In Form 6 I had to attend classes in
Anderson School in Ipoh as there were no such classes in my home town.
Therefore I had to get up at 5.30 am, cycle to the bus station in Batu Gajah
and then take two buses to reach the school.
The
return trip was the opposite. I would normally reach the Ipoh bus staion at
1.30pm or even 1.45 pm. Then there would be another 15 minutes for the bus back
home if I was lucky.
On
one of the trip back to Batu Gajah, I was seated with my friends who would
usually be Chan Yit Meng. The buses did not have air conditioners in those
days. The only cool air was from the breeze or wind from the open windows. It
was stuffy and hot and the ride was a bumpy one. We would normally doze off or
nap during the 45 minute journey. Most of the time, our heads would rock to and
fro with the rhythm of the turns and stops made by the bus. We frequently
knocked our heads and at time onto the windows. We were lucky was neither or
heads or the glass windows shattered.
On
one occasion I was dozing off when I felt someone or somebody touching my
shoulder. I thought it was a dream or just a prank. The hand slowly moved and
the fingers reached my shirt pocket. It was actually trying to pinch something
that was there.
I
opened eyes and saw the fingers trying to retrieve my bus pass or card from my
pocket. I slapped the hand and quickly turned around.
The
hand belonged to a girl seated behind me. I was furious and I shouted at her
for trying to pinch my bus pass. I gave her a stern warning and if it happened
again, I wouldnot hesitate to show her my fist. She did not apologise but
looked away sheepishly. The other students looked at me approvingly.
As
a student I bought a monthly bus pass or ticket in the form of a card. It cost
12 dollars in those days. It could be used everyday including public holidays
or weekends. Each time I boarded the bus, the conductor would check my card and
punch a hole on the date. It was done again during the return trip. It was a
real convenience but the fear of losing it always lingered in my mind.
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