thus far...

I spent an enjoyable day at Kota Bharu, thanks to Zie Yang for the ride. It's nice to go out and meet people and watch pretty girls(wooops...) and eat my favorite double cheese burger and buy new movies. And I did those today. The burger tasted just as good as it always does. Well, if I were to eat it together with more friends, it would have been tastier. As I strolled in a video shop, I came across two titles that I've been looking for since last June; Star Wars: Clone Wars and Resident Evil: Degeneration. Both looked GOOD! The prices looked even BETTER! In the end, I picked the latter as I am always an avid fan of Resident Evil. Around 6 p.m., we decided to go home as the weather looked less promising.

Just as soon as I wanted to lie down, Sim Lim called. Oh ya, tonight was the last day of his holidays! The same went to some other friends of mine. And so we went to KFC for dinner. Time like this used to be very common, we went out like this almost everyday. But now, as everyone has separate ways, every single reunion seems to be quite precious. I recalled the day they did Lily's birthday the day before Christmas. We weren't used to this celebrate-birthday-tradition when we were in Dato' Mahmud. Perhaps now that the situation has changed, we appreciate those around us even more. And all these little memories, we shall keep them in our minds, and share them again whenever time permits. Heh, isn't that wonderful? Last time when I was in second grade, I scored badly. My homeroom teacher then told me this;-

" Grades are just temporary. Even if you pass with flying colours this time, there is no guarantee you'll get the same thing next time. After a while, you'll forget them. The memories to get those grades, however, last forever. "

Aye, she has the point.

Around 10 p.m., I played a few rounds while I did the waiting. Two hours later, I began to realise that the waiting was futile, so I quit. Sigh, there are times where I wonder if I'm just dreaming all this while, and when I wake up, everything is gone. Just then, I found something else to do, but my modem seemed to be malfunctioning. How sweet. After watching Degeneration, I decided to call it a day.

Sigh, it's already 29th. The waiting resumes, a fortnight, or more. Let's just hope that great things will come together with this New Year.

那个东西

“什么东西和尚有但是没有用，太监入宫前有，入宫后没有，华人的比较短，日本人比较长，英国人更长，马来人最长？”

“哦，阿明，难到是“那个东西”？”

“哦，想到哪去了？是名字啦！”

如果有一天

“ 阿明，如果有一天，我和你妈妈跌进海里，你会救谁？”

“废话，当然救你啦！”

“哦，你！不孝子！”

“唉呀，不是不孝啦！我妈妈会游泳的嘛！”

A Tea Under The Moonlight

Long has it been,
For us to have,
A tea under the moonlight.
Busy, everyone was, is, will be,
What's with work, responsibilities, relationships,
Yet, in times like now,
When the end draws near,
Time they spent, altogether,
To talk about lives,
To cherish the wonderful past,
To share successes,
To predict mysterious future,
To admire, those of the bold and the beautiful,
To discuss coming plans,
And, to wonder what changes everyone has.
Fate, by a twist of it,
Tells me, good times do not last long.
Father time, envied us,
Leaving me, wondering when will the next moonlight be?

打电话

一日，小明突然想起小丽，想听听他声音。他打算打个电话给他。不到一分钟，打通了。

他说：“ 喂，小丽啊？请问小丽有在吗？”

阿妈的kuali

一日, 阿妈炒好了饭后想把kuali洗了。可他不会用sabun, 所以才打算用老时代的方法。

他心想：“是用醋和盐还是醋和米呢？”

他跑去问阿明。

阿明说：“ 阿妈啊！当然是盐啦！”

“ 为什么？”

“阿妈啊！加盐加醋嘛！”

I'm Doing......wut?

Holidays. Yeah, it's holidays now. Everybody's happy with it, but I'm not included in that everybody. First, what I have been getting up until now is no other than the most annoying---boredom. Duh, I really don't know what to do! Everyday I will wake up between 1 to 2 p.m., then eat my breakfast-ish lunch, take my bath, switch on my computer and just sit there until the clock hits 6. This is already a routine. Awright, enough with the bad's. Oh ya, thanks to my last exam results, Mom finally found a "job" for me; revise, revise and revise! At least I have something to do now, but fixing my interest in Chemistry is way too easier said than done. Duh~ And thanks to Shonen Jump, now I have a new manga to catch up with. It's called "Bakuman". "baku" means "gamble" and "man" is taken from "manga", making it "a manga gamble" in whole. It follows two high schoolers whose dreams are to become famous manga-ka's, which later turns out not to be as easy as they think. I like it because it tells me of lives of manga-ka's and the hardships they face. Getting a manga drawn doesn't necessarily mean it will get published. And without publication, where manga-ka's going to get their income? Well, that's what happens at Japan, a whole different situation at Malaysia. There are some magazines like GEMPAK, UTOPIA or XUE HAI newspapers that welcome local manga-ka's to submit their work. I want to become a manga-ka someday and I hope my work will get published in those media. Thus, I'm going to practice drawing during these holidays. Being a self-taught manga-ka is quite difficult but there are already some who succeeded. Akira Toriyama, once an office boy, is a self-taught artist, gaining fame with his Dragon Ball. I hope I can be like him someday. Well, someday. Haha, and thanks to my buddy, I could spend some time driving at Kota Bharu. That was one meaningful day, for me, that is. I guess that's it for now, may good things happen soon! Arios~

Dialogue-less

WINTER ~ the Message on the Ground

She was absent three times in a role this week. Was she avoiding me? After what I had told her, of me being the cause of her sister’s death, I doubted that she would not. My guilt felt even heavier, only to be amplified by the piercing cold around me. Not even four layers of clothes could provide me with any warmth. I hated it like this. . . . . .

PANG!

“Cheer up, mate!”

An impact laded behind me, followed by those words. From how they sounded, I could already figure out who it was. He was standing there, his smile, his way of “greeting” were as old-fashioned as always.

“Oh, Natsu, what’s up?” I said. The response was brief, as if I did not even bother to speak to him.

“You look down. Be lively a little bit, will you?”

“No, can’t do.”

“And, if she doesn’t come, why don’t you go find her? Be a man, mate!” Natsu suggested, now clapping my shoulder.

Oh, why had I not thought of this before? Oh, Natsu! A friend in need is a friend indeed! It was just the moment that I wanted to ask for Ayaa’s whereabouts that Natsu immediately answered me.

“I think she visits the sunflower garden more often nowadays, you know, after last autumn. Although those flowers seem to wither in times like now. Try your luck after the school!”

I just nodded. Sunflower garden, eh? I guessed it must be the one she showed me last spring. A torrent stirred in my stomach as I hoped to meet her there.

The final bell rang and I quickly started looking the paths leading to the garden. It was quite difficult to do so, as most the roads were covered with thick, white snow. The immense cold as well as the difficulty to search for the roads worsened my thoughts, somehow.

