Friends 2: The Story Continues...

And so, I was in college, misty-eyed for the first 3 months, as I struggled to live with my Wei Nan's demise (u've got to read my previous entry to follow my story, dude... :) Anyway, I did badly for my first year, just managed to squeeze pass my Promo by the skin of my teeth... Then, this geek appeared in my life...

Skinny, wearing a pair of big and brown spectacles, always carrying his green Umbro haversack (Man, how i miss carrying these Umbro haversacks, which we used to carry just by one side. Hey, it's not easy, you know, and you need technique for that, ok, if not it'll just slide off your shoulder as you run for the bus) and black, thick ring file was this bookworm. Of course, this time round I knew his name. Oei Thiam Seng, or Thian Cheng. The reason that I hooked up with him was due to the basic instinct of College Survival. Definitely not for physical protection. Yes, you guessed it... it was purely academic.

Econs (economics), Accounts, Management of Business, A Maths, C Maths, F Maths, XYZ Maths... whatever letter, whatever subject, you name it, he excelled in it! And so, I found myself with him in the library, studying! I knew I had to stay with him more than my Rugby or Gym buddies, because they didn't have The Sports School back then!

Anyway, it was fun hanging out with him because I'm always the one to make fun of him. I had him at my beck and call, and for some strange reason, despite all my 'bullying', he stuck with me, and I took him for granted until one day...

It was an ordinary day, full of lectures and tutorials. Lecture Theatre 1, or LT 1 was the mass lecture hall back in JJ then. Big and tall, and it was capable of holding 2 to 300 students at one go (Ok, ok i know... But 17 years ago, that was huge lah!) Anyway, some of my pals had this air-con housing unit above LT1 that was big enough to house 4 man and a mahjong table. It was an exclusive thing, as not many people know of this cove, where illegal pleasures of every sort took place there. But of course, membership has its priviledges. Feeling bored that day, I took Thian Cheng's hand and brought him to this cove, despite his unwillingness. Hey! Stop your imagination! I'm not gay lah!

So, we are standing outside this 'exclusive cave' and Thian Cheng was in awe! He had never known that such an oasis existed in campus. As soon as he went in, I shut the door and locked him in! As it was a one-way latch, my friend is caged in, with no way of escape!

I was laughing all the way, as I made my way down to LT1 for my lecture. Thian Cheng would have a bird's eye view of the entire LT from where he is. Man, he's the top student of the class today!

As I opened the door of the LT, it happened! First the sound of the ceiling crumbling, then a figure crashed out! 5 storeys! I tried to imagine that I was watching a movie of Jackie Chan jumping down from the roof, but he was no Jackie Chan! Like what lasted an eternity, he landed! On the steps, and then he tumbled down! Screams and chaos erupted in the hall! My jaws stayed open, in locked position. Blood, it was the blood. First, from his head, then it covered his face.