Friday 21st, November 2008 - the day I'm able to drive on the road legally. =D
But that's not I want to talk about. You see, on that day, the driving instructor (which i'll name as Uncle) took me to the driving center for my exams using the "back road". I said back road, because he took to kampung road instead of the normal way through the town.
Now before i continue further, let me just tell you something - Uncle drives like a MANIAC! We're talking about him going an average of 90kmph on a bumpy village road. During the morning rush, no less!!
He brakes at the very last minute, overtakes cars whenever he can (how else do you suppose he can go up to 90kmph?), squeezes through the smallest space possible just to be a few millimeters nearer to our destination.
And to think that when I'm driving, he'd be stomping on his brake miles before we reach the traffic light, all the while going, "Ah, man siew siew. Chai brake lor." (translation: Yes, slow down now. Press your brake now.)
Not just that, he'd be preparing to step on the brake whenever i go over 50kmph.
God. Like, hello? Hypocrite much? or should i say, drive much?
He seems to know that I'm seating beside him with my heart in my throat, coz he glanced over to see how I was doing every now and then. Or maybe he's just looking over the side mirror, because if i looked tensed to him (and i'm sure i did, coz i was scared STIFF when i got out of the car later), HE DID NOT SLOW DOWN ONE BIT. Oh well, at least he follows all the traffic rules.
Except the speed limit, of course.
Anyway, while i contemplated to step on the brake on the passenger seat like he usually does (hey, his driving is scaring me, okay. Besides, i was itching to try the brake out. Not that i did.) as he speeds to Bukit Kuda (BK) to pick another girl up, i was struck by a sense of nostalgia.
You see, I used to study in a high school in Bukit Kuda. Stayed in that area in a flat for a few years too, before we moved to my current reside.
Mom would usually drive me to school in the early mornings using this "back road" after we shifted house.
I have not been to BK for months, maybe even years and i can't help but feel slightly secured (not much, considering how crazily Uncle is driving) looking at all the familiar surroundings .
For a slight moment, it even felt as if my dad was taking me to school, seeing how my dad drives a little like Uncle, and we don't usually talk as well. Except that my dad would be driving his over 20 years old Merc junk instead of a kancil with an emergency brake on the passenger side.
As my eyes take in the sceneries greedily - hey, i won't have a chance to see it till god nows when. Not that the "sceneries" are all that pretty. Just the normal village houses and stuff, you know. But still. - I was reminded by the quote, "Walking down memory lane."
"Gee," I wondered to myself, "is that how they got that statement? Everything is exactly like how i remembered, except for the occasional development you can see here and there."
The flat house that i used to stay in looks horrible though. Paints peeling off, many of the apartments were empty, with "to let/to rent" signs hanging out of their balcony. I remembered and recognized one particularly well - the one where the grills on the balcony is an off white colour, on the first level of the flat.
The house of my childhood.
Well, part of my childhood, anyway. I shifted house 3 times, so it only kept the memories of the few years that i stayed in this particular house.
It was disheartening to see my old house to look so run down and neglected. It's as if I'm losing a part of my past and secrets with it.
The number of times I sneaked out, the multiple "incidents" that happened in that area (the area used to be filled with "night people", if you know what I mean), the murder case that happened right opposite the flat, gossips that I listened to in my balcony as the housewives gossiped downstairs...
It all seemed like a dream, threatening to disappear as soon as i wake up.
I suppressed a sigh as Uncle flew pass my ex-home and turned to a house right after a junction. We waited in silence for a few moments before I snapped out of my reverie, wondering why Uncle isn't calling the girl or tapping on the hon as a sign that he has arrived.
He must've noticed me getting restless in my seat, coz when i turned to him with a questioning look, he smiled sheepishly and told me that he told the girl to get ready by 7.30am.
I glanced at the clock to see that it was only 7.15am. "We're early," I thought, as annoyance start to creep up to me. Of course we would, considering how fast he drove just now.
He seemed to be able to read my thoughts as he noticed my slightly annoyed glance and looking slightly embarrassed as he smiled and continued;
"Seems like we're too early"
-.-''
Geez Uncle, drive much?
