A Day to Remember

Saturday March 20, 2010
It has been a week that I experience an important day in my dear life. It was on March 13, to be exact when my wife relayed to me that someone had telephoned me that he wanted to pay me a visit.

She received the call at around noon. I enquired the caller's name from my wife, but she told me the caller didn't want to identify himself. For tthe next three hours or so I had been guessing about the caller's identity.

At around 3 in the evening, a Honda Civic, stopped at our gate. Out came a fat bearded man, two women and 2 young girls. I went to the gate to welcome them. The total stranger smiled at me. My curiosity increased. The man smiled and he expected me to address him. My memory lane was totally blocked. He asked, Remember me?" My memory went back to my college days and asked," Were we college mates? His answer was in the negative. I threw another million dollar question, "Are you a techer?" Negative again. After throwing few more questions, I received negative responses. before apologising for my short memory, he amiled and said, " Ahmad Kemin."

The revealation of his identity,brought me back my backlane memory. My brain trailed back to an time zone that had brought my memory lates to 1966 which is 43 years ago. Imagine meeting someone who was out of sight and our of mind for 43 years! I was 18 -year-old lad from Batu Pahat and Ahmad Kemin was a 19-year-old lad from Kluang Johor. God had made us to meet as temporary teachers at a private school, Jubilee English School at Jalan Haji Manan, Kluang, Johor.

I stayed at my late brother's house at Jalan Haji Manan, while Ahmad stayed with his parents and siblings at Hospital Quarters. Our comandareship was very close. He used to accompany me back to my parents' house in Batu Pahat and I used to visit his family home too. The bond between us ended in December 1966 and we parted ways, I managed to to be a trainee teacher in Language Institute, Pantai Valley, Kuala Lumpur, while Ahmad joined FELDA.

But how did Ahmad manage to trace my whereabouts? All these tears, my name was always in his memory. So on that Saturday, he drove to my village, in Batu Pahat, and he succeeded in locating my brother's house and it was my niece who gave my address and my telephone number to himd.

Albeit we went out of sight and out of sight for 43 years I did enquired from friends and acquaitance about Ahmad, whom I came to know he was in FELDA. Fortunately Ahmad did the same. History has it made, I was posted to Ayer Baloi Pontian Secondary School from 1969 to 1973. My bachelorhood ended when I got married to Azizah, a Muarian, in December 1970. Our first child, Julianaa, a Bank Officer, was born on 7 October 1971 and our second chilld, Dato' Shafik, a corporate figure, was born on 21st October, 1974.From 1974 to 1982 I applied to teach in sultan Allauddin Riayat Shah 1, Pagoh, Muar Johor. It during my tenure in this school that I went to University Malaya to do my Diploma in ESL in 1978-1979. Our youngest child, Mohammad asshad, a computer scientist cum musician was born on 28 August 1982.

My life history made a 360 degree about turn when I went to Northern Illinois University, DeKalb, Illinois to pursue my BA and MScD from 1982 - 1985. Upon completion of my studies I was assigned to Institute Technology MARA, Shah Alam from August to November 1985.As of December 1, 1985 I was transferred to ITM Melaka till I officially retired on January 25, 2004. From 27 January 2004 till now I serve as a contract Associate Professor in the same instituition.

Ahamd Kemin's life began as a FELDA officer in Kluang, Johor and he was married to a nurse, coincidently, like my wife too. He got married at 30 and he is blessed with 4 children and 1 grand daughter. Throughout his service, Ahmad never served outside of the State of Johor and he retired as the Manager of a FELDA scheme in Kota Tinggi, Johor, in 2003.

Ahmad Kemin, whom I knew 43 years ago was a handsome, intelligent and talkative personality, Physically he has changed totally. He is fat,bearded qnd open-minded. His only character that he still cheerishes is his talkativeness. Our meeting was being dominated by him talking about his glorious days in FELDA.

God is Great. He made us meet after 43 years when we are in the dawn of our lives. Thanks God, we are still kicking with good minds. Hopefully one day I will make a trip to High Castle, Kota Tinggi in English, one day.