saw the reminiscent of my memories...as i walk down through the memory lane. the road was long. long enough that i could gather all them as i walked back through the past. the long lost story of the very me...the place that i grew up...
It was peaceful, tranquil...even though the traffic towards the town was quite busy. but as i drove near, all the excitement quickly gathers up in my mind...revolving in my head, the pictures became clear, even more vivid as i drove by...it was exciting, yet mesmerizing...
It was a small town, but the scenery is "big"...i could still find the road way back to what was used to be "home"... all the things that left 12 years ago, still there, perfect in place...as if i left that town only yesterday...
i went through the famous jetty there...the stairs down to the river were still there, intact...but with some minor touch up, looking even more beautiful. i looked through the gate, the entrance to the place that i used to call "home", all the buildings were still there...the residences, up on the hill...that very entrance, i used to walked through it to school, every morning, in my childhood...and i could still remember, all those friendly neighbors, who would smile and greet me every morning..and i could still remember, my dad used to carry me to school with his bicycle to school...
and quickly i drove to my school, a primary school...not big, but i'm sure, all the pupils who went there goes by the gate with big ambition...big intention...big dreams...like me...
the school building, was still there, a compound with 2 blocks...and a canteen, and a football field...so sad that there used to be annexe building to accommodate pupils for the disabled, but by now it's already gone, demolished, replaced with a new building...
nearby the "home", there used to be a public library, where i used to sat and read kids publications for hours after school...i still remember i always liked stories written by Sir Enid Blyton, about child detectives...i guess i've read almost all of those books there...however, there comes a sad story, where my BMX were stolen there...damn those kids...i wonder what would happen to them i find them again?
moving on, i drove past to the "economic center" of that very small town...all those old buildings were there, even some of the shops that were there during my childhood, were still there today...i wonder what happened to the owners of that shop, especially those old folks who always sat in front of their shop while reading morning paper, probably no more in this world by now...god bless them...then i remember, there used to be a night market on that very own road every Wednesday evenings. me and my parents always used to shop for food there...and i still remember those days where "Satay" would only cost you for 10 cents or 20 cents per stick...my favourite? the fishballs deep fried, and even until now i still like the food...
nearing the outskirts of the town, i drove by the lake, peaceful, quiet...as if the time stops, and behind that lake, there used to be a zoo...i don't know whether it is still there by now or no more..it was a popular attraction of that town during weekends and holidays...and also a favorite place for me to sit and remedy myself...the lake, i hope it lasts forever...
stopping nearby for some evening tea, i looked around...all those familiar faces were already gone...just like me, perhaps, moving on with their lives, moving forward, pursuing their ambitions, their dreams...all of sudden, i remembered my old friends...my childhood friends...those who played evening games be it football, badminton, volleyball, table tennis, and even "guli", those who shared laughter, cries, emotions, passion...i wonder what happened to them...for sure i know that one of them leads his life as a police inspector in penang...for the others...all the best to them, may they lead to a successful life. and me? perhaps, one day i would call my life a success...out of misery, out of mischiefs...
time constraint, i had to leave that small town...with one thing in my mind, hoping that the town would never change...let those faces change, but not the town...and for sure, i will go back to that town one day in the future...making sure that it won't change...let it be as it is...so that those memories would never fade from the history of me...till the day i die...
And that place is: Kuala Krai, Kelantan
