MANCHESTER EPIPHANY CHAPTER 3: MR. TALL-DARK-AND-HANDSOME AGAIN?

Eiyo Fadneiras,

As I promised you in the last post, here's Manchester Epiphany chapter 3. Orientation week is on. New adventures begin for Yasmeen. In this chapter, Yasmeen meets a cute new friend. And she also meets Mr. Tall-Dark-And-Handsome again unexpectedly. Who is this tall-dark-and-handsome human being anyway?

XoXo,

Fadima Mooneira ^_^

(Author of Manchester Epiphany)

A WEEK LATER …

“Have fun, baby girl. Make new friends,” says Ayah. I shake and kiss my father’s hands. Ayah pulls me into his embrace. We hug each other for a while. Ayah motivates me for my first day as a student. Yup, my new adventure is about to begin.

“Don’t be too emotional, honey.” I hear Ibu tells Ayah. Ayah and I let go of our embrace. “This is only registration and orientation.”

Ayah, Ibu, and I are now right in front of Manchester Metropolitan University (Man Met) main campus, All Saints Building. Today is the registration and orientation day for all Man Met’s new students.

“Do you want us to help you with the registration, baby girl?” asks Ayah. Hehehe … Ayah is definitely having a hard time letting go of his little princess.

“It’s ok, Ayah. I can handle this. After all, this is England, adults do everything on their own,” I answer with confidence. Although I am the pampered youngest child of Mr. Habibullah and Prof. Meriam, I know how to be independent. And I love being independent.

“Let her do it herself, lah, honey. Our daughter is a big girl already.” I hear Ibu says. Ayah agrees, even though he looks anxious. Hehehe … My Dad is so cute.

“Good luck, girl. Chin up.” Ibu encourages me. Yeah! I kiss Ibu's hands just like I did with Ayah.

“Ayah, Ibu … I go first, ya.” Ayah and Ibu nod and smile at me.

“Baby girl, do you want us to pick you up this afternoon?” asks Ayah.

“It’s okay, Ayah. I can go home by myself. Plus, I already got my Uni Rider.” I flash to my parents the Uni Rider card I bought yesterday.

“Okay. But do call us when you’re on the bus and reach Wilmslow Park,” requests Ayah.

“Will do, Ayah. No worries,” I reply with a smile and enter All Saints Building.

The atmosphere in All Saints Building is lively. There are many university staff, professors, and students walking by and happily chatting. I went to the registration counter.

“Are you a new student, Miss?” asks a local guy at the registration counter. I nod. “Alright then. Here’s your form.” The staff member hands me a registration form.

“Thank you.” My eyes scan the hall and search for a comfortable place to sit. I need a good space to fill in the form. I read the form one by one before filling it out. I need to understand this well. I do not want to make any mistake. This is my first experience filling out an important document. Before this, Ayah and Ibu always did for me. Hehehe …

Alhamdulillah. Allah grants me ease during the registration. After completing the registration, a university staff member takes me to a hall on level 3. The hall is where the briefing session for international students will be held.

I look at my Daniel Wellington. We still have 20 minutes left before the briefing starts. I look at my surroundings. Fuh … there are many international students here. I’m not alone. The atmosphere in front of the hall is lively, colourful, and diverse.

All students here have their identity. They look like people from various nationalities. I can see a group of stylish Asian students not far from where I stand. They all look like K-pop and J-pop idols. These students must be from China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, South Korea, or Japan. I make a wild guess. I wonder if they are going to be in my class.

Not very far from where the Asian students gather, I see a group of Middle Eastern students. They look sophisticated and elegant. Hmm … let me guess … these people must be from the UAE or other countries in the Middle East.

I look further and spot a group of African students who are mostly dressed in cool garb like hip-hop artists. They look super fab. Even the way they greet people sounds cool, too. Yo man! Yo babe! Yo bro! Yo sista!

