It was supposed to be single’s awareness day today. Other people call it Valentine’s Day, I call it a perfectly normal day to plant myself under my couch pillows and root like a potato while watching dramas. It will also be interesting for me to go flipping the pages of the books that I broke up with. It’s been a long time since I felt that giddy hyperventilating feeling of being swept off my feet, love - it no longer affects me. Time made me immune to be numb enough and cherish my individuality.

I anticipated spending this day just like how I always did these past consecutive years yet my officemates broke my self-infused momentum and pushed me to join this epic TEAM SINGLE get away. I can’t help but be sarcastic with this whole façade. Ironically, how can we even call ourselves a team when we are supposed to be single right?

This camp is a kind of retreat where in the main purpose of the organization is to gather all those people who are not in a relationship and I don’t know – maybe encourage us to go out and live our lives like we should? Ahh, it is a complete stereotypical event for me no matter how hard I try to think about their good intentions. Being single is not a disease.

The main thing that made me join this was the fact that my colleagues put an effort to it to register me since participants were not allowed to sign in by themselves, they should be recommended. Almost all of them chipped in an amount to fund my breakthrough. I don’t really understand but I have a weakness for this kind of hard work. I can’t be a murderer of joy right? I decided to be a cool person today. I hope I don’t regret these one night and two days of social torture.

 I arrived at the bus station with my orange backpack clinging tightly on my shoulders; other people looked like they will go to another country with those huge luggages. I am not a camper but I managed to squeeze in all my commodities inside my container.  I just want everything to end just before it starts. If I can only fast-forward the time I will. Sigh.

My ID was dangling on my neck, and I loved the idea that they have this privacy concept going on. Each participant is not going to be introduced to one another like the normal set up. We were named by numbers, our birthday digits were printed on our cards and that is the way they will address us. This way, a boundary is set. This way, we only get to choose those people whom we’d like to meet. This way, our prides can also get smashed if the other person decides to keep their names a secret. I like it, I like this twisted thought.

Female participants seemed to get to choose where to seat. They called the numbers one by one and all the numbers which have been said randomly turns out to be girls. Assa! I get to seat near the window! Ha! I get to see the nice view all throughout the travel!

“Miss 919, please go inside and choose your seat inside the bus.” The proctor called out loud. I rushed right away to see where I can get the best view.  Right after I stepped in, I ran to the end part of the bus. I get to seat on the 2^nd row from the last since someone already occupied my favourite spot.

I sat on the soft chair and watch the remaining participants outside. It looks like the males are lining up to go one by one too but now, there is no order for any number arrangement for them. They get to rush in on their own accord and choose whom to sit next with.

My heart stopped abruptly. NO WAY! I CAN’T SHARE MY SEAT WITH A STRANGER! I WILL DIE.

With a blink of an eye, all of them entered like a hurricane inside the bus. Pushing one another and clutching persistently like there was a spirit of hunger. I got scared all of a sudden until a man bounced to the seat next to me while laughing with a sound of victory.

I looked at him secretly and saw him fanning himself using his ID card with numbers 216.

The seat war seized within just nearly 5 minutes. It seems like once the seat is taken, they can’t pull out the person who’s able to take it first. It looked fun and exciting for all of them while my face only reflected horror on the next thing to come. I – I hate these sort of things. I am not a fan of fun and games, and yes that is why I am boring.

The organizer stood at the middle holding a megaphone on her hand and started to speak.

“Welcome to TEAM SINGLE Retreat. I and our team are really happy to help you recover and rediscover yourself on the next activities that we will have. Before leaving our starting point, I would like to ask if you have any violent reactions with your seatmates and give you the chance to bargain for swapping. Since the boys get to choose whom to sit with, the girls will have to decide if they want to keep this as a constant mark for our journey. Remember that you can just swap once and only if there is also an available space for bargain. I am telling you in advance that this is complicated.”

“But if you are already satisfied with your seatmates, then let me tell you that whoever you are with right now, will be the same person that you’ll be spending your time with for the rest of our events – your partners” and she let out a sweet teasing smile while glancing on both directions of the bus.

Some of us giggled with the thought, some bowed their heads due to their shy embarrassment and I on other hand almost collapsed with shock because of this surprise revelation. The back of my neck felt numb because I knew it very well that I am an expert on making things like this become uneasy because I alienate anyone with awkwardness.

“Okay so now let’s all hear the moment of truth. Who wants to swap?” Her voice echoed inside my head a multiple times. The bus suddenly screamed with silence and it seems that nobody wants to speak. I on the other hand tried to look at my seatmate –just to check, just to know his reaction.

to be continued..