"Opps... wrong person, i'm suppose to call a girl with the same name as yours. Guess i mixed up. No wonder i felt strange when a male voice picked up... sorry sorry hor"

~sianz~

received this call an hour before i knock off today at work from my handphone.

"Hello are you xxx? ... ... ...", the guy over the phone said.

"Yup, who is this?", i replied.

"I'm A, from ..., an ex ntu archer, an ntu alumni... "

"How did you get my number?"

"Oh i went around to ask from some people from this engine camp..."
... ... ...

"Oh i'm afraid we are no longer able to do so... "

"Hmmm, then is it possible to lend us some basic equipment? Just... "

"I think its better to do so officially through SRC, since you guys are not from our school. It not like if you are from any clubs from our school then that will be another case..."

"But the event is on next Monday and I think you know that these things takes time to process. So I'm thinking if you can "cham shiong" a bit, and grant us a verbal approval?"

I became hesitant. I paused and thought for a moment. its somewhat true about the SRC stuff and anyway the things that he wants to borrow is really very light equipment and not much of a quantity. But i was still not confident to give him a reply.

"Oh, but then none of us will be there for the actual event to look after the equipment. If anything goes wrong, touchwood, if they want to trace where the equipment came from, then we sure kena..."

"Ya i understand what you mean. Whatsmore all out of a sudden someone you don't know calls you up and wants to get things from you...."

all out of a sudden what he said sort of woke me up. Hey, that is also true. I do not even know this guy and who he got my handphone no from. He could be phoney guy. Somehow i told myself to be more careful.

"No worry, we will take full responsiblity. We will pay if anything gets spoilt. I can be trusted as i was the hon gen for this XYZ club last time. Its even ok for me to "bran-ja" you after the event..."

"No thats not what i meant. Its not about the money or what...."

The way he said it just seems like he did not really though about it and just gave me some promise anyway. Its like the way how people go by means when desperate. Those equipment that he wanted may seem light and cheap, but it still requires skills and effort to replace once they get spoilt. Its not like money can buy. Its not like you can get it by the road side. Besides i was more concern for safety then anything else.

"How about you send me an email regarding this event that you are holding. At least i need something black and white. Maybe you can include what are your plans, programme, details stuff on what you need. And also your contacts and stuff etc. Its also easy for me to report to my superiors..."

then we traded our contacts...

"So which batch were you from?"

"Oh, i graduated a few years back...", he then quoted W's name.

"Same batch as W? I think I know who he is..." "So you kinda shot for 1 year and quit?"

"Ya Ya"

i gave him a 50-50 chance.

Then i messaged W, if he knew this guy A.

Nope, W did not know him. I told W that his name was quoted by A. W then said it could be his senior senior batch as there was also this senior with the same name and asked me to try asking people from that batch.

I did. Unfavourable reply. T from that batch said he did know anyone with that name. A bit surprised that T was so concern over this and gave me a call (one of the funny calls too). He even called the senior W from his batch. Great to see that our seniors were still concern over the club stuff.

So who is this guy?

Wondered if people can be so easily deceived by others. Guess I was one of them. I believed A was some ex archer, some alumni, just by what he said. I did not even took an instance to think about if what he said was true, or is there anyway to prove his existance as what he said he was. If he did not prompt me with that sentence, i could have easily given in. Maybe that is what it means by inexperience to the outside world, a moment of folly.

Still remembered talking to mom about con-man that day when she told me about the apple trick that was used to cheat aunties of their money. I told her that we are not professional con-man, so we will never know what they are thinking or their tricks.

Did it just happen on me? But then maybe what A said could be true.

I'm still waiting for his email.