It's a date

They say the gym is a great place to meet cute guys.

So why doesn't it happen to me, huh? What happens to me is FNNLG. Sigh.

So I was really surprised yesterday to meet three cute guys in the gym.

Only problem was - I am as old as the sum of their ages.

So I am happily gymming away by myself, when I see this little tot with his nose pressed against the glass walls of the gym, watching me. I smiled at him. He was a bit taken aback first, then he smiled.

"Aunty, can we come in?" He asked hesitantly.

I did want to say the token "Aunty mat kaho na" but I realised it was best said in Hindi, but the little Chinese kid would not understand Hindi.

"We who?"

Oh, there he was, another little boy standing a few steps behind.

"Okay, come in." I invited them.

"Sure, ah?" He looked a bit apprehensive.

"Haha! Yeah yeah, sure." I laughed.

"She says - can go in and play!" He bellowed, and both of them tumbled into the gym.

Play?? What?? When did I say play??? :O

They started inspecting the equipment in excitement. Soon another kid had materialised outta nowhere!

Sheesh. What had I gotten myself into? Three kids in the gym with dangerous equipment all around is not a joking matter. I'd have gotten into trouble if their mothers were around. I started panicking a bit, and realised it was time to bring tough Sayesha out.

"Okay, listen up. If you guys want to 'play', you can, but you must not touch any buttons, or switch anything on without asking me. Okay?" I set the ground rules.

"Aunty, this is your shop?" One of them looked at me in awe.

Hahahahahahahahahahaha! My 'shop'! I wish.

"No, it isn't."

"Then?"

"Then what?"

"Nothing... where you stay?"

"Block 2."

"Which level?"

"Level 6."

Whoa! Never had in the history of mankind a guy been able to get numbers from a girl so quickly.

"Aunty, can you put me on the seat?" One of them was already at the exercycle.

"Okay, you two, wait till I'm done. Don't touch anything."

I lowered the seat for the first chap, and started setting the programme to the mildest.

"So fast? See, 35!"

"Huh? 35?? Oh! Hahaha! That's the age setting." I hadn't gotten to the age setting yet.

"But I am not 35!!" He said indignantly.

"Really????" I exclaimed in mock-surprise.

"Yes, really!" He sounded almost offended.

"Wow, how old are you then?"

"I'm seven!"

"That's unbelievable. Hmmm... Let's set this to seven then."

So while this dude was happily cycling away, I turned to attend to the others.

One of them wanted to do the corded weights. There was no way he could have done it himself, even if he used the lightest weights. So I just let him hold the rod, while I pulled it myself.

"Very light leh!" He sounded disappointed.

"You want to try it yourself?"

"Yes yes!"

Well, obviously, he could not budge it.

"Can make lighter or not?" He smiled.

"Nope."

"Okay."

The third chap had travelled to where the big weights were. He pointed to the heaviest weights and asked, "Aunty, can you lift this one?"

"Hahahahahahahhaha! No, I can't."

"Then who can?"

"Other people."

"Other people who?"

"Those who come to the gym."

He looked puzzled at the thought that there could be other people there in "my shop".

After a while, they gathered around the posters of the body-builders and exclaimed, "Wow, look! So strong!"

Gosh, they looked so tiny and cute, looking at the posters of the oily and yucky musclemen. Damn, where is a camera when you need one?

One of them was pretending that the treadmill was a surfboard. He would just stand on it and enjoy the experience of being gently sent back. It thrilled him to no end. Of course, I made sure the speed was really really low.

In about ten minutes, they were sweating.

"Okay, I am very tired. Too much exercise." said one.

Hahahahaha!

"Aunty, do you have water?"

"Yes, I do."

He walked over, stood next to me, looking up with his mouth open. So I carefully poured some water from my bottle into his mouth. Soon, the others queued up.

Singapore and queues... sigh.

The brats finished all my water.

"So thirsty, so tired!" they said. Then they went around inspecting the equipment again.

One of them tried to get on one of the machines but his legs were too short. And the seat could not be lowered any further.

"Aunty, aunty! Can you adjust for me?"

"No, I can't."

"Why not?"

"Because I can't adjust the length of your legs. You need to come back when you grow up."

"Can we come back tomorrow?"

Wow, that was ambitious.

"Err... I won't be here. But there will be other people."

"Why won't you be here?"

"Because I've to go to work."

He had a puzzled look, as if working out was supposed to be my work, and anything other than that was moonlighting.

"Then how?"

"Errr... how what?"

"When do we meet next?"

Hahahahahaha!

"I dunno..."

"When do you come here?"

"Weekends. And sometimes Mondays."

"How about next Saturday? Same time?"

"Saturday is good. But not same time." (I have to go to university next Sat.)

"Five o'clock how?"

"Okay."

They had a hurried conference to confirm the timing.

"So all of you live in the same block?" I asked.

"No, I live in a different block. But these two live in the same block. Because they are brothers, you see."

Hahahaha! Don't you just love how kids phrase their sentences?

Soon it was time for me to go back and start on my assignments.

"Are you done? 'Cos I have to go now." I told them.

"Go now?? So soon?? Are you going to lock the shop?"

"Yes, I am gonna lock the shop. So you need to clear your things. Your slippers are in that corner. Put them on." I instructed.

Never had I felt more teacher-like.

"And you, pick up your band-aid from the floor and throw it in the dustbin on your way out." I told another.

I switched off the TV and the airconditioner, and shoo'ed them outta the gym. To my utter amusement, they decided to hide in the toilet outside the gym, hoping that I would leave the gym open.

Kids are so damn innocent.

"We see where she puts the key. Then we take it from there." I could actually hear them talk as I locked the door. I pretended not to have seen them peering from behind the door.

They watched me lock up the gym, take the key and walk out.

"Where are you going now???" They shouted from behind.

"Home!" I shouted back.

Another hurried conference.

"Okay. Next Saturday? See you!" They said.

"It's a date." I said to myself. Even though I know they won't even remember.

But I will be there for the date, dressed to the nines, in my gym T-shirt, shorts and sports shoes.

Even though I know I'm gonna get stood up.