cakap cakap....images from the past and life.

A few days back a class mate of mine sent me these images from a distant past...over half a century ago...five decades plus two to be exact! As I gaze at the grainy images, memories of friends I have not seen for ages began to drift in and out of my mind. Some have left us as the ravages of age and life took them away. I remembered Yusof - you all know him as the Ancient Mariner - with whom I exchanged messages late on the very night that he passed away - I woke up the next morning to a message from one of our classmates telling me that our dear friend had passed away in his sleep. I remembered my last meet with Yahaya Ahmad - over lunch with some of our classmates and his last words to us as he left us to go for a meeting.......that he will be taking care of the bill. 

I could not recall where the picture was taken, when or by whom but the names of almost everyone gathered around me I can still recall with clarity. Those whose name I cannot remember are still familiar as I see their faces staring back at me.....and there was me in the second row from the front, the second guy from the left!   

But even as I look at myself at so young an age I do not think I have changed! From school days I have always preferred my own company to others. I remembered the pleasure I got from writing even at that age. I have never ever studied for exams...and totally had no interest in my schoolwork...so exams are just an excuse to write and write...about nothing! I use to wonder what the examiners made of my papers.    

How many of you still have pictures from your youth? Pictures that you take to every class reunion that you have had over the years. Pictures that you never tire of explaining to you grand children....pointing out to their astonishment that you were once that young!

I do not take enough pictures to remind me of times past. I only have a few images of my time in London, fewer still of my time in Perth, Adelaide or Sydney. In KL and in Bangsar most of the images have been taken by others and they remind me too much of the happy times when my two children were still staying with us.....good times.         

Today I blog. A word I only came across about six years ago after a meeting with Petra. We met at Bangsar Permai where I was then staying to talk about an MB up North. He told me that I can read what he will write about our conversation in his blog in a few days time and he asked that I looked it up. I said that I will...not even knowing what a blog is! I still smile now when I think back to those times. 

Since then a lot of water has passed under the bridge. It has not made me any wiser....only more patient. More accepting of the follies of others. More knowing of my own. Even as some of my peers have already departed for the happy hunting ground in the skies I still have not started to make myself ready for that trip for I believe that like any journey it begins with the first step that you take towards that journey. I took that first step over sixty-six years ago in Segambut when I came onto this earth. So I am ready.