I was born into a Baba-Nyonya family, otherwise known as Peranakan family. As a child, I never understood how lucky I was to be a part of such a family, being able to enjoy both the cultures and cuisines of Malays and Chinese. You see, the Peranakan community has been in Malaysia since the 15th century, and originally immigrated from China. We have assimilated many customs in the Nusantara (Malaysia and Indonesia) and have become part of the local communities. As such, many of our customs are based on Malay and Chinese origins. The cuisines, for one, uses many spices found only in this region.

The language that the Baba-Nyonya community uses is far different from the normal, accepted, from-the-book Malay. Sadly, I never really understood it and thus never really learnt it. It is a dying language, and its contemporary use is mainly limited to members of the older generation. A mix of English-Malay has now replaced this as the main language spoken amongst the younger generation, with English being more widely used and a few Malay words slotted in between.

Touching on clothing style, there isn't a distinct attire for the Babas(Men) to wear. However, the Nyonyas'(Women) clothes is very similiar to the Native Malays. For example, their clothing consists of a long dress, a batik skirt, gold brooches and beaded slippers.

My favourite part, the food. Many of the Baba-Nyonya foods are based around Chinese cooking techniques and Malay ingredients. As such, most of the foods are generally spicy and uses many herbs. Ingredients encompasses coconut milk, laksa leaves, pandan leaves, belacan(belachan), tamarind juice, lemongrass, ginger, star anises, cinnamon sticks and so on. Another special ingredient is the cincaluk; a special species of small prawns with a very, very strong taste and smell. Many Nyonya dishes take a long time to prepare, and as such taste the best when served at home. You can't say you've tried proper Nyonya food like Buah Keluak, Pong teh, Babi masak cuka, babi asam, itek tim, and so on until you've actually been to a Baba-Nyonya family and eaten at their house. Those stuff at the shops? Poor, poor renditions with profit in mind, cutting costs and corners while also cutting the taste. Many tourists have been cheated, actually, into eating these second grade dishes and leaving to think they've actually tasted the real Baba-Nyonya specialities. I'm very lucky, because both my mother and my grandmother are masters at Baba-Nyonya dishes, and I've grown up with such dishes as an almost everyday thing. The thousands of tastes that the cuisines have make me always want to eat more, and whenever there's some curry around, oh boy, the rice just won't be enough.

All good things come to an end, though. The Peranakan culture is slowly dying out with marriages between the Peranakan and mainstream Chinese or Malay becoming more and more common. Many of the younger generation Peranakans do not learn to speak Baba-Nyonya Malay anymore and thus also do not carry out various cultural rituals mainly due to government policies such as "Malay as the National Language" in Malaysia, and since Peranakans are considered as Chinese politically, the Mother Tongue Policy in Singapore also contributes to the dilution of this culture. But who am I to blame? I, as a pure Baba, have not put in any effort at all to carry on this colourful culture to the next generation.

TRIIIING! TRIIING! I woke up with a start and hit the snooze button on my alarm clock. I rubbed my eyes and looked at the table calendar that was placed beside my bed. 3 January 2000. I immediately jumped out of bed with a wide grin that was etched on my chubby face. I went into the bathroom and took a warm and soothing shower, brushed my teeth and combed my hair as nearly as my mother had taught me to do. After all that, I quickly got dressed in my brand new school uniform which consisted of a school badge that was sewn on the pocket of a crisp and smart white shirt, a pair of dark blue short pants and also a pair of white socks. When everything was done, I ran down the stairs happily to meet my parents and little brother who was sitting at the dining table having a slice of toast that was smothered in jam and butter.

"Wah, boy, so eager to go to school?" my father said as he smiled at me. I nodded in approval and took a seat beside my brother who was poking a finger at his breakfast.
"Haha, of course he is. It's his very first day in school. The start of a brand new life in his childhood days," my mother added.
"Come on, boy. You wouldn't want to be late for school on your first day, would you?" my father asked as he took the car keys and put on his coat. I quickly gobbled up my breakfast and located my school back that was placed beside the shoe rack. I noticed a pair of little white shoes too. After putting them on, I raced to the car while carrying my bag and almost tripped on my dog's tail. The surprised animal got up and barked as if to say ,"Hey! Watch it!". I patted my dog and told him to be good as I would not come home until school was finished. He licked my hand sadly and whimpered when he saw me getting into the car. I closed the door and could not wait to start the journey for school. A few minutes later, my mother and brother walked over and wished me good-bye and told me to enjoy myself. I nodded and after that, my father slowly reversed the car out of the house and then, we were on our way.