As I picked my way through the snow-covered roads, I finally found the way I was looking for. There on the ground, footsteps were already visible, hinting that my luck would be fair. But as I observed further, those footsteps seemed too impossible to just belong to one person. I made haste, imagination running wild.

“EAT THIS!”

A sight caught me frozen; five figures were all punching, kicking that one timid figure, a figure which looked really familiar. Strange thing was, that figure didn’t seem to be fighting back. As I took another step forward, I thought I stepped on something, and it broke. It was a pair of glasses, the same one I broke last spring. The one I broke last spring? AYAA!

Within five seconds, I reached the glasses, put them in my bag, hid it safely and dashed towards the scene.

Only with a heavy punch on a face that I halted my rush. Then I turned, realizing that the other four figures were charging towards me. I ducked and delivered a head butt on the stomach of one of them, and, in split second, turned again to kick the one beside him, right on his left cheek. I was never a good fighter, given my weak body structure. But fury and rage seemed to catalyze my skills. A huge landed behind my neck and it was required to beat me. I lied on the ground, finally defeated.

Crimson blood was flowing across the snowed ground, but it was not mine. Shocks stroke me again. The blood came from another person lying not far from me. She was not moving at all, as if she were dead. I struggled to get up for second round but was beaten down again. Tears began to flow, thinking of how much I wanted to protect her, yet I could not.

“Curse you, sons of bi…” thundered a voice, though it came from quite a distance. Everything started to become blur, yet I struggled to reach her, yet again my body failed me. I saw nothing but darkness now, but still had not lost my hearing.

The noises of people being beaten up became clearer and only a few minutes later I heard footsteps approach me.

“Hang in there, mate. Oh, Ayaa, she’s bleeding badly. I’ll call ambulance now. Promise me, HANG IN THERE!”

This was all I could hear and then, every parts of my body failed me, slowly falling into a slumber.

“I didn’t know you sleep like a pig, mate.”

My ears seemed to be functioning again. Bit by bit, I began regaining consciousness and, as I opened my eyes, I saw Natsu.

“You were beaten up into a pulp, mate! Luckily I made it on time, lest you two would have been dead. Those scums were trying to destroy the graves at that garden. All three of them, I say! No wonder Ayaa fought back. Ouch, Ayaa, she’s not in good shape. And then…” Natsu kept on mumbling.

I was not, at all, paying attention on him until he mentioned Ayaa. I got up, only to be pierced by pain all over my body. I tried to resist but failed again.

“Ayaa, where’s her?”

“Here.”

And yes, there she was near the entrance to my ward. Her wounds seemed more serious than mine, as there were bandages all over her face and body. Strange thing was, she could still stand up and walk to my ward. Realizing her arrival, Natsu departed, to buy some food he said.

“So, u broke my glasses again.” Her eyes narrowed as she talked just like she always did. I was relieved that nothing had changed yet.

“It couldn’t be helped then…”

“Now you owe me quite a fortune you know,” now I could sense killing aura surrounding her. Oh, her menacing presence, just like always.

“Hey, Ayaa, about Ayaka…”

“She’s gone.” Ayaa replied even before I could finish my question. “And you didn’t lead her to her death. Stop having that stupid thought.”

Awed, my eyes opened wide, mouth fell agape, still unable to comprehend what I had just heard. She had forgiven me.

“But you’ll to repay me when we’re out from here.”

“Oh, I know how to do that, you know.” I suggested, making an expression that seemed to be toying with her.

“With what?”

“A date. At the sunflower garden. After we get out from here.’

She did not really respond, only being silent. She did not nod or shake her head, either. It was then that she immediately rushed out from my ward, leaving me still confused of what was happening. And that was the one and only time that I had met her for two weeks.

The said day finally came and I departed for the garden early as possible. Thinking of the consequences of being late frightened me. As I arrived, she was not there yet, but I discovered something on the snowed ground. There writings on it. They were written as;-

Kitty,

It’s pleasant to know you but I’m sorry I can’t attend this date. I’m now adopted. I have to leave with them for Canada. About my broken glasses, try to keep them in good shape. I’ll come back and claim them whenever chance permits me. Help me take care of my parents’ and Ayaka’s graves. My deepest gratitude to what you have done until I became what I am today. I don’t feel empty anymore. Oh, Kitty, and

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-09-12-09-11-05-25-15-21 -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

Truthfully,

Ayaa.

I sighed at the message on the ground. The snow seemed to be soaked with waters flowing from my eyes.

“Yeah, I know. Same to you, Ayaa,”

FALL ~ A Hope and A Truth

The current of the waves was amplifying with every passing second, as I was helplessly pulled and pushed in the middle of the sea. Every now and then, my swimming skills would fail me and I would sink. Water rushed into my body through my ears, nose and mouth, almost filling up my lungs. Yet I struggled for this little life of mine. Just as I lost hope, a strong force held my arm and I stopped flowing. Such force was powerful enough that it was at par with the current of the raging tides. I tried to search for the source of the force and found it; it was a female lifeguard. She was grabbing my arm very tightly.

I tried to identify the face of my savior. As soon as I did, I was surprised. The lifeguard shared a striking resemblance with a person I had already known. The only difference was that she looked a bit older.

“Ayaa?”

Reality forced open my eyes. My heart was pumping hard, blood running fast. At the same time, I was as if bathing in sweat, breathing more frequently than I was supposed to be. Only then that I realised ------ I was staring at a different ceiling.

The ceiling was pearl white, a contrast with my room. I felt a slight pain at my right hand and there was a needle pierced on my wrist with the end of it being connected to one end of a long, clear tube. The other end of the tube was again connected to a liquid-filled plastic bag hanging on a rod just beside my bed. Aye, now I remembered. I was suspended into ward a few days ago. Possible case of dengue fever, or so they said.

Pushing the white blanket aside, I glanced at the window nearby. The morning sun had just risen from the horizon and shinning majestically. The leaves on many trees had lost their greenness, altogether turning into a complex mixture of scarlet, crimson, yellow and orange.

“Who now who has no house, will not build one.

Who now is alone, will remain so for long,

Will wake, and read, and write long letters,

And back and forth on the boulevards,

Will restlessly wander, while the leaves blow.

Herbstagg, Rainer Maria Rilke.”

I delighted in the melancholic melody of the poem that, for a moment, I forgot the person who was reciting it. The person was standing right beside the door. She was wearing spectacles, and behind them, small, watery eyes were visible. Her strawberry red lips had just stopped moving. Somehow, I was relieved that she came.

“It’s a shame to celebrate your birthday at a hospital.” said Ayaa, approaching my bed.

“It’s not, with you here.”

Her eyes narrowed again and the same feeling stirred in my stomach. The same, cold, menacing yet, mysterious feeling that I had since last spring.

“What are you sick of, by the way?”

“Oh, it’s a very serious sickness. A deadly one. Aye, fatal I mean.”

“Heart disease?”

“Nay. It’s way more serious than that.”

“Cancer? Kidney malfunctions?”

