love goes a long way

Sekoi was with them. Besides Sekoi, Hana and Nini were there too. Nini was this junior, if I’m not mistaken she was Hana’s roommate. Some where down the line, she and Buyut (a junior of Helang) became an item. Sekoi invited me to accompany them. Actually he didn’t invite me but persisted that I follow them. I’m not sure why but it was probably because he wanted company. Some one he could joke around with. Again, I headed back to the carnival. This time, I actually saw the sights. We went browsing at each and every stall there was. The girls even bought themselves some souvenirs. Me? Nah. I didn’t buy anything. I was flat broke. As they shopped, I browsed. Just wanted to see what was on the market. About midnight we headed to our rooms. That weekend came to an end.

It was now in the month of August and Kebajikan was having their annual dinner MAK II. This year it was a change of venue. They planned on holding it at a place that was a bit more prestige the last year’s dinner. This year it was going to be held at ‘Restoran Nelayan Bangi’. They said that the food there was quite delicious. Like the year before, they had the dinner planned out. Many were in charge on making the dinner a success. I on the other hand wasn’t one of them. Like I said earlier, I was avoiding contact with the rest of the collegiate for this semester. I hope I don’t have to remind you why. It’s just too upsetting to be reminded. Even though I wasn’t involved with the preparations, I did attend the dinner. I remember clearly what day it was held on. It was on a Wednesday, on 30th of August. It was on the eve of our Independence Day and same day as my mother’s birthday. Let me remind you this. I have never missed my mother’s birthday. Not even that day. I went back home that morning and wished my mother a wonderful birthday then I had lunch with her. After lunch I had to cut my day short and headed back to my college. Usually I wouldn’t head back until the next day but seeing that MAK II was on that evening and the additional circumstances of me still in dispute with my dad. So I headed back earlier that usual to avoid confronting him. I was ashamed to meet him.
That evening, just after dusk a bus was sent to pick us up and bring us to the Restaurant. Unlike everyone else, I went there by motorbike. Wa’e of friend of mine and the newly elected Head Block for Helang went with me. Or to be more exact, I went with him. He too was going to the dinner but had to get back early. He had other engagements later that night. Let me remind you again. I attended the dinner on the basis that Sekoi asked me to tag along. If not, I probably wouldn’t have attended at all. Too embarrassed I would have say. So I hitched a ride with him. We departed a few minutes after the bus but arrived a couple of minutes earlier. Luckily there weren’t any speed traps on the way. If there were, our only defense would be the boiling of our young blood. Wa’e and I then waited for the rest of them to arrive. Upon arrival of all the guests, those involve with making a success of dinner had already taken their places to welcome them. I’m not sure about Wa’e but I don’t remember if I had an invitation but I remember simply blending in with the crowd. As we entered the dinning room, Wa’e and I parted. I went to sit with Sekoi, Berong and the belated Yana meanwhile Wa’e went to sit with Siti. Why do I say belated? Well Yana passed away about a year later due to a sickness she had. And what was Wa’e doing with Siti? Ok, this is the twist. Remember when I said Comport and Siti became an item? Well that was true. A few months later they parted due to some circumstances which I’m not in liberty to say. During earlier of this semester, some time during Second’s Family week. Wa’e started to make a move on Siti. It seems that he had a crush on her since they were in their first year. Let’s talk about Siti for a while. Siti was quite friendly yet a shy girl. You could say that she was quite a looker. During her first year, there were quite a number of guys that were trying to woo her. I wasn’t amongst them. Why didn’t I go after her? Well, she wasn’t exactly my type of girl. You could say I liked a girl to be a bit more aggressive. A girl that has her own interest. Her own opinion rather than just agreeing with the crowd. Seeing that there was always some one line before, he’d dare not make a move. Now that Siti was single again, I guess he figured that it was now or never. They’ve started going out together since then. He also popped the question. No, not marriage but going steady. I don’t quite remember but if my memory serves me correctly, he was still waiting for an answer.
This annual dinner wasn’t only a night of awards but also acceptance. During this night, the former president would announce and pass the torch to their successor. As everyone else was paying full attention to the ceremony, Sekoi, Berong, Yana and I were busy at the back laughing and joking around. It was now time for the performances to begin. Among the performances that were installed for the evening was a traditional Zappin dance, Hindi dance, unplugged band and the trademark Dikir Putri. We watched as the girls did their Zappin dance. After that it was followed by the Hindi dance. After the announcement of the Hindi dance, Sekoi got up and went forward. Sekoi doing a Hindi dance? Before they could even begin, Berong and I already started to laugh at Sekoi. We joked about the comparison about Sekoi and Kuali (a hindu staying in Helang). We joked on how similar in many ways the both of them were. Especially in stomach wise.
Just before the dance begun something made me hut up. To be more specific, it was some one. It was Ana. The last I heard of her was that she was selected for the Leardership course that was to be held at Lanchang about a month ago (From what I heard, she was becoming a major role in Second).
Slowly she walked on to the stage looking as astounding as ever. The music begun and they began to dance. I couldn’t take my eyes off her. She just seemed so pretty, so beautiful dancing gracefully to the rhythm. I guess she must’ve had a natural act for dancing. I watched attentively to her dancing. I felt like a little boy with a crush for the girl next door. I watched her every move as she danced. Don’t misunderstand, I wasn’t perverted or something like that. I just felt like ……………. Ish, how do I say…..……………… I guess not even words could describe how I felt at the time. When the dance was over, the award giving ceremony continued. At the end of the dinner, everyone began taking pictures of themselves with their friends. I remember taking a picture with Hana. And another picture was taken with Surya, Esah, Liza and Iyat together. Anyone that saw us posing might have believed I was some kind of playboy. Myself with four girls, impressive indeed. Still, how come I hadn’t myself a girlfriend at that time. Hard to believe. Rather confusing isn’t it. No. No. Don’t throw those rocks at me. I was just joking. I guess people just can’t take a joke now days. All those involved with the dinner were then called for a brief post mortem and the rest were allowed to go home. I took the first trip on the bus back to Helang. This is the stupid part. When we got back at Helang, I was too in touch with the music on my walkman, I didn’t realize that we had already arrived. I just sat in the bus listening to my music. When I finally realized, the bus had arrived back at the restaurant for its 2nd and final trip. Everyone left at the restaurant then got on the bus. They were surprise to see already on it. To avoid embarrassment, I told them that I got in through the emergency exit at the back. Thank god they believed me. This time I made sure I was aware when we arrived back at Helang.