"Here, boy. Take this money in case you want to buy some snacks or you might want to call us," my father said while holding out a 50-sen coin. I accepted the money gratefully and thanked him for it. While listening to the music that was playing on the radio, I could not help but think of the things that I would experience when I was there. 15 minutes later, I saw a huge signboard that was placed in front of a big building. 'S.K. St. Francis' it read.

"Go on now. That's your school. See all the children there? They are of the same age as you. Come on," my father told me as he gave me a little push. I took my bag and stepped out of the car nervously. A male teacher, fierce-looking and holding an unbelievable long cane, came to me and said ,"Boy, are you a Standard 1 student?". I nodded my head meekly as a sign of approval. "Go over there and wait for the rest," he said and pointed out the spot with his cane. Mr. Ee Gim Siong, a teacher that I will never forget in my life. I walked sheepishly to the big crowd of children. Some were crying, some were running around but most of them seemed to be excited and happy at the same time to be in school. Suddenly, a bell rang loudly and those who were crying, cried louder. I saw all of the students rush to the stage and lined up, two by two, according to their class. I heard the headmaster announce.

"Good morning, fellow students. It's the start of a new year. Be prepared for another year of fun, joy and unfortunately, sadness. Now, may we sing a few patriotic songs before we leave for classes?" He gave a signal to another teacher and music started playing. We sang the national anthem, the state's anthem and the school's anthem. After that, we recited an oath and then, the headmaster dismissed us and allowed us to return to our classrooms. The Standard 1 students were required to stay back in front of the stage as they announced which class we would be placed in. After hearing a few names.
"Isaiah Tan Chung Zhen, 1 Putih," I heard a teacher say. I walked over to a row of students and sat with them. After everyone was placed in their respective classes, we headed to a small classroom that was situated beside the school's tiny garden. The form teacher, Pn. Saras, came in and took our attendance. I raised my little hand when I heard my name and when everyone's name was recorded, the teacher started her lesson. It was a Bahasa Melayu lesson and we learned how to construct sentences and also how to spell. When her period was over, another teacher walked in. Before she came in, we wished Pn. Saras and greeted the next teacher. Pn Tan, our Mathematics teacher. A teacher who would not stand any nonsense but was kind in every way a person could think of. She taught us how to add and subtract and later, gave us our very first homework. As both teachers had a double period, we had recess after Mathematics so when Pn. Tan had to leave, we quickly thanked her and scrambled our of class. I took my sandwiches that were made by my mother and sat under a tree. I observed the other kids quietly when suddenly, my classmate walked up to me and sat beside me.
"Had fun during Maths?" he asked
"Yeah. You?"
"Same as you," he replied. "What's your name?" he continued.
"Isaiah. Isaiah Tan," I answered.
"How do you pronounce that?"
"I-zay-uh," I replied.
"Oh, sorry for being ride but I've never heard of that name before. By the way, I'm Dwayne. Nice to meet you," he said as he held out his hand to shake mine. I took it and we both became friends. After chatting for a while, we heard the bell ring again and we immediately ran to the stage and took our placed. A teacher stood on the stage and told a few of the remaining students who were in the canteen to hurry up and when he said a few things, he looked the prefects to lead us back to our classroom. Everyone was still excited even after recess was over and it was very noisy. The helpless prefect even had to shout to keep us quiet but to no avail. Our next subject teacher walked in and told us to settle down and prepare for the next lesson which was English. We learned how to spell as we did in Bahasa Melayu and had a dictation test to see how good our listening skills were. I was overjoyed to know that I had scored full marks in that test and received a pat on the back by that teacher. Pn Chang. Another teacher who would not tolerate nonsense but had a good sense of humour. English was also a double period so finally, school was coming to an end. Next was Pendidikan Moral. We greeted him and when we were about to sit, he suddenly shouted loudly.
"YOU!" he pointed at a small boy who was sitting by the door. The boy immediately broke into tears and started crying in his seat.
"Goodness, you guys can't take a joke?" he said as he walked over to the boy and started to comfort him, telling the boy that it was meant to be a joke. The whole class started laughing and in the end, the boy started to laugh between his sobs. After an exhilarating 30 minutes of Pendidikan Moral, it was time to go home. The bell rang and after everyone had thanked the teacher, we quickly grabbed our bags and waited patiently for our parents to arrive and bring us back home. I caught sight of my parents who were smiling at me while waiting at the school gate. Before I left, I wished Dwayne a good day and also told him that I hope to see him again. He thanked me and shook my hands once more. After all that, I got into my father's car and smiled to myself.
"So, how was school?" my mother asked.
" It was fantastic," I replied.
" A full day in school and all you can tell us is just three words?" my father questioned me.
"Oh, alright. Let me tell you ALL of it," I sighed. As I told them everything, they laughed when it was funny and when I had finished telling them everything, we had already reached home. After taking my lunch and my bath, I fell onto my bed and smiled again. Thinking of my new friends and also my first day in school.