I shook my head rapidly. Ayaa’s expression now looked questioned, wondering what my answer would be. It was actually quite fun to make her look like this and so I chuckled a bit.

“I am, Ma’am Ayaa,” I said, now staring right at her eyes. “Love sick.”

At first, she was about to blush, but then she was trying very hard to hide that feeling. Moments later, her chilly expression returned.

“Never heard of it before. I have prepared two gifts for you. First, give me your hand.” demanded Ayaa.

I did as I was told. As I raised my hand and showed her my palm, she placed something that felt small, round but solid on it. I examined it. It was a mini-badge with Masked Rider Black figure carved on it.

“Now the next gift.” Ayaa announced as she checked her watch then rushed out from the room. I was left there, mouth fell agape. This was her gift?

My mind was left playing with confusion when I heard the door was opened again. Two figures entered, again familiar faces, although I had not seen them for a long time, not even after I was submitted to hospital.

“Hello, Kite.” they greeted.

Had I not rubbed my eyes thrice, I would not have believed it myself. Yes, my eyes did not mistake me. They were standing right in front of me. They were smiling warmly in front of me. They were spending time with me, no longer with their business.

“F-Fa-Father? M-Mo-Mother?”

Immediately, I went down from the bed and hugged both of them tightly. Ah, I could finally feel the warmth I had longed for. Such warmth felt so comfortable, it felt like I was ------alive. No longer able to bear it, tears had finally stream across my cheeks.

“Thanks, Pa. Thanks, Ma.”

“It’s okay, Kite. I should have done this ages ago.” Pa answered, his hand slowly rubbing behind me. “You should thank that young lady, you know. She was the one who told us about your sufferings. I’m really sorry for not paying attention on you all this while, Kite.”

Oh, Ayaa! This was her gift. I searched for any possible signs of her. And there, through a window on the door, I saw her face. It was a mixed expression. There was a part of it which looked envious, while another looked happy, relaxed, calm, somehow. The thought of her being an orphan suddenly came across me, then my deep empathy for her surfaced. She must have missed the warmth I was feeling right now.

After my parents decided to drop by Grandma’s house, I managed to catch up with Ayaa, who was now walking steadily at the garden. The chilly wind was quite strong, bringing along leaves from trees as it blew. When I approached her, I noticed that she quickly rub her eyes dry. Was she crying? Aye, upon facing her, I saw her eyes. They were red. It had always been my habit to keep lollipops in pockets, even when I was sick. I reached for one of them and handed it to her. However, she saw through this and before long, I felt an impact hit my left cheek. She punched me!

“Wh-What was……”

“For treating me your lollipop. And this……” said Ayaa just before I could finish asking. Surprisingly, she was now changing her stance, she was about to strike again! I did not know why but my legs were not obeying me, as if they had rooted to the ground. I closed my eyes.

The strange thing was I no longer felt any hard impact on either side of my cheek. My eyes opened up wide and they remained in such state for a few minutes. What I saw later, I would never forget it for the rest of my life. What I saw……

Ayaa’s lips approached my forehead, finally landed a soft contact on the surface. Then she looked into my eyes. Coldness was absent, they were redder than before and they could melt even the hardest diamond.

“And that, for stealing……” muttered Ayaa, hesitated, searching for the right words, her cheeks blushing. “……my heart.”

“Ehhhhhhhh……?”

For the next few minutes, there was a dead silence. We were gazing at each other. Imaginations were running wild in my mind and my heart was pumping at a much higher frequency, as if it were going to blow any moment from now.

“Hey, Ayaa, actually I……”

BANGGG…SPLASHHH…

A water-filled balloon made its impact on Ayaa’s head, water streaming down from every possible edge from her head. I was going to laugh when a piece of bitter memory shot through my head. With Ayaa’s current condition, she looked just like the person I had dreamt earlier. My head ached, events which took place years ago began to form in my mind. A shocking truth froze me.

“Kite, what were you going to tell me?”

“Ay… Ayaa, your sister, Ayaka, we… went missing… because… because… BECAUSE…”

I hated it very much to tell her but my guilt was too heavy to keep silent. My whole body shook.

“BECAUSE OF ME!”

SUMMER ~ the Day They Watched Fireworks

Ayaa Kito looked a lot different now. Her long, ebony black hair was no longer covering half her face instead it was tied behind into a fine ponytail, thus revealing her face in whole. Her small, watery eyes, when her spectacles were put on, were even livelier than before. Along with her pinkish cheeks and strawberry red lips, paleness was now totally absent from her complexion.

I was so mesmerized by such beauty, only to be snapped out of it by a piercing feeling all over my body. At first, it was only piercing then it was burning, amplifying the production of endless sweat. And it was heat. Oh, an immense one. Even the fans, which were turned full blast, and widely-opened windows failed to make me any colder. I reached for any possible books, moving them in a gesture that would at least give me a breeze.

I felt a hand touched my shoulder and turned around. A male classmate, of my height, was standing there.

“Hey it’s summer!” the classmate said, now stretching both his arms into midair, eyes closed, smiling. He was smiling so hard that as if edges of his lips were approaching his ears.

“Eh…?”

“WHAT? How a rude response is that! You were supposed to say “Aye! It’s summer! Let’s have fun!”! “he replied, in a rather higher tune though. His eyebrows were focused until they formed a quite solid “V” shape while his mouth was opened so wide that it looked like a big “O” shape.

“Huh? What are you talking about? I don’t even know you yet!”

And his expression changed again, spontaneously. This time it looked like a rather disappointed one. He stared at the ceiling above, and as if something just came across his mind, he glanced at me again.

“Oh, I haven’t introduced myself yet. Name’s Natsu. N – A – T – S – U. I’m the monitor, BEST MONITOR IN DA’ WORLD!” he yelled, showing me a thumb up and smiling again, revealing his glimmering white teeth. “Hence, I carry a heavy burden to make sure each and everyone in this class is happy!”

The “heavy burden” and “happy” were spoken with a much higher tune than the rest of the sentence.

Though still in shock with his character, I managed to observe him better. His brownish hair was short and spiky, pointing at every possible direction, eyebrows were thick and as black as coal and eyes were quite large. Surprisingly, there were bandages pasted all over his face, and a vertical permanent scar, of about five centimeters long, was visible across his left eye. Although he was of my height, his shoulders were way broader than mine, while his overall structure looked quite muscular.

“Here’s what you have to do, mate. The day after tomorrow, there will be a fireworks display at the beach, an annual event for summer. It is also a tradition for us to ask and accompany girls to that event. This is it! What are you waiting for? Go, make your move! NOW!” there he went again, yelling with all the volume his throat could afford. The weird thing was all his shoutings and yellings did not seem to attract attention from the whole class. Maybe he did that all the time, becoming a normal scene in the class. “Aye, the rest is up to you, mate. Best of luck, I bet you’ll need it. See you! “ and before I could respond, he was already off doing his so-called being-happy-during-summer responsibility.

