Everlasting Banquet...

The first day at school... the sky seemed overcast, or is it due to the
unwillingness to start schooling in a new environment? One may never know.

What is certain is that this place will be my second home for the six
years to come. Here I shall began my next phase up the educational structure.

A fresh start...

With it comes the need to adapt to a new learning environment, and of
course, making new friends. If memory served me well, the first thing I did when
I got to my classroom was to scan for familiar faces.

"No familiar faces... sigh..."

I grew up in a traditional Chinese family. Perhaps its due to my upbring-
ing, or perhaps I was borned an introvert (my mom told me I seldom cry even when I
was a baby), I tend to keep to myself. Thus, while other kids will be mixing around
with their peers, I would be sitting in one corner observing how they carried on with
their activities. Its was not until I was older did I start to be more outgoing.

Naturally I do not have many friends in the new environment. Those were
the times when I started to miss those people I had knew in my previous school. The
happy times we had while we were enjoying void deck soccer. The times where we
would hang out at the nearby community centre playing basketball.

Sometimes I really wished that I was more sociable when I was younger.
If I was more out going... if I was a bit more spontaneous... if...

"Hey can lend me your rubber(eraser)?"

It was the girl sitting beside me. Come to think of it when I first saw her
I was like "hmmm a guy in skirt...". Regine was the typical "spitfire", too hot for most
of the guys in the class to handle. While most girls would be very quiet and soft-
spoken, she can be even more rowdy than some of the guys, example, Yours Truly...
(sigh) Rather small in build, had short hair, in which she often tied up in two little
ponytails. Compared to the other girls in class she was one of the better looking girls.
Not really drop-dead gorgeous, but really cute... at least thats what I remember.

In primary school, a guy always hanging out with a girl will be catergorized
as one of the following: that guy is "girly and likes girls' stuff", or that guy likes the
girl.

Well I'm definitely not the first type...

As for the second, it was only when we finish our mid-year exams and the
start of our sememster break did I realised that I have a special feeling for Regine.
There seemed to be an urge for me to go back to school again, perhaps to see her...
When we finally see each other again after the break... I started to noticed that she
MAY have taken a liking for me too. Our special friendship blossomed from that day
on, exchanging little gifts we made for each other, cards and letters... you would always
see us together, in class, during PE, during breaktime, one can say that we are almost
inseperable, that is, until, after school, where we took different buses home, even so,
I would always make it a point to see her board her bus before I got on mine...

And did I mention she became more quiet and soft-spoken after she came back from
the break? Til now I wonder why...

The Chinese always has a saying for almost all situations known to Man. One
goes "There never exist an everlasting banquet in this world". For the un-enlightened,
it means that there will never be and everlasting gathering, union, be it among collegues,
friends, family and loved ones. For the all the good that we may have shared, one fine
day we may still have to part ways. I just did not realised that that day came sooner
than I realised...

"As of today, Regine will be leaving us to go to another school". That was Mrs Lee's
announcement to the class.

I don't actually remember if I felt anything after I heard the news. As the
announcements was made, some wise guy had the smart idea of poking in, saying:

"Oh Zen's Girlfriend Run Away Loh!! Hahaha"

I think I remember laughing along with that joke. After all, we're still
primary school kids, maybe it was just another game of "House" that me and Regine
had played. Now she had a new life and had to moved on, as a friend i should be happy
for her.

Should be...

The problem is, a part of me seemed to be gone from the day Regine left.
never to be filled.

***************************************************************************

"So be it, thats how it happens!"

That's part of group discussion. Secondary school... full of group projects...
I still hate working in groups, often working by myself. Well at least this time round its
with familiar people, friends I've knew for four years. One of them I even knew since
primary school.

"yo bro..." I asked half-heartedly, with the sole purpose of de-stressing.

"yeah sup?" Adrian replied, with the same brain-dead tone as I am.

"Remember our Primary school?"(me)

"You Betcha... Man those were the good old days"(Ad)

We both laugh.

"I really like my Primary One and Six form teacher"(me)

"Yeah Mrs De Souza taught us maths in P6 too. Dun think I like my P1 form teacher
though, who taught ya?"(Ad)

"Mrs Maria Lee"(me)

"Hmm that means you're in class 1D... then you should know my cousin..."(Ad)

Well thats not surprising... at least thats what I thought initially...

"Well you damn right I was in 1D, and you say your cousin's in my class?"(me)

"It was so long ago and you probably forgotten about her... moreover she got a tranfer
right after the semester paper..."(Ad)

A strange feeling came up... A name came to my mine, a name that has been
buried in the back of my head... hidden but not forgotten. After mentally recalling the
name and practice saying it in my head... I muttered unsurely:

"... Regine...?"(me)

"Yeah that's right! Not bad eh, still remember your old class mate"(Ad)

You Bet I Remember...............