Further up the hall, I can see a group of Caucasian girls. They probably originate from different parts of Europe. They look like Spaniards, Portuguese, Italians, French, Dutch, or Eastern Europeans. Next to them is a group of Indian students dressed in elegant multi-coloured salwar kameez and kurtas.

Umm … everyone seems to be in their group already. Wow! I can’t believe some people speedily make friends. Am I the only single person here? I wonder. I open my eyes and search for a solo person in the crowd. Is there a solo person here?

Umm … if there is none, I need to be thick-skinned and enter any group that looks suitable for me. Being a lone wolf has never been foreign to me. But I convince myself that I should not be a lone wolf in Man Met.

Manchester and Man Met are new to me. I need to make friends. Be brave, Yasmeen. Put your shyness aside. I motivate myself. I am actually a shy and quiet girl. Yup, I am an introverted girl and will always be.

Ahah … which group should I approach? The Asians? The Arabs? The Africans? The Europeans? Or the Indians?

Suddenly, a petite figure catches my attention. Next to where the African students gather, I spot a girl in a lilac sweater phubbing with her smartphone. She is also alone.

I stare at the girl in the lilac sweater for a while. Yup, she is certainly alone. The girl has her long, dark hair tied in a neat ponytail. Her skin is quite fair. And she has the features of a Malay girl. Oh wow … is she a Malaysian too? Time for me to find out. I adjust the emerald green beret on my head and approach the newfriend-to-be with confidence.

“Assalamualaikum.” I greet her. I’m confident that she is a Muslim too.

“Wa’alaikumussalam. Hi, apa khabar?” replies the girl in a soft tone. Alhamdulillah. My guess is right. This girl is a Muslim like me. But is she a Malaysian like me? Her accent sounds slightly different.

The girl smiles at me. She opens her black sling bag and puts her phone in.

“I’m Yasmeen Aizura Habibullah from Malaysia,” I introduce myself politely in Bahasa Malaysia. I also extend my right hand to her. The girl smiles again as she takes my hand in hers.

“Nice to meet you, Yasmeen. My name is Puteri Irdina binti Awang. You can call me Irdina. I’m from Brunei, by the way.” The girl introduces herself and flashes her dimples for the third time.

Irdina is her name. And she is beautiful. Irdina has a very sweet and ethereal face. She also looks polite and well-mannered. That is very Bruneian.

“Hi, Irdina. It’s a pleasure meeting you. Are you a new student too?” I begin to break the ice. I hope Irdina and I will become friends.

“Iya,” answers Irdina with a cheerful tone. “I’ll be studying Fashion Marketing at Manchester Fashion Institute,” adds Irdina. My eyes sparkle with joy.

“Ohh … so you’ll be doing a Bachelor’s Degree in Fashion Marketing at MFI?” I ask. Irdina nods. “What year will you be in?” I ask another question.

“Second year. I have a diploma in Fashion Design. So, this university gives me a first-year exemption,” answers Irdina honestly.

“Oh my god! Same here!” I feel excited.

“Whoa! We’re going to be classmates.” Irdina feels excited too. Her facial expression changes 360 degrees. Irdina looks calm when I approach her. And her dark brown eyes are glowing with delight.

“Oh my god! Yay!” We shout and hug each other. Everyone in front of the hall stares at us with surprise. Irdina and I look as if we have known each other for a long time. Hehehe … girls.

Alhamdulillah. That means we are suitable for each other. I hope our friendship will last forever.

We continue our ice-breaking session. Irdina mentions to me that she had studied in Malaysia before. Irdina has a Diploma in Fashion and Retail Design from Limkokwing University of Creative Technology, Cyberjaya. That diploma qualifies Irdina for a one-year exemption from Man Met. Irdina is allowed to enter MFI as a second-year student.

Same with me. My Diploma in Textile and Fashion Design from MIA qualifies me to enter MFI as a second-year student. Our credit is good enough. Alhamdulillah.