“Fireworks eh…” stumbling across my mind. It was very obvious of who I was going to ask to the festival. I tried to stare at her again, but in vain. She was not at her seat. Eyes closed, sighing, frustration grew in me.

“Why did you keep looking me?” came a voice. Weird, it was quite familiar. I opened my eyes, only to be startled by the stern figure in front of me. It was Ayaa.

“Oh, Ayaa…It’s…It’s nothing…No big deal…”

Ayaa’s small eyes were focusing at me as I finished talking. The way she did this, at least for me, was pretty interesting; literally, the eyes looked fierce, being able to pierce through those who were weak-spirited, and I could feel the coldness surrounding them. At the same time, they proved to be very mysterious. Since the events where I broke her spectacles, I was already burning with curiosity to solve such mystery.

“You’d better be honest.”

“…Alright. I want to ask you to the fireworks festival, if that’s fine with you that is…” I said, though vividly. A partial comfort flew through me.

“When? Where?”

“The day after tomorrow. At the beach.”

The moment I spoke the word “beach”, Ayaa’s face turned pale again. Her once narrowed eyes grew large, as if being shocked by intense surprise while her lips started muttering unknown words. It was also then that I realised her whole body was shaking. What had I done wrong again?

“H…Hey, it’s okay if you don’t want to go. Just stay calm.” I said, now standing right in front of her, ready to take any possible means. From this distance, I could finally hear that she was mumbling the words “ayaka…beach…ayaka…” .

Then as soon as I tried to approach her closer, she moved, her back facing me and rushed to her seat. Upon reaching for her bag, she hurried out from the class. I was standing there, still trying to figure out what was wrong.

“Oh, sweet…” I sighed at myself.

The day for the fireworks festival finally arrived. I could not believe myself that I still prepared for today, although I knew that Ayaa could not possibly go to the festival with me. Perhaps it was a fool of me to ask her, though somehow, I did not regret it.

By the time I arrived at the beach, it was already crowded with people. Even some students who looked three to two years younger than me were walking in pairs. Annoyed, I tried to find look out for some stalls nearby and treated myself with a bowl of ramen. I even picked up a strawberry lollipop as dessert.

It did not take too long before there came announcements stating that the fireworks would start soon. I was more annoyed by this but there was still something that prevented me from just going home. I waited until almost everyone went to the seashore before I would follow up. Had I not checked three times, I would not believe my eyes either. There, at one corner of the stalls, stood a figure. Aye, it was Ayaa.

“…I thought you weren’t coming.” I said, as soon as I reached by her side.

She looked at me. Her eyes narrowed, and then faced the ground.

“I didn’t say I won’t come. It’s just…”

“Just what? Tell me!” I demanded, ignoring the outcome of my harsh attitude.

Now, she stared at me. She remained in such state for a few seconds before she started talking again. A funny idea of her trying to read my mind came across me.

“I don’t like coming to a beach.”

“Why?”

“Ayaka, my sister went missing at a beach.”

A feeling of deep compassion stirred in my stomach. Empathy was running wild deep within, I wanted so much to ease her pain, yet I was so helpless. She lost her parents, then her sister. Perhaps solitude was her one and only friend all this long.

“She used to work as a lifeguard at a beach. But after the 2004 tsunami incident, I no longer accept news from her. I fear so much that I would find her body at a beach. By staying away from coast, at least I can still hope for her survival, and if she really dies, the impact won’t be too powerful.”

“Running away, huh?”

She looked at me passionately as I finished speaking. Bit by bit, flares of anger built up on her expression.

“You were, are and will still run away from accepting your sister’s cruel fate! I thought you were strong when you saw through me the last time I broke your spectacles!”

She made gestures to lash back at me but I acted just before she could do that.

“I know I won’t understand. But I know the solitude that has been haunting you all this long! Accept the fate, not denying it. You’ll feel better.” I explained in an almost-yelling tone.

She said nothing. She was facing the ground and when I realised, there were some round, circular wet spots on the ground, increasing in amount with every passing seconds. She was crying, I presumed.

“Oh, sweet...Did I go too hard?” I scolded myself.

PEEE…BOOOM…PEEE…BOOOM…

Jolts of lights were shot and exploded into colourful sparks in the sky. The patterns they exploded into varied as well. Some looked like blossoming flowers, rising dragons while others, spiral spheres.

Amidst the show, I could see, though vividly, that Ayaa had stopped crying and was trying to enjoy the show. I reached my pocket for a spare strawberry lollipop and gave it to her.

“Here, take this. Stop crying, will you? You’re spoiling your pretty face.”

“Kite, have you grown tired of living?” she warned me, her whole expression went back to how it was supposed to be; cold and ominous. I could hear her fists tightened as I was going to joke further. The idea of how she defeated two gangsters all by herself sealed my mouth tightly.

“Oh, hey, may this humble me steal something from you?”

“What?” she questioned with such gaze that would petrify me.

Though hesitated for a while, I still said it.

“Your heart.”

One Week Ago...

One week ago, I took part in a surprise birthday plan for my classmate. Surprisingly, it was headed by her faraway friend, as she had already come back by that day. I drew a card, took three days though, as her gift and shared a part in buying her a sweet pink shirt. And, yes, everything went smoothly.

Zie Yang and I arrived much earlier than the group escorting the birthday girl. We met Chi Phoy and Eugene, being there before my school ended. We chatted for a few minutes and I felt someone was on the stair. It was a person in white shirt. I was about to say "hello" to her when I finally realised I got the wrong person, I sighed at that idea, even until now. Just then, the whole gang arrived. We got everything prepared within the next five minutes, and it was time for birthday wishing! The birthday girl was wishing something that I couldn't hear properly but perhaps this was what she wished for:

"I wished I would be married by the age of 50."

ROFL. To the birthday girl, no offense, just joking. Among all the happy moments, I regretted in myself for a while. I did not say "hello" to the right person. Well, I guess I will do it later, if I'm fortunate enough, that is. After the cake was half-finished, we decided to open the gifts. Her faraway friend gave her a Do-It-Yourself shirt, in this case, it's Do-It-Herself shirt. It was pretty , very well-done indeed. Then there was this novel from "Twilight Series" that she received from her schoolmates. I heard the book is quite interesting, maybe I will check it out later. Another gift opened was the one from Ka Hau, Cheah and me------the pink shirt. Glad she liked it.>__<
Ah, I forgot the final present she got. Too bad.

I was quite amazed by this event. How a faraway friend would go great lengths just to make sure her friendship would last forever, and that the one and only thing that kept her separated from her friend was distance, and only distance. I had never believed in the term "best friend", standing on that best friend is me myself. Perhaps this event showed me it does exist, somehow.

Now, it's holiday for both of them. Hope they will be able to spend time together happily before she has to, again, depart. May good fortune bestow them. Eh, bestow me too nah!

Freezing Cold

One day, Ali and Abu went to eat nasi lemak at a stall.

"Abu, why is timun served with nasi lemak?"

