For a moment, I really did not know when to start. But if I straighten out my thoughts, it is actually there and then.
Many would have assume that it started the moment we like each other. No, it was way long before that. The first day of primary two. I doubted we've met in Kindergarten. I studied in Henderson Primary School, living less than 500 meters away from my parents flat. Half way through Primary one, my family moved to Bedok. And my parents thought it would be a better idea to finish my Primary one education before changing school to Bedok Town Primary School. For almost coming to half a year, I have been traveling very early in the wee hours, taking bus number 8 of City Shuttle Service (CSS) to Henderson to attend class. Those were the days, bus conductor, tickets and such. I always admire how the kind looking uncle can punch the hole in the exact location on the ticket of where I broad the bus. Thinking back, I should have kept one of the tickets as a souvenir. I've always remembered Primary one. Class party on the first week of school that I ate my Muslim classmate sandwich with roasted beef sliced unknowingly, that my dad tell me not to eat beef (it is all due to religious belief). I ever shitted in my shorts and my teacher had to call mum, where she rush to school with clean clothing and I think I could be one of the first kid who bath in school at that time, hahaha.
Many would have assume that it started the moment we like each other. No, it was way long before that. The first day of primary two. I doubted we've met in Kindergarten. I studied in Henderson Primary School, living less than 500 meters away from my parents flat. Half way through Primary one, my family moved to Bedok. And my parents thought it would be a better idea to finish my Primary one education before changing school to Bedok Town Primary School. For almost coming to half a year, I have been traveling very early in the wee hours, taking bus number 8 of City Shuttle Service (CSS) to Henderson to attend class. Those were the days, bus conductor, tickets and such. I always admire how the kind looking uncle can punch the hole in the exact location on the ticket of where I broad the bus. Thinking back, I should have kept one of the tickets as a souvenir. I've always remembered Primary one. Class party on the first week of school that I ate my Muslim classmate sandwich with roasted beef sliced unknowingly, that my dad tell me not to eat beef (it is all due to religious belief). I ever shitted in my shorts and my teacher had to call mum, where she rush to school with clean clothing and I think I could be one of the first kid who bath in school at that time, hahaha.
CSS Bus, Photo from another Blog at Public Transport SG and photo credit goes to this site and Public Transport Hub.
Henderson is a very nice place. Over at block 95, we have a market and hawker centre opposite, a primary school, the one I went to, just beside. I always remember on Sunday, I will hold my father index finger while he carried my sister in his arm, and we will cross Henderson road, to reach the market, for our breakfast. We will always definitely eat in one stall only. A couple selling Lor Mee (Thicken dark Soya Soup Noodle) and Hae Mee (Prawn Soup Noodles). I remember people always commented why stall owners sell this two dishes side by side. It is due to that the soup based for both is rich prawn soup, where the shells are cooked for so long that the soup is reddish in colour. The owner of the stall comes from Hokkien, China, where the 2 noodle dishes is originated from. I loved this Lor Mee and it comes with what my sister and myself would call Shi Tou (Stone or Rock). It is actually flour base little gluten balls that contains some shredded vegetables and carrot deep fried to rock crispy that added crunch to the soft and slippery noodle and soup. The owner of the stall is a young man in his 30s, who is a Hokkien but is able to speak and understand Hock Chew (my Dialect). The last time I went back to the stall was just a year ago. He is still there. But he is old now, I guess he must be some 60 to 70 years old. His hair is whitish. But his eyes is still the young man. He recognized me!
Back to Primary two. The first day of school, where I sat beside him, being 2 of the tallest guys in class. On my right is Tjun Kit, shy and decent and spot on a comb hair with a side parting (those were the in-style hairdo for guys during the early eighties). There were others on the back row. But out of those, I will always remember Jimmy Lim, who sat on my left and to his left, Koh Weimin. Four of us were not chatty during classes but in between the sessions, we were like bosses who frequent night clubs, toasting our drinks and talking about things that interest us, may be the television program, and may be the books we read. At that time, every little boy and girl will be carrying a water bottle, with flashes of cartoons and pictures that little boy or girl will be attracted to. Happens that mine and Jimmy had the same exact design and made, where there is a little cup that covers the bottle top and in between, a little stopper that seals the opening so that water will not drip out, that stopper is just like a bartender little cup that pour liqueur or alcohol that measures to a dash. We will be using our little cups or stopper to toast and drink in between our sessions. Tjun Kit does not have a bottle, he don't like to carry one. But when he is thirsty, he would steal a cuppa from me.
These are the three friends that is closest with me, although there are other kids like Ma Siyao, Chen Zunlong, Yang Qinghuang, but we were never that close. Jimmy, whom we have a common liking for boiled water and toast in between session. Weimin who stays at the same block with me right at Bedok Reservoir Road. Tjun Kit, who share the table with me (Not exactly a table, it is actually 2 square table where 2 are put together, where everybody sit 2 by 2). I have a special liking for Tjun Kit. He is smart, courteous and he seems too relied on me for everything. From water in the bottle, to recess queuing for food, to homework. I don't know why I agree on letting him so. I often complain my other classmates who bothers me with little help, borrowing my pencils, my homework, but I never complain about Tjun Kit. I see him like a brother, who will always rely on me. I would even worry that he is not drinking water and would offer him without even him asking it from me.