But that's not I want to talk about. You see, on that day, the driving instructor (which i'll name as Uncle) took me to the driving center for my exams using the "back road". I said back road, because he took to kampung road instead of the normal way through the town.
Now before i continue further, let me just tell you something - Uncle drives like a MANIAC! We're talking about him going an average of 90kmph on a bumpy village road. During the morning rush, no less!!
He brakes at the very last minute, overtakes cars whenever he can (how else do you suppose he can go up to 90kmph?), squeezes through the smallest space possible just to be a few millimeters nearer to our destination.
And to think that when I'm driving, he'd be stomping on his brake miles before we reach the traffic light, all the while going, "Ah, man siew siew. Chai brake lor." (translation: Yes, slow down now. Press your brake now.)
Not just that, he'd be preparing to step on the brake whenever i go over 50kmph.
God. Like, hello? Hypocrite much? or should i say, drive much?
He seems to know that I'm seating beside him with my heart in my throat, coz he glanced over to see how I was doing every now and then. Or maybe he's just looking over the side mirror, because if i looked tensed to him (and i'm sure i did, coz i was scared STIFF when i got out of the car later), HE DID NOT SLOW DOWN ONE BIT. Oh well, at least he follows all the traffic rules.
Except the speed limit, of course.
Anyway, while i contemplated to step on the brake on the passenger seat like he usually does (hey, his driving is scaring me, okay. Besides, i was itching to try the brake out. Not that i did.) as he speeds to Bukit Kuda (BK) to pick another girl up, i was struck by a sense of nostalgia.
You see, I used to study in a high school in Bukit Kuda. Stayed in that area in a flat for a few years too, before we moved to my current reside.
Mom would usually drive me to school in the early mornings using this "back road" after we shifted house.
I have not been to BK for months, maybe even years and i can't help but feel slightly secured (not much, considering how crazily Uncle is driving) looking at all the familiar surroundings .
For a slight moment, it even felt as if my dad was taking me to school, seeing how my dad drives a little like Uncle, and we don't usually talk as well. Except that my dad would be driving his over 20 years old Merc junk instead of a kancil with an emergency brake on the passenger side.
As my eyes take in the sceneries greedily - hey, i won't have a chance to see it till god nows when. Not that the "sceneries" are all that pretty. Just the normal village houses and stuff, you know. But still. - I was reminded by the quote, "Walking down memory lane."
"Gee," I wondered to myself, "is that how they got that statement? Everything is exactly like how i remembered, except for the occasional development you can see here and there."
The flat house that i used to stay in looks horrible though. Paints peeling off, many of the apartments were empty, with "to let/to rent" signs hanging out of their balcony. I remembered and recognized one particularly well - the one where the grills on the balcony is an off white colour, on the first level of the flat.
The house of my childhood.
Well, part of my childhood, anyway. I shifted house 3 times, so it only kept the memories of the few years that i stayed in this particular house.
It was disheartening to see my old house to look so run down and neglected. It's as if I'm losing a part of my past and secrets with it.
The number of times I sneaked out, the multiple "incidents" that happened in that area (the area used to be filled with "night people", if you know what I mean), the murder case that happened right opposite the flat, gossips that I listened to in my balcony as the housewives gossiped downstairs...
It all seemed like a dream, threatening to disappear as soon as i wake up.
I suppressed a sigh as Uncle flew pass my ex-home and turned to a house right after a junction. We waited in silence for a few moments before I snapped out of my reverie, wondering why Uncle isn't calling the girl or tapping on the hon as a sign that he has arrived.
He must've noticed me getting restless in my seat, coz when i turned to him with a questioning look, he smiled sheepishly and told me that he told the girl to get ready by 7.30am.
I glanced at the clock to see that it was only 7.15am. "We're early," I thought, as annoyance start to creep up to me. Of course we would, considering how fast he drove just now.
He seemed to be able to read my thoughts as he noticed my slightly annoyed glance and looking slightly embarrassed as he smiled and continued;
"Seems like we're too early"
-.-''
Geez Uncle, drive much?
p/s: Thanks for showing me the typo I made. You know who you are. And yes, Lysa's capable of being totally blind at times.
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