"Because that's the way it is."

"Nah."

"Hmm, because timun's very cheap?"

"Nah. It's served so that you can eat it."

~~~~~~~~~~
Another day, Ah Meng and Mei Ling were discussing their new project together.

"Snore...Hey, I gotta go to bed." sounded Mei Ling, feeling sleepy.

"Oh, why do you go to bed?" asked Ah Meng curiously.

"Because I'm sleepy, stupid."

"Nah, because the bed won't come to you."

~~~~~~~~~~
Another day(to the power of two), two biology professors, namely Makki and Makko were debating.

"Makki, what is the difference between a fly and a mosquito?"

And, Makko started explaining all the differences, from A to Z, from 0 to INFINITE.

"Nah. A fly can "fly", a mosquito can't."

~~~~~~~~~~
Another day(to power of three), the genius Adeey Putra was challenged by 50 Mathematics teachers, eventually the teachers lost. Then, a kid named "I" gave Putra a question:

"Assume that you're a bus driver. At A town, u picked up 10 passengers, at B town, 7 went down, with C town, another 4 got in, and D town, 1 went down. Then at village C, 5 got in, village E, 3 went down, at beach F, 5 got in. What's the driver's name?"

Adeey was too busy calculating that he didn't hear the last sentence. Seconds later, he gave the mathematical answer.

"Nah, you're wrong."

~~~~~~~~~~
Ako is a very beautiful girl. One day, she wore a specially-sown dress and had a proper make up for a date with her boyfriend, Aky.

Suddenly, Aky said "Such a beauty! One in a million indeed!" He was gazing at Ako.

Ako, blushed, went all red.

Then Aky resumed, "The woman behind you is a beauty! One in a trillion!"

Prologue ~ Before SPRING ~ Heroine

It was like in paradise!

The sun was shinning clearly, the shore felt warm while the waves were wonderful. The coconut trees were waving slowly, as if they were welcoming me. Even the people here were friendly and helpful. Quickly, I changed in to my swimming trunk, jumping into the water. Everything was great after all.

I was enjoying the water so much that I didn't realise the water level rising but when I finally did, the water level had already reached my chest, going higher in split seconds. I was sinking! I struggled to get back to the surface, however, to no avail. A sudden force pulled me backwards and I fell deeper into the water. I couldn't breathe, couldn't move, totally helpless.

It was the moment I lost hope that it finally shone again. An arm dragged my hand up and the next second, I could feel air running in my lungs once more. I tried to look at my savior. She was a Japanese, from the shirt she was wearing, I was sure that she was a safeguard for the beach. Wasting no time, she held me with one arm while another, swimming towards the shore, fighting against the fierce waves.

However, it was just the beginning of the real disaster. The pulling waves were now pushing and dashing towards the shore. We were washed forward with high momentum. Just then, by the time we regained balance on the water surface, the water had already rushed across the shore and headed towards the towns above, swallowing every single thing along the path. The safeguard reacted spontaneously, picking her way through the berserk water to a half-sunken coconut tree, held it with one arm, while another still grabbing me, and with greater force every passing second. Such force that I won't flow with the waves.

"Shinpai des, we will be okay." she smiled, or pretended to be.

Yes, I agreed, but before the thing worsened. The waves became stronger, so powerful that some half-flooded buildings fell, fragments of big concrete pieces were produced. One of them was thrusting towards me. Strange thing was, it did not hit me, but the safeguard. She had blocked it for me, right on time. Though this fell upon her, her holding on me did not weaken, on the other hand, became even tighter than before.

"I am okay."

No, she was not okay. Her forehead was bleeding, so as her left eye. I did not know why she did this. She could just leave me and swim to safety for herself. Was her heroic attempt worthy after all? Saving this little life of mine, did it give her any good?

Now that the tree was almost sunken, we had to find another shelter. The safeguard scanned around the area, spotting a nearby tall building. He let the tree go and the water moved us. Reaching the building, the safeguard hang on a pillar. She then asked me, no, it sounded more like a command than a request, to reach for the roof. I was doing like i was asked until the moment my legs couldn't move, paralyzed. The safeguard noticed this and glared at me with a sight that I would never forget, a sight of making a hard decision.

"My name is Ayaka Kito. Nice to meet you."

She let go the pillar, with all her leftover strength, she hurled me to the roof. I caught a bad landing and the next thing I knew was that I was already on the roof, safe, unharmed. Worried, I looked all over for the safeguard and found her. She was carried away by the water, helplessly, finally, disappearing in the horizon.

Grief, sorrow conquered my thoughts, touched by how a person would make such sacrifice for a stranger like me. I knelt down. Tears, thrusting down my cheeks.

"Ayaka Kitoo. Thank you."

"Thank you, heroine. HEROINE!"

Friend (A to Q)

A friend, in times,
Be they in needs,
Concealed in them; truth and consequences,
Draws back friend never does,
Experiences friend together ups and downs,
Faith in us friend has always,
Give hopes friend does,
High in heart than ours,
Initiatives friend often takes,
Just make us full with smiles,
Know not about tirings,
Let us have the goods,
Mind not friend's self,
Night wish for us never ends.
Of world's end, shall never us find such peers,
Promptly us should in searchings,
Que never to giving ups!

Dancing Hopes

There is a chance,
To her, take a glance,
Though far a place,
To fate be my guidance,
Which granted providence,
Having heart of perseverance,
Least dull influence,
Thus hopes shine brilliance,
Shall they happily dance?

SPRING ~ Her Spectacles

Boredom might as well kill me! The teacher did not enter the class, attending an important meeting, or that was what she told us. Most of my classmates were having chatters in groups, or talking so loudly with their cell phones, some were sleeping, making funny snoring noises while others, revising. Among these so-called bookworms, one caught my eyes. It was a girl, reading attentively, once in a while, she would check for words in a big, thick dictionary beside her. Then there came a silly idea.

Stealthily, I crept to her seat, reached for her spectacles on the table and held it high. I threw it simultaneously between my hands, cheering; more and more eyes were focusing on me now.

“Look at this! Old spectacles!” I shouted. “No, no! They’re ancient! ANCIENT!”

It all happened in a blink of an eye, the spectacles slipped through my fingers, accelerated as being pulled by gravity and…

PANG.

Fragments were shattered all over the floor and there was a dead silence, just before it turned into whisperings, murmurings. I had just transferred to this school for one week and had already doomed myself. Quickly, though it was futile, I struggled to collect the fragments.

“Em…mmm…I’m sorry…I meant it as a joke!” I explained, trying to make silly expressions to prove my sincerity.

It was also the first time that I really saw her face. Her black hair was so long that it almost covered the left side of her face, leaving only the right side visible. The eye was small just like a Japanese, her cheeks were surprisingly pale and her lips were as white as snow. First sight of her face made me think that she was a ghost.

“Go away.” she responded briefly.

“Well…If you say so.” though, it took me a few minutes before I could really say that.

