IT seemed like only yesterday but I still remember quite vividly sleeping on the beach on an island together with two friends around the time we had finished our high school.
The days seemed constantly everlasting. We were on the threshold of adulthood. Still no responsibilities, no jobs, no girlfriends and hardly any worries. It was a wonderful time on earth.
A group of us, mainly school mates decided we would make a trip to this island called Pangkor. It is about 80 miles from our hometown. Pangkor island was an idyllic place. It is still a holiday resort after so many years.
I haven't been back to that island for more than 30 years. I heard from friends that it has developed beyond my recognition.
But on that day and night while I was there, it was like another planet. We dozed off on the sun-kissed, golden sands of Pangkor. At around midnight, we heard this awful noise. We opened our eyes and the waves of the high tide were lapping at our feet.
Needless to say, we headed for higher ground. Then at 4am when total darkness enveloped the place, the torrential rain began. The winds were howling and those of us who had earlier bragged that we wanted to be close to nature, sought shelter in the roofed canteen that was without walls. It had only long narrow benches and tables.
By then, I was very sleepy and tried to catch 40 winks on a narrow bench. For a fleeting moment, I dreamt of that soft, comfy mattress back home. But that was just for a moment. I was too young and reckless to care or to plan for the future, or even to think of the physical discomfort that came from living wild and free.
That was only one episode in my youthful days. I was also slightly addicted to that hobby called hitch-hiking. We who have little spare change in our pockets have resorted to using our thumbs to get free rides on the highway.
Yes, those were also the days when highway robberies were almost unheard of, like these more dangerous days. My father wasn't really worried about me. He too had his "living wild and free" days, so he understood my situation quite well.
Sometimes, I got lucky and didn't have to wait too long before a generous motorist stopped and took me to my destination. However, there were times when I stood for hours without a single soul casting a glance in my direction.
One thing I found out from those hiking days, the people who were most likely to stop and give me a lift were the truckers. For a long time, I wondered why only this particular type of individuals had any sympathy for us lonely hitch hikers. Then, one day I figured they were the ones who understood very well what it was like to be a lonely traveller on a very long highway. That was why they felt a kindred relationship with us young hikers.
From my numerous road trips, I learnt to understand the trucker's life and the kind of people who had made driving vehicles on the road for a living.
Youth also meant doing things on impulse like the time when I rode on my bicycle about 10 miles to a celebrated waterfall. The leader of the pack was a seminarian by the name of Charles. He was the one who told me: "Look, you are still young. Don't be afraid to try the unknown. If you don't know where a bus leads to, just hop on to it, ride it all the way to the end. The furthest it will go is the terminal. Then you can turn around and come back. Along the way, you have the pleasure of looking at the sights and listening to the sounds that the journey provides."
How right he was, too. The only drawback I experienced from my 10-mile bicycle trip was a severely cramped leg when I leapt into the water. Fortunately for me, the water wasn't tha deep so I still had one good leg to hop back to safety. But it was a lesson well learnt.
When you are at the overdrive of your life, you think nothing of sitting at the front row of a cinema. Your eyes are almost touching the screen. It was the cheapest seat I could afford and I couldn't afford much. There I was, trying to adjust my normal vision with the gigantic screen. After a while, it didn't really matter because I was too engrossed in the tale that was screened.
As one touches the veil of adulthood, one always think the world can wait for us. I had that experience. It was exhilarating. It was exciting and girls seemed so far away. We didn't have time for them. I didn't anyway.
Now as I glanced back over my shoulder to envision those wonderful, carefree days, a smile washes over my face. Yes, it was a great time. Then, I realise "hey, it's not over yet. As long as I have breath in my body, everyday can be another stupedously thrilling day."
And so my adventure begins again. This time on a different level..........
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