I looked out of the window and was shocked to see a girl cornered by three men holding knives in an alley opposite my house. Upon closer inspection, I realized that the girl was someone I recognized although we haven't talked to each other before. My brain started working on the possible solutions to this problem. My parents were working and wouldn't be back anytime soon. Both my sisters were studying overseas. The first thing that came to my mind was to call the police and see the situation unfold. However, the police would never be able to make it in time and who knew what might happen to the girl if things continued as they were. Another solution was to simply ignore the whole scene, as if I had never seen anything but I couldn't do that, I couldn't live with the guilt of not doing anything while someone was suffering. Then, the last solution, and the one I dreaded the most, came info my mind. I would have to go down there myself to buy some time before the police arrived. I shivered at the thought of going against armed men. Without delaying any further, I gave the police a call and quickly explained the situation to them. Then, I grabbed anything that could serve me as a weapon of shield. Even though the police told me not to do anything funny, I knew what I had to do if that girl was to be saved.

I found myself running out of my house with an iron pole, possibly from an unused pipe which was about about four feet long and a metal tray about the size of my torso with a handle in the middle. I wasn't thinking about much as I ran there but I was fairly aware of some voices in my head that were telling me to stop or I would get hurt.

Considering the distance between my house and the alley was about twenty metres or so, I made it there in less than a minute. The situation had not progressed much further except that the girl was driven further to a corner and the men were steadily advancing towards her, like a predator playing with its prey. Without any warning, I dashed forward and tackled the man closest to me. He fell down with a loud thud and while his two friends were too dazed to react, I placed myself in between the men and the girl.

I felt like a knight in shining armour protecting a damsel in distress from the evil men but that feeling was short-lived as the three men looked seriously angry at my interference and my courage was slowly turning into fear. I began to tremble and my legs felt like jelly, ready to buckle without a moment's notice. However, by sheer willpower or maybe because it was my masculine instinct, I stood my ground and waited for my opponents to make their move. After all, my main objective was to buy time for the police and minimize any injuries that I could get.

It wasn't long before one man, that one I tackled earlier, rushed at me with his knife in the air. Lucky for me, my iron pole was much longer than his knife so I managed to hit his hand away, effectively disarming him in the process, and delivered a kick to his stomach that sent him groveling on the cold floor. Upon seeing this, his two accomplices rushed at my in the same fashion as the first man.

Everything happened so fast. I myself didn't know how I managed to react so quickly. I blocked one of my opponents with my tray but the other man was attempting to stab my chest. I dropped my pole because it was too long and used my bare hand to stop the blade. I felt my right hand become numb as blood splattered on my clothes. At the same time, I heard the girl behind me gasp and the sound of the police siren blaring in the background. The men's faces contorted in fear as they cursed and tried to run away but were caught by nets shot by the police.

