An Unexpected Letter

It was during my study week, I was having a hard time juggling between my revision for my final exams and my part-time job as a research assistant. Yee Shian, the girl who has been my friend since kindergarten and now my course-mate, told me that she helped me to pick up my letter from Australia when she dropped by the dormitory’s office. Australia? To my dormitory? A few possible senders passed through my mind. Could it be some Australian universities? Impossible, I didn’t apply anything like exchange programme or transfer programme or whatsoever. A Friend? I do have a number of friends studying in Australia, but I don’t think I’ve given my dormitory’s address to any.

I stopped at Yee Shian’s room after lunch to pick up the letter. The handwriting on it didn’t ring a bell and there was no name on the back of the letter. Prank?
Clearly not, there was Australia as well as Malaysia’s official chops on it. My name was written correctly too, which showed that the sender knew me personally, because people always got it wrong.

“Why do you need to insert an ‘R’ in your ‘HORNG’? It’s simpler if you just spell it as ‘HONG’,” my English tuition teacher used to ask me.

“My mum said it’s more special that way,” I replied.

I took the letter back to my room and opened it. There is a big ‘HORNG ENG’ written in black and purple in the middle of the page. The borders are filled with ‘HAPPY 21st BIRTHDAY’ written in purple too. So this person knows that I like purple. I knew who the sender was the instance I laid my eyes on the first sentence – ‘HEY ENG ENG! Or ENG TAU PENG or ENG….INE! OR MOST RECENT ONE: ENG-STER.’ There’s only one person on earth who never gets tired of ‘modifying’ my name…

KIM NGU. =.=

‘Anyway, you surprised?’

Yes I was.

‘Guess who am I.’

You’re Kim.

‘If you recall, someone asked for you address a few weeks back.’

No, I can’t recall. Clearly I should be less forgetful about who’s having my personal information next time.

‘Anyway, you’re 21. The big 21. When you are legal to vote. I can just imagine you putting a huge cross against the opposition’s symbol. Hehe.’

Maybe I’ll not, because the Perak incident has given me the impression that the opposition sucks too.

‘I’ll just say nice stuff since it IS your birthday and you better treasure it cos I won’t say this in real life and you will only hear/read this once.’

Yea I know. Maybe I should consider framing your letter up and put it next to my bachelor degree certificate. It’s HARD to get, just like my degree, isn’t it?

‘Thanks for being a wonderful friend. I find it interesting how we can get along so well despite the age difference.’

Oh~ thanks! There’s a reason for this. I’m kepo, you’re kepo, and kepo people get along very well.

‘And I like it the way you are such a good leader, the way you don’t compromise your personality just so people will like you. You’re like ‘what you get, what you get’ kind.’

=) Thanks for the compliment! Actually I’m just doing what the government wants us to do – support ORIGINAL! Try imagining me behaving like the social pet, Paris Hilton. Just the part where she is paid to attend parties and social events, not the part where she videoed herself and well, yeah you know.

‘And now that you’re turning 21, you’ve got so much ahead of you and I pray that God will bless you abundantly and the rest of your journey in shaping and moulding yourself. He was with you, is with you and always will be with you.’

I know that and I hope that He will stay with you too.

These are just some of the content of the letter, but that’s the main message of it. Some are sensitive, so I’ll reserve its content to myself so as not to be charged under ISA.

Thanks Kim, for your thoughtful and priceless birthday gift. I really appreciate it. =) Well, there is something else that I want to tell you; please write only horizontally or vertically next time, not diagonally. I know you’re studying optometry and so maybe it has became your hobby to play tricks with eyes, but it’s very hard for me to read. I needed to put a ruler under the line because I kept jumping lines. =.=