It is an unexpected coincidence. I was not particularly close to him. He has been Jimi’s best friend in Ipoh. And now, my best friend’s best friend is my housemate. Jimi also told me once that he didn’t expect that his two best friends would be housemates (Pretty twist, isn’t it?).

He came to KL just five moths ago to work in one of the government’s offices. It was his first job in KL after working for five years in Ipoh. When I cordially invited him to be my housemate, he complained a lot about the third-world conditions of my house. Fine, I was not really desperate for a housemate, I consoled myself repeatedly. Well, he could easily choose to stay with his ever-loud friends in KL in a much more metropolitan housing area. But at the end, he chose me, simply because I was the total opposite of him. Yes, he is extremely loud (talking about professional legal officer), while I prefer to be quiet and boring when my students are not around. Our characters are so much different, yet we have been good housemates with amazing chemistry. People with good sense would never expect that we would sit comfortably together on the sofa in the house.

“With you Cekmi, life is more peaceful”, he said. I didn’t quite get it at first. But later on, I understood what was going on. With a reserved person like me, he could complete the house with his loudness effortlessly, which I welcome very much. With his intense charisma, my house has never been so loud, thunderous and cheerful. He completes my solitary life. To illustrate, singing is his forte. With his high-pitched singing in the toilet every now and then, he surely sends a merry message to the mundane neighbourhood and, not to forget, my ever-talkative landlord nearby.

And he likes America’s next-top model. I certainly can’t beat his cat-walking (Ah, two crazy professionals!)

Coming from a caterer family, he likes to cook. Whenever he cooks, he cooks like a pro – with rich varieties of dishes, side dishes and extra side dishes. And he would complain, “Cekmi, why you eat so little?” I will smile and add a little, regretting it later.

We like to buy things in bulks, where at the end, we have to throw them into a wastebin quite regrettably – rotten eggs, decayed fruits, overly-dried vegetables, liquidated ice-cream, etc. I guess his big taste explains these bulky choices of groceries in the house.

He used to complain about my hectic urban lifestyle – going out with friends every night, shopping endlessly and all that. For him, life after work is found at home, accompanied lazily by TV and foods. “I don’t want to make new friends, I just want to maintain what I have now,” he said. Well, he is a conventional old-school Ipoh boy while I am a vibrant new-school KL boy. Don’t worry, he would eventually change his mind later and would not miss his mum too much (influential Cekmi, hahaha)

Most importantly, we managed to compromise on so many things - mostly little things.

One, Tuesday night is my night. He is not, in any circumstances, supposed to be any nearer to the TV remote control. Because my favourite TV shows are on the air – Betty Ugly and Desperate Housewives. But there was a time when he asked me out for dinner on Tuesday night. Not wanting to disappoint him, I voluntarily accompanied him. Only when he suddenly realized later on that it was Tuesday night that he terribly apologized for his fault. Well, I didn’t really mind missing those shows. What is more important than being a good companion to a good friend? And being accompanied in return? (Ah, idealist Cekmi)

Two, there is only one parking space in front of the house, where one of us has to park quite a distance and has to lose a few calories by walking around 20 feet to the front door. As petty as it may seem, I do not want this thing to be an issue. So, we happily take turns parking our cars on predetermined days. Isn’t life full of beautiful compromises, dear readers?

Oh, we share almost the same birthday (I am just two day’s younger than him). Our birthday celebrations this year will definitely be the grandest of all, or at least grander than IIC’s grand dinner!

I really love his presence because he continuously brings comfort and warm to the house and, of course, to my heart, which makes me wonder sometimes – what I would do without him.

p/s This entry (which is the hundredth!) has been proudly pre-endorsed by my charming housemate.