I slumped down on my knees, the knife still impaled in my hand and the other end of the blade protruding out from the back of my palm. I did not feel any pain, really, but I couldn't feel my whole arm. I lost track of time as my vision slowly faded. I was aware that an ambulance arrived a while later and I was rushed to a hospital. When I regained consciousness, I found my parents beside me. My mother looked like she had been crying for some time while my father had a grim expression on his face. When they saw me moving, they immediately hugged me, scolded me and my mother broke down in tears again all at the same time. The girl and her family visited me a while later and then I was hugged once again, thanked and praised by her parents. The doctor told me that I was going to be fine and that I just needed to rest for a few days as I was still suffering from 'shock' as he would call it.

I was constantly visited by my parents over the course of the next few days after being warded. My parents showed me a newspaper cutting of an article about modern-day knights and about how some act of courage could save a life. In that article, there was a picture with my face in it as well as a drawn rendition of the events that transpired that day. The girl became a good friend of mine after I was released from the hospital and she always liked to talk about the day when she first met me. It was a very hectic day indeed, that day when I decided to look out of the window.

Write a speech on Influenza A(H1N1) based on the given points.

I would like to bid a very good morning to my teachers and fellow friends. I have no doubt that all of us have heard about the Influenza A(H1N1) outbreak recently since it is a hot topic that is always being brought up by the local newspapers and television programmes.

For those of you who still do not know what Influenza A(H1N1), which I will refer to as H1N1 in future, is exactly, it is a highly contagious acute respiratory disease. It is caused by a new virus that is not yet known to man. In conjunction with Health Week, I, as the president of the Health Club, will explain the signs and symptoms of H1N1 as well as protective measures to take to prevent you from falling prey to this disease.

The signs and symptoms of H1N1 are not unlike the common flu. Nevertheless, if you have experienced or are experiencing high fever, persistent cough, sore throat or runny nose, it is advisable to see a medical practitioner immediately. There is no definite way to differentiate H1N1 from the common flu unless you get a proper medical examination.

To prevent yourself from contracting this disease, you should, at all times, avoid contact with those who appear unwell. In addition to that, you should stay out of crowded areas. You also need to avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth. You must practice good health habits like wearing a surgical mask if you have fallen sick and washing your hands often. I would like to add that, while H1N1 is still out of control, we need to wash our hands much more often than usual, even to the point of being excessive. Last but not least, we need to say informed on the latest news concerning H1N1.

In conclusion, although H1N1 is highly contagious, it is very possible to contain it. If everyone were to take proper preventive measures, I am sure that, before long, H1N1 will simply be lost in history, never to be heard of again. After all, as the saying goes, prevention is better than cure. With this, I would like to end my talk by saying that each and every one of us will make a contribution, whether it is destroy this virus outright or to let it continue to run rampant. Thank you.

“Jansen! Have you finished packing your bag?” called Jansen’s mother from the living room.

“No. Just a few more things to pack then I’ll be right downstairs,” he replied. He rummaged through his dresser and packed his toiletries in a smaller bag and carefully placed it in his backpack. After doing so, he carried the bag down into the living room and left the bag by the door. He then walked into the hall and sat on the sofa.

“How many of you will be going for the trip tomorrow?” Jansen’s father asked him.

“Err… if I’m not mistaken, there will be seven of us including me,” he replied.

“OK. Just be careful not to do anything foolish while you all are out in the forest,” added the concerned father.

“Shhh! Listen to the news! Something happened in the forest reserve that you and your friends are going to tomorrow,” Jansen’s mother exclaimed.

“This is just in. A group of people have been reported missing after disappearing for three days in the forest reserve that is located at the outskirts of Stu Pi Dity Town. The search teams are still currently trying to track down survivors,” reported the newscaster who was standing at the entrance to the forest.

“Goodness gracious! Jansen! You all are going there tomorrow! Are you sure it is OK for you to go there? I think you should cancel the trip!” exclaimed Jansen’s mother with a horrified look.

“Oh come on, mum! Why should I cancel the whole thing because of some small accident. I’ll bet they’ll probably be found tomorrow. Besides, I’ve packed my compass. How are we going to get ourselves lost?” Jansen asked as he tried to reason with his mother.

