Friday, April 11, 2008
EnLI:erm...hi..who's this again?sorry..
Andrew: haha I just added you la..im andrew..ken's friend..
EnLi: oohhh! hie hie how r u..
Andrew: im ok la..hows packing?youre leaving soon rite?
.........
*mundane talk*
EnLi: omg do u watch football!!
Andrew: yea..haha*talks of some match that had just happened* which is ur fave?
EnLi: erm..im afraid to answer...but..manchester??
Andrew:haha.you should be..good la manchester..if not i don wanna be friends with you already..
EnLi: wth..so u wont be friends with someone if they dont support manchester??==
Andrew: of course lah!!!
*~*~*~*~*~*
That was, I think, the first conversation I had with him online..
After a truly hilarious yumcha session in Old Town Coffee. I remember how surprised the guys were when the food came and hm..i cant remember..but one of them had the curry laksa, and it was so good they shared the next one..Andrew said he'd definitely go back there. And I said, oklar..maybe next time when Ken is back..and Andrew said "Har! So long meh...Sorry ken Im coming without you.."
About 5 hours were spent in that coffee house, laughing about A-Levels maths, and of course, Mr Lim's addmath tuition.Andrew was the sesat one, him being the only one not part of the trio that went. Ken and I were, as usual, bickering about who was better, and Jian Hung *that old sage* was sitting back taking in the praises when Andrew asked "Eh how come Jian Hung not included?"And we both replied "Aiyah,, kenot fight la..hes a nerd!"
That time was the first time I met any of Ken's chums. I remember seeing him around alot, with his HELP group..sitting in Devi's always outside near the trees. The first thing that struck me was that although they were endlessly teasing each other, they never brought the other down. It was all very brotherly. And when it came to exams (I think this was before the HELP result were out) Ken was boasting about how his maths were alot better now and if he sat for our exams he would have gotten the same as Andrew. I laughed and asked Andrew if his maths was really that bad, much to the irritation of Ken. And Andrew, instead of taking the piss (though he laughed along..and this sticking up for his bro came later..after much much laughter)said "Nola..were about the same level..and Im not THAAAT bad...so I think can la..."
That time was the first time I met up with him. And the last.
And I must admit one thing, I thought he was very very cute. Save the short part.Lol.
No, he didn't ask for my number. Hahahaha. A little dissapointed..But it was okay you know? I never thought I'd see him again...little did I know that I really wouldnt..
But when I got home, there was a Facebook request. And a new MSN add..and..of course, I knew who he was when he first talked to me online, even though I pretended I didn't.
If he HAD asked for my number, I think I would have thought differently about him. The guards would have gone up and the alarms would have sounded. But no, Andrew did the "shy guy" thing. Which I found sooooo funny and cute.
I won't say he was special to me then, because he wasn't. He was just some random person I chanced upon. I was so busy with saying goodbye to everyone else that he just slipped my mind completely.
I think the whole world knows that Im not the type to chat online..And whenever he chatted to me, I guess I was rather distant, but he never stopped asking me how I was whenever I was online, and sure, we'd talk, not extensively, just how are yous and all that. Then one day, I didn't get a message from him. Maybe it had been a few days already. A week? March 31st. That day I spared Andrew a second of thought.."Hm...Where is this feller ah.."
Oliver told me about some guy who was in a coma from HELP because he hit his head while gymming. He said I couldn't have known the guy. Andrew he said. I dont remember Andrew as Andrew because I call him midget! ken's fault! I didnt feel anything when Oliver told me that. It was just another *oh sad case*..
A week later, it snowed in Warwick. SPRING!three inches of snow. it started at 2am ish (about 9am in Malaysia) Ive neveer seen it snowed that much before in my life. The next day, I found out that it snowed heavily in LONDON too. I dont know the last time it ever snowed in London man...and then I saw all the MSN names. RIP, I'll miss you Andrew..
And a MSN message from Jian Hung: "Hey Enz, remember the guy that you me and ken went out with?"
He was offline by the time I saw the message. But it clicked. Andrew. Midget. Gone?
Disbelief set in. How could it..Why?
I asked around...IMed Ken about a hundred times. I just needed to know.
It's strange how someone becomes special in their absence. Everything he's ever said, every facial expression of his that you remember, every memory..is just magnified 100 times over.
I doubt everything i remember, because I only have that much memory of him. I remember an impish smile. on a boyish face. I could be wrong. but that's how I remember him. I remember the way he picked up his glass to take a sip from the straw. I remember him wearing shorts. and the slim fit puma-esque shoes he wore. I remember his polo t. his waxed hair.
Ive read so many stories, memories, of him...and mine falls way short. Everyone who was close to him would say "I dont know what to say, there were too many memories.."
I can say "I dont have much to say, but I have one memory. And one memory I will treasure, because he was the first of my peers to leave this world."
Andrew, you're an idiot. Why did you do that stupid workout. Why. Not buff enough issit. I wish I had told you how much I liked your smile. If I knew that this would have happened, I wouldnt have told you to go to the gym more so you can buff up and all the girls will love you. I would have said that you dont need that; Youve got the smile..the eyes..and the heart. I would have told you how much I hate people going to CC so late into the night. And how people can die of exhaustion if they CC so much *not to mention the stoned look they have on their faces*.Maybe you would have gone anyway. But I wish I did nevertheless. I wish I kept in touch with Ken more. Then maybe I would have met you earlier, and got to experience abit of that special bond that you have with everyone. Oh wait...I already do have that..
I owe you a facebook wall post.No, actually you do. Remember that midg? How we were so childish.. I should have done it then, at least I knew you'd reply. But now you never will.
I can't bring myself to do it. Everyone else has so many memories of you. They can write millions of facebook wall posts and they still wouldnt run out of things to remember you by. Ive only got a fraction of what theyve got. I wish I remembered to see you in Dec when I got back, again, everything else just came up..before you..like I said, you weren't special to me then..and if you were alive now, I doubt I would have talked to u any more than I did...
What can I say..
Andrew, Ill miss your "Hi enli!"s.
And hopefully the Red Devils will win this year.
Have fun up there. I know you will.Say hi to Jesus for me.
Thank you for teaching me, waking me up.
Life is fragile.
everyday you wake up could be your last. Just like how he probably rolled out of bed after less than 2 hours sleep to go and play futsal and go gym after a night of CC-ing. Did he know?
The last time he opened the gates of his house to go out, the last time he took off his sweaty football jersey..the last time he ate his fave tandoori chicken..the last time...
He didnt know it was his last.
I know this lesson of yours to me probably wont stick, and I will forget that I should treasure everything like it was the last thing I would do...
And guess what midg!! I will give you that facebook wall post sheesh YOU win.:)
I'll see you again. And when I do you better still remember me. And REPLY MY DARN FBOOK WALL POST.
enz.
