of Ah Heng and electrons...

Managed to get back in touch with Ah Heng today. He was my roommate back when we were two virile strapping young stallions lazy bums in varsity. As our varsity was located light years away from civilization, we stayed in one of the hostels within the varsity compound where you get a bed, cupboard and a desk and a roommate to boot. In a way, you can say that I slept in the same bedroom with him for a couple of years in my life.

Ah Heng is the kind of guy that, every parent would wish for. Speaks softly and politely, says his thank yous and pleases, and will never ever get caught beating the crap out you anyone (or any being for that matter). But as with all engineering students, he (and unfortunately me too) has that pre requisite nerdy look complete with the side parting hairstyle and faux gold plated big rimmed glasses.

We were roommates in our 3rd and 4th year of our studies and when we completed our time in the varsity, we went our own ways. He went to KL to pursue a sinful life of cheap booze, loose women and debauchery a career in computer and those thing-a-magij. And I, being a good son, went back to Penang to sell the rest of my working life slaving for a factory making chips. Due to a potent mix of my finely tuned art of postponing things and his laziness, we sort of have lost contact. Actually not really lost contact, just that we know that each other is still alive but just never got the time* to email each other.
(* we are very busy people trying to solve world hunger you know)

I think the last time I saw him was more than 4 years ago when another of our mutual friend got hitched. At that time his first daughter was only about a few months old (and now she is 5) so you can imagine how long ago it was. Just out of the blue I thought of sms’ing him on the news that someone is going to be a daddy soon and that got back the communication going. I guess it’s one of those things that guys do. When girls leave school they will cry and cry and be sappy all over promising themselves to keep in touch and call and this and that, but for guys, I guess it’s more like a business transaction. We shake hands, wish good luck and exchange in audible grunts and go our own way.
If we don’t happen to work in the same place or bump into each other often enough, I guess it will be like Ah Heng and me.

It’s an interesting friendship (or rather brotherhood) that we enjoyed.

p/s: in case any of the ladies were wondering, Ah Heng is now happily married with 2 adorable daughters and running a company selling electrons**. so no chance already la.
(**don’t ask me to explain, I am quite blur myself)