Manchester Metropolitan University’s fashion school is known as the Manchester Fashion Institute (MFI). Before MFI, it was known as the Faculty of Clothing Technology. Man Met wants their fashion school to be on the same level as the London College of Fashion, Central Saint Martins, Chelsea College of Arts, Camberwell College of Arts, and Wimbledon College of Arts. The University’s hard work successfully raised MFI to be listed as one of the top ten fashion schools in the United Kingdom.

“My cousin is a fashion graduate of Limkokwing University, too. Her name is Cempaka Sari. Do you know her?” I ask Irdina. We are still chatting.

“Cempaka Sari Iskandar? She’s a Sudanese-Malaysian?” Irdina asks for my clarification.

“Yes.” I give my new friend a simple answer. Looks like Irdina knows my cousin.

“Of course, I know her. She was my classmate. She was also one of the best students in our class. But wait a minute … how are you related to Cempaka?” Irdina frowns at me. Hahaha … I know she will react this way.

I inform Irdina that Cempaka Sari is my adopted cousin. Yup, she is originally from Sudan. My Aunt Insyirah and her husband, Uncle Iskandar, took Cempaka into their home when the girl was only nine months old. During that time, Aunty Insyirah and Uncle Iskandar were in Sudan doing community work. Cempaka’s biological father was missing in action. The Sudanese man was nowhere to be found, while Cempaka’s biological mother died while giving birth to her.

Alhamdulillah. Cempaka was raised well by Aunty Insyirah and Uncle Inskandar. Even Aunty Insyirah and Uncle Iskandar’s only daughter, Dahlia Jamilah, loves Cempaka dearly too. They are like real sisters, even though they are not blood-related.

Cempaka has grown into a beautiful young woman. She is three years younger than me. After graduating from Limkokwing University, Cempaka went to the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology (RMIT) to further her Bachelor’s Degree in Fashion Design. Cempaka aspires to be a fashion designer right after she returns from Melbourne. Well, at least Cempaka knows what she wants to be in the fashion world. Umm …