It was the end of the semester and the holidays had begun. The confirmation of students’ intake for the following was to be announced soon. So I went to meet with the Dean of the Science and The Environment Faculty to follow up on my acceptance into the Math degree. As I went to see him, I was surprise to see that he had a guest with him. Do you know who his guest was? It was my dad. So I crept closer to eaves drop on their conversation. What I heard shocked me. I heard my dad begging the dean to accept me into his faculty. This was the first time I ever saw my dad doing so. He begged and groveled just to have me accepted. I felt small. Like me, my dad too was a proud person. Seeing him down on his knees made me break down inside. It was when I heard the dean’s response that I got mad. He said that there were no vacancies. All the class had been filled up. From where I was standing, I could see that he intentionally played my dad like a fool. He knew that the decision was all up to him so he took advantage of the situation. The dean and my dad knew each other. You could say they were friends. But what kind of friend takes advantage of his fellow peer in such situation. If that is what friends are suppose to do, I wouldn’t mind being friendless. In the end, he said that he’d reconsider it. My dad got up asked again to please enroll me and then left. I quickly hid before my dad could see me.
After he had left, I came barging into the room. At first, I held in my anger and asked him about my enrollment. He then gave me the same excuse. By this time I couldn’t hold in my anger any more. In a harsh tone I said,
“ARE YOU GOING TO ENROLL ME OR NOT!!”
He was startled. He then repeated the same excuse. I couldn’t take it anymore. So I told him to go to Hell. This time he was more than merely surprised. I then told him off. I said to him that he had no right what so ever doing what he did to my dad. In his defense, he said that had considered accepting me due to certain circumstances….. Before he could finish his defense I cut him off. It didn’t matter if he intended to accept me or not still, he had no right doing that to my dad. Just before leaving I told him,
“Remember this. A prayer from those who’d been wronged is always answered. So I pray that you go to Hell”Just before I could exit, he stopped me. He then promised me that he’d make sure I was accepted. I told him that I didn’t care what he wanted to do. He could keep his promise and knew where he could shove it up. I shrugged him away from me and left. I then went straight home. It’s been over four month since I’ve been home the same time as my dad was. I went upstairs to meet him. On bended knees, I asked for his forgiveness. My dad looked surprised. I didn’t tell him that I over heard him earlier. Seeing a father pushing all his pride aside simply for his son made me realize how much my dad really cared about me. He took me in his arms and gave me a big hug. He said to me that there was nothing to be forgiven. Finally, my dad and I were at a truce.