This song is just for you...

Tribute to you...

At approximately 3pm today I recieved an sms from an unknown number telling me that someone I knew has passed away. It took me a few moments to process the news. I told myself since its from an unknown number its a sick joke and every part of my being wished it was. I smsed the sender back asking who he/she is. Apparently my friend changed his phone number and I wasn't informed. That aside, my heart sank to the lowest. I refused to believe...turned on my computer and JX sent me an msn msg echoing the sad news. It was like a wake up call...countless messages followed from different friends, some of whom i've not spoken in years to. Something extraordinary was to emerge from this whole ordeal...

The news spread like wild fire and I even have an old classmate from Australia telling me about it. Somehow everyone is rallying behind this unfortunate incident and we were all talking as if time reversed backward to 1999, the last time most of us saw of each other before graduation. I have much to post but as a tribute to my one of my closest friends from my childhood, I shall dedicate this post to him and i'm sure many others out there will be a testament to his living memory.

I first knew Jordan back in Primary 3, almost 16 years ago. He was freeuns classmate and we got to know each other through freeuns neighbour who was in my class. Jordan was quite a popular kid with a robust character and good looks but we didn't really become close until Primary 5 when we were classmates. He had a major crush on my form teacher back then Mrs Jo which was funny but anyways we were tight and did everything together. We formed an exclusive group and we built a tree house at the school's backyard. Using an old palm tree laden with lots of dead leaves and branches, we had our "fortress". Great memories...we planned attack strategies and escape routes in the event that we got "attacked"...*sigh till today I still have that folder where we kept all our "top secret" documents. Not to forget how we explicitly blackmailed Gurneet for extra pocket $ because we stole "sensitive" documents from her. Its all in the folder. How we would always sneak up to your roof access at the top of your block! I was literally on top of the world and at 11 years old that was quite an adventure! The adrenalin rush!! How I would always have lunch at your place...your mum's spaghetti. You'd never fail to tell your mum I was coming over for that. Lastly how we fought over the last slot for the Penang trip in Primary 6. There was 1 more vacancy and 2 of us left...Haha "Staple Stella Panis" told us to draw lots and although I drew to go, she gave the chance to you! I was left behind and feeling bitter but It was just for awhile.

We weren't that close as the years progressed in SHSS but neither did we lose touch. Vietnam trip in 1998 saw us being drawn as roomies! But we mutually swapped so that freeuns won't have to bunk in with Keith. I also remembered how we sneaked out off the hotel in the middle of the night to go clubbing at 15yrs! Apocolypse was the name of the club...haha we were so out of place among the adults but yet there we were, a bottle of tiger beer in hand grooving to the scene! Things got blurry after we returned and we went seperate ways after graduation. No contact until I bumped into you 2 months ago at Cineleisure. Was rushing to get movie tickets so didn't really chat much...who knows that would be the last time I would have spoken to you and shook your hand. But I was really happy to see you, all cleaned up and neat compared to your rebellious ways in SHSS...I was really overcame with a sense of hope and peace, knowing that things worked out alright with you and then I realised that the reason we weren't so close back in SHSS was probably the new friends you made and hung out with. Who would have thought it all ended prematurely...the life spark and potential snuffed out. I regret not doing more when we met 2 month back...I regret not following up and getting your contact number before you left...and now I have to stare my regret in the form of an open casket...and I only hope that your family will be strong and that you're in a much better place looking at how you've brought old friends back together, rallying under the memories you gave us that touch our lives. Farewell my dear friend, you will be missed...

My dear friends reading this, this is as real as it gets. Life is there to be treasured and remembered, likewise so are other lives. Pls take care of yourselves and don't live in the shadow of regret.