Early 1974 I have joined in Sekolah Menengah Sains Pahang (SMSP), Jalan Gambang-Kuantan, Pahang. It was a damn solo appearance for me in that school. I was the only representative from Sekolah Menengah Batu Buruk to join the SMSP. In fact, the envelope containing the offer letter from SMSP to me was posted to SSSS bearing may name on it. The letter took about 2 weeks to reach me. And, when I registered my name to the administration office of SMSP, I was called to the Headmaster's Office to explain the reason of my late appearance. The Headmaster, Abdul Rahim then allowed me to join the school.
I was sent to SMSP by my Allahyarham Grandfather. From Kuala Terengganu we took express bus to Kuantan, then we took normal bus from Kuantan to SMSP at 8 milestone of Jalan Gambang-Kuantan. After sending me at the front gate of the school, my Grandfather leaved me alone to register. I remember the Headmaster asked me in Malay Language but with Terengganu slang "mana ayoh mung? ke mung mari sorang diri je..." means "where's your father? or are you coming alone.." I just told him that I was accompanied by my grandfather, but he has to rush back to Terengganu by bus before the sunset.
But, soon after registration, I was admitted to the hostel dormitory and placed together with other Form 4 students. There I made friends immediately with students from Terengganu. There were plenty of them. Some in Malay Medium class like me and some in English Medium class like my friend Nik Malik. I could not recall who was the first friend welcomed me there, but everything was great with Terengganu dialect being spelled almost everywhere inside my dorm. Many of them were jokers and made and told funny things making new listeners like me to laugh at large. They were very friendly however.
There was no actual orientation week for us because we were actually in the second batch of the school. The first batch were the Form 1 students whom at the time of our arrival became Form 2 students. Hence they were not brave enough to arrange for an orientation week against us. No word like freshie or newbie being spelled by them against us.
As the school football field was closer to our hostel block, I used to play football almost every evening. I was selected in the school football team...but most of the times sat as the team's side line. I think I have never played for the school's first eleven team. My role will be required when right winger Azli was injured or the other first choice substitute player, like Zakri was not fit to play. So, I have had very limited role in the team.
Our school also not good in every aspects of sports or games because we were just two years old. We were no match with Sultan Abu Bakar School (SABS) of Kuantan in terms of sports and games. Sports facilities and equipments were insufficient on our side. Besides, we were the governments' boarding school which were tasked to concentrate more in academical aspects rather than in sports and/or games.
I was not good in academic, but in certain activities organized by the school I managed to contribute something to them. I was the school's champion for the Qur'an reading contest and have represented the school to compete in the district of Kuantan level. Though only have the consolation prize, I felt proud for doing something for the school in the first year of joining them. But then by the end of Form 4 I became a bit rugged and have had my head shaven. That style has had attracted the Headmaster to remove my cap I wore during the Monday morning assembly in the school's hall. Fortunately, he was satisfied with my appearance, though looked a bit surprised with the presence of a lookalike Yul Brynner in that school.
When I was in Form 5, I have more friends not from Terengganu. This was because they were my classmates, and furthermore my old dorm mates were all on heavy study and concentration for the final exam, SPM/MCE. I mixed with friends from Perak like Amri, Azizzan and Tajuddin; from Malacca like Naim, Ghafar and Soh Ah Chin; from Selangor like Karim Mansur and a lot from Pahang itself. I started to talk rubbish and spelled dirty words during conversations with friends. It was a cultural disarray and a perverse audacity on my behaviour which was not in accordance with my actual personality. This was the main reason of my failure to shine in my academic scope especially in science subjects and additional math.
No comments:
Post a Comment