While we are chit-chatting, the hall’s door opens. Everyone enters the hall, including me and Irdina. Our first briefing session begins …

~~~

THREE DAYS go by. Irdina and I are now good friends. Today is the last day of Manchester Metropolitan University’s orientation week for international students.

Fuh … time flies by so fast. The college season is about to begin for us in three days. I cannot believe that I will be back as a student again. This orientation week makes me realise how much I miss being a student. Alhamdulillah, orientation week was good for us. Everything went smoothly.

On the first day, we were briefed about Manchester Metropolitan University: the history of Man Met, courses offered, successful alumni in the industry, and other matters related to the University.

On the second day, we were taken on a tour of all Man Met campuses, including MFI. Irdina and I were thrilled to see our campus. MFI looks grand! Other than campuses, the University’s Orientation Committee also showed us important facilities in Manchester, such as the hospital, clinic, and post office.

And now, on our third day, the Committee is taking us to the City Centre for fun and shopping. Yay!

“Yasmeen … would you like to check out Blooming Jardin and Floria Shine?” asks Irdina. We are at Primark now. “I’ve been wanting to visit Blooming Jardin and Floria Shine since the first day I arrived. But haven’t had the chance. I’ve been to Primark so many times. It’s a little bit boring for me …” Irdina stares at me with her hopeful eyes.

“Jom.” I agree to Irdina’s suggestion. Like Irdina, I have also been wanting to visit Blooming Jardin and Floria Shine. And I’ve been to Primark many times, too, since I’ve been here. Yeah, looking at the same things again and again is boring. So, let’s check out something new.

“Mr. Stevens … my friend and I want to go to Blooming Jardin and Floria Shine. Can we?” I ask our group leader for permission. Discipline must not be neglected.

“Sure. But be back before one o’clock. We’re going to Ribeye Steakhouse at one sharp,” informs Mr. Stevens.

“Thank you, Mr. Stevens.” Both of us express our gratitude and leave immediately. There is no time to lose for something fun, exciting, and trendy. Hehehe …

Yasmeen & Irdina walking on the streets of Manchester

Blooming Jardin and Floria Shine are behind Arndale Shopping Centre. Blooming Jardin is a famous high street fashion brand from South Korea. Blooming Jardin and Floria Shine belong to the same parent company. Floria Shine is a beauty and self-care brand. These two brands have gone viral and have become famous worldwide since early this year.

Blooming Jardin and Floria Shine are next to each other. These stores that we are about to visit are the brands’ flagship stores in England. Whoa! My heart bursts with excitement as we approach the two grand stores.

Irdina tells me that Blooming Jardin and Floria Shine have not entered the Brunei market yet. These two famous brands are predicted to do so in early 2020.

Blooming Jardin and Floria Shine are not foreign to me. These two brands entered Malaysia in February this year. I am already familiar with these brands. Kak Maya took me to their flagship stores in Myeongdong while we were travelling in Seoul during spring this year. And in fact, the trench coat I am currently wearing is from Blooming Jardin. Hehehe …

Irdina and I walk faster when we reach the Arndale Shopping Centre. Both of us are so thrilled and excited. Yay!

Blooming Jardin and Floria Shine are not very far from Arndale. We reach there in less than five minutes. Wow! Both stores look so beautiful from the outside. Both have a garden concept. The stores aren’t much different from the ones in Myeongdong and IOI City Mall. Stunning!

Without wasting time, Irdina and I march into Blooming Jardin. We decide to visit Blooming Jardin first, as we want to shop for clothes.

Blooming Jardin and Floria Shine have the same business values. Well, these two brands are family. Neither brand is targeting the rich and glamourous people. Their target customers are the smexy ordinaries. Whoa! Smexy means smart and sexy. And since Blooming Jardin and Floria Shine are for smexy people, the brands do not hire any celebrity or influencer as their ambassador. They hire an author instead. Whoa!

The lucky author is my sister’s friend, Natasha Jung. Umm … actually, Natasha Jung is Abang Haikal’s childhood friend. They were neighbours before Natasha’s family migrated to New York. He introduced her to Kak Maya. Kak Maya and Natasha Jung became friends when they first met at Saranghaeyo Namsan Library Café.

Natasha Jung is one of the bestselling historical romance authors. All of her novels are listed as bestsellers and have been translated into ten different languages. Some of the novels have also won awards in South Korea and internationally. And recently, some Hallyu filmmakers became interested in adapting Natasha Jung’s novels into K-drama series. I am not a K-drama fan, but I have to admit that watching K-dramas once in a while can be fun, entertaining, and inspiring.

Natasha Jung’s posters and pictures in the brand’s outfits decorate Blooming Jardin’s walls. Natasha Jung is both brain and beauty. Natasha is also a friendly and humble person despite her success. I met her once during Kak Maya and Abang Haikal’s wedding at our home in Ampang. All guests were thrilled when they saw Natasha Jung enter our house. The wedding suddenly turned into an autograph signing session.

Irdina and I shop for some clothes. After we make our payment, we rush to visit Floria Shine next door. To our surprise, Floria Shine and Blooming Jardin are connected. Interesting!

As we make our move, I notice Irdina is staring at a small poster on the cashier counter. The poster announces, ‘Now Hiring’. Blooming Jardin and Floria Shine are looking for part-time staff. Irdina immediately asks for an application form. The girl at the cashier counter hands Irdina the form. And Irdina immediately fills in the form. My friend looks more excited than ever.

“Don’t you want to work part-time here too, babe?” Irdina eagerly asks me.

“It’s ok. You go first.” I am also planning to get a part-time job, but not at Blooming Jardin and Floria Shine. I have other plans.

While Irdina is filling in her application form, I enter Floria Shine for some window shopping. Just like Blooming Jardin, Floria Shine is also decorated with Natasha Jung’s posters. Wow … I cannot believe a novelist gets this kind of standing ovation from the fashion and beauty industry. This is a landmark for the book industry, proof that the book industry can always work together with other industries.

I walk to the bath bomb section. Floria Shine always provides its customers with beautiful bath bombs. I love bath bombs. They are good for therapy. And they are definitely good for self-care. Unfortunately, the apartment I’m staying at does not have a bathtub to soak in. Oh … how I miss our house back in Ampang. Besides bath bombs, Floria Shine also offers its customers efficacious organic beauty and self-care products, such as skincare, body and hair care, and various fragrances.

I check out the bath section and reach for a shiny green bath bomb. The bath bomb looks so beautiful. It catches my attention. I love green. Green is my favourite colour. Most of my things at home are green in colour.

I put the bath bomb near my nose and sniff it. Ummm … the bath bomb has a youthful yet calming scent. I like! I read the label. It states the bath bomb is made of guava, pear, aloe vera, eucalyptus, and Siberian fern. Oh wow! I love fruity scents.

Suddenly, a masculine figure enters my view. I recognise that figure and it startles me. I immediately put the bath bomb back in its place. Oh my god! Is that Mr. Tall-Dark-And-Handsome? What is he doing here? And surrounded by girls in purple aprons. Hmm!

Mr. Tall-Dark-And-Handsome is standing at the fragrance area with a few Floria Shine employees. He also held a perfume bottle in his hand. The way he talks sounds like he is teaching the employees some things about perfumes. Hmm … is this a product knowledge sharing session? Who is Mr. Tall-Dark-And-Handsome anyway? Is he the store manager of Floria Shine Manchester City Centre?

Ish … why are you so busybody, Yasmeen Aizura? Don’t tell me you’re interested in him. You’re looking for Ricardo, remember! I remind myself.

I do not understand what is happening to me. Am I attracted to him? I don’t even know who he is. Not even his name. How can I be attracted to Mr. Tall-Dark-And-Handsome? Is there something special about him besides his handsome face? Hmm …

“Yasmeen … Yasmeen …” I hear a feminine voice calling out my name. I turn and see Irdina standing next to me.

“Eh … Irdina … are you done?” I stammer.

“Yes. Are you ok?” Irdina frowns. And I nod. I do not want Irdina to be worried about me.

“Babe … we have 15 minutes left till 1 pm. Maybe we should go now. Let’s visit Floria Shine next time,” suggests Irdina, and I agree without hesitation. After all, I’m already hungry. Ribeye Steak, here I come!

The Committee plans to take us to Ribeye Steakhouse for lunch. Ribeye Steakhouse is a halal restaurant located in Manchester City Centre. The restaurant serves its customers Western and Tex-Mex cuisines.

“Babe … you might want to wipe this first.” Irdina points at my nose.

I stare at my reflection in the mirror. Alamak! There is a green mark on my nose! How embarrassing!

Mr. Tall-Dark-And-Handsome ... who is he?

