Rain in my HEart, but...

About one year ago, I lost a childhood friend to cancer of the large intestine. He suffered in pain for about six months, and God in His great mercy, relieved the patent of his pain by taking him away permanently as far as this earthly life is concerned from us close friends. But I know he's now resting in peace in a better place.

This morning I "lost" another friend, but this time only temporarily as Coww left KLIA in the wee hours of the morning for Tahiti. The Chinese community in the island state must have enjoyed Coww's story telling, about the man who gave his life by another painful death on the cross, so that mortals like us can have "eternal" life, as Pastor Coww would assure his close circle of friends who enjoyed the way he tells stories from the holy book.

So I sms-ed Coww last night that it's just adieu, and not goodbye, and while we wouldn't be having our PnC chats over tehtarik at Temiang Corner, or chuKIOKsin at men kee for sometime, I wish him Godspeed.

But I must admit that I shall "miss" Coww's counselling on matters on the HEart, soul and spirit. And Desi, like most mortals, do suffer pain in his many ups and downs striving to stay close to the straight and narrow path in Life's so unpredictable journey.

Yes, there is "rain in my heart" whenver I bid goOdbye, permanent or temporary, to mates I have grown to have felt close chemistry wit'. Sometimes, we don't even say much to each other, the camaraderie over a meal was music enough to enhance Life's melody.


So this morning, I rose earlier than usual and planned killing time at the flea market nigh the Furong Pasar Besar, a regular haunt with Coww to have Mamak mee, chinoserie style, or roti cinai with kambuing. If thou knoweth not where Furong is, please get the hear out of Hell! before I yell beneath my breathless heart, "SEREMBAN-lah, you Ignoramus!" Hey, please bear with Desi's knotty ways.

After some 15minustes, I spied a greAt novel which I had had seen the movie version of. Oh yes, "Dr Zhivago" by Boris Pasternak brings back fond and fonder and fondest memories of later path of childhood, teenage passion and early adulthood because "nary is dare a care in a young one's heart" when you don't have to earn your occasional peanut butter -- three layers! -- on toast bread. Desi was earning about one-fifth (on goOd months...) to one tenth of my Dad's pay then as a teacher-headmaster, via yes, writing short (knotty?) stories staring in Form 2!

I parted wit' RM3 for the fantastic Russian writer's; picked up a special Commemorative edition (of her death) of Teresa Teng's (Deng Li Qin's He Yih Qin Jai Lai...loosely meaning When will my Lover come again?...)magazine for just RM2 -- see how miserly Desi is, willing to pay jest RM5 for two greAt master/mistresspeAces! "Ah, Nostalgia eh? Don't linger too long, mGf, the toast bread wit' peanut butter is burnin'!"

Those days were carefree and youth like us were always happyNgay (some of us being Scouts and enjoyed camping by Port Dickson, and listening to ghost stories by the camp fire and rhythm of the roaring sea. But we still had time to see the damsels' feet, "how they can dance", with thanks to WH Davies, motivating -- slightly polluting? -- young innocent minds with "Leisure". .. Those were the days we by-hearted luvly poems and drew Hollywood film stars copied from Movie News! Hey, whoever stoile my masterpieces of Elvis Presley and Olivia Husley, please retrun them to me, OK! I may even pay you a small angpow and spare with the chasticement. No sermons from Desi -- I am not elder Coww!

Mr Coww I shall miss thy company and telling tales, especially those from "The Romance of the Three Kinghdoms". I shall always remember, with some reddish colour on my browning face, your educational "You have the heart of a) Thief, but you don't have a thief's guts!" (You jei de xin, mei jei de dan!" ... I hope this is close enough han yi ping yin rendering:)

So here's the Lara's theme from Dr Zhivago:)

FRANK SINATRA
"Somewhere My Love"

(P.F. Webster, M. Jarre)

Send "Somewhere My Love" Ringtone to your Cell

[Recorded November 17, 1966, Hollywood]

Somewhere, my love, there will be songs to sing
Although the snow covers the hopes of Spring
Somewhere a hill blossoms in green and gold
And there are dreams, all that your heart can hold
Someday we'll meet again, my love
Someday whenever the Spring breaks through

You'll come to me out of the long-ago
Warm as the wind, soft as the kiss of snow
Till then, my sweet, think of me now and then
Godspeed, my love, till you are mine again

[jazz instrumental-first four lines]

Someday we'll meet again, my love
I said "someday whenever that Spring breaks through"

You'll come to me out of the long-ago
Warm as the wind, and as soft as the kiss of snow
Till then, my sweet, think of me now and then
Godspeed, my love, till you are mine again!