Reminiscing my past

I don't know what came over me. As I was just sitting down, suddenly my childhood memories just came down flushing in my mind. It brought me back when I was under 6 years old, back at Police Academy in Thompson Road, Singapore.

The situation at the Inspector's Quarters was very muhibbah to say the least. On the hill there was just a line of link houses but I remember very well three families: mine, an Indian-Chinese couple with their sons Frankie and Edwin, and a Chinese family whose names I forgot but not their son and daughters, Junie, Sharon and Sabrina. They also have this BIG dog which scared the wits out of me and a very talkative and very intelligent parrot.

The Chinese families had air conditioner at home and it was LOUD. The Indian-Chinese family, the parents worked at the academy's clinic as a nurse and alamak... what's the word for the person who gives medicine? Oh yes, pharmacist.

Where are you guys now? They were the bestest of friends one can have. Those guys are the reason I'm quite proficient in English. I can't quite remember how I communicated with them before I could really speak in English. The moments with them were precious. We would walk to the outskirts of the academy to... I can't remember where and why but there was this stream and when it rained, the small stream (or was it just a big longkang?) would gush out water as if it were a rapid. I remembered very well Edwin lost one of his slippers because he was playing on the small bridge during the rapid-like longkang was in full fury.

They were already having tuition that time and I volunteered to study A B C with them. The tuition teacher brought them to the Aquarium one fine day. I thought I was one of them, but they left me high and dry alone!!! I remembered crying my eyes and guts out in the middle of the road in front of my house. My mom tried VERY hard to appease me but to no avail.

Junie's parents once brought back a boomerang after a trip to Australia. He was playing catch with his boomerang in my house (the air well at the back was huge!), but since I was BAD at catching stuff, the boomerang hit just above my eyes. Bloody was trickling down and I was bawling because it hurt like hell. My parents and Junie's frantically brought me over to the clinic and the doctor managed to stitch the wound. Was it painful? YOU BETCHA!!! I didn't stop screaming until everything was over. Poor Junie, he was reprimanded for something that I think wasn't his fault at all.

We would always be bartering food from one another. I remember well the delicious jelly Junie's mom would give us, and in return my mom would give them some Malay lauk pauk. It wasn't only during Raya or Christmas or Chinese New Year. We would just do it 'just because'. That's 1Malaysia for you... only it was in Singapore at that time.

Junie was always in trouble with his parents (because of me...) hehe... One time, I woke up from sleep and Junie was playing with this toy. All I wanted to do was to BORROW it from him, but he wouldn't let me. He was a bit stingy I guess. So, we 'fought'. My dad and Junie's dad came home from work and they saw us shouting at one another. I told them what happened, and in a flash, Junie got a nice smack in the butt by his dad. "THANKS UNCLE!!!" ... guess what? His dad GAVE me that toy. Sorry Junie, but I won...

Edwin was like my twin and Frankie was like my older brother. We were not naughty and we would just play together. They had a lot of toys. Usually after Christmas Edwin would show off his new toys that he got as Christmas gift. My favorite toys with them: Matchbox cars one whole set together with the 'road'. We would play the whole day. I can't recall anytime we would fight. We were THAT close.

What I would not do to meet them again. In 1971, we moved out of Singapore to stay for good in Malaysia. We lost contact ever since...