My perception about re-union~!

"Shame on me!" No doubt about it.

Since I left STAR, I have been back only once. That was in 1997, soon after I acquired one of those re-conditioned imported used luxury cars! "Double shame on me!" For having a little hidden motive in making that effort to attend the re-union - to show off my latest new toy. That was the feeling when I left my humble home in Gombak starting the journey.

However...

When I arrived at the school gate, all the motives of showing off dispersed into thin air...whoooossshhhh, like a balloon been pricked by a needle, my ego left me. Every palm tree I passed from the gate to the famous little round about reminded me of my humble beginning and how the alma mater had unselfishly nourished me, physically, emotionally and educationally. I felt small in front of the majestic STAR!

And....

As I drove slowly around the school compound looking for a parking space, i began to feel ashamed of myself for even letting the thought of showing off to find a place within my heart.

I parked my car, the source of my pride, and the symbol of my success, hideously behind a tree next to Pak Hassan's house. I took off my brand new Nike sneakers and slipped on my worn out sandals which I had kept in the boot for Friday prayers. I also changed into a plain green T shirt. I wanted none of those worldly symbols to misrepresent me! I was the same kampung boy, and i didn't need any recognition for what i was not!

But....

Boys when they turn into men, inherit a few things from their fore-fathers of the cave days! They become unnecessarily competitive with each other. They compete for women, for spot lights, for thrones, even for stones and scones! So beware, when your long lost friends ask you, "Hang dok mana la nie?" He actually want to assess what type of house can you afford to buy, and what type of neighbourhood you live in. From those, they infer what types of people you rub shoulders with! More pointedly, what kind of salary are you drawing! ho ho ho, I hope it is only my perception lah, not reality!

"Gombak!" I answered. My friend sniggered. He said, "Oh, that is a Malay area right, many squatters too!"

And made no mistake. When he asked me the question, he expected me to return the same.

"Hang dok mana?" I asked. His nose went way up, as he looked down, he replied, "Taman Tun!"

I was supposed to say, "Wow! Mahal tu rumah kat situ!" So I did, "Wow!" I said.

"Yep, I bought it for 2 million, took only 50% loan!" He answered, making sure a few friends nearby could also hear!

Once I realized he has not changed a bit from the days we were in school, I carried on, "Hang drive kereta apa laa ni?"

"Hang agak?" He asked. Wow, by this time his nostril was pointing towards the sky! Hahaha, I chuckled silently. Boleh pulak dia tanya kita suruh teka-teka! Apa kes~!

I slapped his a shoulder as a way of joking, "Kereta lembu kut!"

"Tell you what, later when we are going for the lunch at the lake, you come with me. I drive you in my car!" He said, and by this time dangling his car key! A Beemer!

I did! It was one heck of a car, and he deserved every ounce of pride to own one. At one traffic light, another friend pulled along side. The friend was driving an old Nissan. His plush electric window went down and he gestured to the old Nissan guy to do the same.

"Hoi, hang bawak kereta hang tu jauh2 sikit dari kereta aku boleh tak! Hahahaha!" He sniggered and laughed.

The friend in the old Nissan gave him his middle finger and shouted back amidst laughter, "Up yours lah with your Beemer!"

I gave a thumb's up to the friend in Nissan!

All three of us laughed. Yes, but what dent was left on the Nissan friend's ego, we would never know.

That was the first and last time I attended a STAR old boys re-union in STAR. I came home feeling rather disturbed. I asked my wife about her TKC old girls re-union, if similar competitiveness exist?

My wife answered, "Nope! When old girls meet we just wanna have fun like the good old days!"

And...that is the way it should be.

(The writer is from Batch '75 STAR, and he also writes HERE)