ART, The story teller - Part XII

PART XIII – MY THOUGHTS ‘UNITED 34’

Ever since I started writing about INTAKE 34 and all of us, what we have gone through for 35 years or so, we still have our indiferences and peculiarities, the recent comments about our skottee not being able to recognized, not able to recollect, not able to identify and not able to even agree to trivial matters.

It shows us all that we are all humans indeed, each and everyone of us was brought up in a different a different way, before we became cadets and later on we became ‘Pegadawai’! We have our own built-in values, our own likes and dislikes and indiocyncracies as well.

So, this shows we are never ever going to be the same and agree to everything, in disagreeing we find a common ground and in indifference we should work hard to find peace with others & within ourselves.

To date, maybe I am the fortunate 1 that all skotee treat me nice and equal, no matter where I am or was before! All the Generals that have made it, still treat me the same, that small fella! I have grown old, white bearded and skinny some says, but it is still me, ART apek! Never can grow taller, but safe to say still okey can pass PT Test anytime!

It saddens me to hear the comments from fellow brothers that there are a few who got the cold shoulder, maybe it was unintentional, let’s give them the benefit of the DOUBT!

One thing is for sure, we will become civilians one fine day, no matter who we are, it is who are we to become that is more important, in the final analysis, we have not much time left, not going to reverse our aging, or stop the rot, let alone make enemies at this stage of our life.

I have been also vocal about those who did not make it to the reunions pass and recent, lets pray that they all come for the next one. Some are so near yet still so far! Sometimes it is the timings and some last minute matters arising. We forgive them all.

We yearn to see each other because we have this bonding in us, we just want to see faces and just to embrace other and hug each other, not about the food or goodie bags, or golf trophies! 

The small gatherings during weddings are so fantastic, everyone present will be staring in awed as to our closeness & spirit of comradeship when we are together, we will be the loudest no matter how many are present!

My Beloved ALI d’ KUN, partner-in-crime, dari bangku sekolah, satu kampong, satu intake, satu battalion dan pencen satu syarikat….. Cuma lain mak & bapak, dia Pathan aku TONGSAN MARI! Dia gelap aku cerah, dia gemuk aku kerus, dia tinggi and aku comel!

So, we are so different but we both share a love-hate relationship, the thick and thin we went through in 2 Rangers, with Nor Azman Yahya as YOYO! BAGAI NAK RAK KATA ORANG! Kalau lah Mess itu boleh cakap! We were the three stooges….satu Malaya…MIC….MELAYU, INDIA (PATHAN) & CINA@!

I and Sec-Gen got a mission to fulfil, that is to see Maj Gen Shahrani TS Sany, we will talk to him, cannot blame him, he was with us for a short stint only, after that he left for Portsea. He did not know what happened after he left, thus the bonding lapses, like me, him and Cadet CO satu platoon and same barracks, we were together almost every night sitting by the longkang at Tuah Coy smoking and talking! So we shared more things together!

As for the other, some did not serve at the same units, HQ’s or Formations, like me and BOY….we were in PULADA & IPDA…..so the separation made us grow apart, so now we make that barrier disappear for good. Most of us are already retired or left earlier, just only a handful still soldiering on! I was with Salleh Armor in Corp HQ, Rahman Mat Lodin also there. The rest tidak ada peluang….Masod in PuLaDa and UNPKTC….

Two reunion ago I could not recognized some faces, even Capt. Kamsani was mistaken as my own skoteee.....see how we can be msitaken!

BOY…hampa tahu ke si siapa dia ini?

The Cadet CO is buying me a new PIPE POUCH for my next birthday, for you all to know….he has appointed me as the Intake 34 honorary MC for LIFE without pencen! Sec-Gen pun sama, kerja sampai habis habisan…jangan ada tangisan! Dia risau nanti dia jadi Jeneral, dia pun akan ak’syen, saya janji akan kerat telor-dia. Tak caya try test cuba & buat tengok!

MAKE PEACE & LOV NOT “WAR”