Farewell to an Old
Friend
It was heartbreaking tragic
news as he was told that his close friend has suddenly passed away. He was
further shocked when he suddenly realized that it was his friend that he saw
that night.
Gopeng which was a small rich ex-mining town located about
20 km from Ipoh, the state capital, in the state of Perak in Malaysia. Eugene and Menom were not only childhood but best
friends and lived almost their entire adult lives in the town of Gopeng.
Town of Gopeng in Perak
Eventually Eugene left home in Gopeng bringing his father
and his younger sister along with him. He was promoted as an assistant distribution
manager in Shah Alam, Selangor. His father could get his weekly treatment in a
nearby hospital and his sister could begin her course at a local college.
One night Menom and his wife just finished dinner at a local
‘mamak’ store and they drove to their house. His wife unlocked the front door
and Menom was taking out some grocery from the car when he decided to smoke his
cigarette (not allowed to smoke in the house). The entire neighbourhood was very
dark except for a few roadside lamps. As he was sitting on the bonnet of his
car, he saw a stranger opposite and near to his house beside a roadside lamp. As
the stranger was beside the lamp, Menom could only see the outline of the
stranger but it was very familiar.
Just as Menom was going to call out to the stranger, his
wife came to the car and said why he is taking so long. Menom looked at his
wife then turned back to the direction of the stranger and was about to reply…..the
stranger beside the lamp post was gone. Menom looked everywhere in the
neighbourhood but there was nothing there.
