Chapter 7
[ The Class of 1997 ]
Have you ever asked yourself whether you like to go to school?
Maybe to most people, School is something that you never look forward but always looked back to.
Secondary school is definitely one of the best times that can happen to anyone.
It was the age of discovery, the age when boy girl relationship begins to etch and form. Secondary school was a place for the transition of adulthood where many of you will have your first kiss or hug and most importantly staying out late.
It was a time when you don’t really have to study as much as the remaining portion of your life. You will always remember your class.
The class beauty, the class hunk and definitely the class joker who never fails to make your day. Finally, the discipline master who was as irritating as always.
Is your school still around?
Have you gone back to a place where you spend 4 or 5 years of your life in?
Make a trip down today for it doesn’t really have to be Teacher’s Day to go back to your old school.
“Let’s go in”
“You crazy arh?! I’m wearing skirt ok?” Janice protested.
“Don’t worry, there’s no one here on Sunday mornings, besides nobody is interested in looking at your white colored panty.”
“Ken!!! You pervert. Since when did you..”
Have you ever asked yourself whether you like to go to school?
Maybe to most people, School is something that you never look forward but always looked back to.
Secondary school is definitely one of the best times that can happen to anyone.
It was the age of discovery, the age when boy girl relationship begins to etch and form. Secondary school was a place for the transition of adulthood where many of you will have your first kiss or hug and most importantly staying out late.
It was a time when you don’t really have to study as much as the remaining portion of your life. You will always remember your class.
The class beauty, the class hunk and definitely the class joker who never fails to make your day. Finally, the discipline master who was as irritating as always.
Is your school still around?
Have you gone back to a place where you spend 4 or 5 years of your life in?
Make a trip down today for it doesn’t really have to be Teacher’s Day to go back to your old school.
“Let’s go in”
“You crazy arh?! I’m wearing skirt ok?” Janice protested.
“Don’t worry, there’s no one here on Sunday mornings, besides nobody is interested in looking at your white colored panty.”
“Ken!!! You pervert. Since when did you..”
Janice wanted to kick him but Ken had already climbed up the gate.
Janice leaned against the side gate trying to figure out how to climb in.
Janice leaned against the side gate trying to figure out how to climb in.
To her surprise, the side gate was not locked.
“Ha! Ha! Ha! You stupid fool”
“Ha! Ha! Ha! You stupid fool”
Janice said as she entered the school and hurried to find Ken.
“This is the assembly area right? A place where everyone will gather and listen to the principal’s daily motivation talk.”
Ken looked at the carpark.
“Yup! You were always sleeping in the morning then…”
Janice recalled.
Both of them walked into the school compound.
Everything was old & distorted. The garden that once flourished with Sunflowers had gone. The classrooms, the canteen and the sports hall looked haunted enough.
“Let’s go to our Class 4H” Ken said as he begin climbing the stairs.
“Janice, so when did our school closed down?”
“About 4 years ago due to insufficient enrolment for the newer batch. There was even a big reunion & class gathering, I called you remember?”
“Did you..? And what did I say”
“You said gatherings are meaningless and hung up on me!”
“Did I do that?”
”Yes you did! You always do that especially to me”
When they opened up the classroom, it was filled with dusk but amazingly it was still quite neat.
“Hmm… so surprise that after the school close down, the classroom is still so tidy.”
“Its because we come back once every year to clean it. After the school closed, the next consecutive years a few of us volunteered to come back with Mrs Siu to help move out the furnitures and tidy up.”
“That’s why I tell you I come back every year!”
“Oh.. You have nothing better to do huh?”
Ken reverted as he walked slowly towards his own table.
Everyone would recognize the table he/she sits during class.
No thanks to all the vandalism that was created during their time.
Each drawing or phases craved on the table have their own meaning.
“This is the assembly area right? A place where everyone will gather and listen to the principal’s daily motivation talk.”
Ken looked at the carpark.
“Yup! You were always sleeping in the morning then…”
Janice recalled.
Both of them walked into the school compound.
Everything was old & distorted. The garden that once flourished with Sunflowers had gone. The classrooms, the canteen and the sports hall looked haunted enough.
“Let’s go to our Class 4H” Ken said as he begin climbing the stairs.
