Childhood Friend

I think it's about 24 years but honestly, I lost count.

Attended my childhood friend's wedding dinner last night at Rasa Sentosa but missed the solemnisation during the earlier part because it was raining cats and dogs and I was desperately trying to find a petrol kiosk to feed Kokoro. It was running really low on Coke... I mean fuel. I get sugar low when I'm Coke deprived so it felt kinda the same.

Seeing his parents brought back some memories. We attended the same kindergarten, same primary school and eventually, same JC. His Dad sent both of us to school every morning during my JC days and he would take 15 minutes to warm up the car. Even then, I was always late. It was until I moved out of that area that we didn't quite keep in contact for a while. It wasn't too long before "Childhood Friend" tried to matchmake me with his friends. Although nothing came out of it, I made some friends and it was fun. With common friends, things kinda drew closer for both of us. I've always appreciated him for making the extra effort to be a friend whereas I just let fate take me to wherever and more often, nowhere.

When I was signing in, wedding helpers asked, "friends from where?" And I went like... "way back when... try childhood friends..." and HEY, I was there as "Childhood Friend". It might seem a little over-reacting but how many people can you actually categorise into childhood friend? He's probably my only childhood friend as far as I can remember! When he acknowledged me in his speech on stage, it was his wedding day mind you, I was slightly embarrassed but was so touched. As much as he always try to be politically correct being the up and coming grassroot leader, I wouldn't even expect anything even if he omitted me out of the speech.

A little anecdote I'd like to share about us during our childhood years. We were 7 and were waiting for the school bus to pick us up. It was after a raining morning and we were accompanied by his Mom and my Grandma. We saw toadstools and he warned me, "these are poisonous so don't step on them." Being the good girl I WAS, I didn't dare go near but I was still curious. So I tried to touch them with the tip of my shoes. Then he exclaimed, "No, the poisonous mushroom will melt your shoe." Man, that scared the hell out of me so I stayed really far away from toadstools until I was like in my teens that I realised they weren't that poisonous afterall and it would take ALOT OF POISON to be melting my Bata away.

Frankly, we're not like best of friends and we don't even have major common groups of friends. But it's part of being there for one another watching the other person hit certain milestones in life, acknowledging the presence of the other person and also your very own presence. These are people who form the skeletal part of your memories, a little like the "Join The Dots" kiddo game where he's part of some of the major dots although he might not be in the actual picture itself most of the times.

To Childhood Friend and you're called so because you're the one and only - I'm truly happy you found yourself a beautiful, sweet bride whom I know will be there for you and support you along the way. We know we'll still be here marking each other's lives along the way. Do know, I hold you very dear as my friend even if we may not have paths that crosses one another's. Congratulations and Happy 28th Birthday!