“Are you sure it’s OK? It’s dangerous out in the woods, you know,” his mother explained.

“Yes. I’m absolutely sure that we’ll be back in one piece,” the boy promised.

“In that case, please be careful and look out for each other when you are out there. I don’t want your friends’ parents getting all worked up and worried if they found out their child is missing in the wilderness,” Jansen’s father told him.

“Yeah, yeah. I promise you that, dad,” Jansen replied as a sign of reassurance.

* * *

BEEP! BEEP! BEEP! Jansen woke up with a start. He glanced at his digital clock and grinned when he saw the time.

“It’s show time,” Jansen said to himself. He quickly jumped out of bed and waltzed into the bathroom. After taking a shower, he brushed his teeth, combed his hair and came out of the bathroom a refreshed and revitalized boy who was ready to take on life’s challenges. He got dressed in his T-shirt and jeans and looked at himself in the mirror. He whistled.

“That’s one handsome-looking guy. Heheh,” Jansen chuckled as he admired himself. He strapped on his watch, put on his baseball cap and went out of his room. He rushed down the staircase and jumped over the final few steps and landed so loudly that his parents turned and shot him an ugly look.

“Behave yourself son. You have not left the house yet and we may change our minds,” his father said sternly.

“Alright, alright. Sheesh. I can’t help it. It’s so exciting to be out in the woods with friends,” Jansen explained in attempt to defend himself.

“Your breakfast is on the table. Come to think of it, what are you and your friends going to eat when you’re in the jungle? There are no food stalls nearby,” said Jansen’s mother, ignoring her son’s excuse.

“I got that settled, mum. Azoth and Elene are bringing the foodstuff and Vivienne is bringing drinks for us. She promised that it is enough for a week,” Jansen answered.

“Oh, in that case, I’m not too worried. Enjoy your trip then,” said Jansen’s mother as her son grabbed his car keys and backpack.

“Yes. Be careful while you’re out there and always call home to update us on your latest condition,” added his father.

“OK. I will. See you folks in another four days!” Jansen replied as he closed the door behind him. As Jansen’s mother watched her son go, little did she know that it would be the last time she would ever lay her eyes on her son ever again.

* * *

“Hey! Hey! Are you guys ready for the big trip?” Azoth asked in an excited manner.

“Yeah. It should be fun, spending three nights out in the woods. I hope nothing serious will happen when we are there. I just heard the news last night. A group of people went missing after entering the forest. Let’s hope that doesn’t happen to us,” said Elene as she shuddered at the thought of it.

“Now, now, let’s not be afraid. I’m sure that the rescue teams had already found those people and that they are back safe and sound. Besides, I got my compass. What else could go wrong?” Jansen replied.

“Who knows? Maybe the compass is too complicated for you to understand,” Jarl snapped.

“Jarl! That’s enough. Why are you being so rude lately?” Gwendolyn asked him in a shrill manner.

“I don’t know. Maybe I’m getting irritated because of this nonsense. We should be on our way there right now,” Jarl retorted.

“Fine, let’s get going then. By the way, where’s Josh?” Vivienne asked as she shot Elene a puzzled look.

“Oh, there he is. Here, Josh! Over here!” Elene shouted at him as she waved he hands.

“Guess I’m the last one here, eh? Sorry guys but I was late because my mother tried to persuade me to cancel my trip to the forest after listening to last night’s news. I heard a group of people went missing. Is that true?”

“Yeah, don’t worry, we shall be safe. I got my compass with me. There shouldn’t be any problems when we find our way out in any case we get lost in the woods,” Jansen reassured Josh.

“Great. I packed my compass, too,” Josh added.

“Good thinking. Now, shall we get on the van now? I’m getting pretty restless over all the excitement,” Azoth said.

“Right, let’s go. Hop on everyone. We’ll be there in an hour or so,” Jansen announced. Right before Jansen got onto the van, a stranger came up to him. The boy quickly turned away for the stranger was in a bad condition. His clothes were torn, he had an unshaven beard, his right arm was covered in blood and what used to be his left arm was now a stump.