This is where I know him, Tjun Kit. Like I say, I often see him as a little brother, and I suspect he do so. With my other two close friends, we would still call each other by name. But Tjun Kit call me Gor Gor (Big/Elder Brother) when no one else is around or listening. I don't know when he started doing that. In fact, he is older than me by a month. It could be I am bigger in size and chubbier that he treats me as the elder, I am not sure. It started that way, I let it be. We were sitting side by side, eating side by side in the canteen during recess, play side by side, and study side by side. But I would walk home with Weimin, as we are neighbours. Tjun Kit family had a driver and car where the car will fetch him home. Occasionally, his mum would be in the car. Uncle Peter, the driver, is a stern looking but kind old man. He seems to have a telepathic link with Tjun Kit and will know exactly where is Tjun Kit when he arrives and did not see Tjun Kit waiting by the side of the school gates. He is a polite old man. I say he is, because every time he sees me beside Tjun Kit, he would asked me if I had eaten (I think all the Chinese folks would greet the same way, asking 吃饱没有？ Have you eaten? a very olden and traditional way of greeting by Chinese) knowing that we just finished class and I am very sure he knows we had not eaten.
I and Tjun Kit has always being in the same class. Primary two till Primary six. We even chooses the same Secondary School, Bedok North. He would tell him his mum is always nagging him to choose Raffles, ACS and so and so. He says he likes Bedok, he rather stay. I ever asked him why, he just told me he still want to be in the same class with me. I did suspect all these while that he has been keeping his study the same level as me. We never cheated but our scores in test and exam are almost similar in the same range. But he is such a smart person that he would be able to grasp any concept and knowledge in a very short instant, why would he not want to score the best and go to a good school? Of cause, this is just my understanding now in my middle age, at that time, I would just take his words as the ultimate truth. Thinking back, he has always forgot to do his homework and had to copy mine. Did he do that in purpose?
Back to Primary two. The first day of school, where I sat beside him, being 2 of the tallest guys in class. On my right is Tjun Kit, shy and decent and spot on a comb hair with a side parting (those were the in-style hairdo for guys during the early eighties). There were others on the back row. But out of those, I will always remember Jimmy Lim, who sat on my left and to his left, Koh Weimin. Four of us were not chatty during classes but in between the sessions, we were like bosses who frequent night clubs, toasting our drinks and talking about things that interest us, may be the television program, and may be the books we read. At that time, every little boy and girl will be carrying a water bottle, with flashes of cartoons and pictures that little boy or girl will be attracted to. Happens that mine and Jimmy had the same exact design and made, where there is a little cup that covers the bottle top and in between, a little stopper that seals the opening so that water will not drip out, that stopper is just like a bartender little cup that pour liqueur or alcohol that measures to a dash. We will be using our little cups or stopper to toast and drink in between our sessions. Tjun Kit does not have a bottle, he don't like to carry one. But when he is thirsty, he would steal a cuppa from me.
These are the three friends that is closest with me, although there are other kids like Ma Siyao, Chen Zunlong, Yang Qinghuang, but we were never that close. Jimmy, whom we have a common liking for boiled water and toast in between session. Weimin who stays at the same block with me right at Bedok Reservoir Road. Tjun Kit, who share the table with me (Not exactly a table, it is actually 2 square table where 2 are put together, where everybody sit 2 by 2). I have a special liking for Tjun Kit. He is smart, courteous and he seems too relied on me for everything. From water in the bottle, to recess queuing for food, to homework. I don't know why I agree on letting him so. I often complain my other classmates who bothers me with little help, borrowing my pencils, my homework, but I never complain about Tjun Kit. I see him like a brother, who will always rely on me. I would even worry that he is not drinking water and would offer him without even him asking it from me.
This is where I know him, Tjun Kit. Like I say, I often see him as a little brother, and I suspect he do so. With my other two close friends, we would still call each other by name. But Tjun Kit call me Gor Gor (Big/Elder Brother) when no one else is around or listening. I don't know when he started doing that. In fact, he is older than me by a month. It could be I am bigger in size and chubbier that he treats me as the elder, I am not sure. It started that way, I let it be. We were sitting side by side, eating side by side in the canteen during recess, play side by side, and study side by side. But I would walk home with Weimin, as we are neighbours. Tjun Kit family had a driver and car where the car will fetch him home. Occasionally, his mum would be in the car. Uncle Peter, the driver, is a stern looking but kind old man. He seems to have a telepathic link with Tjun Kit and will know exactly where is Tjun Kit when he arrives and did not see Tjun Kit waiting by the side of the school gates. He is a polite old man. I say he is, because every time he sees me beside Tjun Kit, he would asked me if I had eaten (I think all the Chinese folks would greet the same way, asking 吃饱没有？ Have you eaten? a very olden and traditional way of greeting by Chinese) knowing that we just finished class and I am very sure he knows we had not eaten.
I and Tjun Kit has always being in the same class. Primary two till Primary six. We even chooses the same Secondary School, Bedok North. He would tell him his mum is always nagging him to choose Raffles, ACS and so and so. He says he likes Bedok, he rather stay. I ever asked him why, he just told me he still want to be in the same class with me. I did suspect all these while that he has been keeping his study the same level as me. We never cheated but our scores in test and exam are almost similar in the same range. But he is such a smart person that he would be able to grasp any concept and knowledge in a very short instant, why would he not want to score the best and go to a good school? Of cause, this is just my understanding now in my middle age, at that time, I would just take his words as the ultimate truth. Thinking back, he has always forgot to do his homework and had to copy mine. Did he do that in purpose?
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