THE NIGHT IS STILL YOUNG
Teachers Dearest
The teachers started to leave a little while after the formal dinner ended at about ten p.m.
Mr. Tan King Sik was one of those who last left. When I first saw him, I was quite struck by how young he looks now for he looks our age. He taught us Physics in form 4 and Chemistry in form 5. As our class comprised of students from various schools other than SSP, the way he had always treated us kindly had done much to ease our apprehension of being in a new school. Hardly an unkind word spoken and never needing harsh punishment to discipline us or to maintain order in class, he had helped foster in the new students a sense of belonging to the school. He had a way of looking into the students’ eyes with genuine concern for their studies; always ready to give a smile of encouragement. This special touch of his as a caring teacher set him apart from some who seemed a little indifferent though no less responsible by comparison. How pleasant and soothing was the way his red lips curled upwards to reveal his even white teeth when he smiled. Soft-spoken, gentle and slow to anger, he was easily one of our favorite teachers.
It was such an honor to have the opportunity to meet him again after three decades and to thank him for his kindness to us personally. When I mentioned this to him, his red lips split into the pleasant smile I have remembered so well. It was such a mutually gratifying moment for us both, thanks to the reunion dinner which had granted us the gratification. It is such warm feelings exchanged between people that build up our sense of self to cushion us when we fall. In retrospect, I begin to understand what Tan Boon Suan had meant when he suggested reaching inside us for support in times of need. Yes, delve into the reserve of strength stored within us from the hoard of lovingkindness others have bestowed upon us. That would see us through trying times in our lives.
Allow me to proclaim here once more: Thank you, Mr. Tan, for being so kind to us when we were your students!
Before he left the party, I promised to email to him my write-up on him. He was very please to hear that.
(NB: Mr Tan’s Reply - Hello Michelle! Thank you for your interesting write-up and photo of Dec 10. I read your email on Saturday after coming back from outstation. I will be away again after Christmas until mid-January next year. By the way, you gave me such praises which I don't think I deserve. It is only expected that a teacher carries out his duty to his students to the best of his ability. He derives much satisfaction from the success of his students under his care. Anyway it is such a pleasure to have students like you who still remembers her teacher in retrospect.)
Then I shook hands with Mr. and Mrs. Lim Jin Siew and thanked them for coming. They in turn expressed their appreciation for our gesture of honoring the teachers. It is heart-warming moments like this that makes our life meaningful. My heart swelled as I watched the departure of these kindly persons who have touched our lives in a profound way.
An Amorous Moment
Most of the students stayed on for more fellowship. As the atmosphere had changed from formal to informal, people were more relax. Many moved about to mingle with different group as they were no longer stuck to their seat at a particular table. Somebody turned the music up; the mood got hotter and the people more jovial. Having taken so many photos in prim and proper posture, I put my head on Teresa’s shoulder for a sultrier pose and she returned it by putting her arms around me amorously! Ooh, that’s hot! Off guard from the excitement of the moment, I laughed heartily, exposing my orthodontic braces before the camera. Gosh! My Dracula smile has gone down in the history of SSP76’s first reunion dinner!
Shake Your Body
Ng Kam Hui went on stage to entertain us with various Hokkien songs. Pretty good, I must say. I was all too happy when Koh Mui Cheng, Ivy Chua and Lim Kong Kok danced to the music. ‘Come on, people, do something. What story am I going to write if you don’t?’ I hollered to the crowd randomly. To some, the party has just begun to feel like a party. Despite my encouragement, there were not that many dancers among us, I soon discovered.
The Fever of Reunion
There were several people who I had expected to see but had not manage to come for some reasons. Tan King Nwa, Tay Kuan Seng, Low Meng Kuan, Kua Seng Tee , Koh Ai Boo were the few among them. Then out of the blue, another such disappointment – Tan Boon Suan showed up, to our pleasant surprise. He had made an effort to attend even though the dinner was already officially over. I squealed in delight and welcome him warmly. He was in high spirit to see us all. Someone from Elsie Chua’s table offered him some whisky to drink and that turned his face dark red and his high spirit even higher. He soon became the center of attraction as we showered our attention on him because he had just arrived. He rewarded our attention with exaggerated theatrical antics including going down on knees ostensibly to propose to his close friend, Elsie. I hovered around to cheer him on, saying: ‘A second proposal please,’ to which he obliged in good sport. ‘Now I have got the stories!’ I proclaimed happily.
Romancing Once More
I turned around and seeing Tan Ee Keng still sticking around Oon Peck Choo, I teased, ‘Still not finish with Romancing Once More?’ He confessed how ardently he had crushed on Pek Choo and had to wait thirty years for the opportunity to pour his heart out, calling her Choo Choo incessantly. Such sentiment seems to be an inevitable part of alumni reunion. Everyone took it for fun.
When I rejoined my 5SE group, Sim Kian Chuan was in the midst of telling Tong Siew Bee, Tan Bay Wah and Tan Siew Kiat how Yap Say Ping used to make his daily round to the front seat area just to walk past me. Everyone laughed at him and they asked me if I knew what he was up to at that time. ‘I knew, but he didn’t know I knew.’ It was my turn to be a good sport. ‘Ooh, what a missed opportunity!’ Everyone pitied him.
Blunders and Giggles
I sat down beside Neo Say Yew while Lee Fei Fung was showing her house photos to him. She flipped to the page with her Tudor mansion whereupon I sniggered cheekily and confessed for having uploaded some samples in Facebook long ago. She raised her eyebrows and chided me for not obtaining her permission first. I flicked out my tongue and giggled. Say Yew giggled along with me knowingly as if laughing at me for having blundered yet again as is my character flaw in my interaction with the reunion group. She closed her album and sighed in resignation but smile kindly. Tan Bay Wah and Tan Soi Moi who are yet to join Facebook took the photo album eagerly to view her photos with interest and this delighted the attractive hostess of that magnificent house.
Uncorking Champagne in Celebration
I caught sight of Chin Sik Fong, Tan Kui Cheng and Yeoh Ah Yong fumbling with a bottle of pink sparkling grape juice before a table with cocktail glasses. I sauntered over to join them for a toast. It would be a memorable moment to commemorate the occasion and a lovely sight to behold when captured in camera. The cork wouldn’t come off and Sam came to the rescue. The few of us watched him in cheerful anticipation for the climax of uncorking of ‘champagne’ which symbolizes celebration.
‘Pop!’ we all clapped and filled our glasses and held them up to be photographed before saying cheers to one another and then bottomed up. What a lovely moment to have shared with your old, old friends!
Time Passes but Friendship Remains
Goh Yook Loong, Lee Beng Huat and Yeo Chan Huat came over to me and we had another round of photo session to commemorate the rare occasion of reunion for all four of us who had made it to SSP from Bin Chong Primary School. We looked at one another with images of us as children still fresh in our memory and marveled at how the elapse of time has failed to nullify friendship.
Miscellany
I looked around at the clusters of people strewn across the dining hall. I guess they must be engaging in similar sharing of moments no less wondrous than those I have experienced.
….Tan Ban Hua and Ng Bak Seng played gracious hosts by serving the guests with cognac or whisky from one group to another gallantly.
….Gay Bing Shyan was effusive in his vociferous appreciation of the pioneering team’s effort to form SSP76 which has made possible the reunion of 1976 batch of SSP students.
….Lim Hong Koon, Lee Song Kiah, Ng Bak Seng, Tan Ee Keng, Onn Peck Choo and Loh Hong Tian seemed to have endless subjects of conversation which lasted through the evening.
No one seemed inclined to calling it a night.
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