“Get away, old man! What do you want from me?” Jansen vociferated as he tried to get rid of the stranger.

“Heed my warning, young one. I know that you have great plans ahead of you while you’re in the forest but beware, many people had entered the damned place but so far, none has ever returned,” the stranger warned him.

Nonsense. As far as I know, the only incident that involved people who went missing only happened yesterday. Now, get lost!” Jansen shouted at the unkempt stranger. After saying that, he got onto the van and slammed the door.

“As far as you know, young one. As far as you know,” the stranger sighed as he watched the van disappear from his sight.

* * *

“Hey, Jansen! What’s with that look? Getting scared of the forest? Worried that your compass-reading skill will fail you?” Jarl asked Jansen who was frowning when he recalled what the stranger had said to him earlier.

“Huh? No. It’s nothing. I was just thinking of something. Nothing serious,” Jansen replied.

“Look, you can tell us what happened. We saw a stranger confront you back at the Chok’lit Shoppe. What did he say to you?” asked Vivienne.

“Hmmm, I hope it’s nothing serious. He told me to cancel the trip to the forest. I wondered what happened in that place. He even branded the forest as a damned place. The stranger back there also stated that many people had entered the place but no one has ever came out of it,” Jansen explained.

“Oh my goodness, is that true? If it is, I think we should reconsider the trip,” Elene exclaimed after listening to Jansen’s words.

“Wait, don’t be crazy. We are already halfway and think about it, look at the state the guy was in. I’ve never seen a man so untidy and disheveled before in my life. You would definitely say that too if you were standing right next to him. His body odour was so bad, you could practically see flies hovering over him,” Jansen continued.

“Yeah, I guess you’re right. Anyway, why not we play game of poker? It’s getting pretty boring,” Josh suggested. After receiving looks of disagreement, he quickly added, “No, no, no. We’re not gambling. I just want to kill some time.”

“OK, then. Count me in but before we start, where are the cards, you fool?” Jarl lashed out.

“Jarl! If you act like that one more time, I’ll definitely kick you out of the van without any hesitation!” Gwendolyn screamed. With that said, Jarl immediately fell silent and suddenly became so polite that all of his friends could have swore that he would be much more polite than the timid girl who was in their class. After playing their card game, Jansen closed his eyes and nodded off into Dreamland.

* * *

“To enter or not to enter? That is the question,” pondered Jansen as he stood in front of a wooden door of a shabby hut.

“Oh, well. What harm can it do anyway?” he said as he pushed it open and walked into the hut.

Bad mistake.

* * *

RIIINNNG! Students came rushing out of their classes to embrace the beginning of the school holidays. All of the students were having faces filled with glee and bewilderment.

“So, Jansen, what are you planning to do this school holiday?” asked Vivienne who was practically shouting at the top of her lungs to get her question to Jansen through the rowdy crowd in the cafeteria.

“Huh? Oh, it’s you Vivienne. Not much. I’ll most probably be spending my time at home playing computer games and of course,” as he pushed himself through the crowd and wrapped his arms around Vivienne’s waist, “spending it with you.”

“Not here, Jansen, later. Someone might catch you doing this,” she said as she pushed his hands away from her and turned to face him.

“Look, why don’t we meet at Ja Red’s Fat Diner tonight at 7 p.m together with the gang? It’ll be a blast,” Vivienne proposed when she noticed the disappointed look on Jansen’s face the moment she removed herself from his hug.

“Sure. I’ll pick you up at 6,” came the reply before Jansen left her with a look of satisfaction.

* * *

“Mum! I’m home!” yelled the 17-year old boy as he tossed his school bag on the sofa and immediately switched on his computer. With a few clicks, he was already accessing his Facebook account and judging by the look on his face, even a boy with short-sightedness could tell that the broadband connection on that day was slower than a moving sloth.

“Jansen? Is that you? Lunch will be ready in a jiffy!” his mother shouted from the kitchen. Jansen mumbled something under his breath out of annoyance when he failed to access the Internet Service Provider’s or the ISP’s homepage.