~~~

AFTER LUNCH, all students are dismissed. We are free to do our own activities. The lunch session at Ribeye Steakhouse is the last event for our orientation week. Irdina returns to her place at Oxford Court, while I return to Wilmslow Park.

Ibu waits for me at the Wilmslow Park bus stand. “How was everything? Fun?” asks Ibu right after I got off the bus. “Wow … looks like someone did some shopping at Blooming Jardin.” Ibu gazes at the huge paperback in my hands.

“Ha’ah, Ibu … Irdina and I went to Blooming Jardin City Centre,” I respond. Ibu smiles at me. While walking from the bus stand to room 13D, I shared with Ibu everything that happened during the trip, except that I saw Mr. Tall-Dark-And-Handsome again.

“You know what, Meen … your father and I went to the Trafford Centre this morning. And we went to Blooming Jardin and Floria Shine there. There’s something interesting I want to tell you,” says Ibu while I put my key into unit 13’s main door knob and open the door.

Alamak … don’t tell me Ibu and Ayah saw Mr. Tall-Dark-AndHandsome at Blooming Jardin and Floria Shine Trafford Center too. Iseh man …

“About what, Ibu? Natasha Jung is the ambassador for the two brands?” I ask Ibu before she begins her story. Hahaha … I feel so nervous.