“Janice, so when did our school closed down?”
“About 4 years ago due to insufficient enrolment for the newer batch. There was even a big reunion & class gathering, I called you remember?”
“Did you..? And what did I say”
“You said gatherings are meaningless and hung up on me!”
“Did I do that?”
”Yes you did! You always do that especially to me”
When they opened up the classroom, it was filled with dusk but amazingly it was still quite neat.
“Hmm… so surprise that after the school close down, the classroom is still so tidy.”
“Its because we come back once every year to clean it. After the school closed, the next consecutive years a few of us volunteered to come back with Mrs Siu to help move out the furnitures and tidy up.”
“That’s why I tell you I come back every year!”
“Oh.. You have nothing better to do huh?”
Ken reverted as he walked slowly towards his own table.
Everyone would recognize the table he/she sits during class.
No thanks to all the vandalism that was created during their time.
Each drawing or phases craved on the table have their own meaning.
Ken noticed some tables that was not neatly arranged at the back.
He walked up to have a closer look. He was browsing the different wordings that was craved.
Something caught his attention. A phrase that was written on one of the table.
“Do I really like him?, Will he like me? Will we be together?”
S(43)M
“S(43)M!!! S(43)M is really in my class?”
Ken tried to look for more clues and he found a tortoise like figure on the edge of the table.
“Make no mistake , this is Mabel’s table! So Mabel is S(43)M… after all”
Nobody would make out the tortoise except Ken as it was really badly drawn. The tortoise liked craving was did by Ken during one of the breaks to add to the misery of all teasing.
“All the clues is pointing to Mabel as the one, except her confirming it..
Something caught his attention. A phrase that was written on one of the table.
“Do I really like him?, Will he like me? Will we be together?”
S(43)M
“S(43)M!!! S(43)M is really in my class?”
Ken tried to look for more clues and he found a tortoise like figure on the edge of the table.
“Make no mistake , this is Mabel’s table! So Mabel is S(43)M… after all”
Nobody would make out the tortoise except Ken as it was really badly drawn. The tortoise liked craving was did by Ken during one of the breaks to add to the misery of all teasing.
“All the clues is pointing to Mabel as the one, except her confirming it..
Unless I bring this up to her if not we’ll never know”
Ken realized Janice was standing at the other corner of the classroom motionlessly.
“Ooi Janice, what you doing there?”
“Nothing much.. just pretty much looking at my table & staring into blank space”
“Want to go for lunch? Ken realized it was already 3pm.
“Oh.. I’m beginning to feel hungry again! Let’s go”
As both of them left, the table that Janice stood too have some scribbling on it..
“Happy Valentine’s Day to Myself”
S(43)M.1997
After lunch, as Ken drove Janice home, Janice remained silent all the way until her phone rang.
“Hello…. Is it? Really??? You’re back finally!! I missed you so much”
Ken tried to hear the conversation but couldn’t make out much.
“I’m actually with Ken right now, when you wanna come out?”
Ken looked at Janice surprised that his name was mention.
“Hang.. on”
Janice looked back at Ken.
“Its Mabel, she’s back from her US stint !!”
“Mabel’s back huh…”
Ken thought to himself..
“Maybe things will be clearer this time…”
Ken realized Janice was standing at the other corner of the classroom motionlessly.
“Ooi Janice, what you doing there?”
“Nothing much.. just pretty much looking at my table & staring into blank space”
“Want to go for lunch? Ken realized it was already 3pm.
“Oh.. I’m beginning to feel hungry again! Let’s go”
As both of them left, the table that Janice stood too have some scribbling on it..
“Happy Valentine’s Day to Myself”
S(43)M.1997
After lunch, as Ken drove Janice home, Janice remained silent all the way until her phone rang.
“Hello…. Is it? Really??? You’re back finally!! I missed you so much”
Ken tried to hear the conversation but couldn’t make out much.
“I’m actually with Ken right now, when you wanna come out?”
Ken looked at Janice surprised that his name was mention.
“Hang.. on”
Janice looked back at Ken.
“Its Mabel, she’s back from her US stint !!”
“Mabel’s back huh…”
Ken thought to himself..
“Maybe things will be clearer this time…”
[To be Cont]
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