ministry of miseducation ‡ last transmission ...---...

recent entries (in order)

<--latest post-- I Am Lame. I Admit. I Apologise.--Smoke from the Jossticks--One Without The Other--Got utopia?--Touché!--Rare Argument--Mr. Anderson does not want to leave his cocoon--Pestil's having a tea break @ my house before retu...--Go Donate Blood - Pass Screenings, Do Not Collect ...--Very Obvious-- --last post-->

Shine - A Short Story

by comrade commissar | Thomas | @ Friday, August 13, 2004, 1:19:00 AM

permalink

The 10am sun blazes over the sky. Its so hot that mirages are appearing over the asphalt school carpark floor. We don't care - Its RECESS TIME!

We dash out onto the open areas of the school. Anywhere! 30 minutes only! We play One-Leg. Hopscotch. Paper airplanes. Skipping rope. 15-20 people aside soccer. Leaping and hopping in the humidity and dead heat. Why would the teachers stay inside? Why do they sit around? So little time, so fun!

"Eh. I think when I grow up, I never want to be like the adults." I said. "I will never fear what other people will say when I play at the playground or play with my Lego."

"Thomas, your packet drink's getting warm."

"Oh yah ah. Very hot today. *slurp* Just now that game of catching was fun."

"Yah. Eh. We will always remain best friends right? I'm scared. My older brother recently had a - girlfriend."

I almost choke. "You sure anot!!! Yucks! So stupid!"

"I dunno lah. We will always being united right? We know each other 6 years already! We will never be like the adults, right?" "Yup!"

The school bell buzzes incessantly. Everyone assembles, lines up, walks in neat rows, two-by-twos, back to class. We walk back indoors, away from the bright late morning shine. We walk down the corridors. It gets darker.

"Eh. Where's your girlfriend ah?" My packet-drink-friend smiles and asks.

My attention switches from the satay sticks I'm cooking to the conversation. "Nah. She doesn't want to come. She don't know you guys well what. Eh. Where's yours?"

"Aiyah! I now.. Army man.. Where got time to find stead?" He scratches his head abit in frustration. A neatly combed haircut barely conceals his previous crew-cut hairstyle when he was going through his BMT.

"FUCK!" I flick my singed finger away from the grill. The sun is setting over the horizon and over our little chalet gathering of former primary school friends. I ask him whether he wants to play a mad game of soccer anot. A little kicking-around-the-ball, just like good old times.

"Nah." He gestures to his Armani shirt and pants. "I'm going clubbing later."

Another ex-classmate arrives at this moment. He brings with him 2 cute looking girls. His schoolmates from the polytechnic he's currently at.

"FWAH. Eh Thomas, you enjoy your satay ah. I got my own target already."

I go back to minding my cooking. Stare at where the heat is coming from. One of the glowing coals abruptly faded back into black again.

Later in the night, I was bored. I started taking out the mahjong tiles which they used for Mahjong earlier, and built an elaborate ivory tower. Skirt chasing boy came around again, with his 2 newly aquainted female friends.

"Hey, you haven't talked to them right? This is ... and ..."

One more tile to the next level. "Oh. Hey. Hi."

"Wah! You how old already? Still playing building blocks ah?" I don't reply.

Later when I am done, I go over to the other guys. Walk over to the bowling alley for a round of bowling. Play soccer. Go for a midnight walk. Explore the surroundings. I suggest.

"Too lazy." "No mood." "So tiring." "Whose going? If the girls are not going, I'm not going also." "Eh? You going out ah? Help me buy cigarettes can?"

I stroll around the chalet abit more. The kids from the chalet next to ours were kicking a ball back and forth to each other. They laugh and smile like it was the most fun thing to do in the world.

I went to one of the bedrooms to turn in and sleep early. Showered and washed up. One by one, the lights goes out. The bathroom. My chalet bedroom. The outdoor carpark. The playground. Laughter. The classrooms with short tables and chairs. Standing outside the teachers' room for talking in class. The school excursion bus. The school library with the weird things called computers. Throwing wet toilet paper around. The sick bay. Being genuine. Being real. The pouch where the school buses fetches them home everyday when school ends.

One by one, we leave behind the important things and our innocence. We forget and deny a part of ourselves. The sun sets over a part of our lives. It will not rise over that part again.

Dedicated to all my ex-primary school friends of 13 years.

[+] click to comment / view comments. 1 comrades have contributed.

PS: If you're commenting Anonymously please sign off with your name/nick. Thanks.

Damnit, now I feel nostalgic about primary school days. 20 a side soccer! :D
- by comrade Jeiel Aranal @ times 1:48 AM, August 14, 2004 [delete? click on the dustbin.]

[+] Post a Comment ...