“Nope.” Ibu shakes her head. “Jom lah … let’s go in first. I’ll tell you later,” says Ibu in a soft tone. I follow Ibu into the Unit 13 hallway and walk to room D.

While in the hallway, I hear Ayah chatting with someone in the living room. Hmm … who can that be? I look at Ibu.

“That’s probably your new flatmate, Marisa. She just arrived this morning,” says Ibu. Wow … one of my flatmates has arrived. Time for another ice-breaking session.

“Ibu and Ayah met her just before we went to the Trafford Centre. She seems nice. Meen, why don’t you go meet her?” Without waiting for my response, Ibu takes the large paper bag from my hands. Ibu also smiles at me. I understand her body language and go into the dining room. I open the door slowly and put my face in.

Ayah, who is drinking his favourite soda, notices me. “Baby girl … come in. Meet your flatmate, Marisa.” Ayah invites me in.

I enter the dining room and see a beautiful girl with dark hair ironing her clothes. The girl is quite tall. Her skin is crystal fair. The girl by the name of Marisa smiles at me as I approach her.

“Hi, I’m Yasmeen Aizura. Nice to meet you.” I introduce myself. I offer Marisa my right hand. She takes my hand in hers.

“Hi, I’m Marisa Kiely from Cyprus. And I’m staying in room B. Nice to meet you, too.” She introduces herself to me. Marisa looks like a friendly person. I am grateful. Oh wow! I have a flatmate from Cyprus. How exotic!

We automatically click as we break the ice. Marisa is also a second-year student of Manchester Metropolitan University. She is doing her Bachelor’s Degree in Foreign Language (Italian and Spanish). Marisa is not just a pretty face, but I sense she is also an intellectual person.

Ayah smiles as he sees me bonding with Marisa. He exits the living room for us to chat freely.

“You’re in room 13D, right?” asks Marisa. I nod.

“I heard the girl in room 13A is coming tomorrow,” informs Marisa.

“Really? Wow … I’m excited to meet her, too.”

“Yeah … I’m looking forward to meeting all my flatmates. Are you free this afternoon?”

“This afternoon … what time?”

“Umm … maybe 6 pm.”

“Yeah … I’m free.”

“Cool! Let’s go for some coffee downstairs.” Marisa invites me. “Downstairs? You mean Caffè Nero?” I ask. Marisa nods. “Awesome! Let’s go to Caffè Nero at 6.” I accept Marisa’s invitation. I cannot wait to go mengopi. Hahaha.

After confirming my coffee date with Marisa, I return to room D. I need to rest and perform my Asar prayer before going mengopi.

“So, how’s your new friend?” asks Ayah with a smile. I give Ayah two thumbs-up. Ayah and Ibu both smile at me. I know they are elated for me.

“Alhamdulillah.” Ibu expresses her gratitude. “I hope you and Marisa will be good friends. She looks like a lovely girl,” adds Ibu.

“Insya-Allah, Ibu, Ayah. By the way … the girl in room A is coming tomorrow.” I inform Ayah and Ibu what Marisa told me just now.

“Oh ya … Meen … about Blooming Jardin and Floria Shine …” Ibu unzips her handbag before finishing her sentence, and takes out an A5-sized paper. She hands it to me.

Hmm … it is the ‘Now Hiring’ poster Irdina and I saw at Blooming Jardin this morning.

“Blooming Jardin and Floria Shine are looking for part-time workers. You mentioned to me that you want to work part-time here when we were back in Malaysia. I think you should apply for this one,” suggests Ibu.

I thank Ibu and tell her that I will try for this job. But honestly, I do not want to work at Blooming Jardin or Floria Shine. I want to get a part-time job at Manchester Town Football Club. My future husband is waiting for me there. Hahaha … dream on, Yasmeen Aizura!

I stare at Ricardo Alonso’s poster that is now neatly pasted onto my wall. I will find you my love … Fooooooyuh!

-TO BE CONTINUED-

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