Nama dia Wong Leh Mei

Once in a while in this life, we find people that change our life... sometimes forever. Be it the birth of a child,  the arrival of the one that God made for us, an old man on the street or an innocent young girl in blue pinafore.

I was a notorious kid. Called a troublemaker by people around me and many other words which I shall not repeat to any kid or even adults. I dont blame them. Just it would be nicer if I was not demoralised so much, back then. Fast forward, I can see those who had called me names when I was 14years old now cant really look me in the eye, for I had changed. 

My late father definitely has the biggest share of my changed. I love you, Kher.

But there is also someone else that changed me.

Those days, we have our science classes in school lab.  Kerusi kat makmal sains nih tinggi. Tak tau lah kalau sekarang dorang masih pakai makmal macam nih. Masa tu tingkatan dua. I was 14.

Kita orang dari kelas berebet rebet lah ke makmal. Bising lah..dah bebudak. Duduk satu meja rasanya 6 orang. Saay mestilah duduk meja depan sebab saya nak dapat tabung uji dulu or whatever yang diekperimen hari tu dulu dari orang lain. Saya kene dapat dulu, kalau tak saya takleh diam. Sebab saya nakal, takde orang nak duduk sebelah saya. Then this one chinese girl terpaksa duduk sebelah saya. takde pilihan lain. Maybe I was iritated takde orang nak duduk sebelah saya, just before she sat down and not looking, saya galihkan kerusi dia.

Dia jatuh. Kendian dia nangis. Saya larik ke belakang kelas. Saya takut gilaaaaaa. Saya tak takut kene marah dengan cikgu. Saya takut sebab dia nangis. Aiseymannn...saya tak pernah buat orang nangis. Orang marah selalu. Nangis itu first time. I felt so guilty that the whole day I was silent as a mouse.

Masa balik, saya pergi jumpa dia. Saya cakap sorry. Dia nangis sekali lagik. Saya panik. Dia cakap, kenapa kau buat macam tu? Aku tak pernah kacau kau. Saya rasa tertampar dengan kata kata . And I cried. I beg for her forgiveness. She said "jangan buat lagi. Sakit tau jatuh dari kerusi. Dan juga lebih sakit sebab orang ketawakan aku." I promised her, takkan buat lagik. I tried to be her friends. Saya dapat tau dia bukan anak orang senang. Kami berkawan, tapi setakat kawan sahaja lah. Bukanlah jadik kawan karib. Since kita orang naik bus yang sama, saya selalu simpankan tempat duduk untuk dia.

After that incident, something inside me changed. I dont know what it is, but I changed. Bukanlah terus jadik budak baik, membantu rakan rakan dan belajar rajin rajin mendap[at markah yang tinggi dan berjaya menjadi angkasawan... no nothing like that. I like to think that I became a better person inside.

I was transfered to another school masa naik form 3. Saya tak pernah jumpa dia lagik.

Where ever you are Wong Leh Mei, I pray you be alright.
Again, I am sorry for pulling your chair 25 years ago.