Of Dillon, hockey and Isa.

22.9.2009.

I was stuck in the crawling traffic somewhere near Tanjung Ipoh on the way the family's old house in Bukit Temensu when Dillon called on the mobile yesterday at noon. He said, above the din, he came to the family house earlier and didn't find me there, so I told him where I was and to wait at his uncle's house until I arrive. His uncle lives in a one-story house just 50 meters from our rear fence and has been a neighbour since I can remember. "Have a few beers first" I chuckled. Dillon is partial to the brew. In fact all the Bais I know are. 

The trip to Kuala Pilah used to take all of 30 minutes 40 years ago. I remember, as an undergraduate, having to ride on my  90 cc Honda home, in the evening, and passing Bukit Putus, the twisted pass located about 16 km from Seremban, at about 10 p.m., and how glad I was when I saw the headlights of an oncoming vehicle. At least I had company now, I said. 

Yesterday I left Seremban at about 11 a.m. and reached the house at exactly 12.45 p.m. ! It was bumper to bumper all the way. Dillon came over as I entered the kitchen, because I gave a long blast of the horn as I passed his uncle's house. I drove the back way from Kuala Pilah town to avoid the traffic lights (yes, we have them in Kuala Pilah) in front of Maybank (yes, we have them, too), so that means I pass his uncle's house first. I invited him into the dining area, now filled up with in-laws and nephews and neices. All our activities are conducted in the large dining area because it's the most spacious room in the house. Dillon and I just dug in whatever was already on the table in front of us.

As far as I can remember, this is the first time Dillon had a Hari Raya in the house. I'm definitely sure it's the first time as a "Dillon", anyway. This is remarkable because of the length of our friendship. As I told everybody in the room, I always call him Sukdarshan since I know him way back in 1960, in his ornate turban, cycling to the uncles' house behind ours. He still had his turban at RMC when we were also there together later, still Sukdarshan to me, but "Suki" to his hockey-mates. He was a State player. Then we went our separate ways until I returned to serve in a different capacity in Negeri Sembilan, based in Seremban, in 1995.

When I met Sukdarshan again, it was as a turbanless "Dr. Dillon, pediatrician" and a "Dato" to boot. So I guess this 2009 Raya visit is better late than never. The hockey, he says, is all a memory now. It's golf, today, and we have met many times, and I'm pleased to say that his score against me is also a memory for him, but a painful one ! We always talk a dime a dozen, but inevitably we got to the subject of Isa. 

The Datukship is Isa's because he took care of all Isa's children, but there's absolutely nothing wrong with that, and he deserved it, as far as I'm concerned. Naturally he's sympathetic to the Isa's camp, but I countered with my arguments. Of course he's not convinced, but I stuck to my argument, and the debate hung, as has always happened with us. 

The visit was all too brief, but good visits always seem brief. So next meeting at the club, I said, over 9 holes. And call Parim. He's another Bai, another doctor and another Dato'. He's also another golfer, but one I like to irritate with the remarks "famous last hole." But that calls for another story. 

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