When the school ended, I tried to follow her. From an average distance, I could see that she was slowly pushing her bicycle out of the school. Without her spectacles, she might not be able to ride on it, or I thought so. It was all fine until I sensed some three people approach her. One of them kicked her bicycle aside, while the other two approach her closer and closer. My instinct told me to help her however, my cowardice kept pulling me behind. My knuckles were shaking badly, eyes shut tightly.

“Help her.”

“Don’t help her.”

“HELP HER.”

“DON’T HELP HER.”

“HERE GOES NOTHING!!!” I shouted and the next thing I knew---I was charging towards them.

BONG.

One out of three was down, I knocked him unconscious. Realizing this, the other two took out baseball bats, preparing their blow. Now, I was really doomed, my trembling arms covering my head, mumbling words, asking for His help. Doomed, doomed! So long, Dad, Mom!

The strange thing was they did not hit me, instead I heard them scream and something fell heavily on the ground. There was a figure in front of me, with right leg still high in the midair while the two men, lying solid on the ground. It was the girl I had been following! She took down two men by herself! Balancing her stance, she went to get her bicycle and just the moment I thought she would leave me unnoticed, she turned to face me.

“Come.”

I would never follow a stranger but this was different. I did like she said, perhaps my body was moving by its own will. We took a few turns and arrived at a place which I had never been before. I stood frozen as it was my first time coming to such place, where sunflowers were blooming mightily. Their golden orange buds awed me, their scent, wonderful than anything else I had smelled. We went deeper into the garden and when we finally stopped. She turned, facing me.

“You’re alone, aren’t you?” she asked, her face still emotionless as ever.

“Huh?”

“The thing you did this morning. My spectacles. You were trying to get attention, did you not?”

It stroke me right into my heart. She was right. My parents were successful businessmen; they were so busy that they couldn’t take care of me. I had to transfer to this new school so that I could live with Grandma, the only person who would care about me. I did have friends here, and yes, she was right. Attention. That was what I wanted.

“A man should never be afraid to admit his weakness.”

“WHAT DO YOU KNOW?! YOU KNOW NOTHING ABOUT ME!! MY PARENTS DON’T EVEN CARE ABOUT ME! MY EXISTENCE! THEIR VERY OWN CHILD!! YOU KNOW NOTHING ABOUT BEING ALONE!!” I screamed all-out, heart was burning.

“I do.”

She moved aside to reveal two stones built side by side. Flowers were growing at every possible edge of the stones.

LOVED FATHER TAKESHI KITO (1960-2005)

LOVED MOTHER MATSUURA KITO (1963-2005)

These words were carved on the stones. No words could possibly come out from my mouth. My emotions were all mixed up.

“Accident. They were picking me up at school. A truck went astray and crashed them. Right in front of me. You see, I’m alone as well.”

Then she must have been suffering throughout the years, I thought. What a fool of me to shout at her just now.

“I…I am…I’m sorry.”

She did not answer me, but her face seemed to be paler than before.

“H…Hey,” I embraced myself, fighting with my cowardice again. “You have any admirers?”

“No.”

“Hahahaha…” I laughed until my tears came out. “Then can I be the first? Do I have to fill any forms? Or take any numbers? O’, sweet lady, please answer me!”

During that moment, her face was not pale anymore, it turned red, blushing I supposed. Her eyes were moving up and down, she dared not to look at me. Her lips seemed to be speaking but no words could be heard.

“Very well then, silence means a “yes”. Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Kite.” I said, placing my left arm behind, right arm in position of shaking her hand.

Though hesitated, she still took up her hand, thus we shook hands.

“I am Ayaa Kito.”

“My pleasure meeting you.”

Days after that day would never be the same anymore.

by-sacredsword P.S. finally a new story..T_T

Completed Works 2005-Present

"Six"
First starting this one on the suggestion of making our own t-shirts, which was participated by six people.
However, the plan was canceled.
I used to picture to decorate the "DOG TAG".





















"Cap of Wings"

I used to like wings very much. Then I imagined
"Wouldn't it be great to have a cap with wings?"
And so I drew this out.



















"Get Dined!"
Among all food on Earth, I love mee the most! It will be sooooooooooooo great if I can enjoy it along with my best friend.

Works on "ninth sky" Project-2006

Received this project in 2006 for one-day-school camp backstage designing. Only the two figures were accepted though T_T.

My Short Comics

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.


This is one of my short comics drawn in late 2005. Skills were still weak back then. Pardon my language too.>__<

Video Games

I have to admit that I'm quite addicted to video games like they are already a part of my life. They were exposed to me since I was four, with Street Fighters as my most favorite. I remember I would drop by Grandma's and ask my uncles to have a fight or two everyday after school. I had to do this as Father was not paid enough to buy me my own gaming console, yet it was fun spending time with my uncles. After some few years, during late 1994's, Playstation One(PS1) came out, replacing the old cartridge-based gaming console. My sixth uncle bought this a year later and I was awed at the new technology. Fighters in Street Fighters were in 3-D! They could fight and move 180 and 360 degrees! I became more and more addicted and I guess this factor affected my UPSR results, which turned out to be only 3A's. I was down but luckily Mother decided to finally buy me a PS1, hoping that I would do better in the future. It was during this time that I was exposed to new video game genres; Role Playing Games(RPG), Survival Horror, Action Hack n' Slash, etc. The most memorable RPG's were the Final Fantasy Series, starting with the Seventh, Eighth and Ninth. The series offered an adventure game with plot made up of a variety of elements like politics, religions, philosophies, romance, friendship and of course, fantasy. No doubt that these games helped me in imagining or getting ideas to write nowadays. I tried not to have anymore addiction, it proved to be successful. With this, I got reasonable results for PMR and bought another Playstation Two(PS2). This system offered a larger choice of games, more importantly they're in correct English. I listened carefully and tried to speak, although only to myself, like those in the games, and this was how I learned my English. Despite improving the language, it gave me much satisfaction. I remember how I would stay up until 4 a.m. just to finish a game, it was really fun, though it sounds a bit stupid. Overall, I think video games are not childish if one knows how to choose the right titles and play them correctly.

Tsukiakari(Moonlight)

Here's one nice song by Rie Fu.

The Moonlight shines in
The blue, blue sky,
And I'm captured by such
Sweet and faint feelings.
Underneath this moonlight,
Without anyone knowing,
I'm calling out your name.
I'm always searching for the
Future,
Within this light.
Always, always,
By my side, I feel
The power I believe in,
Moving fragile and distant things.
Underneath this moonlight,
Without anyone knowing,
I'm calling out your name.
I believe in
A tranquil love
Within this night.
On a night,
When it seems like
I can't grasp anything,
There isn't a moment
I don't think about you.
There isn't a day I
Don't think about it,
So that my lost heart
Will reach you.
Underneath this moonlight,
Call out my name,
I'll come by your side,
Wherever you are.
Without a single flicker,
This moonlight
Was quietly gazing upon me.
I'm searching for a
Future with you
Within this light.

