Cycling down the memory lane

It has been a while since I last pen my thoughts here. I have always avoided writing how and what I felt at the very moment for fear of regretting its repercussion. With the turmoil going on in this head of mine, I think it would be best to push those nasty thoughts to the furthest corner of my mind. On this Malaysia Day, I’d rather reminisce those simple, care-free days when I used to cycle around the neighbourhood with my two best buddies then; Sharmini and Vina. I think I was about 10 years old then. Every evening, we would go to each other’s houses to call on each one just so we could cycle together. Unlike Sharmini and Vina who are both the youngest among their siblings, I always had to take my younger brother with me. I was not pleased then because with him at the back of my bike made pedalling harder thus slowing me down and I most definitely couldn’t cycle hands-free like my buddies. 

Sharmini, Vina and I were not just cycling buddies. We celebrated and embraced each other’s diversity. During Diwali, dad and I always looked forward to attending uncle Guna’s open house. They served the most delicious mutton/lamb curry ever. I sometimes would ask Sharmini to bring extra murukku for us to snack whilst we pedalled. When it was Lunar’s New Year, we would go to Vina’s place. I love going to Vina’s place simply because she had some Barbie dolls (a toy that I could only dream of having when I was a young girl) and her mother made beautiful clothes for Vina’s dolls.

Our days together as the most diverse best friends came to a halt when their fathers were retiring, and they would have to leave the airmen quarters. You see, our fathers were serving in the air force and in return for their service, housing accommodation was provided for them in the air base. I was sad upon learning about them leaving as I wasn’t sure if I would ever see them again. I remember seeing Sharmini again a year later when she accompanied her father for official matters but the warmth felt dissipated with time. As for Vina, I think I had her parents’ “kampung” address. Unfortunately, like everything else I had kept from my pre-teen years had become untraceable every time my folks move to new places.

As I reminisce our wonder years together, how I wish we had access to the technology that we enjoy today so that I could document those fantastic times we had together. Camera and photos were considered luxury in my family. So, we hardly had photos of us or our friends back then. The only thing I have to remember them by is only those memories recorded in my mind. If only it could be replayed onto the big screen, I wouldn’t mind watching them again and again. It has been three decades since I saw them last. How I wish someday, He would allow our paths to cross again just once for keeps sake.