“www.uyhaw.com,” he mumbled when he read aloud the web address that was scribbled on a piece of paper which was stuck beside the monitor. Once he was in the site, he immediately scrolled to the part which showed the connection speed on that day and swore aloud when he saw that it was too slow for him to do anything.

“We’ve got to sign up for that Premium Membership some day, mum,” he suggested to his mother when he saw her walk into the dining area with a plate of lasagna.

“Why?” she asked with a surprised look.

“It’s too slow. I depend on it to write essays for the school, you know. How am I going to compose if I don’t have a decent connection?” he complained.

“Stop whining, you ungrateful boy. Think about the children in Africa. You should be happy that you’re able to access the Internet whereas the children there do not even have the privilege to even hold a mouse,” Jansen’s mother scolded him when she heard her son’s complaint.

“Yeah. Guess you’re right,” Jansen said as he took a bite out of his lunch, “This is good, mum. It hits the spot,” he added. When he was done, he smacked his lips and thanked his mother and went on to inform her about the plan he had with Vivienne later that day.

“Mum? Vivienne and I are going to meet the gang at Ja Red’s Fat Diner tonight at 7. Is it OK for me to go?”

“Yeah. It’s fine by me. Provided if her parents know about it and allows her to go with you. I don’t want you two sneaking out of the house doing things that you’re not supposed to,” answered his mother.

“I just received a text message from Vivienne. Her parents had given her the green light. Thanks mum. You’re the best,” he said as he kissed his mother on the cheek and went back to deal with his computer.

* * *

By six in the evening, Jansen was already dressed and grabbed his car keys and drove over to Vivienne’s residence that was 800 metres away from his. She was already ready waiting for him in front of her door and beamed at him when she saw him all dressed up, neat and handsome.

“My, my. Look at you. I’ve never seen you so dolled up before,” Vivienne commented.

“Well, have you heard of the saying ‘clothes maketh a man’? That is why tonight, I’m not a boy but a man,” Jansen replied.

“Haha. Yeah. I guess it’s true. At least now my parents will know that I’m dating a man instead of a 17-year old boy, eh?” she teased him. Right after she said that, Vivienne gave Jansen a peck on the cheek. Jansen was so thrilled that he could not return Vivienne’s last remark.

* * *

When they arrived at the diner, a group of teenagers could be seen hanging around outside the building. After parking his car, Jansen stepped out of it and opened the door for Vivienne. Both of them smiled as they approached their group of friends and recognized them immediately. Azoth, Jarl, Elene, Gwendolyn, and Josh have been friends with Jansen and Vivienne since they were seven years old and they had stuck with each other through thick and thin throughout their childhood. Now, they are still in the same school and even the same class. Azoth noticed the couple which was walking towards them and nudged Jarl.

“Hey, hey, hey. Look who’s there! Hi, Jansen and Vivienne,” Azoth greeted them with a warm smile.

“Hi, Azoth,” both of them replied simultaneously.

“Guess we’re late,” Jansen added.

“No, you’re not. We were just early,” Jarl retorted sarcastically.

“There, there. What’s with the hostility, Jarl? It’s the start of the school holidays,” said Elene, who was trying to calm things down as she glared at Jarl.

“What? I was annoyed. Besides, sarcasm is a part of me. I can’t help it,” answered Jarl with a grin.

“Alright, let’s get down to the bottom of this. Why did you call us here for?” questioned Josh with a puzzled look.

“OK. Look, here’s the plan. We gather at the entrance of the forest reserve that is located in the outskirts of town,” Jansen suggested.

“Wait a minute, genius. That place is ten miles from here. How are we going there?” asked Gwendolyn.

“I’ll ask my dad to lend us the family van. If I get his permission, the trip there shouldn’t be a problem,” Azoth said.

“Brilliant suggestion. Now to decide the rendezvous point instead of meeting up at the entrance. I think we could gather at Pop’s Chok’lit Shoppe at eight in the morning,” Jansen explained.

“It looks like it’s all settled then. We will meet at the shop at eight, OK?” Vivienne confirmed with them.

“Yes. Now, why don’t we get ourselves some dinner?” Jarl proposed.

“Yes, sir!” came the reply in unison.

* * *