Another Birthday Girl

Last week it was my cousin's, and this week it was my friend's. I'm talking about birthday. Today it was Phey Yoong's birthday and we celebrated it at Kota Bharu, coinciding with our Friday-Physics-tuition-class. We chose Pizza Hut restaurant to cut her cake. Surprisingly, the cake itself cost about RM73.50! After the candles were blown, i handed her my gift, well, part of it. It was a shoe, more accurately, just a shoe out of a pair. Zie Yang and I bought a pair of white school shoes, with each of us decorating each side of them. I drew and sew flowers on it, wonder what she would give me when it's my turn? Later she did send me a short message, thanking for the gift. Too bad, I decorated the shoe until it can no longer be worn.T_T

New Birthday Girl

As with today, my cousin is officially one year old. A birthday party was dedicated to this new birthday girl, hoping that one day, she will become a useful person. Many people, let them be relatives or friends attended this event. I've to admit that it was like a typical birthday party, you know, blowing candles, making wishes and giving presents but what amazed me was how proud her parents were, to be able to celebrate this meaningful day together. Perhaps my parents were like them when they did my first birthday. Her father told me that fatherhood is no easy job, it needs much perseverance as well as hard work, but it's paid off to see his child being happy. It makes sense, looking at how much trouble I used to give to Dad when I was a kid. The best to the birthday girl!

Minutes of Fame

The rays of morning sun were piercing, so annoyingly that I had to finally open my eyes. It was quite warm for early morning and so I rowed to the left corner of my bed, reaching for something square. Rubbing my eyes, I observed the two needles ticking behind the screen, with the short one pointing at between figures “7” and “8” while the long one, “9”. At first, it was nothing but then, as reality woke me up, I realised one thing was for sure; I was------DOOMED!

Without anymore second thoughts, I jumped up, rushed into the bathroom and within three pails of water, cleaned myself. I put on my worn out uniform and quickly got prepared. As I hurried to get my shoes, I went pass Mother. I was surprised as she responded by just standing there, looking at me, with eyes opened wide, mouth fell agape. With my RAZ125, I departed.

As soon as I entered the main road, I noticed there were two girls jogging beside. They managed to look at me with interest and giggled among themselves. Perhaps in this condition of mine, I still looked attractive. Then there was this mid-age woman who, at first, took a glimpse at me then observed me for some time. Shaking her head, she responded just the way Mother did and sighed away. Well, what could I say? Keeping my image clean for whole five years proved worthy after all!

I was riding for a few minutes when there came another, well, admirer. It was an average 10-year-old girl. She actually surveyed me with her eyes full of admiration, idolization and likeliness. She was cute but sorry, I don’t take younger girls. At the moment, pride and satisfaction filled my mind, as if I could fly.

“I’m king of the world!” I shouted and did what I did the best; getting attentions.

School was within sight minutes later, luck was my lady as the gates were still opened. After parking my motorcycle, I sped to my class and many things happened at once. Every single eye was staring at me as soon as I entered the class, even Ms. Ng’s. Wow, wow, now that was too much! Since when I became so popular?

“Kim, why are you wearing your pajamas?” Jack asked, laughing though.

Curious, I checked myself and discovered the truth; I forgot to change my pajamas pants! How embarrassing! My head felt dizzy, or pretended to be, and it was darkness all around. I wished I would never wake up ever again.

by-sacredsword

Days After the Orientation Week

Yes, like the title suggests, this post is about events after the orientation week. The good thing is, no more oversized "dog tag" hanging on my neck, no precious coconut to carry and no more going home 6 p.m. in the evening. Now, schooling days feel more comfortable, that i can finally breathe out a bit. Besides that, three new members joint my class; Siew Phey(transferred from Bio stream), Kao Hao(an avid fan and Dota King-to-be) and Zie Yang(well, straight and spectaled fella'). It seems that i can get along with both the boys and perhaps, by any chance, the girl. She doesn't talk that much in class, just sits there and does her business quietly. Homework is also slowly forming a mountain on my desk, most of them still pending, wonder when am i going to finish them. It won't be too much trouble though, as the teachers, well, not all, are quite patient and passionate in teaching us. I was once told that assignments in Sixth Form are difficult, we'll see about that soon. Enough with the pros, now, the cons. It hurts me that most of my seniors don't seem to know me anymore. There was this senior who was in charge of my group during the orientation week that ignored me although i greeted her twice. Didn't they teach us to greet them? Another senior, whom i teased a lot, totally ignored me when i noded as meeting her. Maybe the things they told me to do were only effective during the week? Well, judging from the events recently, i doubt they weren't. Guess i'll just wait and see then. Best of luck in them and me, myself.

Village

It was my cousin’s marriage that I stayed at Kampong Kasar, our village, for a few days. The stay was truly a relaxing, peaceful experience. It also showed me how the village differed from the city I currently live at.

Everyday when I woke up, instead of bearing noises from crowds, motor vehicles and construction sites, I was delighted in melodies of birds chipping, breeze blowing and river running free. While in the night, I slept, listening to lullaby by the crickets.

Unlike concrete forest in the city, the village was surrounded by tall, green trees, which provided almost pure, clean air. Every breath I took was a refreshing one. It was also to them that the village had more breeze than heat. I could lie outside the house, under the sun, but still feeling pleasant.

As the dawn broke, I could actually see the sun rose majestically from the mountains. It was this hour that lights were visible in windows of the wooden houses. Then there were fumes coming out from the kitchens, which I believed were to prepare breakfast. It was not long before I saw figures coming out from the houses, hoes and other farming tools on their shoulders. If they were citizens, perhaps they were still sleeping by now.

Often, I went to the huge paddy, where the main crops were planted, in the village. Farmers were patiently planting the paddy in single files with their backs bent to the front. Three naïve children were pacing around the field quietly, hunting for crabs and fishes, some throwing mud to each other, waging a mud war, while others playing hide and seek. When it was noon, wives and mothers came to the field, food packages in both hands. The farmers and the children hurried towards the women and altogether, they dined. Watching this sight made me felt warm and settled down. It envied me a little for it is very rare in the city.

The villagers treated me with much hospitality and kindliness. I could actually talk to one of them though it was the first time we knew each other. They were willing to help me but asked for no return. This quality is totally absent among the citizens.

