2000

I still remember a story, one of my sweetest memory, was in 2000. Back in SMKDPB, one of the premier school in district of Pontian, Johor.

Our Bahasa Melayu teacher, Cikgu Faizah Sood (or Fauziah? or the other name? Sorry Cikgu), asked the whole class to write an essay. I forgot the precise requirement but basically about our experienced in a bank robbery. Yes. From the perspective of a bank customer.

Most of my classmate wrote basically the same story line.

They become a hero or heroin for the girls, by calling the police or helped to negotiate with the robbery or whatever. Heroic action cliche. Boring. I wanted something different, as always.

For me, soon as I knew what Cikgu wanted us to write, I with my dyslexic kind of thinking just started to write the essay without no earlier planning. No basic structure, no important point of whatsoever. Just a spontaneous writing.

Write write write.

About a week later, Cikgu Faizah spoke to the whole class, she praised me with my non cliche essay and make me an example to follow (in a good way). The whole class in awe while I just sat in my chair and........Blur. Tho grammatically mine was not so excellent, and the same cases with the whole class.

My story line was, basically, like this- me and dad with the other people in the bank just follow what the robbers said, that is to lay down on the floor and never ever dare to move or got shot right on our skull. Perfect. Plus why must we risk our life?  I know the bank must got insured. Then the robbers left.

Suddenly, some one said this, the bank security guard- ''Ehh kenapa semua baring dilantai ni? Apa dah jadi?' (Ehh why did you all laying on the floor? What happened?)

That particular guard was using the restroom when the robbery took place. That's it. Simple as that, while most of my classmate wrote that they got praised from the cop, family etc for their bravery etc, I wrote a different end one.



Think differently is the key word here. Start from that moment I know what I want. Be yourself.