I went back to the city a few days later. The time spent in Kampong Kasar was to be remembered and perhaps when I needed a place to retreat, it would certainly be my first destination.


by-sacredsword

Past

I both like and dislike the past. For one, I hate it when most people judge me of what I have done in the past. There was once, when I was too naïve, that I accidentally hit a girl’s wrist, which I meant as a joke. I was then labeled as “psycho”, especially by the girls. Until now, whenever I approach a girl, she will think of the incident and if she ever talks back to me, she does in such way as if I am her sole enemy! The worst thing is even my new classmates, when they are told about the incident, start to take me as a sex maniac and avoid me most of the time!
Another reason why I don’t like the past is that it is filled with too many black memories. One of them is the incident I mentioned above. The incident itself was far enough to ruin my whole primary school life; I was alone back then. Recalling it makes me feel painful, both mentally and physically. And when I was in Fourth Form, there was this friend of mine whom I thought was very honest thus we became good friends. But my thoughts went wrong. He was good in front me, but behind me, he backstabbed me. The feeling of being betrayed really disappoints me.
Well, on the other hand, there are reasons why I do like the past sometimes. To me, the past is an excellent teacher. It teaches me that I should not take girls for granted and that they always have ways to cover with what they cannot do. Take the psycho incident above as an example. After what I did, the girls were really mad of me but they couldn’t just come forward and punch me. Thus, the best option to show their dissatisfaction was to mark me as an enemy for everyone. Furthermore, I learn that it is a norm for some people, not to say bad or good, to have two faces at the same time. These people I mean can be your very best friends only when you can see them. However, when you can’t, they will badmouth and backstab you as frequent as possible. These people, if I ever meet one nowadays, I will just ignore his or her existence.
Apart from being a good teacher, the past aids me in my journey to maturity. From the past, I can get useful experiences which help me to develop my thoughts, my actions as well as the way I deal with my problems. Once, I would cry if I made mistakes, then now I will think of causes of the problems and solve them in a rational way. I will also take my problems as obstacles that I must face in order to get better outcomes rather than choosing not to deal or running away from them.
The past really has much significance, both literally and figuratively thus, I will forever remember of what I have done in the past but not to live in it. This is important so that I will never repeat what I have done wrong just like what George Santayana said “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.”

Last Vacation

After some restless weeks, SPM was finally over! My anticipation grew larger as we decided to stay in the city for a few days and visit the new theme park . At that time, I was not aware of the surprise that awaited me there.
It was a weekend that we arrived, thus crowds were inevitable. We had some hard times squeezing through those people just to buy tickets. My friends were so impatient to try the new “Frenzy Flames” game and I was left far behind. I tried to catch up but with my timid figure, it seemed impossible.
Then many things happened at the same time; one of them, the surprise I mentioned earlier. I was keeping my pace up. There was this figure that appeared in front of me out of nowhere, I tried to speed down, however, to no avail.
BONG!
We both fell to the ground. Getting my sight clearer, I tried to look at the person I bumped into. My eyes opened wide, mouth fell agape.
“Sister?” I questioned myself.
It was a girl. She had long, black hair reaching her chest while her small, ebony eyes were sparkling. Her lips were strawberry red. She wore a lipstick pink shirt matched with deep indigo jeans. Along with her spectacles, she resembled my sister very much. Well, my deceased sister. Leukemia took her away.
I was still frozen with shock that she quickly stood up.
“Gomenasai!” she said, quite hastily, and bowed for a couple of times.
And that brought me back to reality. Only then I realised the situation and many eyes were already staring at me. I got up and faced the girl.
“Erm, huh? Gemenasa?”
“Oh, it’s gomenasai. I mean, I’m sorry!” she replied, though lacking fluency.
“N-No-No problem!”
“Hey, if you don’t mind, how about going to Mc Donald’s together? Let me buy you something.” she smiled, her eyes were glittering, at least that was what I thought.
“B-But I don’t even know you.” I answered, blood boiling in my head.
“You will.”
As my so-called friends had abandoned me, I accepted her invitation. At first I was quite ashamed to make my order but she picked Double Cheese Burger for me, which was exactly my favorite! How could she know that? She took Big Mac for herself, and that was my sister’s favorite! Was it fate or just sheer coincidence? I sighed on that idea.
“Konichi-wa, my name is Aya. I am a Japanese.” she introduced, bowed like she had done before.
“I see. You’re here for vacation?”
“Yes, my last vacation” she replied. The “last” word was spoken so low that I could barely hear the pronunciation. Her face turned sour suddenly as if she had lost hope on something. At that instant, she turned into her former happy-go-lucky self again.
We had a pretty good time with the chit-chat between us. The more time I spent with her, the more I thought she were my sister. Such warmth, such chemistry she had matched my sister’s very much. What trick was fate playing?
As we chatted longer, I told her about my sister.
“I’m sorry.”
“It’s okay!” I said, trying to cover up my grief. “Hey, how do you say these words in Japanese?”
“What words?”
There came a voice and it was my phone. My friends were looking for me, how annoying! I managed to exchange phone numbers with Aya and off searching for my friends. Perhaps, later, I would regret leaving her just like that.
The next day, a phone call woke me up. It was Aya.
“Come find me.” she sounded brief, very brief.
“But where are you?”
“I’ll lead you.”
Burning with curiosity, I followed every direction she gave. Eventually, I came to a building-----a hospital. Now, curiosity turned into fear. What had happened to her?
“Come to the top.” she said and it was the end of the call.
I rushed into the hospital and searched desperately for ways to get to the top. My heart was beating fast while sweat was streaming down ceaselessly. At last, I got it to the top and there Aya was, lying on the ground.
I hurried beside her. Noticing me, she smiled again.
“I’m going to a place.”
“Huh? Where?”
“To where your sister has gone.”
“What? Are you joking?”
Aya wanted to say something but she began to cough and it worsened within every second. Then blood began to flow out from her eyes, nostrils and ears. I saw this before; when my sister was dying.
Her hand moved and I grabbed it tightly. Her lips were moving, however, there seemed to be no sound. I went nearer to her and now it was clearer.
“What-were-were the-the-words-you wanted-me to say in-Japanese?” she whispered slowly in my ear.
I was going to answer but my tears met my cheeks first. How I wanted to hug her and cry as loudly as I desired!
“Trans-late-translate this sence-sentence.” I was barely able to speak out each words for the pain inside was tormenting me.
“The sentence ‘I like you’.”
There was no voice in my ear but I could feel Aya’s left hand move. One of the fingers touched the flowing blood under her eye and began writing something, in alphabets, on the ground.
“DAISUKIDAYO.”
As if being struck by a thunderclap, I shouted as much as my throat could afford. The pain inside was too much for me to keep silent. With all her leftover strength, Aya smiled the way she did the first time we met and closed her eyes. Then, though vividly, I saw an angel holding a girl flying up the sky.
Just not long after that, two figures appeared from the entrance; Aya’s parents. From them, I discovered that Aya had leukemia as well. She came to Malaysia because there was a suitable bone marrow donor here. Unfortunately, the donor took back his voluntary. And yesterday, Aya sneaked out from the hospital to spend her “last vacation”.
“Doctor Jinn, the leukemia forum is about to begin. Everyone’s waiting for you.” came a whole different voice, this time from a nurse.
I woke up into another reality. I did not realise my cheeks were wet. I sighed as I wiped them dry.
“You’re right, nurse. Let’s go. I hope the cure for leukemia can be found.”
“For my sister. For Aya.”

by-sacredsword